In Tahoe’s longest summer ever, I’ve become accustomed to not leaving the house on the weekends. However, with an open art-studio tour organized by the locals that was going on a few miles away from my house recently in Carnelian Bay, I decided to venture out and say hi to the participating artists and explore Kings Beach by bike.
Located smack dab in the middle of North Lake Tahoe, Kings Beach has everything to offer, including but not limited to gift shops, restaurants, gas stations, bars, a golf course and a miniature golf course, beaches, schools, hotels, coffee shops, an events center, convenience stores, adventure sports rental shops and a neighborhood in what’s known as The Grid. The best part about it is everything is within walking distance on the main street, Highway 28, aka, North Lake Tahoe Boulevard.
There is a lot of action happening at Kings Beach State Recreation Area.
The bustling town of Kings Beach starts at the intersection of Highways 267 and 28 where there’s a Safeway, Old Brockway Golf Course and North Tahoe Beach. Turn left at the intersection and proceed into Kings Beach, which spans east to the California/Nevada border at Crystal Bay, Nev.
One will pass a Rite-Aid, a couple of hotels and restaurants that serve everything from sushi to pizza, Mexican food and casual American fare. Two roundabouts help the flow of traffic into The Grid and over to Kings Beach State Recreation Area where parking costs $10 a vehicle.
Before I get into the main part of town, I veer left and go up Secline Street, riding my bike past ACE Hardware. I follow the pink signs to open art studios located in The Grid. I think back to yard sales, block parties and hiking trails I’ve been on throughout The Grid.
On this particular warm, sunny day, I end up at artist Nicole Stirling’s studio first where she offers lemonade for $1 a cup. After putting on 3-D glasses and checking out her glow-in-the-dark mandalas, I head over to Sara Smith’s studio on Steelhead. Next, I go to the opposite end of The Grid to visit a pet portrait/landscape artist and work my way back visiting a jewelry maker, a photographer and a potter. All artists are within about a block or two of each other.
After a few hours of riding my bike around The Grid, I head down toward the lake. It is hard to decide what to eat. I know from experience that The Grid Bar & Grill’s chicken burger is so good, but I eventually decide on a burrito from The Burrito Window and sit out front and people watch while the Beach Boys song “Kokomo” spills out from inside.
There is a lot of action happening at Kings Beach State Recreation Area; flaggers are at the roundabouts to help keep traffic moving and people safe. What’s nice about being on a bicycle is that entry into most state parks is free and there’s plenty of sandy areas to post up and go for a swim. On this particular Saturday, the lake is busy with boaters, paddleboarders, kayakers, parasailers and people lined up at the North Tahoe Watersports kiosk to rent an experience out on Big Blue.
Riding my bike back lakeside, I think back to one Halloween when I paddled from Tahoe Vista to Kings Beach. I got a coffee at Java Hut and continued to Speedboat Beach. Once a group of us got paddleboards at Adrift Tahoe and followed that fun time up with a beach cleanup.
On my way out of town, I visit a couple more artist studios and am back home in three hours before the afternoon thunderstorms roll in, thinking about everything I accomplished on my 6.4-mile cruise from Carnelian Bay to Kings Beach and back.
