In the course of writing this blog, I have realised how important it is to put down your thoughts on paper when they are fresh. The articles which I have written soon after my trips are a lot more alive and full of interesting insights and observations than articles written after a considerable length of time by when the memories become a bit blurred and non-detailed.
This article falls into the second category; I had spent a weeked at Lake Tahoe almost 8 months back and a lot of the images and emotions I had felt on the trip have become subdued now. Still I will try to remember as much as I can.
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| Beach at Lake Tahoe |
We went to Lake Tahoe from San Francisco in the summer of 2012. We did a short weekend trip to Lake Tahoe, and it was one of the most fun places have been to. The drive from San Francisco took us around 4.5 hours to reach there. We reached Lake Tahoe on a Friday and stayed at one of the houses in the South Tahoe area; a B&B property which was booked from the arirbnb site. The house was very well furnished and located just a walk from the lake which was an excellent and comfortable location for us. We spent one day just exploring the lake and the nearby area and found it a great place to spend an active or relaxing time.
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| Emerald Point |
First we just drove for a couple of miles along the lake and found it to be totally mesmerising. The huge blue sapphire-like lake, extending till where the eyes can see. We went upto the Emerald point and the view of the lake from there was breathtaking. The blue sky, the green in between and then the blue of the lake again. Its vastness makes you feel just like a part of nature; you can spend hours just sitting there and staring at space.
We drove a bit farther up the lake and just walked to the edge of the cliffs to yet another natural viewpoint; spending time in the sun feeling a part of everything around. On the way we also stopped at a small waterfall. Basically, you can stop anywhere along the lake and relax, chill and enjoy the view all around.
After the drive and multiple stops around the lake, we next hired a boat to boat into the lake. And honestly, it was one of the best experiences I've had. Its just a very different feeling to drive a boat yourself, and a speedboat at that. The last two times I had tried to rent one, I was denied because I did not have a driving license, and this time I did. Its an easy enough drive, 2 buttons to use. And when it speeds ahead, jumping on top of waves with the cool winds blowing against your face, its a wonderful feeling. We did not speed much though, but am sure that's even a more exhilarating experience:).
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| Zephyr Cove |
Our next stop were the beaches in Reno, which falls on the right side of the state line in Sierre Nevada and therefore even though they are miles away from Lahoe town, they have casinos allowed on their area. And the last place we visited was the beach known as Zephyr Cove which even though was on the lake had yellow sand and felt almost like a beach.
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| Zephyr Cove |
The water was clear and shallow here and the sun was shining. It was very relaxing, with the mesmerising sunset on one side and the sparkling water of the lake. And so even though we had just one day on the lake, we ended up doing a lot more activities than you would think would be possible in a day.
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| Napa Valley |
The next day we drove back to San Francisco after a brief halt at Napa valley. We stopped at a couple of wineries at Napa, but to be frank I was not impressed at all.
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| Napa Valley |
Maybe because it was too too hot or maybe just because I wasn't going to taste the wines or just because the area isn't as picturesque as most wine countries are. Anyways it was a short stop and then we were back in SF.
On the whole I would say, I loved Lake Tahoe because of the activities it offers but would give Napa a miss unless you are fond of wines.
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