Saturday, May 7, 2011

Lake Tahoe

I took these photos today on our drive around Lake Tahoe.  None of these are enhanced! This place is so gorgeous I can't stand it. I think it is one of the most beautiful places I've seen. The lake is so huge - it feels like an ocean.





We spent the night on the north shore in Incline Village Crystal Bay, on the Nevada side. Nice town. We stayed at the Hyatt High Sierra Lodge. I would stay there again. The hotel has its own private beach and it has a great restaurant on the water - Lone Eagle Grille - where you can sit outside along the water. We had dinner there last night outside watching the sunset and it was amazing. 


If you are looking for nature I would not stay in South Tahoe, which is much more developed. That would be the place to see shows and go shopping. We liked the California side of the lake better than the Nevada side - a lot more trails and nature. We had brunch at a fantastic little place in Sunnyside-Tahoe City on the west side of the lake called Fire Sign Cafe. I really recommend this place (credit toYelp! for helping us find this place). One of the most scenic places along the lake is Emerald Bay where most of the photos here were shot. It is a must see if you are in the area.

Some facts about Lake Tahoe...


  • It sits in the Sierra Nevada mountain range, straddling California and Nevada.
  • The lake is 22 miles long and 12 miles wide. It is the largest alpine lake in North America, the second deepest lake in the United States (first is Crater Lake in Oregon - equally gorgeous), and the 16th deepest lake in the world.
  • The lake never freezes.
  • The lake was originally inhabited by the Washoe tribe. The name Lake Tahoe comes from the Washoe words for "edge of the lake."
  • It is one of the cleanest lakes in the US. The visibility of the lake was once calculated to be 100 feet (you could see an item down at 100 feet). It is now around 60 feet. 
  • There are 12 ski resorts in the area. There is also all the other activities one would expect for a mountain lake resort area - sledding, cross country skiing, kayaking, hiking, golf, etc. There is also gambling on the Nevada side.
  • The 1960 Winter Olympics were held here in Squaw Valley.
  • Historic Route 50 runs through South Tahoe.

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