Sunday, September 13, 2015 - South Lake Tahoe

Today, our drive takes us from the Ritz Carlton to South Lake Tahoe to the Tahoe Keys Marina for a private cruise of a small portion of Lake Tahoe.  

Before our departure, Sharon and I got up early, had breakfast and walked the grounds of the Ritz.  A beautiful hotel, very similar to the Ritz in Beaver Creek and Aspen, The Ritz in Tahoe is a popular ski resort as well.  

We enjoyed the outside fire pit for a few minutes before we "started our engines."

I'm ready for the drive today around the lake.  Even have brand new "driving shoes."  I'm sure they will help keep the pedal to the metal.  

We set off at noon for what should have been just over an hour drive.  As soon as we hit the main highway, we encountered bikers.  Not just a couple, but hundreds of bikers competing in a race.  Some of these folks were really struggling and shouldn't have been on a bike in the first place, much less on a busy scenic highway.  A couple of them looked like Jabba the Hutt (from Star Wars) balanced precariously on their bikes with their bodies melting over the sides and legs struggling to push the pedals.  We buzzed by giving them plenty of room with an occasional engine rev.

With heavy bike traffic AND car traffic, the trip to the marina took longer than expected.  To be totally honest, I was grateful for the traffic because it forced us to drive slowly.  Also, my radar detector, which Thaddeus so kindly turned on for me, was regularly singing like an opera star.  The folks at the hotel told us to beware because  the police support the community with speeding tickets on this stretch of road.  So happy we were driving more reasonably.

When we arrived at the Marina, Anthony, the 1st mate greeted us in the parking lot, showing us where to safely park our cars and then took us to the "Party Boat."  We cruised out of the marina into beautiful Lake Tahoe.  I was not expecting the water to be crystal clear.  I imagine on a day without smoke, it must be a beautiful blue color.  

Our boat captain, Donne, shared some interesting statistics with us. He said that 9 million gallons of water evaporate from Lake Tahoe EVERY day taking the lake down by 1/8 of an inch daily.  The average depth of the lake is 1000 feet, 1645 feet at the deepest point.  The sixty-eight tributaries that feed Lake Tahoe are all but dried up due to the severe drought in California for the past several years.  

Vikingsholm, Laura Knight's "Castle"

The cruise was lovely.  I definitely need to return to Lake Tahoe when the skies are clear.  The rugged mountains encompassing the lake were stunning even with the smoky haze obstructing the view. We cruised to a breathtaking area called Emerald Bay.  In the early 1900's, a woman by the name of Laura Knight bought Emerald Bay for $75,000.00.  Mrs. Knight's property included the only island in Lake Tahoe,  Fanette Island, and the only water fall, Eagle Falls.  The home Mrs. Knight constructed in Emerald Bay, named Vikingsholm, is considered to be one of the finest examples of Scandinavian architecture existing in the United States.  

Tea House atop Fannett Island

The waterfall is dry today. But the Fannette sland still has remnants of a tea house Mrs. Knight built on the very top of the island to entertain her guests.   Enormous cedars and pines are set off by shear granite cliffs making this one of the most scenic areas in the United States.  

 Granite cliffs and Pines surround Fannett Island 

In 1953, Vikingsholm and the property were acquired by the State of California.  The house is open for tours in the summer months and the magnificent scenery is enjoyed all year around.  This is an area I would definitely like to visit again.  

After a leisurely afternoon at Emerald Bay, we returned to the marina, started up our Ferraris and set out again returning to the Ritz Carlton for dinner at Manzanita.  This was the most delicious meal of the trip.  

Dinner at Manzanita 

Tomorrow ...  Yosemite.