One of California’s quintessential summer-escape destinations, Lake Tahoe just became more accessible to denizens of the Bay Area (or those flying into the Bay Area), thanks to a new partnership between local charter flight provider Blackbird and the Ritz-Carlton, Lake Tahoe. Starting this month, Blackbird will fly guests from Sausalito directly to the resort in one of its de Haviland Beaver seaplanes, which seat six passengers and are able to reach the resort from either airport in about 55 minutes.
Now of course, flying privately to a resort is not an uncommon occurrence, but such services usually take guests to an airstrip near the resort and rely on ground transportation to get them the rest of the way. With the new Ritz-Carlton program guests will arrive in style, landing directly on the lake before docking at the resort’s Lake Club, which opened last year.
Blackbird DeHaviland Beaver landing on Lake Tahoe Photo: Dayle Hoevel
Tucked between private homes in the Tahoe Vista neighborhood on the lake’s north shore, this exclusive venue gives guests the chance to start experiencing the resort’s offerings the minute they land, including a full bar with small bites to eat curated by the resort’s executive chef; a variety of water activities to dive into (stand-up paddle boarding, kayaking, boating, etc.); and plenty of places to lounge and relax. When the lakeside fun has come to a close, the group will load into a mini bus that will take them up to the mountain resort, where the resort’s 17,000-square-foot spa and Manzanita restaurant await.
The Blackbird flights to the Ritz-Carlton Lake Club will be offered until early autumn. Those interested in taking part in the new experience must book the trip at least 24 hours in advance. The flight is priced at $2,300, which includes all six seats in the aircraft. For those who still want to fly to Tahoe but aren’t interested in the lakeside landing and time at the Lake Club, Blackbird can also arrange private flights into Truckee Airport near the resort.
Blackbird DeHaviland Beaver over San Francisco Tyson V. Rininger / http://www.tvrphoto
