Tahoe City Nightlife

More than just a cafe with excellent food, Balboa Cafe serves breakfast on the weekend, is a popular spot for for aprez ski every day and boasts of the hottest night spot on the slopes.

Plus, Gavin Newsom, our new mayor of San Francisco is part owner, and so far I am liking what I see of him. I decided to eat at this cafe as a sign of support for him, and ended up really enjoying the place.

Dress Code: Casual, skiwear. Open till 2 am every night.

No, is not a seance, but you can do that, too, I suppose, in the evening at Lake Tahoe.

This is a high stakes poker game. Since my kids are underage and aren't allowed in the casinos, my husband and brother-in-law are teaching my daughter much needed poker skills that will surely contribute to a vastly productive life as an adult.

You will find a greater concentration of casinos on the south side. But if you don't feel like making that long of a drive, head straight for the California-Nevada border and, instantly after crossing the line between illegal and legal, you'll find a strip of casinos waiting to take your money.

We spent a couple of hours one evening trying to see how much money we could lose. We also visited the Cal Neva hotel, where this photo was taken. We didn't gamble there, but just went to see the pseudo tourist attraction of a hotel built across the state lines. Of course, we had to take the "we're standing in two states at once" photo as well. But this bit of silliness hurt our wallets far less than feeding money into the video poker machines.

There is little to do on the north shore in terms of nightlife, unless you head to Truckee or the Reno border. With near freezing temperatures outside, staying indoors became very tempting. Add the warmth of a fireplace and a mug of hot cocoa to the mix and it becomes difficult to think of a reason to venture out.