Keep Tahoe Blue Bash @ Basecamp Hotel

You know what I’m really good at? Procrastinating!
Okaay, so this event is long past but I’ve had this review in draft so I must get it official.
This event was great! It reminded me of growing up in Southern Oregon and partying in the woods, airstream and all. The difference here was, well, Unilocalers are way more fun than teenagers.
Slient Disco — like all the other reviews said, was pretty bad ass. I listened and danced and laughed at other people dancing to the sounds in their head… err…headphones.
Veganizable food always makes my heart happy. Thank you for the pretzel buns and toppings. MmmMmm. Annnd, beer. Because what’s a camping style adventure without beer?
Live music — check! Photobooth — check! Free swag — Check and check!
Oh and I also learned that Keep Tahoe Blue only has like 15 or so actual employees and the rest are volunteers. That’s pretty darn neat considering I see their bumper stickers scattered all over the West Coast!
Thanks to all the vendors, Basecamp Hotel and especially our very own Alex, Micheal, Katie and Nique!

To be able to stumble (er, walk back) to your room after a Unilocal party is a great thing.
Super fond of these Unilocal parties where a charity is supported; at this event it was Keep Tahoe Blue. Love that aspect of Unilocal.
We got here early. Staying at the host hotel made it very convenient.
There was so much swag: from Keep Tahoe Blue goodies, Unilocal swag, to gold rimmed Negro Modelo glasses. It was like Easter and Halloween combined.
What was unique was that the party extended throughout the entire beer garden, the «dining room» and on both balconies. So with a couple of rare exceptions (photo booth and dining room) there was never a crowd.
But the best part was the Silent Disco. How cool was that. Being able to enjoy tunes without disturbing anyone. True you could pop in your own headphones but it’s not the same. These light-​bright grooving to the beat headphones were old school, radio station style.
To top it off there were fresh brats, beer from Lake Tahoe Brewing Co, organic flavored vodka from Hanson Organic’s, pretzel bites with cheese sauce, salad, and s’mores fixin’s. And jello shots…
Although freely flowing alcohol, an open fire, and a long pointy stick are probably not the best combination. But elites are a smart bunch and no one got their eye poked out.
And a fun photo booth with an assortment of accessories to choose from.
The rain cut the party short, but it was fun none the less.
Thanks to Michael, Alex, and everyone else with Unilocal who helped with the event!

The Keep Tahoe Blue Bash @ Basecamp Hotel will go down as my personal YEE of infamy. Not because of anything that specifically happened here, but because of what didn’t happen. I didn’t heed the warnings or listen to the lessons I already knew too well.
After all 4 years of Unilocal Spring Break & the Unilocal 10-​Year Celebration, I was totally aware of the importance of pacing myself in order to make it to all the events. It was even at YSB ’13 in New Orleans that Jen L. told me the words I’ll never forget, «it’s a marathon not a sprint.» Well, I screwed up.
The Keep Tahoe Blue Bash was so much of a beast-​of-​a-​YEE that I dove in with both feet & never applied the brakes. With the whole thing spread out all over multiple levels & areas of Basecamp Hotel, the geometric complexity of the layout & running into Unilocal friends in the many different nooks must’ve distracted me from what was happening.
More cases & cases of Lake Tahoe Brewing Co’s tasty beers in cans, the return of Hanson Organic’s exceptional small batch vodkas, Tahoe Moonshine’s crazy concoctions like their Hot Stinkin’ Garlic & Peanut Butter vodkas, & Negra Modelo handing out really nice gold-​rimmed glasses to be filled over & over & over & over by a seemingly bottomless keg, that’s what was happening. Yeah, I got lit.
At the beginning of YTG day 3, I had every intention of making it to the YTG 2015 UYE | «But I Never Inhaled!» PINK PARTY @ Xhale SLT right after this YEE. That never panned out. I walked back to my hotel room to get my carefully selected from the local adult store pink accessories for the UYE & next thing I know I’m waking up the next morning face down in my bed like a plane crash.
Wow. Throughout YTG, I continually thought about what a fantastic job Alex L., Michael T. & everyone else with Unilocal did with planning the whole Unilocal Tahoe Getaway 4-​day weekend. But that especially hit home after this YEE. It was all a blast, but it was also all within walking distance of our hotels.
A special thanks to all the abovementioned Unilocal rock stars for 1 more awesome YTG YEE. Like the rest of YTG, you made it fun but you also made an effort to keep us safe. Thanks to all the Yeeps for also making it fun. Sorry I didn’t make it to the UYE after party. I was really looking forward to it. Now, I got a bunch of unused pink stuff waiting for the next pink-​themed YEE or UYE.

