15 cool things to do at North Tahoe’s Mourelatos Lakeshore Resort
One of my favourite places to stay in Lake Tahoe’s North Shore is the Mourelatos Lakeshore Resort in Tahoe Vista. I discovered it last April, on our trip to Tahoe to enjoy a little Spring skiing. We all loved it so much then, I knew that a summer break would be a MUST.
The resort is small and family run. With only 32 rooms, ALL have lake views and many have kitchens. The hotel is meticulously clean, with super friendly staff and lots of extras. The best part, of course, is its position right on the lake. You can roll out of bed and step out of your room and onto the sand!
If you’ve never been to Tahoe you wouldn’t appreciate how special this is. Lakefront property comes at a premium. If there’s an option to stay on the lake, you simply must. Mourelatos has some of the most competitive pricing around, making it a good quality option.
Of course, I am not the only one who knows this. The resort operates at nearly 100% occupancy in the summer months. So if you want to go, book early. Or do what I did and look for cancellations.
Your family will probably come up with their own favourite things to do, but here are our top suggestions for enjoying Mourelatos Lakeshore Resort in the warmer months!
1. Bounce on the water trampoline! Swim – or paddle board or kayak – the 200 or so feet over to the 25-foot Island Hopper Water trampoline. This was a real highlight for our girls (ages 10, 11 and 13) and we saw kids as young a 5 out there with their parents. My husband even paddled out and bounced. Such fun!
2. Try a Stand Up Paddleboard. The resort has several paddle boards you can borrow to glide across the lake. The friendly and knowledgeable beach attendants even give some tips to my 10-year-old daughter. Here’s the Modern Dad having a go!
3. Borrow a pedal boat. These are great to get the family around. You can’t go very fast – no matter how hard you pedal – but it’s extremely unlikely you would capsize. Good if you have a few older members in your group that might like to go out on the water (without going “in” the water).
4. Kayak or canoe in the lake. There are several kayaks and a canoe (we found these better for our backs) to choose from. Sign your release papers, pick out your favourite and get going!
5. Relax on the beach. My personal favourite. Grab a book and a glass of vino and enjoy the sunshine and stunning views!
6. Play games! Kids and adults will enjoy everything from volleyball to beanbag toss to badminton. I’d be surprised if even the pickiest child feigned boredom.
7. Borrow something from the beach box. Noodles, balls, inter-tubes, buckets, spades, you name it. My youngest daughter found the donut moulds and spent hours making “gourmet donuts” out of sand.
8. Catch a beautiful sunrise or sunset on the beach. Take a walk early in the morning, while the lake is still, and watch the sunrise over the snow-capped Sierra Nevada’s.
9. Hangout out in a jacuzzi. The resort has two jacuzzis to enjoy. We tried both of them. Several times each day. Bliss.
10. Enjoy the views. Grab a book and glass of wine and head out the few steps to the sandy beach, pick a comfy lounge chair. They even have water chairs!
11. Sit by a fire pit at night and make s’mores! There are several fire pits scattered across the property. Drive a couple of minutes to the local Safeway and pick up s’more ingredients (graham crackers, marshmallows and Hershey’s chocolate). Then light the fire and roast those marshmallows!
12. BBQ hamburgers or hot dogs. While at Safeway, get some hot dogs and buns to BBQ. You can borrow paper plates and utensils from the hotel if you aren’t staying in one of the kitchen units.
13. Walk across the road and get Cable Car Ice Cream! Feel like an outing? Cross the road (at the cross walk) and order an old-fashioned milk shake or ice cream cone from the Cable Car Ice Cream shack.
14. Videos and games in lounge. There are more than 100 to choose from. Go for it!
15. Get a hot chocolate at reception. My girls loved getting up and walking over to reception to make their own hot chocolates.
Here’s a short video the girls made …
My 11- year-old’s perspective At the hotel there was a water trampoline! You could swim there, which was quite tiring (we usually wore life jackets) or you could go on a SUP. To borrow the boards, all you need to do is have your parents sign a paper. They also had two pedal boats, a canoe and a whole bunch of kayaks. If you prefer to stay on the sand, there are lots of games including a bean bag toss. In the evenings you can roast s’mores (but bring your own ingredients).
