We decided to take a trip to California because a really good friend lives in Los Angeles and as we now work from home, we can be anywhere at anytime.

We decided to take a couple of road trips around California and one of our destinations was Lake Tahoe which we have had for a long time in our bucket list.

We took a road trip from Los Angeles to our Airbnb in Reno, Nevada. It was about 8 hours of driving but the views were completely worth it.

We didn’t wanted to spend much and Lake Tahoe becomes really expensive during Summer time. The hotels and other accommodations can go from $350 a night which is completely insane.

Save money staying in Reno, Nevada.

We stayed in a little Airbnb in Reno, Nevada which is 1 hour away from the Lake but it was only $60. We stayed 2 nights and with all the fees our stay was $224 total. It’s a 1 bedroom efficiency with multiple beds, kitchen, and 1 bathroom that fits 4 people comfortably.

We love staying in Airbnb’s because we can also cook our breakfast and dinner which always saves us money when we are traveling. And as we spend very little time inside the house during this trip it was the perfect choice.

Here’s the link to the Airbnb with a special discount code.

Secret Cove

Secret Cove it’s a little lake beach in the Nevada side of the lake. You can park on the side of the road for free and then do a little hike downwards for about 20-30 minutes.

The beach gets crowded really fast on the weekends but you can take a little detour from the trail and sunbathe in some of the huge rocks on the shoreline of the lake.

Secret Cove is a nude beach and you WILL see some nudity, so just keep that in mind.

Of course the water is completely freezing but you will get use to it after a while.

The hike upwards is a little difficult I’m not going to lie, so be prepared to climb a little. Make sure you take water, snacks and sunscreen to spend most of your day in Secret Cove.

Another way to get to Secret Cove is from Sand Harbor Beach by renting a kayak and get to the little beach. Keep in mind that the cost of a Kayak is kind of expensive. they start around $40 per hour for a double kayak. You will need over an 1 hour to get to Secret Cove, enjoy the view and take some pictures and go back.

Zephyr Cove

Zephyr cove in Lake Tahoe is basically a beach, and it does gets crowded. You can do all sorts of activities here like kayaking, jet ski, sunset cruises around the lake, paddle board and more. The parking is $25 for the whole day and you can BBQ here.

We rented a double kayak for $40 an hour which I think is pretty expensive compare to what I’ve paid before. We rented them to get to a rock formation in the middle of the lake but it wasn’t actually necessary because you can get there by foot because is very shallow.

Watch a panoramic view from Emerald Bay.

When parking to get to the lookout you need to make donation of $3. There’s a pay station where you can make it.

They view is breathtaking and sure windy and you might get some cool photographs here if you are lucky.

Many wedding are celebrated in this lookout in Lake Tahoe as well isn’t that super cute?

Overall we had the best time at Lake Tahoe and it was one of the most beautiful places we’ve ever seen. And you can make it affordable as long as you rent an airbnb with a kitchen in it.