When people ask me what my favorite place in America (and sometimes even the world) is, my answer is Lake Tahoe California. I spent several weeks in Lake Tahoe during the summer of 2022 at the end of my California road trip and it was as perfect as I always dreamed it would be.
If I spend more than a week in a place it’s because it’s really special. Lake Tahoe changed my life. I wrote my first book in Lake Tahoe. Watched my blog become a booming success in the blink of an eye. Traveled with someone who became one of my closest friends. Danced among the wildflowers as they were in full bloom. Meditated outside every day. Became friends with the local barista. Developed a healthy work/life balance. Felt peace. And fell head over heels in love with life.
Keep reading to learn my favorite moments from Lake Tahoe California and my love letter to my favorite place in America 💗
In This Blog Post You Will Learn
- My favorite moments in Lake Tahoe
- Why Lake Tahoe is so special to me
- A love letter to Lake Tahoe
Hover Over Image To Pin It!
Favorite Moments In Lake Tahoe
Deciding To Go To Lake Tahoe
Deciding to go to Lake Tahoe was definitely a last-minute decision. I was on my way to hang out in Santa Cruz. But when I was almost there I just felt in my soul like I needed to go to the mountains. I checked my friend’s location and she was on her way to Lake Tahoe. So I gave her a call and made the 4-hour drive to South Lake Tahoe to meet up with our good friends Winter and Princess Daisy.
Related Post: Road Trip Planning Guide and Essential Tips
Arriving In Lake Tahoe
Driving into Lake Tahoe felt like a scene straight out of my dreams. It was a Sunday afternoon. Traffic was backed up for hours leaving town, and I was one of the only ones driving in. All I could see for miles was wildflowers, evergreen trees, and mountains. During the week of the 4th of July! It felt pretty great. I’d worked hard to earn that freedom and I even took the roof off my car so I could soak in every minute of it fully. Some tears were certainly shed. And then we met up with our friends at a brewery before settling at our campsite for the next week!
Good Times With Winter + Princess Daisy
The first week we were in Lake Tahoe we were there with friends we made in Santa Fe (Winter and Princess Daisy) who were traveling like this for the first time. We took it pretty easy overall, spending our days at camp or a cafe, our evenings in town, and plenty of time at the beach. We got settled into life in the mountains, meditated and journaled a lot, and built a wonderful friendship.
Related Post: The Complete Guide To Dispersed Camping In Big Bear Lake California
Learning Detachment & How To Have A Healthy Work/Life Balance
I struggled a lot with having a healthy work/life balance during my trip out west, to be honest with you. It was expensive and I stressed about that daily. But I thought that meant I had to work so much I couldn’t take the time to enjoy life.
Lake Tahoe was the first place I didn’t have cell phone service at my campsite, so I couldn’t just work all day and night and that really stressed me out at first. Especially because my blog and Instagram were seeing explosive growth at the time.
I eventually got used to not having service and even grew to love it by the time I left Lake Tahoe. I developed a regular morning routine of sunrise yoga, coffee, journaling, and unplugging in nature. I loved going paddleboarding at Fallen Leaf Lake for Sunrise. Then I’d go to Freel Perk Cafe to get my work done during the day and make friends. When I closed my laptop, we’d head somewhere fun for sunset like Heavenly Valley, Zephyr Cove, or Stateline. Then back to our tent to sleep every evening. We could’ve stayed here forever honestly! But eventually, we had to leave. And it was a really sad day when we did.
Making Friends At Freel Perk Cafe
We really loved our time at Freel Perk Cafe! It was delicious and so dog friendly! We made friends with the workers, and people passing through, and eventually, Chi made friends with nearly every person who walked in the door. I bounced around to a lot of different coffee shops in Tahoe before I found this gem and spent nearly every day there once I did. I highly recommend visiting if you’re in South Lake Tahoe!
Meditating In The Woods Daily
I spent a lot of time meditating alone in the woods in Lake Tahoe and learned a lot about myself. For the first time in a very long time, I felt fulfilled by my life. I felt free and happy even in moments that weren’t so fun. I had spent about a full year in therapy at this point and I wrote in my journal about a moment when I thought during my meditation that I was feeling like I had made peace with my past, felt fulfilled by my present, and was excited about my future. And that is the greatest souvenir a place ever could’ve given me.
Related Post: The Solo Mentality
Spending Time At The Beach
It’s impossible not to spend a lot of time at the beach in Lake Tahoe! Especially in the summertime. We went there almost every day, even if it was just to cool off or hammock in the grass while looking at the lake. And I remember always feeling at peace when I was here. I’d often journal about how much I loved my life while I was here. I couldn’t help it! As you can tell by Chi’s face, she loved it just as much as I did. Shall we be beach bums in our next life?!
A Love Letter To Lake Tahoe
Dear Lake Tahoe,
I have visited a lot of places and very few of them check all of my boxes but you do. Thank you for forcing me to break bad habits in a safe environment. And rewarding me kindly. Thank you for giving me confidence and showing me that hard work does pay off. Thank you for showing me kindness and community, and overall just being a rad place to hang. I can’t wait to spend more time in Lake Tahoe in the future, and maybe even one day become a local. I could see it!
Related Post: Hey Here’s To California
Click here to read more blog posts about life as a full-time solo traveler. If you want to make traveling more of a priority this year, watch my free webinar that will teach you how you too can travel full-time. And lastly, connect with us on Instagram! We’d love to get to know you! Happy traveling!
Instagram: instagram.com/rootlessadventureco