Back to nature in Tahoe

As we dropped into the South Lake Tahoe area, (our homebase for a few days), we could feel a nip in the air. October is a quiet time as everyone is gearing down from the summer season and getting ready for the ski season. It was a great time to visit as the daytime temps were still warm and the nightime temps only required a jacket. Our homebase was Worldmark just outside of So. Lake Tahoe. The highlight was doing a fair amount of hiking around the lake. There were many hiking trails although some of them were closed for the season. There is an abundance of golf courses. They have boat trips on the lake that give a great tour. For the TV enthusiasts they offer a tour of the Bonanza set.

Quick Tips:

For the not so serious gamblers they have numerous coupons all around. Great buffets are offered for those who love to eat. For the golf enthusiasts on a budget, the municipal golf course in South Lake Tahoe offers inexpensive golf and low crowds. Mining towns are a quick drive uphill. If you have a lot of extra time and the weather is less than optimal you can always find timeshare spiels with free tickets to shows, meals and free casino tokens.

Best Way To Get Around:

They offer a shuttle to the casinos downtown, and you can walk to other places from there. It is much easier to get around by car and you can travel much farther.

Best Things Nearby:
A lot of hiking and the lake.

Best Things About the Resort:
Our balcony overlooked a wooded area which afforded a lot of privacy.

Resort Experience:
We had an easy time checking in and finding the resort. We had a good sized one bedroom which was fairly well kept up. The bathroom could have used a little updating. It was very clean and everything worked. We thought it had a funny smell but the manager came as soon as we called and felt it was just the gas fireplace. The smell did seem to dissipate when the unit was aired out. The unit was very comfortable and decorated very nicely. They have a nice pool and hot tub area. Our balcony overlooked a nice wooded area which we felt made it much more private. They didn't have many activities (a doughnut breakfast was all we noticed). It was quiet. The people at the front desk were friendly and offered a lot of advice and brochures. It is not a glamourous, full-of-activity type place, but it is a nice, quiet getaway. There was plenty to see and do. It is the first Worldmark we have been to that did not have a washer and dryer in the unit. They did, however, have a laundry room available at no charge.

• Unit Type: 1 Bedroom
• Activities: Fair
• Amenities: Fair
• Unit Satisfaction: Very Good
• Family Friendliness: Very Good
• Service: Very Good

My husband is not a lover of buffets, but he thought this one was great. The food is of a higher quality and is very abundant. They even include steak and hand-dipped ice cream. The desserts are actually good and fresh as is the rest of the food. They offer many choices and the hot foods were hot, and the cold foods were cold. All the food was very good; the service was very good but the ambiance is what sold us on this buffet.

The setting is a rain forest and we were surprised by a rain shower and thunderstorm during our meal. The first time it happens it is a shock. After that you look forward to it happening. The lights dim and they actually have what looks like lightning. Also during the lightning period comes thunder and then the rain. It is very realistic except for the fact that you don't get wet (only a few, light, stray sprinkles). They even have trees that blow in the wind.

The price was a little higher than most buffets, but we felt it was worth it. I would go back to Reno just to experience this buffet again.

Vikingsholm is a redone 38 room mansion. It is surrounded by picknicking, a park area and a swimming area. They are currently working on restoring it, so they only give tours in the summer. There is, however, a lot of information available off season by reading. We joined scores of ambitious hikers trekking down the approx. one mile trail to reach it. The trip down is quite easy, but for the out-of-shapers, the trip up is quite strenuous. I personally did a lot of resting. The view up and down is absolutely gorgeous as it sits right on the lake. It is also accessible by boat. To me, it was one of the best things we did in Tahoe. It was also free (at least in the off season).

We left our condo and drove towards Reno, Nevada through the hills. The scenery was beautiful until we hit the desert area at which time it had a beauty all its own. We saw mining areas which we had read about only in books. As we arrived in Virginia City, we were transported back into mining times which were so realistic that only the modern dress and automobiles made us realize it was the 21st century. Virginia City is a restored town from back in the 1670's. They have used as much as the original wooden sidewalks and furniture as they can. It was easy to imagine how it would feel to be back in those times. The stores, bars, etc have original furnishings from those times. The town is a history buff and shopper's delight. They also offer mining tours which we didn't choose to go on, and so I am not sure how realistic they are. If they are anything like the town, they are very realistic. It was one of the highlights of our trip.

What trip to Lake Tahoe are be complete without mentioning the casinos. There are not an overabundance in Stateline, but they are there and most of them have coupons readily available. We are not gamblers and so took advantage of the coupons. We found them at the visitors center mostly. The casinos are not as grand and do not have as many activities as the ones in Las Vegas. They do have the great deals on meals on a smaller scale and they do have what appeared to be--at least to us--all the types of gambling. Their are many timeshares trying to get you to listen to them and offer great deals. We made $150 in slot chips by listening to two of them. We turned around and cashed them in for real cash. The casinos in Reno didn't offer the coupons and "deals" that they did in Tahoe but they are much grander. We enjoyed walking around Circus Circus and watching people play games and watching the circus acts. My favorite was the Silver Legacy. We sat and relaxed in their beautiful furniture. It is a grand, elegant appearing hotel. Parking was easy and convenient. The downtown area is easy to walk around.