Fred and Rae: Lower Kingsbury - Lake Tahoe (Stateline), NV

We first bought our Lake Tahoe house in 1991. We had been coming to Lake Tahoe most of our lives, and it was always our dream to retire here. Back then our other home was in Antioch, where we worked until 1995. We wish we could have moved here for good sooner. Our family vacation retreat is now our permanent home, and it still feels like we’re on a constant vacation. We do go on a sea cruise every now and then. Life is good and the view is great from our family sanctuary. And just like before, every time we leave to go someplace else we can’t wait to get back.

We can’t see the lake from our house, but that doesn’t matter to us. We’re only two minutes away. We live right next to the forest, and everything about this place screams God’s Country! We love hearing the silence of a snowfall. We love the watermelon sunsets, and the blue glass shimmer of the lake when it is still. We also like not having to have an air conditioner, and keeping our doors on the deck open all spring and summer... there are no bugs to keep out. We’ve got friendly bears from time to time, and coyotes back in the woods, and an occasional raccoon or two. Some bald eagles winter here. We heard the other night on the news there are about 12 of them that come back every year now. We’ve got peace here, and life is calm.


David, Carmen and Nicholas: Lower Kingsbury - Lake Tahoe (Stateline), NV

Meet the Lawrence Family - father David, mother Carmen and son Nicholas have been happily secluded at the end of the street with a sign in their backyard that announces “Beyond This Sign is National Forest Property”. David is very quick to point out that the family can put on their cross country skis in their backyard and ski all the way to Carson City (approximately 30 miles) without crossing a single road. This proximity has other interesting sidelines such as the abundance of wildlife that do not recognize “boundaries”.....(the family refuses to erect any fences). Black bears and their cubs are frequent visitors to the wood pile (the family dog is trained to announce their arrival) as are the many other forest critters such as raccoons, rabbits, chipmunks, squirrels and many other oddities. And of course the lack of any traffic is a definite bonus.
The Lawrence family’s roots on the South Shore of Lake Tahoe stretch back 34 years to 1972. David was traveling to Colorado in search of a Rocky Mountain high, but upon seeing “The fairest sight the earth affords” - (Mark Twain), he stopped in his tracks and settled here.
David is in the fascinating casino business, while his wife Carmen is in the equally fascinating Health Care profession. Young Nicholas (age 6) is very busy training at Heavenly Valley ski area for the 2022 Winter Olympics - and hoping the Olympics will be held “right here in Tahoe”.
Tahoe is a fantastic place to raise children and to teach them the quality of outdoor activities. Traffic jams are non-existent, as are smog and noise. The Lawrences are particularly pleased with the attitudes and openness of all of their neighbors. David believes “when you’re happy where you are, it shows.” Carmen particularly enjoys the proximity to her favorite stomping ground, the (entire) Sierra Nevada mountain range. An avid backpacker, she will predictably conquer at least 3 peaks over 11,000 feet each summer. When the need for a city fix shows itself, the family also appreciates the fact that San Francisco is only 4 hours away. Also much appreciated is the fact the the Reno Airport seems to be the least complicated in the nation!
A veteran casino executive, David admires the fact that everyone visiting is having a full day of fun from slopeside to tableside, and the quality of performers and entertainment is superior to any other ski town. Tahoe is reportedly one of the top areas to view the 4th of July Fireworks, and that perfect spot is just a short walk to the beach from their home. Nicholas enjoys the fishing and polliwog catching available to him, his dad, and the neighbors. Carmen loves the fact that Tahoe has so many talented people who are always willing to pitch in for a worthy cause. “It would be very difficult to duplicate this lifestyle in some other area,” says David. “I have a 2 minute drive to work, 5 minute drive to a world-class golf course (Edgewood Tahoe), a 5 minute drive to Heavenly Ski Resort, and my son will be able to walk through the forest to get to school - why would I ever move?”

Fred and Thelma: Lower Kingsbury - Lake Tahoe (Stateline), NV

Meet Fred and Thelma, who have been happily married for almost 70 years, 30 of which have been spent in their house on Pine Drive. When asked what she likes about Lake Tahoe, Thelma has a very simple answer - “Everything ! It’s the most beautiful place on the planet.” When pressed for specifics, she replies “The snowfall ! The springtime ! The animals!”
Fred enjoys those same things, and must have quite a love for fresh air and exercise - he’s been walking to the post office almost every day for the past 30 years !
When asked about a memorable occurrence, here’s what they want you to know: We enjoy sitting out in our backyard (which backs to the national forest); we like to enjoy the sunshine and the company of the birds and beasts...one day a young man was walking along a trail (just near the edges of our property). He stopped, and seemed to be staring at us. This went on for a few minutes, and it began to get a little bit uncomfortable. However, the young man gave himself a shake, and then called out to us........”Do you have a pet bear?” Well, of course, we said no, why ? He replied, “Well, I’ve been watching them sitting there right behind you for the past five minutes !”
And we didn’t even know!