YAY Unilocal!!!
Events like these make me feel extremely grateful to be an Elite!
I am thankful I got to enjoy so much…
— Donations for a good cause
— Education about Tahoe
— Games
— Silent DJ
— Multilevel party
— Food
— Alcohol!
— Kombucha
— & of course Unilocal goodies!
Excellent event!
If only Mother nature decided to to help us out a little, that would have been great. Unfortunately she decided to send down a few drops of water that evening and cool the place down… but its OK! We had bonfires & Vodka to keep us warm!!!
Excellent work Unilocal CM’s!

What a day ! Now to top off the night cap. The hosting hotel, «Basecamp» held this night cap for us. It was pretty chilly. And there was some side games. We were treated with all you can drink brew, hot dogs and some finger foods. We, me and my wife, hang out inside by the photo booth to stay warm and have some fun taking pictures with props. They have entertainers, the same guest singers that entertained us earlier at the sailors event.
It was pretty fun but I think we shortened our stay because it was pretty cold and eventually it rained. It was relaxing and mellow and it was good to mingle and get to know other Unilocal elites form all over.
Thanks Alex, Michael T and the rest of the Unilocal staff that now I found out are CM’s from their respective cities. This getaway was memorable.

Snuggled up by the fire outside, I bit into my grilled sausage, and sipped a Fireside smoked porter from Lake Tahoe Brewing Company. I met Kathy, a friendly Elite from Hawaii. We were entertained by live music, and the whole atmosphere at Basecamp Hotel in Tahoe reminded me of a summer camp, with heaps of Unilocal camaraderie.
Basecamp Hotel has an outdoor courtyard, a renovated indoor bar and game room, and 2 cozy upstairs decks. It was a terrific setting for this event, Keep Tahoe Blue Bash @ Basecamp Hotel. Thanks to Basecamp Hotel for hosting us!
The fun was endless on this magical night. Upstairs on 2 decks, there were 2 local distilleries who were giving samples of their spirits. Tahoe Moonshine’s Peanut Butter vodka was a favorite of mine, but it’s a local product, and I don’t think I’ll find it in San Diego. Hanson Organic Vodka is another local distillery in Tahoe, and I was impressed with their Espresso flavored Vodka. It’s handmade in small batches, and happens to be gluten free. I’m not gluten free… I just loved the taste of this vodka! Their mandarin flavored vodka was good as well.
Vin and I had fun in the photo booth, thanks to Sugar Plums Photo Booth. (-;
I was happy to donate $ 10 towards Keep Tahoe Blue, an organization which is dedicated to preserving the Tahoe Basin. Thanks to Alex L for organizing this charitable event, which was one of the most fun events of the 4-​day Tahoe Getaway.

So happy to see that this Unilocal party’s beneficiary is Keep Tahoe Blue, a nonprofit whose mission is to promote the environmental health, sustainability, and beauty of Lake Tahoe. It’s only apt that this bash is dedicated to the preservation of this wonderful lake since Unilocalers from far and near have been partying in its environs for days before this party!
When we got to Base Camp Hotel, which was party central for the evening, there were lots of people already gathering around the fire pits, partying it up in the balconies, enjoying the live music and munching on sausages. I didn’t get to taste the sausages as I was still full from HH, but I heard they were pretty good. We met up with some friends, gabbed for a bit as we drank our beers, and eventually roasted some marshmallows for s’mores! I started feeling nostalgic for my camping days when the hubby would build a campfire and we’d be huddled by the fire and roasting marshmallows, but then I remembered how hard the ground was and how cold it would get at 3 am!
Anyway, I digress! The party was fun and we had a great time making new friends (you know who you guys are!)! A big shout out to the CMs, Michael and Alex, and the fabulous Nique for organizing another great party! Thanks for letting us be a part of it!

