While Paul attended remote work meetings in the studio bedroom, Karen, Kaleb and I binge-watched some Netflix in the living room. Both HDMI inputs were connected to the satellite box and DVD player, but it was easy to unplug one to hook up our
Fire TV Stick.
In the late afternoon, the four of us walked around Heavenly Village, then to Harrah's so Kaleb could get an up-to-date player card. (I had already gotten mine over the weekend) Both of us are Diamond with Caesars Rewards (thanks to status matching in Atlantic City for
Kaleb and
me), so we each had $100 to spend on a "
Diamond Celebration Dinner". In fact we had two dinners on our accounts - one for 2020 (expiration extended due to the pandemic) and one for 2021. We planned to redeem the 2020 credit at Hell's Kitchen tonight, 2021 to be used in Las Vegas later this year. Diamond status also included vouchers for three drinks and one Starbucks beverage, printed from self-serve kiosks next to the Caesars Rewards Center in either Harrah's or Harvey's.
Our
OpenTable dinner reservation was at 9:30pm, but Karen called the restaurant around 8pm to inquire about being seated earlier; the hostess said come by in 20 minutes!
Hell's Kitchen was located next to the casino floor inside Harvey's, about a 15-20 minute walk from the Marriott.
 |
| table games had barriers per player |
The restaurant was not as big as the one in Vegas, but it was full, with tables somewhat distanced. Having watched
Season 19, I looked for the winner, Kori, but there were only two guys in the kitchen.
 |
| red and blue kitchen |
As Kaleb and I already tried the signature prix fixe menu
in Las Vegas, we opted to order other dishes. Karen and Paul did a hybrid of the prix fixe and a-la-carte. Everything was perfectly cooked and seasoned, with attentive service.
 | | wine to start |
|  | | golden beet salad |
|
 | | seared foie gras, yum! |
|  | | scallops (prix fixe) |
|
 | | crispy skin salmon |
|  | | rack of lamb with side of mushrooms |
|
 | | prime NY strip |
|  | | beef wellington (prix fixe) with lobster add-on |
|
 |
| sticky toffee pudding big enough to share (prix fixe) |
By 9:30pm, the restaurant was half-empty - so glad that we were able to be seated earlier.
$200 was deducted from our check after the server swiped our player cards for the Diamond dinner benefit. Us and another table closed down the restaurant. A leisurely stroll back to the Marriott was a nice ending to a delicious meal.
Tuesday morning, we drove both cars up to
Eagle Falls trailhead, as Karen and Paul were departing for home afterward. Our car survived being in the Harrah's parking lot overnight; the gates were still wide open.
Free parking is available on a strip of road near the trailhead alongside Emerald Bay Road (marked with a blue "P" on the snapshot below), else pay in either the Eagle Falls lot ($5 daily), or at the Emerald Bay lot ($3/hr, $10 daily) a few hundred yards up the road. We were fortunate to find space in the free lot. On busier days, cars can be seen parked all along Emerald Bay Road when the lots are full.
We followed a dirt trail on the side of the road to the Emerald Bay lot and took in the scenery. One could continue hiking down to
Vikingsholm and the beach below, with better views of Lower Eagle Falls, but we were short on time.
 | | parking kiosk |
|  | | Emerald Bay |
|
The four of us returned back to the Eagle Falls trailhead and made our way up to Upper Eagle Falls, replete with alpine views.
Karen and Paul went home, and Kaleb and I returned to the Marriott and relaxed in the afternoon. That evening, we walked to
Kalani's, a Hawaiian-inspired restaurant located in Heavenly Village, for some fresh and tasty eats.
 | | crispy roasted pork belly |
|  | | heavenly salad |
|
 |
| molokai and rainbow roll |
On Wednesday, the two of us headed out to
Sand Harbor for kayaking. This time, we left later in the morning, getting there around 11am. Parking spaces were available, but then again, this was on a weekday. Putting in directly at the boat launch/kayak rental area, we paddled north along the coastline. The water was calm, rippling like quicksilver. Such a serene setting!
Afterwards, we stopped by Raley's to replenish our groceries, then returned to the Marriott, valeting our car.
On Thursday, Kaleb and I walked to
Van Sickle Bi-State Park and hiked towards the Tahoe Rim Trail, starting on
Barn Trail instead of Van Sickle Trail when with the girls. There was still snow in areas. Incredibly, a few Pokestops were present on the trail when I opened my Pokemon Go app.
We took the Van Sickle Trail back so that Kaleb could see the cute waterfall and also stand between states.
Check-out was 10am on Friday. I went by the front desk and the clerk told me that there was no balance. The valet system worked flawlessly, even with all the different cars going in and out.
That was the end of a week in beautiful South Lake Tahoe! I really enjoyed my stay at Marriott's Timber Lodge and would highly recommend it as a home base for the area. Heavenly Village is right there, with a variety of restaurants, bars and shops. The casinos, Van Sickle Bi-State Park, and the lake itself are within a reasonable walking distance. The nearby
Heavenly gondola takes visitors up to the top of the mountain for hiking,
tubing or even riding a
roller coaster during the warm-weather season. (wasn't operational when we were there)
What's next? We head down to Southern California to visit family, go to the beach, and camp...stay tuned!
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