South Lake Tahoe has always had the chops. The area has long been known as a 24-hour happening, notable for all-night gambling, big-name entertainment and a restless vibe that’s a far cry from the laid-back hamlets of the North Shore. In 1956, when the world’s most famous skier, Stein Eriksen, signed on at Heavenly, casinos were already rocking. Bill Harrah was bringing in some of the hottest acts of the time: Frank Sinatra, Eddie Fisher and Dean Martin. Marlene Dietrich and Bob Hope both appeared at Harvey’s in 1955, the same year Heavenly opened. Après skiers might have visited the Stein Room, the rathskeller bar under the base lodge where skiers could buy their own beer steins and listen to Eriksen and his instructors sing.
South Lake continues to focus more on the evening to come than it does with the day that lies behind. People visit Heavenly and its surroundings to escape from the city and have fun on-slope. But while some of the guests’ motivations have not changed over the years, the style is hardly the same. A decade-long redevelopment of the casino corridor removed the tacky souvenir shops and no-tell motels. Visitors are now welcomed to a pedestrian village featuring hip restaurants, bars and boutiques.
Aside from being a favorite stop for entertainment headliners, the six Stateline casinos offer everything from magic and comedy shows to
burlesque revues. There are shabby to chic cocktail lounges, lively restaurants and, of course, a chance that luck will be a lady on the gaming floors.
Not everyone visiting South Lake feels the need to roll the dice. With plenty of bars, restaurants and clubs outside the casino corridor, South Lake Tahoe comes darn close to being everything to everyone. The art of barhopping here can resemble a rumble down a mogul field, devolving into a series of linked recoveries. No matter what pace the enthusiast is searching for in a party town like South Lake Tahoe, there are more than enough diversions to sate anyone’s appetite. If there’s any criticism, it’s that there’s so much going on you might have to remind yourself that you actually came here to ski.
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◗ MUST DO The Improv at Harvey’s Cabaret Theater, where audiences laugh it up nightly.
◗ DINING The South Shore offers an array of funky taverns and cafes on both sides of the Cal/Nev border, such as McPhees, Whiskey Dicks, the Fresh Ketch and Turn 3 Peanut Bar. The Lakeside Inn, a cozy casino in Stateline, might seem an unlikely place for Latin Soul, a Latin fusion restaurant offering one of the region’s most distinctive menus. Goodies include zesty Peruvian-style tuna ceviche, Venezuelan-style maize pancakes and Salvadoran pork chops with nopales (cactus pads cleaned of spines). Don’t miss the mojitos braced with mint.
◗ LODGING Romantics should book the Black Bear Inn bed and breakfast (tahoeblackbear.com), but for pure convenience and moderate prices nothing beats Embassy Suites, located near the Heavenly Gondola. Lodging includes breakfast, a morning paper and cocktails in the late afternoon. A well-connected bell-desk staff can more often than not deliver the goods, including tickets to sold-out shows and restaurant reservations; embassy-tahoe.com.
Photo by >> EL-L on Flickr
