Staying close to home, you can try Donner Lake. It's a bit more laid back than Kings Beach, but offers almost the same amenities. From the State Park end of the lake, you can rent Sea-doo, kayaks, paddle boats and fishing boats. If you are going on the lake with human-powered vessels, the best time to go is 10:00am or earlier. The wind on the lake starts to pick up in the afternoon making it quite hard to maneuver around the lake. West End Beach (admission fee) has a sandy beach with picnic facilities and a great children play area.

Kings Beach is about 30 minutes from the house via Highway 267 from Truckee. The Watersports Center at Kings Beach runs Parasailing tours on Lake Tahoe. They also rents Seadoos, paddle boats, kayaks, and water cycles. If you choose to do nothing, you can just sit around the beach and enjoy the warm sun and sand.

Several companies (Mountain Air Sports, Truckee River Rafting) run self-guided rafting trips from Tahoe City to River Ranch (Alpine Meadows turn off from Hwy 89). The trip is about 4 miles on the water. You board your raft at Tahoe City and float down the river at your own pace. You can stop at several spots along the way for swimming, water fights, or a picnic. The water is very (I mean, very) gentle with a few spots that vaguely qualifies as "white" water. I've seen babies as young as 10-months on the rafts, but use your own judgment.

Fishing is another popular sport at Tahoe during the summer. You can get the necessary gear and State fishing license at Ace Mountain Hardware (Donner Pass Road / Hwy 89) in Truckee. Ask the nice folks at Mountain Hardware for photocopied maps to nearby lakes resovoirs and what bait to use where. You can fish from the shore, or rent a small fishing boat for the day.

For the little kids (5 and under), you can try pony rides at Tahoe Donner, Alpine Meadows, and Squaw Valley. Our favorite is Alpine Meadows. For older kids and adults, try a guided horseback riding trip.

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