When North Lake Tahoe vacationers take in the bluest of blue water and greenest of green mountains, they have Capt. George Whittell Jr. to thank. The son of a San Francisco business magnate, Whittell had the great fortune of liquidating a chunk of his wealth months before the 1929 crash. He used it to purchase 40,000 acres and more than 20 miles of the Nevada shoreline, initially planning to build a high-end resort. Instead, he created his own private waterfront escape, Thunderbird Lodge, where he would navigate through 600 feet of underground tunnels, past an opium den and a subterranean pool, to his poker room, which over the years saw the likes of Ty Cobb and fellow recluse Howard Hughes as visitors.
Much of Whittell’s property was handed over to the state after the eccentric tycoon’s death, and since the turn of this century, the public has been free to tour the estate from May through October. Visitors will hear about the time Whittell ran away with a woman from the circus, among other escapades, as they roam from the grotto to the gazebo and peek inside Bill the lion’s now-empty cage—Mingo the elephant had his own barn.
For your own taste of a lavish lifestyle, travel some five miles upstate from Thunderbird Lodge and post up at the Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe Resort, whose guest rooms, suites and private cottages sprawl throughout 80,000 square feet. Your top priority after check-in: getting the lay of the lake. It costs $5,000 or more to charter Whittell’s sleek mahogany and steel speedboat (which famed naval architect John Hacker designed to mimic the millionaire’s private plane), but the Hyatt’s 55-foot catamaran, Sierra Cloud, is a suitably luxe substitute that departs daily at noon, 2:30 and 5 pm for two-hour rides. Lounge on the boat’s trampoline while guides pass out cheese and beer, the water—clearer even than the Caribbean’s—rushing by just below you.
The Hyatt can set you up with kayaks, jet skis and paddleboards for other aquatic adventures, but once you dock, grab a drink on the floating Pier 111 Bar, which hosts live entertainment on Thursday nights. If you’re looking for more solid ground, stroll 275 feet down the landing to the private beach to find umbrella-shaded chairs and cabanas.
The resort is located in the town of Incline Village, which lives up to its name, perched at an elevation of 6,000 feet. You can climb even higher on a number of hiking paths, like the Flume trail, which follows a deserted water chute that dates back to the late 19th century, or the trail to Diamond Peak, where panoramic vistas await. Those who’d rather not work for their bird’s-eye views can hop the tram to summit Squaw Valley’s High Camp, located 45 minutes from the resort just over the California border. While you’re there, duck into the Olympic Museum for highlights from the 1960 Winter Games and gorge on chef Jack Connell’s picks at PlumpJack Cafe.
If you’d prefer to stick to the shoreline, there’s plenty to do. Tahoe Flow Arts Studio holds a number of indoor classes, from aerial yoga to hula-hooping, though if you’re lucky you’ll catch a session in the great outdoors, the edge of the water lapping up to your mat. The lake also provides a scenic backdrop for the Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival, where culture vultures can seek out entertainment from the Bard, Sierra Nevada Ballet and the Reno Philharmonic seven nights a week in July and August. Pack a picnic, grab some wine and take in the action on the amphitheater’s pine-tree-flanked stage while kicking back in an Adirondack chair, toes in the sand.
Photo Credit: Brent von Twistern
For more R&R, head to the Stillwater Spa & Salon. As you disrobe in your treatment room, you’ll eye the large windows overlooking the year-round lagoon-style pool. Not to worry—the frolicking guests can’t see you. Opt for a treatment like the wild herbal relief wrap, which cocoons your body in linens steeped in ginger and rosemary while you receive foot and scalp massages. Cap off your visit under a European shower tower, and you won’t want to leave. Luckily, for $24, you can return a second day to revisit the sauna, steam room and other amenities.
Of the multiple dining options onsite, the Lone Eagle Grille is a must—it’s one of the highest grossing Hyatt restaurants worldwide for a reason. Take a seat inside amidst the grand lodge-style trappings or reserve an outdoor spot, where you can also feast on the view. Peruse the impressive wine list with an iPad that’s programmed with plenty of information, though your friendly sommelier will be happy to offer suggestions as well. The steakhouse’s menu offers meat cuts and seafood galore, but vegetarians won’t be disappointed—especially by the desserts, which can turn even the staunchest crème brûlée naysayer into a believer. Or finish off the evening by toasting marshmallows, the fire pit’s glow warming your face and the starry sky shimmering above.
Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe Resort, laketahoe.regency.hyatt.com; North Lake Tahoe,gotahoenorth.com; Shakespeare Festival, laketahoeshakespeare.com; Squaw Valley,squawalpine.com; Tahoe Flow Arts Studio, tahoeflowartsstudio.com; Thunderbird Lodge, thunderbirdtahoe.org
Lake Arrival
Trade ski boots for sandals on Lake Tahoe’s north shore.
By Sarah Hagman May 20, 2016
When North Lake Tahoe vacationers take in the bluest of blue water and greenest of green mountains, they have Capt. George Whittell Jr. to thank. The son of a San Francisco business magnate, Whittell had the great fortune of liquidating a chunk of his wealth months before the 1929 crash. He used it to purchase 40,000 acres and more than 20 miles of the Nevada shoreline, initially planning to build a high-end resort. Instead, he created his own private waterfront escape, Thunderbird Lodge, where he would navigate through 600 feet of underground tunnels, past an opium den and a subterranean pool, to his poker room, which over the years saw the likes of Ty Cobb and fellow recluse Howard Hughes as visitors.
Much of Whittell’s property was handed over to the state after the eccentric tycoon’s death, and since the turn of this century, the public has been free to tour the estate from May through October. Visitors will hear about the time Whittell ran away with a woman from the circus, among other escapades, as they roam from the grotto to the gazebo and peek inside Bill the lion’s now-empty cage—Mingo the elephant had his own barn.
For your own taste of a lavish lifestyle, travel some five miles upstate from Thunderbird Lodge and post up at the Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe Resort, whose guest rooms, suites and private cottages sprawl throughout 80,000 square feet. Your top priority after check-in: getting the lay of the lake. It costs $5,000 or more to charter Whittell’s sleek mahogany and steel speedboat (which famed naval architect John Hacker designed to mimic the millionaire’s private plane), but the Hyatt’s 55-foot catamaran, Sierra Cloud, is a suitably luxe substitute that departs daily at noon, 2:30 and 5 pm for two-hour rides. Lounge on the boat’s trampoline while guides pass out cheese and beer, the water—clearer even than the Caribbean’s—rushing by just below you.
The Hyatt can set you up with kayaks, jet skis and paddleboards for other aquatic adventures, but once you dock, grab a drink on the floating Pier 111 Bar, which hosts live entertainment on Thursday nights. If you’re looking for more solid ground, stroll 275 feet down the landing to the private beach to find umbrella-shaded chairs and cabanas.
The resort is located in the town of Incline Village, which lives up to its name, perched at an elevation of 6,000 feet. You can climb even higher on a number of hiking paths, like the Flume trail, which follows a deserted water chute that dates back to the late 19th century, or the trail to Diamond Peak, where panoramic vistas await. Those who’d rather not work for their bird’s-eye views can hop the tram to summit Squaw Valley’s High Camp, located 45 minutes from the resort just over the California border. While you’re there, duck into the Olympic Museum for highlights from the 1960 Winter Games and gorge on chef Jack Connell’s picks at PlumpJack Cafe.
If you’d prefer to stick to the shoreline, there’s plenty to do. Tahoe Flow Arts Studio holds a number of indoor classes, from aerial yoga to hula-hooping, though if you’re lucky you’ll catch a session in the great outdoors, the edge of the water lapping up to your mat. The lake also provides a scenic backdrop for the Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival, where culture vultures can seek out entertainment from the Bard, Sierra Nevada Ballet and the Reno Philharmonic seven nights a week in July and August. Pack a picnic, grab some wine and take in the action on the amphitheater’s pine-tree-flanked stage while kicking back in an Adirondack chair, toes in the sand.
Photo Credit: Brent von Twistern
For more R&R, head to the Stillwater Spa & Salon. As you disrobe in your treatment room, you’ll eye the large windows overlooking the year-round lagoon-style pool. Not to worry—the frolicking guests can’t see you. Opt for a treatment like the wild herbal relief wrap, which cocoons your body in linens steeped in ginger and rosemary while you receive foot and scalp massages. Cap off your visit under a European shower tower, and you won’t want to leave. Luckily, for $24, you can return a second day to revisit the sauna, steam room and other amenities.
