Treasures in Tahoe

For our recent trip to Dinosaur National Monument, we chose the north shore of Lake Tahoe to book end our travels. Tahoe is about three hours from the San Francisco Bay Area and home, so it is  a comfortable drive to both kick off and bring to an end our first long road trip since 2018. At this stage of life, my husband and I are content with shorter driving days and more time to explore and enjoy both the journey and the destination.

Into the pines
[Note: click on a photo to see a larger image.]

Lake Tahoe (Google maps)

In early afternoon, we packed up the car and headed for Tahoe via Interstate 680 to Interstate 80. Traffic was thick but clipped along, slowed periodically by road construction. Traffic finally cleared after Auburn CA, about the same time we entered the pines. We learned that Jeffrey Pine is dominant around the Lake Tahoe area, and their distinct look and fragrance is wonderful. We took exit 880B to 267, and drove the 10 miles to Kings Beach on the North Shore.

Kings Beach

We checked into the Crown Motel, which is right on the lake. After settling in, we sat out on the deck to watch the water. The sun was bright, but a stiff breeze had kicked up off the lake. I called my folks and enjoyed a nice chat from a deck chair out of the breeze in the warm sun. For dinner, we walked over to Jason's Beachside Grille for prime rib and fish and chips, and split warm apple pie ala mode for dessert. We watched the tail end of the sunset from the shore, and then walked back to the motel.

Room with a view of Lake Tahoe

Choppy water on the lake

Dinner at Jason's Beachside Grille

Sunset on Lake Tahoe

The next day was warm and bright and the breeze had calmed down. We packed up, feeling very rested, checked out, and then enjoyed breakfast at the The Old Post Office Cafe at Carnelian Bay. We stopped at Starbucks to fill up our commuter cups and get a few road treats, and then headed for Elko NV and a full day of driving.

Old Post Office Cafe on Carnelian Bay

Breakfast at The Old Post Office Cafe

Carnelian Bay

On the way back from Dinosaur National Monument, we spent two more days in Tahoe. We checked into our cabin at Cedar Glen Lodge on Carnelian Bay after a full day of driving and just relaxed. Hunger finally drove us to nearby Jiffys Pizza for a delicious dinner. By then it was raining, but very cozy at the restaurant. Back in our cabin, we finished off the day looking at photographs and reflecting back over the day's travels. 

Our cabin at Cedar Glen Lodge (#3 on the left)

Cozy nook

Drive Around Lake Tahoe

The next day we returned The Old Post Office Cafe for a leisurely breakfast, and then bought gas and picked up Starbucks coffee and treats. We had decided to drive around Lake Tahoe, a 72 mile drive. Our mission was to see what other areas we might like to explore on a return trip. We headed down the East side first, through South Lake Tahoe, and then up West Lake Tahoe. We had thought we might stop to snap some pictures, but it was crowded and busy with folks on their Sunday drives. We still got a good feeling of all that Lake Tahoe has to offer, so feel we completed our mission! We decided we prefer North Shore, with more wilderness, less development, and less congestion (at least when there is no snow on the ground)! My husband recalled being in West Lake Tahoe with his Dad and his wife in the 1970s as part of a trip to Reno NV. 

Relaxing by the fire

Fire pit under the pines

Back at the cabin, we lounged around for a while and enjoyed a family phone call with the Alaskan and Oregonian contingents. For dinner we went to Spindleshanks Tahoe Restaurant and had a lovely dinner and shared dessert. Back at the lodge we sat out under the pines by the fire pit and enjoyed a crackling fire.

Home Again

The next day was sunny but quite chilly - definitely a fall feeling in the air. After a brisk walk, we packed up, snapped a few pictures, and then checked out of the cabin. We headed back to Spindleshanks for our last big breakfast of the trip, bought coffee and treats at the nearby Starbucks, and then hit the road for home. We enjoyed our trip so much!

Sunshine over Cedar Glen Lodge (after the rain)

Breakfast at Spindleshanks

The trees of Tahoe