Trip Index- Post-pandemic girls' weekend getaway
- Hell's Kitchen, Eagle Falls, Tahoe Rim Trail (coming soon)
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Before the pandemic struck, Kaleb and I were planning to spend two weeks at
Marriott's Waiohai Beach Club for our anniversary in October 2020. As the whole state of Hawaii remained closed to tourism at the time, I rescheduled the weeks to March 2021, but Kauai still hadn't opened up then. Finally, I moved the weeks to mainland properties as I had to use them before they expired. One week would be at
Marriott's Timber Lodge in South Lake Tahoe. Despite its close proximity to home, I had not stayed there before and was eager to check out the place. (the second week, in Las Vegas, to be covered in a future post)
Even though the timeshare had 2 bedrooms, no one else was invited as the pandemic continued to persist. Once the vaccine floodgates opened in early spring, the idea of having others join us became a reality. The dates happened to fall on Mother's Day weekend, so I asked the girls if they would be free, as we had done
a cruise in the past on that occasion, and most of them said YES! Thus it was decided that the girls would stay the weekend, then Kaleb would drive up on Monday for the remainder of the week.
The day came and the girls met at my house to carpool, with Dana in the driver's seat. Hugs all around! It had been more than a year since we last embraced.
Leaving around noon, traffic was non-existent. Reaching South Lake Tahoe way earlier than expected, we had a late lunch at
California Burger Co. and did some grocery shopping in the adjacent Raley's. The weather was sunny, with barely a cloud in the sky.
 | | road trip! |
|  | | fromage-a-trois with veggies |
|
 |
| outdoor dining at California Burger Co |
The driveway to Marriott's Timber Lodge was tricky to find as it was narrow and blended into the surroundings. Parking is valet only for $29/day, but one car is included with the timeshare week. I asked the valet about having multiple cars coming in but not overlapping nights, if we'd need to move valet tags; he said to get new tags for each car and the system would automatically take care of it. I was doubtful of this, planning a bit of time for check-out just in case, but in the end, it worked as he explained. Tip: if you are staying at the Marriott and not on a timeshare week, and if you have Platinum or above status in Caesars Rewards, you can try
parking in the Harrah's outdoor lot nearby for free. The Marriott is a few blocks' walk from the very back row. The casino's parking lot gates were wide open when we were there, so no charge for anyone; perhaps paid parking is enforced in the summer.
The valet took down my name and radioed in to the front desk to inquire about the room status. He let me know that only half of the place was cleaned (the 2-bedroom villa was a lock-off, a studio on one side and a 1-bedroom on the other) but that would mean that we wouldn't have to wait too long to get the keys. Handy luggage carts were available to haul our belongings and groceries, leaving the kayaks in the car.
Due to covid safety protocol, one person per party was allowed in the check-in line, which should be the case anyway, so people don't crowd and make the queue look longer. There was no wait and I was happy to find that the entire villa was ready for occupancy.
Our room was in the Alpine building with a view of the pool area. It was a decent distance from the lobby, so we were glad to have the luggage cart.
 | | 2-bd villa floorplan, courtesy Marriott |
|  | | view out the window |
|
The villa was laid out similarly to other Marriott timeshares I've stayed in, but decorated with a Lake Tahoe-themed palette. Toiletries and kitchen necessities were packaged and sealed with a tamper-evident sticker. Remote controls were sanitized and wrapped in a plastic bag. We did not have a balcony, though I could see a few units did. (maybe the 3-bedroom ones)
 | | kitchen |
|  | | living room |
|
 | | master bedroom |
|  | | master bath with jetted tub |
|
 | | toilet/shower portion |
|  | | wrapped toiletries |
|
 | | studio bedroom side |
|  | | studio kitchenette |
|
 | | studio bathroom |
|  | | dining area |
|
I hadn't made any restaurant reservations for the weekend, deciding to play it by ear. The evening flew by while catching up with each other. We neglected having a proper dinner and ended up indulging in
Mango Maui tea,
lilikoi sandbars and other snacks.