Of the multiple dining options onsite, the Lone Eagle Grille is a must—it’s one of the highest grossing Hyatt restaurants worldwide for a reason. Take a seat inside amidst the grand lodge-style trappings or reserve an outdoor spot, where you can also feast on the view. Peruse the impressive wine list with an iPad that’s programmed with plenty of information, though your friendly sommelier will be happy to offer suggestions as well. The steakhouse’s menu offers meat cuts and seafood galore, but vegetarians won’t be disappointed—especially by the desserts, which can turn even the staunchest crème brûlée naysayer into a believer. Or finish off the evening by toasting marshmallows, the fire pit’s glow warming your face and the starry sky shimmering above.
Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe Resort, laketahoe.regency.hyatt.com; North Lake Tahoe,gotahoenorth.com; Shakespeare Festival, laketahoeshakespeare.com; Squaw Valley,squawalpine.com; Tahoe Flow Arts Studio, tahoeflowartsstudio.com; Thunderbird Lodge, thunderbirdtahoe.org
By Sarah Hagman
When Virginia City, Nevada, miners struck silver in 1859, the town’s population exploded over two decades—nearly 400,000 people crammed into a one-mile stretch, which partly explains the 115 saloons. Today’s population clocks in at fewer than 1,000 residents, but visitors can imagine the once bustling activity whose profits helped finance everything from Wells Fargo to the Civil War. Here’s some of what the former wealthiest place on earth has to offer. / visitvirginiacitynv.com
– Industrialist John Mackay’s fortune went toward building the New York subway and postal telegraph systems as well as the San Francisco cable cars and transatlantic and transpacific cables. He also purchased a mansion from William Randolph Hearst’s father, George, which is open daily for tours during the summer. Step into the dining room where Ulysses S. Grant, Thomas Edison and Samuel Clemens—who used his Mark Twain pen name for the first time while working at the local newspaper here—once shared a meal together. It’s also the site of a carved white oak fireplace made by carpenter-to-Queen Elizabeth Robert Adams. Only two other versions exist, one at Monticello, and the other in Lincoln’s bedroom in the White House. /uniquitiesmackaymansion.com
– There’s still active mining in the town’s nearly 800 miles of tunnels; but for a taste of what it was like in the 19th-century, climb a few hundred feet into the Best and Belcher shaft, found at the back of Ponderosa Saloon.
– Thirsty? Sip on Crystal Bar’s mint juleps; the recipe’s a closely guarded family secret. Or drink in the atmosphere at Red Dog Saloon, where Janis Joplin, the Grateful Dead and other folk and psychedelic rock musicians got their start.
-Tucked in the back of souvenir shop Pioneer Emporium, Pascal Baboulin combines traditional European and American hat making techniques while designing fur felt headwear. For his custom chapeaux, the Frenchman studies face shapes and complexions, and adds personalized trimmings like linings, bands, feathers and pins. / leschapeauxbaboulin.com
Elon Musk headed to Nevada’s high desert climate for Burning Man, but he stayed for Reno’s tax forgiveness. The Tesla exec may be on to something—Apple’s also moving in—but there’s some other reasons for excitement in the city built on liberal divorce laws.
– At the Nevada Museum of Art, Boston native Mark Estee helms chez louie, a French-inspired eatery that serves up a bevy of classic cocktails, and an absinthe flight for those looking for something a little stronger. / chez-louie.com
– The bartenders at cocktail lounge Death and Taxes—which is outfitted in black floors, walls and ceilings—can serve a mean drink, plus they host a number of mixology classes. /deathandtaxesreno.com
– Named for Reno’s Mt. Rose, Under the Rose Brewing Company stocks inventive brews, from sour ales infused with coffee or pomegranate to a number of blondes featuring everything from hibiscus to jalapeno and lime. / undertherosebrewing.com
– The Depot’s Biggest Little Bourbon took home a gold medal at this year’s San Francisco World Spirits Competition. Swing by their renovated firehouse digs to sample even more spirits and beers. / thedepotreno.com
View All Events
Related Articles
Buen Provecho
Work up an appetite on a Puerto Rican getaway...
Get Your Goat
A revamped resort welcomes pleasure seekers to Newport's Goat Island...
Raleigh Ramble
North Carolina's capital offers a walkable downtown with plenty of diversions...
On the Rails
Follow the inside track on your next trip to Europe...
Thoughts on Sox D-Day
How Boston positioned itself for the future...
Celtics' Gamble Not Worth Taking
Love in the Time of Tinder
A singleton braves Boston’s digital dating scene...
Flagged for Approval
The Craigslist Ad That Won the Internet...