Living in Santa Cruz, I know all too well that the “off season” for tourists is the “on season” for locals.  In autumn, the weather is perfect in the Monterey Bay.  The June gloom dissipates leaving warm days, sunny but not too hot.  The beaches free up.  We breathe a collective sigh of relief at shorter lines, more parking, and a slower way of life. Happy Cabin is still new to us, and we aren’t as familiar with Lake Tahoe as we are with our hometown. In the past, we visited Lake Tahoe in the peak seasons, at the height of the winter and summer crowds.  Now that we have a cabin to visit on free weekends, we don’t have to do that anymore.  We can go to Lake Tahoe in autumn without a packed agenda.  We can venture off the beaten path a bit.  We can try new things.  Here are ten things I’m looking forward to trying as the season turns.

10. Scuba Dive at Patton Beach

Lake Tahoe may not seem like the most obvious place to scuba dive, but people do it, finding crystal waters, unique rock formations and historic debris.  I want to be one of those people.  Autumn is a good time to dive, because the water is crystal clear and there are fewer boats to avoid.  Sierra Dive has a tantalizing menu of options, ranging from sunken barges to cratered rock formations.  The beach dive from Patton Beach in Carnelian Bay seems like a good place to start.  It’s a shallow dive, close to Happy Cabin, promising “old motor blocks, deteriorated fishing boats, large submerged logs, and a sunken barge.”  For a gorgeous piece about Lake Tahoe diving, check out this article in the Tahoe Quarterly. For information about a new underwater trail of sunken barges from the 1920s and 30s, opening in Emerald Bay at the end of September, take a look at this piece in the San Francisco Chronicle.

9. Hunt for Fall Colors at Page Meadows

Lake Tahoe is known for its evergreens, but there is still a turning of the colors.  You just have to know where to find it.  Page Meadows is the spot. Surrounded by aspen groves, Page Meadows is ablaze with fall colors by mid-October.  From Happy Cabin, drive south on Highway 89 to Pine Street, two miles south of Tahoe City. Go right on Pine Street until you get to Tahoe Park Heights.  Head right on Tahoe Park Heights up the hill. Take a right at Big Pine, and then a left onto Silvertip. Park at the trailhead at the end of the road (marked “Ski Parking”).  You’ll find the first meadow about a half-mile walk in. From the big trail, take the first small trail that off-shoots to the right. (If you start heading down hill toward the back side of Squaw Valley, you’ve gone too far.) Check out this article in Tahoe Weekly for a glimpse of how Page Meadows transforms from season to season. 

8. Experience the Good Life, 1920s Scandinavian Style

Go back in time to a posh 1920s lakehouse, with a tour of Vikingsholm at Emerald Bay. This mansion in the bay was dreamed up by Lora Jay Knight, an American heiress of British descent who built this Nordic castle as her summer home.  It is now a National and California landmark you can visit in half-hour tours through late September.  Steep hike required.

7.  Ride a Horse

I am not a natural horseback rider, but I would love to get better at it.  Alpine Meadow Stables seems like as good a place as any to get started. Alpine Meadow Stables offers guided horseback rides through the Tahoe National Forest with a range of options, from a beginner-friendly, scenic 1- to 2-hour tour to a more advanced half or full day of riding.  There are even guided pony rides for the littlest riders. 

6. Boat and Brunch on The Tahoe Gal

The Tahoe Gal is a 64-foot Paddle Wheeler that offers brunch, happy hour, and dinner cruises out of nearby Tahoe City.  The sightseeing tours include narration of Lake Tahoe’s iconic sites, indoor spaces for lounging, and a deck for soaking up sun.  Refreshments are available, including cocktails, beer, wine, appetizers and full meals for the brunch and dinner cruises.  All ages are welcome.  I'm saving this one for when we have a couple of generations at the cabin, from toddlers to seniors.

5. Learn How to Throw a Frisbee

North Tahoe Regional Park (featured in one of our very first blog posts, “Treetop Adventure”) has a free 18-hole disc golf course, with forest and lake views and plenty of spots to enjoy a post-golf picnic.  Tahoe Dave’s in Tahoe City sells discs. For picnic fixings, Safeway is on the way. If you don’t mind a drive and want to put together a gourmet spread, try Tahoe House Bakery & Gourmet in Tahoe City or Village Market in Incline Village.

4. Paddleboard “The Lake Tahoe Water Trail”

The Lake Tahoe Water Trail is a 72-mile waterfront trail around the lake with marked paddle routes and public launch and landing zones.  In the summer, everyone’s doing it. In the autumn, you might get a few miles of the water trail all to yourself.   You can rent a paddleboard and launch within walking distance of Happy Cabin at our local beach.  For a guide to the trail, visit the Lake Tahoe Water Trail website.

3. Sip a Tahoe Mule on the Sunnyside

Our realtor, Jake Lewis of the Patience Lewis Group, put Sunnyside Restaurant at the top of his list when we asked him for his favorite brunch spots.  Rumor has it the drinks are just as good.  I’m eyeing the Tahoe Mule at the Sunnyside Mountain Grill with Tito’s vodka, fresh lime and Bundaberg Ginger Beer. 

2. Off-Road the Rubicon Trail

The Rubicon Trail is a famous/infamous 22-mile off-road route through the Sierra Nevadas that winds through Gold Country and the El Dorado National Forest.  You'll need an all-terrain vehicle to explore the trail, which you can access from Tahoma on the west shore.  Lake Tahoe Adventures offers ATV tours from spring to the first snow.  The El Dorado County website has pictures, history, and a trail brochure for DIY adventuring.

1. Mountain Bike the Tahoe Rim Trail

Biking distance from Happy Cabin, the Tahoe Rim Trail offers a "best of" Lake Tahoe, with meadows, lakes, forests, and views. From Brockway Summit, you can take an intermediate route to Tahoe City, past Watson Lake.  The Mountain Biking Project has a trail map to guide the way. 

For more ideas, I love this list at 7x7, which covers all the bases from rejuvenating in a swanky spa to learning how to flyboard.  California 89 has another inspiring list, heavy on fun-sounding day trips. Count me in. To read about our family’s shoulder season adventure to the Donner Summit train tunnels, click here.

To visit Happy Cabin during your trip to North Lake Tahoe / Tahoe Vista / Kings Beach, click here.