Touring Tahoe

Our first day in Tahoe, we drove the 72-mile loop around the lake, stopping at scenic pull-offs and encouraging nap time in the car. Here’s Luke sighting the magnificent lake for the first time.

Further south, we admired the view across Emerald Bay and out to the main Tahoe waters. I was surprised to learn that if Tahoe were emptied, it would submerge the entire state of California in 15” of water! Another plaque said that that’s enough water to supply everyone in the US with more than 75 gallons per day for 5 years. And it’s so deep that it never freezes!

That afternoon, we were dazzled by the appropriately-named “Hidden Beach” on Tahoe’s Nevada shore. It felt like a combination of the crystal clear turquoise Caribbean and Maine’s rugged rocky coast. 

For our second day, we got out early. We’d scouted out a lakeside playground where Erik could take some early morning pics of the lake while Luke got his climbing fix. But the temperature had dropped – 30 degrees plus wind meant we didn’t play long!

Fortunately it warmed up by the time we reached the Taylor Creek Visitor Center. We enjoyed a little nature walk through the park’s various habitats.

In a happy coincidence, we found that our visit was perfectly timed to catch the Kokanee salmon spawning in the Taylor Creek bed. We were told that bears are often spotted feeding on the fish during the spawning season, but no bear sightings for us. Just lots of vibrantly colored fish!

Luke loved climbing on a gigantic fallen tree by the shore, and I loved snapping pics of our kiddos in their darling matching sweaters.

The third day we’d planned to drive back to Sacramento in the morning so we’d have time to catch some city sights. But we woke up to snow, and news that the one interstate back to the city had been closed due to treacherous conditions!

A few hours later it reopened, and we were treated to a parade of snow removing vehicles as we carefully made our way over the mountains.

Back in Sacramento, the skies were rainy so we headed to the Railroad Museum for the afternoon. We found the history fascinating, the rows of engines imposing, the mail sorting car impressive, and the glitzy coach cars alluring. Luke often reminds us though that he did not enjoy the train that simulated forward motion with sounds, lights, and rocking. “Luke like train no moving!” But the toy train exhibit enthralled both him and Eleanor. How precious to see them thoroughly enjoy a common activity.

We enjoyed cooking for ourselves in our well-equipped Tahoe condo, but in Sacramento we tried a fancy meal out as a foursome. Luke had his squirmy moments but we think that Ellabelle appreciates fine dining already.

Amidst a whirlwind ten-day trip that included six different lodging locations and eight plane flight legs, our three nights in Tahoe were a tranquil intermission. What a gorgeous, peaceful lake in the off-season. We’d love to return and tackle some hikes there when our kids are older!