Via - July/August 2014 - California - (Page 33)

LAKE TAHOE, NEVADA ZACHARY LEIGHTON/STILL LIGHT PHOTO B eaches, burgers, and the Bard: California may claim two-thirds of Lake Tahoe's 192 square miles, but the Nevada side offers this summertime trifecta. At Sand Harbor, where the parking lot fills early, crystalline water laps a long, sandy shore dotted with cedars and pines. You can swim, scuba dive, and kayak in the largest alpine lake on the continent at this 55-acre North Tahoe enclave, part of Lake Tahoe Nevada State Park, or stroll the quarter-mile trail past hidden coves and granite boulders. And when hunger strikes, grab a freshoff-the-grill burger at the concession stand run by the Char-Pit, a local institution since 1962. , After the daytime crowds have decamped, Sand Harbor morphs into a slice of Olde England, albeit one set amid 10,000foot Sierra peaks. During the Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival, actors strut and fret their hours upon a stage backed by a stunning vista of the lake and distant mountains. As You Like It is on the bill this year (July 11-August 24), the festival's 42nd season. , There's more fun south of Sand Harbor. Tour historic Thunderbird Lodge, once the Gatsbyesque estate of San Francisco mogul George Whittell Jr., or fish, swim, and boat at Cave Rock's pocketsize beach, also part of Lake Tahoe Nevada State Park. At Zephyr Cove Resort's pay-to-park beach near the casino action of Stateline, a party vibe prevails south of the pier. Parasailing, jet-skiing, and beach volleyball not your scene? Sign up for a cruise aboard a vintage motor yacht, a catamaran, or the m/s Dixie II, a 500-passenger boat resembling a Mississippi River paddle wheeler. visitinglaketahoe.com. AK E ESC APE Dive into summer at the West's splashiest destinations, where fresh water delivers cool pleasures for all ages. By Christopher Hall http://www.visitinglaketahoe.com

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Via - July/August 2014 - California