Lake Tahoe
More casino disappointment, but have you seen that lake??
I have never been to Tahoe before, but Taylor has been a few times before — most memorably on a ski trip to Heavenly Valley with friends after college. They stayed at the MontBleu Casino for $25/night (plus free breakfast, as he recounts) and spent hours sipping cheap cocktails in the casino while playing Sigma Derby Racing (tiny automated horses that “run” around a track….which is somehow a thing you can bet on?). I’ve heard his nostalgic recollections of this trip recounted many a time.
[I will mostly be interspersing other lake + food photos throughout this post because the lodging was…let’s just say, not photo worthy.]
When we decided to spend a few days in the South Lake Tahoe area, he looked up MontBleu, but sadly discovered that it is now run by Bally’s and prices have gone up to $95/night. It was still a decent hotel deal for only looking out a few days, so we booked two nights.
At check-in, we learned that if you signed up for a Bally’s Rewards card (at no cost), you could get 50% off the nightly parking rate as well as access to a $17.99 prime rib and mashed potato dinner at the casino restaurant. Let me tell you how excited Taylor was about this prime rib dinner: VERY.
I was more excited about taking a shower and then hitting the hot tub after a long morning of hiking Echo Lakes.
WELL. We went through a 20 minute process of each signing up for Bally’s rewards cards, dropped our bags in the hotel room, showered, and walked down to the restaurant only to find…that it was closed Monday through Wednesday, the very days we were staying at the casino. Taylor’s prime rib dreams slipped right between his fingers.
As a consolation, we put on our swimsuits and headed down to what was very boldly referred to as the “Onsen Spa” only to find…this.
The air itself was thick and over-chlorinated, the ceiling was peeling, the cork flooring was pulling up, and one exceptionally dour teen lifeguard sat dejectedly holding a red rescue floatie while staring out at a completely empty pool. Not really the onsen vibes we were hoping for, but we soaked in the hot tub and eased our sore muscles for as long as we could bare the claggy air.
So our second casino stay was just as disappointing as our first, and we’re planning to let any other fun casino memories remain in the past. I’m officially over casino hotel stays.
Lake Tahoe, on the other hand, was even more refreshing and spectacular and “worth the trip” as I’d imagined. We hiked a few miles around the lake, had a picnic lunch on hulking boulders that jutted far out into the water, wandered through a few thrift and vintage shops, and enjoyed live music at a local brewery.
P.S. Taylor was regretting not bringing a pair of taller waterproof hiking boots, so we stopped at a few thrift shops to see if we could find anything in this outdoorsy town. He found a pair of essentially brand new Columbia boots in his size for $30 at Goodwill. This man has a real knack for finding a good deal. He truly is his father’s son.
