Attire

Hi Guys!!!
I just wanted to throw this out there:
This wedding is going to be casual. Think of it as a glorified back yard shin-dig. We are not overly formal people so please don't dress up too much.
I would also recommend bringing light sweaters juuust in case.
Also, for the Ladies: If you are going to be wearing heals I recommend wedges as this will be taking place on a lawn.

These are a Few of Our Favorite Things (in Tahoe)

Hopefully at least some of you will be able to use the wedding for a little vacation, we know we are!

Most people that I've spoken to have not spent a great deal of time there so I thought that I would submit some of our favorite things to see and do in the summer for anyone interested.

ANGORA LAKES

Hands down one of our favorite summer excursions is going to Angora Lakes, lovingly dubbed "Lemonade Lakes" by my entire family. Its a beautiful 1.5 mile walk to a couple of lakes, and is not overly physical. At the end of the walk you are rewarded with a gorgeous lake with a beach, paddle boats for rent, rocks to jump off of, and an incredible view of the cliffs. There is also a small store with lunch items for sale (although we usually bring our own) and delicious homemade lemonade (by the glass or by the pitcher) and lemonade popsicles (first picture). I highly recommend the strawberry lemonade popsicle. It's amazing. Round trip it is only 3 miles and you can stay for as long or as little as you want. Please be aware that it's best to go early in the day as the parking lot fills up very quickly; also there is a small fee to park. 

Here is a link with more information and directions: http://www.fs.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsinternet/!ut/p/c4/04_SB8K8xLLM9MSSzPy8xBz9CP0os3gDfxMDT8MwRydLA1cj72BTJw8jAwjQL8h2VAQAzHJMsQ!!?ss=110519&ttype=recarea&recid=11803&actid=64&navtype=BROWSEBYSUBJECT&position=BROWSEBYSUBJECT&navid=100000000000000&pnavid=null&cid=null&pname=Lake+Tahoe+-+South+Shore+-+Angora+Lakes+Resort

LAKE TAHOE

I feel like this is obvious, but just to throw it out there... 

EMERALD BAY

Emerald Bay is also a great place that we love to go. It's a fairly steep paved path down to the beach but it isn't very long. I recommend taking the tour of Vikingsholm if you've never been, I'm pretty sure that it's still free. The picture above was taken at Eagle Falls, the falls that feed directly into Emerald Bay. There is also a great trailhead right across the highway that you'll pass on the way to the Bay. 

It is also possible to take dinner cruises to Emerald Bay aboard the paddle boats.

Here is the link: http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=506

STATELINE

Stateline is a fun place for shopping and dining. There is also the Gondola ride which takes you up the mountain.

Link: http://www.stay.com/lake-tahoe/attractions/17896/heavenly-scenic-gondola-rides/

I also recommend taking a drive around the lake. It takes about 3 hours nonstop but please stop somewhere! There are a lot of great places to visit and see! On North Shore there is a great place called Sunnyside Inn for a fancy-ish lunch on the deck.

Hotels and Rehearsal Dinner

Since almost everyone is traveling for the wedding I wanted to address the hotel situation.

Lake Tahoe is a tourist destination, which means that there are literally places for any budget and style preference. 

If you want to stay somewhere exciting with a "downtown" feel, I recommend staying at the casinos at Stateline. It is central to shopping, fine dining, and right next to the Lake and a Golf Course. This is the farthest away I would recommend staying, as it is 25-30 minutes away from our house depending on traffic.

Apart from Stateline, there are more hotels, motels, bed and breakfasts, etc than I can mention. Like I said, there are options for literally any budget and preference combination. Please keep in mind when booking that we are on the South Side of the Lake so I don't recommend staying anywhere on the North or East side.

Unfortunately I don't know of any deals or specials for any local hotels, but the wedding is going to be just after tourist season has ended (Labor Day weekend) so the prices should have dropped.

Our rehearsal dinner is going to take place at the house from 7:30-10:00 on Friday night. Anyone who is already in Tahoe by that time is more than welcome to please come by and hang out. We will be ordering pizzas from a local pizzeria that we love and also have an ice cream bar so please come and pig out with us. Please keep in mind that we will be kicking everyone out at 10 sharp because this bride needs her beauty sleep. 

Touching Base

We hope everyone is doing well! It is insane to believe how fast this year has passed and that the wedding is just next month. A year ago we were still in a long distance relationship trying to figure out how we would make it back together and start our lives. Now we live in a tiny apartment that we adore, in a town that we love, with a cat that we put up with no longer know how to live without, and jobs that pay our bills. God has been so good to us and we are so incredibly thankful to our family and friends for supporting and loving us. 

We hope that you all are as excited as we are for next month! Please stay tuned, I know that I haven't been posting a lot lately but there are a lot to come because we are now so close and there is pertinent information to share.