Another Stellar Unilocal Tahoe Getaway Event by Michael and Alex CMs of Reno and Sacramento .
This was a Huge Event. 2 Patios, Multiple Fire Pits, 4 Bars, Silent Disco, Air Stream Trailer, Hot Dog Station and a Photo Booth.
This was a Charitable Unilocal Event for Keep Tahoe Blue with a Suggested Donation of $ 10 dollars, Cool Done Check.
Rolled into the event and got a nice Glass of Modelo Dark Beer to Sip on.
Next rolled to the BBQ line on the Menu Chicken Apple Sausage and Hot Links on Pretzel Buns Yum Perfect Pairing with the Beer !!!
Huge Condiment Station to Custom Dress your Dawgs at Woof Woof.
Hanson Organic Vodka and Tahoe Moonshine were Posted up on one of the Patios .
Moscow Mules From Hanson Organic Vodka were very Tasty and Potent .
The Girls from Tahoe Moonshine were very Cute and Poured very Generous Pours. Their Moonshine was very Tasty .
The Live Music was very Entertaining. The Female Vocalist was very Talented .
The Photo Booth was a very Happening Spot, We all know Unilocalers love to be in Pictures.
The Best Thing about the Event all the Friendly and Social Unilocalers in Attendance. It was awesome to talk to all the Unilocalers from different locations and to sit around the Fire pits !!!
Unilocalers were rocking the Silent Disco Headphones and Dancing away .
I loved that the Event had Modelo Dark Beer when it started raining I went and held up the Beer Bar with some of my Unilocal Comrades. We definitely enjoyed the Generous Pours .
It was amazing the Events that were held, each one was Memorable in there own special way.
Thanks Michael and Alex and the Unilocal Staff — Great Job!!!

The theme for the event was KEEP TAHOE BLUE, the donation for the event was small compared to all the fun offered. Pay your fee, spin the wheel and you’re an automatic winner on two counts. First and foremost the donation was for a wonderful cause, the preservation of beautiful Lake Tahoe. Second you win a prize to remind you of this very cool event. Mine was a «Hoppy» coozie to keep future drinks cool. Others won t-​shirts, totes and stuffs.
Next stop, Kombucha! I imbibed with the rest of the fold, not knowing what I was drinking. But since no one fell over in front of me I assumed I would survive the sipping. I actually looked it up online later to discover it is considered a healthy drink made of fermented tea, sometimes with a small alcohol content. I didn’t taste alcohol but did like the one with the pepper taste. I also bought a very cool growler, 64 oz, which was a thermos! Thought it was red, turned out to be hot pink which I quickly returned for a blue one.
Outside circles of chairs surrounded campfires with Unilocalers drinking a number if different beers, Hanson’s Vodka cocktails and those Kombucha concoctions. Some eating hot fogs, other making s’mores. Inside there were buffet servers of Sausages (grilling those outside) and giant hot dogs with all the accoutrements one could want. Pretzel bites with cheese sauce and a very nice salad were also served.
Next room, a photo set up complete with masks, hats, eye patches, etc! For reasons unknown and for which I choose not to ponder, I was the only one of the three of us given a mask! Too much fun. We were given the photo strips as a momento of the adventure. Upstairs headphones were being distributed to all takers so you could listen to the music thru out the event. I will admit is was slightly disconcerting watching heads bobbing and booty bouncing to beats the rest of us weren’t hearing?
Thank you to Michael and Alex again for a great event and helping everyone be aware of this wonderful cause.

YTG 2015– #3 Event for me!
KEEP TAHOE BLUE! great group of local supporters for a great cause. Campfires in the cool evening, dawned with hot dogs, fondue, beer, Hanson’s Vodka tasting…
In my book, Lake Tahoe is on the list of the beautiful wonders of the continental US. I’ve enjoyed the beauty of this Lake for years and I am hopeful to continue to enjoy it’s beauty. Donations made by all the attendees toward this great cause and in addition to Tahoe’s beauty came food; fellowship and fun.
Once again, the CM’s from Sacramento and Reno surfaced as two gents who are hard to beat! Thank you Unilocal,Thank you Michael (RNO) and Alex (SMF) for a great well coordinated event. Love the campfires and the 2^nd and 3^rd floor decks with entertainment

