Local Lens – Out and About in Incline Village

It’s summertime, and the livin’ is easy… if you can keep up with the plethora of events, your houseguests, and what’s going on in town! Between concerts everywhere, Little Shop of Horrors at the Shakespeare Festival, and golf tournaments, I need another vacation.

I am back from my annual trip in northern Minnesota at my “other” Lake Up North, a term those of you from the Midwest will recognize. OK, it’s one of 10,000 lakes, but it is fairly well-known, Lake Vermilion. Minnesotans make this weekly or annual pilgrimage to a cabin or resort where we get reacquainted with mosquitos, deer flies, and the Northern Lights if we are lucky. Not that they are pesky, but did I mention the relatives!

Those relatives are now headed to Incline Village. I am on my third weekend in a row of company, but I am not complaining. Company gives me the opportunity to experience summer in Incline at its best. So far, we have attended the Beach Boys concert fundraiser for Incline Village Community Hospital, Little Shop of Horrors, the Teesters member-guest golf tournament, and enjoyed the Farmers Market on Thursdays at Incline Library. We also explored the myriad paths that wind through the woods between the Rec Center and the beaches, followed by a great lunch on the patio at Sage Leaf. We also stopped into the Science Center for some hands-on learning about Lake Tahoe in the UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center.

While dining at Sage Leaf, I stopped into the Clearly Tahoe shop with all kinds of goodies for the outdoors, including the cutest picnic baskets ever. We walked by Vista Bikes, where people can rent an E-bike and just head right down Village to Lakeshore for a ride. Tahoe Multisport in Village Center has bikes, kayaks, you name it. Bike rentals abound in Incline…the Hyatt, Flume Trail bikes at Tunnel Creek, and Village Ski Loft. I hope I didn’t leave anyone out!

Coming up this weekend…it’s a Classical Tahoe concert on the beautiful UNR@lake Tahoe campus, hiking(for the younger set), and a Sand Harbor Experience organized by Chris Talbot and his Around Tahoe Tours company. This is a guaranteed way to get ON the beach without waiting in line for hours outside the entrance. They provide all of the set-up…umbrellas, chairs, and coolers. PLUS, Clearly Tahoe rents kayaks and Stand Up Paddles on site, so no need to drag those bulky toys to the beach. I’m looking forward to the tour part of it, getting educated on Lake Tahoe’s history and lore. 

If we had more time, a tour of the Thunderbird Lodge would be top of my list. The Visitor Bureau is a happening place these days, and good for locals too. Check out Sustainable Tahoe’s Earth Walk to learn about our native Indians, enjoy the outdoors, and not get caught up in parking hassles at the East Shore Trail. 

My favorite experiences of the summer are the Monday and Tuesday night concerts at Sand Harbor. I will be at The Reno Phil concert on Monday, August 7 for the Tribute to Rodgers and Hammerstein. I will be singing along and maybe dancing in the aisles. Does anyone have an extra ticket for the Linda Ronstadt Experience on Aug 15?? 

On the more serious side, the annual Lake Tahoe Summit is being held at the Kings Beach Conference Center. It is organized by Tahoe Fund. Go to their website to register. The Lake Tahoe Summit brings all the politicians together, reminding us that the Basin is bi-state and it’s up to all of us to do what we can for the Basin, whether it’s high-level policies or just picking up trash from the trails.  

Hey, I know it’s busy right now, and the road construction doesn’t help. Don’t forget to take TART Connect, generously funded by Travel North Tahoe Nevada and Washoe County, among other agencies. Be welcoming to our second homeowners and visitors, and kindly educate them on ways to “Take Care Tahoe” and “Slow Down Tahoe”- signs courtesy of Helen Neff. Our business community is grateful for the summer season, which helps maintain them throughout the shoulder seasons.