Lake Tahoe straddles the border of California and Nevada. It is the 2nd deepest lake in the US at more than 1600 feet, second only to Crater Lake. It is 22 miles long, 12 miles wide and is a destination for approximately 17 million visitors every year. It is fed by 63 tributaries but only one going out of the lake, the Truckee River.
We spent a gorgeous day in early April driving the entire circumference of the lake. Every foot is scenic. The views of the deep blue lake surrounded by ever-green forests and the snow-capped, Sierra Nevada mountains were stunning. Fortunately for us, it was the shoulder season, sandwiched in-between the ski season and the busy summer season, so was relatively quiet with easy traffic and little crowding. There are multiple parks with available walks along the shoreline, boardwalks, marinas, and many opportunities for stopping at coffee shops, bakeries, pizzerias and restaurants. We took advantage of several of the walks to view the lake and the crystal clear water. It is currently one of the purest and clearest lakes in the country with a clarity down to 75 feet. On one of our strolls we came across the famous Penny Bear, a very cool sculpture of a mama grizzly called Ursa Mater and her cub. They are covered in a total of 203,000 pennies that give the illusion of fur. Nearby, we also caught sight of the only historic cabin on Lake Tahoe, Watson Cabin, built originally in 1908.
After a delicious lunch at the at the Fire Sign, a cozy diner that has been around since the 1970s, the journey around the lake continued. We never did spot Tessie but the views continued to amaze, and the astonishing panoramas were breathtaking. Prior to our visit, I had only seen a few pictures of Lake Tahoe but the real thing certainly exceeded my expectations.
