Notes from the Cabin....and beyond: Lake Tahoe

May 1, 2012 - We left Great Basin heading across Nevada towards California. We drove Hwy 50, “The Loneliest Road”, up and over the mountain ranges, then across the broad valleys. I think “lonely” is an apt description for this rather desolate landscape……We drove 200 miles, then stopped for the night at a Forest Service Campground (which turned out to be quite nice) before driving on the next day.

May 2-7th - We had decided to spend the week at Lake Tahoe, before heading on to Oakland. We stayed at Zephyr Cove, on the Southeast end of the lake - the second oldest resort on the lake, founded in 1862. The RV park was reasonably priced and had full hook-ups – electric, water and sewer, plus a cable TV connection and Wi-Fi. It felt like such luxury! Plus, we were just across the street from the Lake…..

The sight of such beautiful water was such a treat after the dry desert Southwest. But, it seemed strange to us to see snow on the surrounding mountains. Lake Tahoe is at 6,250 ft elevation, and Spring had just barely arrived. The weather was chilly – highs in the 50’s and breezy.

The beach was a beautiful pebbly sand…and the water was crystal clear, deep blue at the depths, emerald green in the shallows.

Lake Tahoe straddles the California/Nevada border, stretching 22 miles in length and 12 miles in width. The lake is 1645 feet at its deepest point, and is the second deepest lake in the US (behind Crater Lake).

We spent the week at Lake Tahoe walking on the beach, and exploring the area. There are a number of historic old ‘Summer houses’ along the lakeside. Many of the home tours and attractions were not open for the season, but we enjoyed walking around and just generally sightseeing the area. And, of course, the Nevada side of the lake has Casinos. We are not big gamblers….but we did try out the dinner buffet. We did not think that it was all that great, but we managed to overeat, anyway…..