Le Petit Ponderosa at Lake Tahoe

Our house is a 1000sf milled cedar log home. An old west feel with modern amenities. Walk to the paved East Shore Trailhead in 15 minutes; bike in 5. Also a short drive to SAND HARBOR STATE BEACH - A RESERVATION SYSTEM STARTS 8/1/24 - the best recreation venue on the lake. You can also use the East Shore Trail and bike there, or catch the East Shore Express (recommended) a short walk from the house.

Spacious back deck with very private hot tub. Ideal romantic retreat for a couple, or suitable for a small family. Maximum occupancy is four people. An exception may be made for returning guests with an infant or small child, but they would have to provide an air mattress, cot, or, if an infant, a travel crib.

Large level lot set in a forested neighborhood - ideal for walking - and a two-car garage with automatic doors. Openers provided at check-in.

No open fires are allowed at Short Term Rental properties. We offer a portable electric Weber grill. It is stored on a work table in the rear of the garage. Just set it up in the designated spot on the back deck, plug it in, turn the control dial to the desired heat level and you will be good to go within 10-15 minutes without the mess and pollution of charcoal or dealing with propane tanks. Please remember to clean the cooking grates after each use as bears do visit the neighborhood. Return it to the garage before you depart.

When you own a vacation home, there's a special relationship owners have with spas - you can't live with them; you can't live without them. Spas are a vacation necessity, but they soak up the bank account! There are not enough reliable maintenance services in the basin. Fortunately, we have an excellent servicer who makes regular visits, but we pay a premium.

We prefer to maintain a sustainable temperature range between 100-102F, 24/7, all seasons. Please do not attempt to adjust the settings other than the basic temperature! This occurred once when a guest changed the settings to the economy level before leaving thinking he was doing us a favor, but it left it too cool for the next guest and required a service call.

Recover the spa when not in use otherwise the temperature will decline as heat is lost to the air. Pine needles and other tree debris will drift in, which is not good for the filters.

Please take two bathing suits for each person in the warm weather. Use one for the beach and reserve the other for the spa. As clear and clean as Lake Tahoe is, you can still pick up small pieces of algae which can produce a light green tint in the water. The maintenance techs check the quality of the water and change the filters on a regular schedule.

We did have one instance of vandalism to the spa between a departure and an arrival, which caused degraded water quality. Someone dumped an oily body lotion in the water resulting in a filmy surface that clogged the filters. Yes, there are criminal elements even in a paradise such as Lake Tahoe! We called the spa service and had a dump and scrub performed. The spa was back in operation in one day. Of course, I did not charge the guests for the lost day- I thanked them for immediately reporting the problem.

The only controls you need to touch are the jets and the lights (the propeller and light bulb icons). Press each propeller once for a moderate flow and twice for high. A third touch will turn them off.

The light color will change each time you press bulb control. Turn it off after you have enjoyed a relaxing soak.

If you are uncertain about any operation, call the office and they will put you in touch with the servicer.

Over the years, we have made upgrades. The biggest was tearing up damaged stone walkways along a long segment in the front yard and a smaller portion of the back, replacing them with concrete pavers. The old walkway had taken a beating from snow shoveling over the years. The pavers look great and are highly durable. Please see the pictures.

The hallway, bathroom, kitchen, and dining area floors have been upgraded to luxury vinyl, distressed maple style.

We upgraded the living room carpet. It is cleaned regularly and has a satisfactory texture. Please remove your shoes when entering - there is room to leave them just inside the front and rear doors.

Property manager (Sun Bear Realty) is on call and will handle check-in and provide the keys and garage opener. They also handle any maintenance issues that may arise.

The office will also e-mail an information packet to you within a few days of booking. It contains check-in information and other instructions. Be sure to check your spam folder if you do not see it within a week. If not received timely, call the office at 775-831-9000. The spa code is posted on the refrigerator door (on Sunbear Realty letterhead).

For the week which includes July 4th, a 5-day minimum stay is generally required; 4 days for Christmas and three for New Years. I can be flexible depending on the bookings or if you are a returning guest.

Children should be at least close to kindergarten age. Infants who have not reached the toddler or crawling stage are fine. I have made exceptions for repeat guests. However, you have to provide a travel crib.

Please be sure to read the house rules section. Pay special note regarding the importance of keeping outside doors closed, even when you are in and out, using the spa, carrying in groceries, etc. Even though you are in an established neighborhood, you are still in the woods. We have taken measures to ensure there are no openings in the house, but the little forest critters do not need much encouragement! An open door is an invitation - however, you can rely on the screen doors as a satisfactory barrier. There have only been a couple of occasions where this has occurred; however, the potential is always there.

Bears are present in the area. I've seen a couple wander across our front lawn in broad daylight. They can get through almost anything; even a garage door can be ripped off its hinges. The best defense is to put leftovers in the fridge right after eating and dispose of garbage in the metal bear boxes at the end of the driveway. Don't leave food in your cars anywhere around the lake! If aromatic or smelly, dispose of waste right away. If you have more trash than they can contain, call the office and maintenance will dispose of the excess. Do not use the recycle bin in the garage for trash, especially food waste which could attract bears.

Bears primarily rely on smell, but they can recognize food items by sight, too. So please store any unrefrigerated goods (i.e., cereal, chips, treats, etc.) in cabinets.

Washoe County enforces regulations governing vacation rentals. One of the rules pertains to quiet hours from 9PM to 8AM. We've never had a problem.

We meet all of the county safety requirements, including plug-in emergency lights, CO and smoke detectors in all rooms and fire extinguishers in the kitchen and garage. If you unplug one of the safety lights to use as a flashlight, please plug it back when you are through.

The lamp on the table by the living room front window is on a timer. Please do not unplug it.

We keep a supply of general-purpose light bulbs in the bottom left drawer of the desk in the back bedroom in case a lamp light goes out. Only change bulbs for lamps you can easily reach. Do not attempt to change track lights or any that require a step ladder. Call the office.

Pay attention to the signs regarding certain light switches - one by the front door and one in the kitchen close to the toaster. They control the outside motion sensor and dusk-to-dawn lighting on the front porch and the back deck. If you turn them off for stargazing, please remember to turn them back to the on position.

There are two portable fans in the garage for those occasional hot days.

There is also a light switch by the rear door of the garage. It controls the motion-sensitive lights on the front and side of the garage. It gets very dark at night, so you will appreciate it when they are activated.

The Western US is prone to wildfires in the dry season; the Tahoe Basin is no exception. Evacuation routes are posted. If you have any questions about the routes, call the office.

There is absolutely no smoking allowed on the entire property.

For us, managing this house is a fulfilling activity. We take pride in offering a guest experience that complements the outside elements. We do our best to keep rates reasonable and competitive for the market. However, maintenance costs in the area have escalated. The labor pool is stretched and many service providers have to come up from Reno and Carson City.

Five years ago, we paid $55 for a basic spa service visit; it is now $100. Periodic services such as filter replacements, replacing the water, and scrubbing the tub cost more, the latter is a minimum cost of $175. Housekeeping has just recently risen from $165 per stay to $230. I have absorbed some of those costs, but I may have to raise rates to cover the housekeeping spike, however, I will not pass on the full costs.

IVGID is limiting its beach access to owners. I recommend using Sand Harbor State Beach but reservations required! After 10:30, it is first come, first served, or Kings Beach Recreation area. Tahoe City also has an excellent beach via a path from Rt 28.

VRBO guests are a pleasure to serve.

Please read the guest reviews in VRBO and our guest book.

We appreciate your business and hope you become regulars. Thanks!