October 3, 2015 Saturday — 7 PM for a party
4 adults
Atmosphere — 5 star
Food — 5 stars
Service — 5 stars
Background — Last minute decision to attend the party. But glad we did.
Atmosphere — Basecamp calls the area we gathered in their Beer Garden. The area was perfect.
Food
Drinks — The drinks were flowing. Lake Tahoe Brewery beer and Mexican beer too, that is all I needed!
Food — Sausages were grilling. I had the pork sausage on a pretzel bun. This is not the first time eating a pretzel bun dang cleaver idea! Then they had a huge topping bar, all I needed for my sausage was that whole seed mustard. YUM.
Event — Big kudos to the several Unilocal communities coming together and having a blast. Big thanks to all the Unilocal staff, Basecamp staff, and all the vendors.
Future –I really hope Tahoe Getaway becomes a yearly event!

This event was definitely another great one! Any event for a good cause is always worth it but this one was off the hook a fun time!
After checking in I was immediately drawn to the wheel to spin to win a prize located right inside the entrance where I got a sticker. As I walked in I saw different lights and things going on everywhere. Went straight to the upstairs deck where the silent disco was and slapped on a pair of wireless headphones and listened to some slappin music while looking around at all the gorgeous lights.

Traveled back down stairs listening to the music on the headphones, and came across some good sausages and pretzels with cheese along with different beers, and sat down and getting to enjoy a nice little meal with some great Unilocal friends was great.
After eating and drinking a little bit we all went and took some pictures, which was really cool and some of us hung out by one of the nice fire pits, roasted some marshmallows and made smores! I had a great time that night, and it was a wonderful event!

Personally, I enjoyed the weather… reminds me of SF, and makes for a nice S’mores evening, which some of us enjoyed tremendously. Basecamp Hotel is a neat concept, pet and kid-​friendly. I found a spot on the second deck and hung out with fellow Unilocalers from Reno to SF. It almost felt like hiking through semi-​Muir Woods just to arrive on the upper deck for Moscow Mules =) Most of us sat by the campfire and conversed with Yelites and their +1’s amongst Mother Nature.
Speaking of Mother Nature, that’s what brought us together, to «Keep Tahoe Blue». Unilocalers came from all over to donate to a good cause in preserving this beautiful blue lake for decades to come. Thank you to all the vendors for coming out and providing free tastings, endless beer, and live entertainment. A nice keepsake was the photobooth printout (going into my scrapbook of Unilocal memories).
We can’t thank the «A» team enough for putting on a spectacular night of fall festivities for us Unilocalers to enjoy. Shout out to all the sponsors for coming out this way and making it happen (Basecamp Hotel, Folk Brewing, Hanson Organic Vodka, Lake Tahoe Brewing Co., Silent Storm, Sugar Plums Photo Booth, Tahoe Moonshine). This event was rewarding, please check out
to learn more about this worthy cause.
‘Til we meet again ~ cheers!

If Unilocal had a backyard, then this was the party in it.
Was there a bbq? Yep– complete with brats, chicken apple sausages, and an array of toppings. Props to the one man grill operation.
Were there drinks? You betcha. Vodka. blue jello shots. and beer that kept on flowing mysteriously into my Negro Modelo fancy, gold rimmed glass. Who says you can’t drink beer and be classy, right?
Was there music? Yeah. Live music downstairs, and silent head bobbing upstairs with light-​em-​up headphones. Kinda resembled a rave… at a library. Hilarious to watch people rock out to the Silent Disco.
Were there games? Sure. Wheels spinning for prizes (thanks for the backpack Unilocal!) and bean bag toss. The dress up photo booth was a great addition.
Laughter around the firepit was also a must. Watch a Unilocaler make a smore after a few drinks and you will see who is reallllly into the outdoors.
Proud to support the Keep Tahoe Blue initiative. Well done to our fabulous Unilocal team for assembling a very thoughtful (and eventful) bash!