IF YOU GO:
North Lake Tahoe Visitor Bureau gotahoenorth.com A great source of information on all things North Lake Tahoe.
Mourelatos Lakeshore Resort 6834 North Lake Tahoe Blvd, Tahoe Vista, CA 96148 +1 530-546-9500 www.mlrtahoe.com My favourite place to stay in North Lake Tahoe. Family friendly, meticulously clean, lots of character and stunning lake views. We had a King room with a lake view, kitchenette, with a sofa bed and futon for the girls. This resort is very popular with families, especially in the summer, as they have a private beach with LOTS of water activities.
Mourelatos Cable Car Ice Cream 6935 N Lake Blvd Tahoe Vista, CA 96148 +1 (530) 546-9500 mlrtahoe.com We feature BUDS ice cream from San Francisco. The ice cream has a high butter fat content which makes it rich and creamy and they produce wonderful flavors that satisfy all taste buds. The shop features a number of sundaes including Donner Summit, Rocky Road and of course Sandy Beach. garden in back to escape sun
Las Panchitas 8345 N Lake Blvd Kings Beach, CA +1 (530) 546-4539 Very reasonable priced Mexican food. I had chilli rellenos; a roasted poblano pepper stuffed with Monterey jack cheese, coated in an egg batter, pan-fried and served with a red chilli sauce. The girls had burritos and of course lots of chips and salsa.
My 13-year-old’s review of Las Panchitas “Hola!” the cheery staff greeted us as they led us to our seats. I could smell salsa and beans, and instantly knew Las Panchitas would be a good place to eat. As we browsed though the menus we couldn’t make up our minds, but soon settled on some yummy Mexican dishes. I picked an enchilada from the kids menu. At first I thought it would be too small, but I was wrong, as I was still very full afterwards. My enchilada came with rice and beans and was very, very good!
The Rustic Lounge at the Cedar Glen Lodge 6589 N Lake Blvd, Tahoe Vista, CA 96148 +1 (530) 546-428 www.tahoecedarglen.com The BEST food in North Shore (if you don’t believe me read all the TripAdvisor reviews). The Cordon Bleu-trained husband and wife team blend French inspiration with twists on American classics. There’s not a children’s menu, but for a small fee you can share dishes. There’s a modest but perfectly picked wine list. If you stay in the lodge, take advantage of the nightly bonfire with all the fixings to make your own s’mores. I love this place. Make reservations because it books up fast.
Lanza’s 7739 N Lake Blvd, Tahoe Vista, CA 96148 +1 (530) 546-2434 lanzastahoe.com Big portions of entrees such as chicken Marsala, served with salad & bread in wood-paneled environs.
Gar Woods Grill & Pier 5000 N Lake Blvd, Carnelian Bay, CA 96140 +1 (530) 546-3366 www.garwoods.com The food’s a bit pricey, but the lakeshore deck is well worth it.
Old Post Office Coffee Shop 5245 N Lake Blvd Carnelian Bay, CA +1 (530) 546-3205 A great old-fashioned American breakfast in equally great portions.
Safeway Grocery Store N Lake Blvd, Kings Beach, CA 96143 +1 (530) 546-0170 With a little planning, if you have access to a kitchen you could prepare all your own meals with minimal effort. We picked up everything here for breakfast (bagels, cream cheese, sliced fruit and cereals) and pre-dinner snacks – tart granny smith apples, gorgonzola, chips, salsa and a few bottles of Napa Cabernet.
Michelle twin mum | 24th Sep 15
Wow, it just looks amazing, I don’t expect a lake to be so gorgeous, very different to here in the UK!
Trish @ Mum's Gone To | 23rd Sep 15
I could see myself here – I would be reading a book or resting in the jacuzzi, my husband would be playing volleyball.
Cass@frugalfamily | 23rd Sep 15
Just look at the sky in those pictures – it’s so blue! Waking up to that every day would be amazing x
Pinkoddy | 22nd Sep 15
This sounds like such a perfection location for my family – with plenty of adventure but also the opportunity to relax. My husband prefers it when things are nearby and we don’t waste time looking for places to go too.
Boo Roo and Tigger Too | 22nd Sep 15
Oh my that water trampoline looks amazing, how much fun!
jbmumofone | 22nd Sep 15
That trampoline looks amazing. There is nothing quite like watching the sunset on the beach is there?