Although outdoor recreation in the Lake Tahoe area is more synonymous with skiing and snowboarding in the winter and boating in the summer, the roadways that provide access to the basin are great for epic two-wheeled adventures. Here are five rides that are the perfect slice of what the region has to offer, starting with the most mellow and ending with a circumnavigation of Big Blue itself.

George Whittell Jr., the scion of two prominent and wealthy Gold Rush-era families, was known to San Franciscans of an earlier age for a number of eccentricities, such as collecting exotic animals and driving his open-air roadster around town with his pet lion, Bill, as his co-pilot.

Earth Day may have come and gone, but South Lake Tahoe is still celebrating on Saturday, April 28, when the annual help-the-planet party sets up camp from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Bijou Community Park.

Thinking about a Tahoe getaway and already wishing you could stay longer? Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe Resort, Spa and Casino is making it oh-so-easy to stretch your budget.

They’re adding a free night to multi-night stays, plus free daily breakfast for two. And there are so many more reasons to check in at the Hyatt. Here's a partial checklist:

- Three restaurants, including Lone Eagle Grille, a foodie favorite right on the 500-foot-long private resort beach (the only one at the lake)