I’ve been a supporter of Keep Tahoe Blue for some time. Lake Tahoe has been a special place for me; a place to relax and a place to play since I was a kid at the lake cabin. From kayaking the shore line and the lake loop on motorcycle, this blue wonder has holds a spot inside. There was no question that this event was a «must do» to support this organization and it’s efforts. Visit
Sometimes the fun begins outside the event, standing in line. This is a great place to walk the line and greet your fellow Unilocalers where captive and not moving. Inside the event, there were prize wheels to spin, Tahoe fact questions to answer, kombucha tasting, beer flowing from the inside bar, a photo booth, grilled brat on pretzel bun, pretzel bites with cheese sauce, s’more makin’s and fire pits about, and of course the silent disco.
If you’re into Unilocal swag, this was a gold mine. The elusive luggage tag, fingerless knit gloves, aluminum canisters, sunglasses, and more.
This party sat on three levels — grassy area, upper deck and the upper upper deck. Warm roasting fires lit at every level, each with something to offer and explore. Lots of wandering around or just hanging out with friends. Definitely a relaxing evening in a great venue with fabulous host and sponsors.
Tahoe Moonshine
Hanson of Sonoma Organic Vodka
Folk Brewing Co
Basecamp Hotel
Not just one more event on this fabulous Unilocal Tahoe Getaway weekend but an event to remember. Kudos to our Unilocal CM’s (Alex and Michael), Nique, the entire Unilocal support group, and Unilocal,of course.

Alex and Michael though a great event. I really like this event raised money for Keep Tahoe blue.
When you first walking you make your donation and enter the wonderful world of Unilocal and the fun begins.
When you walked in there’s a few fire pits to warm up by and chat it up or roast some s’mores which was great!
You could go upstairs to the deck and use earphones for silent disco. Or you could go down stairs and just listen to the music playing for all to hear.
If you were hungry, there were BBQ chicken and pork sausages with a pretzel bun. I opted to make veggies with the bun, however people said the sausage was delicious.
There was a picture booth with props. That was extremely fun. Actually that was the best part for me.
There was a lot of beer drinking, eating, dancing etc. I really hope, Alex and Michael get together and plan more events.
It was a really great event to meet new and seasoned Unilocalers!

Get me near some heat!
Brrr! The weather was chilly but the event was hott! hott! hott! This event was held at our sponsor hotel at Basecamp Hotel, which included an outdoor grass courtyard, a cool newly-​renovated indoor bar and game room and an upstairs deck where our DJ played dance songs and where you can also borrow headsets and listen to your silent personal music!
There were hotdogs (pork or chicken), S’mores, Arugula Salad with olive oil, Pretzel Mustard Dip… drinks provided by Hanson Organic Vodka, Tahoe Moonshine, Folk Brewing and Lake Tahoe Brewing Co. There was live music, DJ music and photo booth provided by Sugar Plums!
We hung out on the deck, by the bar, near the food! LoL! on the lawn, by the fire pit, back to the food. Mingled with friends and made more new friends! Shout out to Joe and Lisa for making it up here to join us in this event… and to Art and Jeannie (East Bay), who was introduced to me and jR by Porsche.
Left a little early before the event ended… headed back to our place and all of a sudden, RAIN! we ended up not making it to Michelangelo’s Pink Party UYE. Final answer… four events in one day! G’night :)

I adore the fact that even though the temperature was dropping fast, Unilocalers poured into the «Keep Tahoe Blue Bash @ BASECAMP Hotel.» Although cold with some occasional drizzle, it was a super festive atmosphere with a ton of creative things to do and see.
Walking in, we were greeted by helpful Unilocalers and the team from «Keep Tahoe Blue». We visited this booth first to spin the wheel and answer some trivia for a prize. I love that the swag came with a price… knowledge! We stopped by the kombucha booth and tried the «very berry». The sweet and sour flavors were amazing.
A full grill/​BBQ was set up cooking huge bratwurst and chicken sausages with amazing pretzel buns and all the fixings you could want. I wandered into the next room and found my new love– pretzel bites with cheese! OH my yum! In carb heaven I feasted on these delights while sipping on a Corona Light. Was there a salad? Yes, and yes it was fresh and delicious but my carb goggles were firmly in place. Lol.
From the live band to the silent disco (I wanted to wear those headphones so bad!) to the lawn bowling and checkers, we had a blast walking around and playing the cool outdoor games. The fire pits were warm and surrounded by chairs and benches and I warmed up with the food, beer and the smell of the delicious s’mores my fellow yeeps were cooking. Trust me, burning marshmallow IS a yummy scent, like vanilla on speed. I heard rumors of vodka tasting on the roof, but the evening went so fast I did not have a chance to check it out.
One of my favorite things about the event was the digital photo booth complete with hats, glasses, props and anything you would want to take silly pics. I loved this… instant photo gratification when they handed out the photo strips with,“Keep Tahoe Blue” on the bottom. I was also able to finally get an official Unilocal pint glass and I did my happy dance. Awesome swag!
BASECAMP was the perfect place for this event, and I want to thank not only the amazing Unilocal crew but the generous staff and friendly beer tenders! It started to rain at the end of thy event, and I was lucky enough to be staying at this venue. A few quick steps and I was in my warm and cozy room.
Thank you to everyone that put on this amazing event. Much hard work went into this and I know our Unilocal community is grateful for this. :-)

