Day 32 - Lake Tahoe!

Hi everyone!

Just got in from a fantastic drive to Lake Tahoe - or as we keep accidentally calling it, Lake Taco!

First, we made a quick stop into the "Richest Chocolate Factory in Nevada" in Carson City (on the way to Lake Tahoe) and picked up a couple of treats - homemade salt water taffy and a bag of chocolate covered sponge candy (tastes like gourmet "Crunchie" candy bars).  YUM!

A beautiful mountainous drive, with lots of stomach knotting turns, breathtaking views and incredible climbs, we drove around Lake Tahoe today!

And we begin, with a tunnel - great fun!

First glimpse of the lake. The lake is huge and sits at an elevation of 6258 feet.  The drive is a climb up and down over and again in the mountains surrounding the lake. Several times the elevation changes from just over 4000' to almost 7000'.  How's that ear-popping going???

We arrived in South Lake Tahoe where an eclectic mix of old hotels & casinos mingle with new shopping developments, run-down motels, original small cabins and new mansion monstrosities.  Imagine driving from just outside Function Junction in Whistler, to the village, and then north towards Pemberton - same thing.  Definitely has the same feel as Whistler since it's a ski resort in winter, and camping and outdoor recreation area in summer.  We noticed lots of tear-down motels and prime real estate for sale.  And, it appears that businesses are doing quite well here.  A gorgeous place for a vacation!  

Harrah's hotel and casino - looks like fun!  We had the dogs walking with us, so we didn't take a horse-drawn carriage ride.  Next time, for sure!

I planned to take this bike for a spin but had a bit of difficulty getting onto the seat!

Not to take this endorsement lightly, we stopped into The Blue Dog for lunch and had a big slice of pizza and a salad for $6 each.  It was truly the best piece of pizza I've had in years - maybe ever.  The ingredients were incredibly fresh and it was cooked perfectly!  Bobby Flay would have difficulty beating them in a gourmet pizza "throwdown".  And yes, the restaurant was named after the owner's dog, Blue.

Keep your ski tips up!  We finished the "commercial" part of the day enjoying an eggnog latte on a ski lift chair outside the neighbourhood Starbucks. 

Back on the winding roads, driving the perimeter of the lake, the areas of Lake Tahoe not facing the sun were covered in a blanket of snow, and those facing the sun were mostly clear.  In the snowy & shady parts it was COLD today!  Brrrrrrrr.

 

Susan "with your nose so bright, won't you guide my sleigh tonight??"  That's my "hurry up and take the picture - it's freezing out here" face :)

Ahhhh!  Back into the forest - hooray!  A gorgeous, gorgeous drive.  Would do it again in a heartbeat!

Tucked into a little bay, Fannette Island is the only island in the lake.  Ironically, like Passage Island, Fannette Island was home to a hermit (in the mid 1800's) named Captain Dick.  He built his own tomb & chapel on the island (never a good idea) so that he may be buried at this most cherished spot.  Well, 'ol Dick had the misfortune of dying 3 years later when his small boat capsized in a storm causing his body to be lost "at sea" since it never washed ashore.  Consequently he was not buried on the island.  Imagine that bad luck! 

Anyway, btm (back to me).............after a high calorie, low exercise day, we made it back to the trailer just before dark.  A blissfully lazy Sunday.

Hope yours was as good.....until next time.

Love, S&S