We got up early Saturday morning, driving 30 minutes to
Sand Harbor to do some kayaking. Many notable photos of Lake Tahoe have been taken from this beach. The parking lot was said to fill up quickly; reviews recommended folks to get there before 9am. By the time we arrived, the parking lot was wide open; perhaps it'd be busier between Memorial Day and Labor Day.
Waiting for the temperature to warm up, we took pictures and explored the area before putting the kayaks in the water. Even from the shore, you could tell that the water was super clear, shimmering in shades of blue ranging from light turquoise to deep cerulean. Pictures can't truly capture these sights.
Just an aside to remark on the deceptively large cargo space of a Toyota RAV4: two plastic kayaks and oars with a seat folded down, inflatable kayak (it, plus the collapsible oars and hand pump, conveniently packed into a carry bag the size of a large duffel), four life jackets, four passengers, all our luggage and food - everything had fit inside the vehicle...amazing!
We put in the inflatable kayak and the two sit-on-top kayaks at the main beach, paddling around Sand Point to the boat launch area with the interesting rock formations. Again, pictures cannot capture the scenery. The water reflected so many shades of blue, and yet so clear that you could see far down, though the clarity has decreased over the years due to pollution. No kayak? No problem - there are rentals available next to the boat ramp. It's a great way to immerse yourself in the lake's beauty and serenity. (note: some photos were taken through a waterproof pouch so are a bit fuzzy)
Afterwards, we returned to the Marriott. Before heading up to the villa, we stopped by the pool shack to see if there were any hot tub reservations left. Due to covid restrictions, the four hot tubs (small/medium/large plus one accessible) were available via same-day reservation for 30-minute slots, with signups open at 8:30am each morning, which we couldn't make as we departed for Sand Harbor. We didn't have much hope to get a slot as it was a Saturday on a sold-out Mother's Day weekend, but to our surprise, there was one left for the small hot tub, starting in 45 minutes. At first, we thought about passing as we were hungry, but then we decided to make it work by snacking at the villa before the reservation, then heading out to lunch afterwards - good plan! It was nice having the hot tub to ourselves. The sun was stronger than I expected, with South Lake Tahoe at around 6,200' elevation.
After hot-tubbing, we freshened up in the villa, then walked to nearby
Creative Crepes for a late lunch, located upstairs in Heavenly Village.
We spent the rest of the afternoon hiking to
Van Sickle Waterfall. The trailhead was within walking distance of the Marriott; along the road, we found the state line. The trail itself started flat, then became a bit steep, but we were rewarded with expansive views of Lake Tahoe and a lovely little waterfall.
Returning to the Marriott, we indulged in well-deserved mimosas.
For dinner, Karen whipped up a delicious chicken alfredo and roasted peppers - every calorie was definitely earned today.
At night, the girls went down to enjoy the firepit, located just outside our building. The flames lit on-demand with a control on the side of the fireplace.
On Sunday morning, we already planned in advance to skip the Mother's Day brunch crowds, making our own instead. Karen performed magic in the kitchen once more: finger-lickin' lemon garlic shrimp and a refreshing berry napoleon.
Earlier, Rachel and Karen had lined up by the pool area before 8:30am to make a hot tub reservation for noon. We ended up getting the large one (max 12 persons), so spacious! There was no one in the 86-degree heated pool either; we almost had the entire area to ourselves. It was fun to dip back and forth between the two.
We enjoyed afternoon tea before Dana and Rachel went home. Karen would be staying another two nights as last-minute plans were made for a double date at
Hell's Kitchen Lake Tahoe on Monday night.
What a fun-filled, action-packed weekend to kick off the post-pandemic new normal! Even though masks were still required inside public areas, it felt so nice to be able to talk, laugh and be less than 6 feet away from dear friends. There was so much conversation that we didn't break out any of the card games we brought. The weekend went by too fast, leaving us hungering for the next girls' getaway.
Kaleb and Karen's husband Paul arrive tomorrow...stay tuned for the rest of the week's activities!
(Missed reading about our first trip in 2021 to the all-inclusive Ventana Resort in Big Sur? Click here! Don't miss a single update! Click here to have the latest delivered straight into your inbox...opt out anytime.)
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