«Tarnation! Why Are Those Crazy Unilocalers Dancing When I Can’t Here Any Music?»
SITREP
Welcome to Club Basecamp, where you can dance to «Silent Disco!»
THE SETUP
This was one of the fun, innovative aspects of this event — the «Silent Disco» — which refers to the two (2) music-​stations *broadcasted* into our headphones of nearly a hundred (and more) energized Unilocalers — all over the main beergarten, and the rooftop patios — so that there was virtually no «noise pollution» per se — just happy dancers looking like they were «dancing to the beat of a different drum» (or 2 *drums* as the case was). ;)
Between the dancing, the food, the beverages, the firesides, etc., there was so much to enjoy! But there was a mission to the madness…
KEEP TAHOE BLUE!
A major purpose behind this event was also providing a fundraising opportunity for «Keep Tahoe Blue», a local Tahoe charitable organization promoting clean-​water & conversation efforts to keep Lake Tahoe in it’s pristine form.
We all happily contributed $ 10 (or more) per person for each invited guest for this worthy endeavor. Besides gaining admission to the event, we also became the joyous recipients of so much swag and activities!
LE MENU OF ACTIVITIES
There was so much to do and enjoy with this event:
* The aforementioned «Silent Disco»!
* Fireside camping fun enjoying roasting marshmallows and s’mores!
* Grabbing some wonderful, thick chicken or pork sausages with tons of fixens!
* Pretzel bites with a delicious cheese dip (that I used on my chicken hot dog!)
* Spill the beer on the CM…[oh wait… that wasn’t a GENERAL, PLANNED activity — that might have only been me…]
And speaking of spillage! I have not met a Unilocal event yet this weekend where there was shortage of great drinks! This was no exception and had great variety of brews and alcoholic beverages!
KUDOS
A huge shoutout to Basecamp for letting us take over their beergarten to host all of us crazy Unilocalers with this marvelous event for such a worthy cause!
And a big tip o’ my hat to Community Managers (CM) Extraordinaire Alex L. (Sacramento) and Michael T. (Reno) for organizing this outstanding event with the other talented crew of CMs and Yeployees, including Nique F., Brad, Jeffrey, Gabi, Katie and everyone else!
THE LOWDOWN
«Keeping Tahoe Blue AND Michelangelo Buzzed» had never been a more beautiful pairing of activities! :D

(K)udos to all vendors, and Unilocal CMs involved
(E)veryone seemed to enjoy themselves
(E)xcellent live music tonight
℗retty impressed by Polk Brewing Company’s Kombucha selections!
(T)he Sage and Juniper Kombucha was tasty
(A)lso enjoyed the Berry and Serrano Chile Kombucha
(H)owever, we passed on the Moonshine tasting
(O)nly steps away from our room
(E)asily one of the best events of YTG
(B)asecamp was the venue for tonight’s event
(L)ots of fun at the photo booth too
(U) missed out if you weren’t here tonight
(E)ven the rain let us party before it stormed
(B)eers tonight were Negra Modelo and Corona Light
(A)lways a great time with Unilocalers, old and new
(S)ilent Disco upstairs was a BLAST!
(H)anson Vodka from Sonoma was STRONG!
(2)…number of sausage sandwiches I killed
(0)…number of S’mores I had
(1)…number of hot dates I had
(5)…number of songs I silent disco’d to
ALOHA!!!
Shaka Meter: \uuu/​\uuu/​\uuu/​\uuu/​\uuu/​5