Joe's favorite CA vacation spot: Lake Tahoe

Every summer, my family heads up to Lake Tahoe, located on the California-Nevada border in the heart of the heart of the Sierra Nevada mountain range. It is a large lake that is home to some of the best real estate in the country, as well as great beaches, restaurants, and recreational activities. It is my favorite local place to vacation, and in traffic-permitting conditions, it only takes about three and a half hours to get to the Tahoe basin.
I head up usually every July with family and friends to bask in the beauty that this area has to offer. We stay on the western shore of the lake, near Homewood, CA. It is a fairly popular destination for Marin families, which often results into run-ins with other acquaintances every year. The first thing we do every year we arrive in Homewood is to head over to the beach. The icy-cold water is the perfect contrast to the warm weather, and a quick dip in the lake is always rejuvenating.
Besides laying out on the beach, Tahoe offers many other exhilarating activities, such as rock

climbing, boating, kayaking, and of course, hiking. Home to some of the most beautiful views in the world, hiking trails in Tahoe are a popular attraction for everyone in the area. My favorite hike involves trekking up the hills above Emerald Bay. Although it is fairly challenging, conquering the long hike is very rewarding. It is views like the one pictured to the right which keep me coming back each year.