Night Life in Lake Tahoe by Elena Dillon

Last week I spoke about our daytime pursuits in Lake Tahoe over the holidays. Now I’m sure most people know this but Tahoe has some pretty great night life as well. Now that my kids are grown or almost grown as the case may be my husband and I and our friends like to go out at night on occasion. Like real grown ups.

If you are into gambling of course there are casinos in the hotels along the stretch of Highway50. Technically the hotels are in Stateline, Nevada, hence the gambling. They offer a wide variety of table games, video poker and some crazy slot machines that look like video games. Now I am not a gambler. I’m a little too easily distracted for the kind ofconcentration it requires most of the time.

While I was wandering around, however, I found a huge slot machine based on the game of Clue. This was one of my favorite games growing up. I stood in front of this game for a half an hour. Eight feet tall, ten feet across and above the slot portion there was a huge video screen with characters walking back and forth between the rooms. I couldn’t figure out how this game worked. I asked a man who was just about to sit down about the rules. He gave me a very condescending stare and said “You are just going to have to figure that out for yourself.” Oooookay. I never did but it was plenty entertaining to watch.

The hotels offer some great live entertainment that is changing all the time. Whether it’s live shows or just music. My advice is always, ask a local. They know what’s good and where to find it. We found a young lady singing some of my favorite 70’s tunes in a lounge off the casino. She had a great voice and it was very enjoyable tour down memory lane. Everyone was singing along. Fun stuff.

We ate at some very nice restaurants while we were there. We are fans of the Mongolian BBQ restaurant, Fire and Ice in HeavenlyVillage right near the Gondola. It’s a great place where you put your choice of raw meat, fish, and/or veggies and sauce in a bowl, watch the cooks cook it up at a BBQ in the middle of the restaurant and entertain you a bit while they do it. You can go back for more but it is surprisingly filling. Also it’s usually cheaper for lunch so if you are bringing a big group it might be a better choice as it can get a little pricey.

If you like Italian, Scusa is the place. Excellent Italian food, a lovely wine list and fabulous wait staff were the order of the evening. If you are looking for a romantic dinner out it is perfect.

For Mexican food we love Chevy’s. It’s a chain restaurant, I know but here’s the catch, they make homemade tortillas on site. You can even grab some while you are waiting to be seated. The kids love it and it keeps everyone happy.
As with most restaurants in any tourist town, on the weekends and holidays don’t forget to make reservations for dinner!

Next week: Summer in Tahoe

About the Author

Elena lives and writes in a suburb north of Los Angeles. She has never lived anywhere besides California

which is probably a good thing since she hates being cold and is terrified to drive in the snow. She loves

being a wife and a mother to her three kids and three dogs, although really the bulldog is the fourth child who has never matured beyond the toddler stage.

A self proclaimed nerd, she has been writing since she was a child. She has only recently, however, come

out of the closet about this to her family and friends. They now understand better, but not completely,

why she talks about characters in stories as if they are real people.

Website: Elenadillon.com     Twitter: @ElenaDillon    Facebook: ElenaDillonAuthor