"Living the Life" on a Tight Budget in Lake Tahoe
Everyone’s looking for ways to “tighten the belt” these days, and those of us fortunate to live here in Lake Tahoe are no different. We are lucky though. It seems as though most of our friends and associates all migrated to the lake at one time or another with a single purpose in mind – a higher quality of life. There is an appreciation of beauty, joy and an eagerness to tackle a challenge. Being an international resort community presents a few economic challenges. Dining out, going to a performance, etc. can be a bit more expensive than in other areas yet there are alternatives found here that can be invigorating and FREE. And now, folks in Lake Tahoe are engaging in the challenge of finding ways to continue the “finer life” at little expense.
We’ve mentioned the rediscovery of the pot luck in the past. One of our favorite social activities these days is our glorified potluck – the “gourmet dinner club.” Okay – we are not “foodies” per say or culinary experts but we do like good food and even more so, stimulating conversation. These dinners have featured various themes such as food from other countries, regional foods and this year – famous chefs. The host (on a rotating basis) chooses a chef and assigns the various courses. Everyone does their homework and voila – an incredible meal, lively entertainment and NO TIP. Actually, there is a tip – Do this SOON!
Winter Has Arrived in Lake Tahoe
It’s true! We actually live in a postcard. We live in one of those magical snow globes. We live in Paradise. As I take in my daily dose of caffeine this morning and glance out the window, I catch my breath. Golden rays of morning light spread like honey over the newly fallen snow. Lots of newly fallen snow! Why is it that snow and Christmas blend together so beautifully? Everywhere you go in Lake Tahoe, people are happy. The snow is here, the phones are ringing, there is new hope and tradition is underway.
Those waiting for the ski season to begin need to get their gear out of storage. All of the surrounding resorts are open and conditions are blissful. Our son arrived home for the holidays and it was only a matter of hours before he and Don were doing a bit of male bonding in the powder. Sore, unconditioned muscles and big smiles were a shared joy between the generations in our household last night. Check out the photo of Scott took of Don tele-skiing at Kirkwood.
I can’t help but smile as I remember how, come next April, this euphoric goodwill brought on by holiday snowfall will transform to grumbling about enough being enough. Yet for now, winter is here and it is gorgeous. If nowhere else, peace is certainly on the earth surrounding Lake Tahoe.
South Lake Tahoe Angora Fire Update
If you, or someone you know, lost a home in the 2007 Angora fire and have not yet begun the process of rebuilding, please know that you are strongly urged to “bank” your existing land coverage and future rights to build by this December.
The Tahoe Regional Planning Agency will provide the application form as well as guidelines to complete the process. We are told that you may not need to supply all of the information listed within that application, (site plans, verified coverage, etc.) if you are in the burn project. Perhaps you will only need some information from the tax assessors office.
If you would like, we will be happy to send you a copy of this application. Just give us a call at 877.768.3775. Hang in there, the Angora area is on its way to being an area of beautiful, newer homes. And if you haven’t been there lately, wait until you see the mountain views.