A Week in Lake Tahoe

Lake Tahoe is a wonderful site to behold and an even more enjoyable place to stay. Although I had visited here on a few previous occasions, I never had the opportunity to stay here for more than a few hours at a time until my recent vacation there.

Lake Tahoe has to be one of the more beautiful places in the world. With its mix of modern development, past history, and natural beauty, we found Lake Tahoe to be a world-class vacation indeed. Not only was Lake Tahoe an excellent destination, but a fine home base from which to explore eastern Nevada, the Truckee area, and Squaw Valley (site of the 1960 Winter Olympics).

Of course, there are lots of year-round activities from which to choose. During the winter, the focus would shift to cold-weather activities, such as skiing. What type of adventures await you depends on the time of year you will be here.

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Club Tahoe was a perfect jumping off point to explore the beauty of Lake Tahoe and surrounding area. Located in Incline Village, it was quiet and very relaxing, with a wonderful woodsy atmosphere surrounding it. It is set among tall pine trees a few blocks from the lakeshore. The units are spacious, with the usual conveniences found in modern, up-to-date facilities. We did not utilize many of the amenities of the resort, as we were to busy exploring the surrounding area and came home in the evening ready to relax in the comfort of our well-appointed home away from home.

It was a two-bedroom unit with a loft that could easily sleep up to six people. The only drawback about this unit was the fact that it was designed more on the vertical than on the horizontal. What I mean by this is the entrance was on one level and the bedrooms and baths were on a lower level, while the living room, dining area, and kitchen were up a level. The loft was then up another level via a winding staircase. This meant that a trip to the bathroom from the living room required navigating two flights of stairs. They were small flights, but nonetheless, it did require a bit of effort on my old legs. We did get used to it as the week wore on, but I learned to appreciate my single-story home even more!

• Unit Type: 2 Bedroom
• Activities: Fair
• Amenities: Very Good
• Unit Satisfaction: Very Good
• Family Friendliness: Very Good
• Service: Very Good

Located on 74 acres of the south shore of Lake Tahoe is the Tallac Historic Site. This historic location was the summer playground carved out of the Lake Tahoe wilderness by early California bankers and entrepreneurs. First built in 1880, it was a resort created by "Lucky" Baldwin and consisted of two hotels, a casino, and other outbuildings. It was dismantled by his daughter in 1916 and all that remains are the concrete ruins of this once impressive enterprise. However, still standing and available to explore are three other sites, which give one a glimpse into the Lake Tahoe of the past.

The Baldwin Estate was built in 1921 by Anita Baldwin as a summer home for her family. Today it contains artifacts of Washoe Indian culture, photos of the previously mentioned casino and hotels, and displays illustrating the influence the Baldwin family had in the history of California. The Pope Estate was built in 1894 and became known as the "Vatican Lodge" due to the last name of owner who purchased the estate from the original builder in 1923. Several adjacent cottages contained maids' and workers' quarters and laundry and children's play areas. The grounds and surrounding outbuildings are open to the public, and tours are available during the summer.

The third member of the estate trio is the Heller Estate, more commonly known as Valhalla. It was built in 1923 and borders Camp Richardson. The nonprofit Tahoe Tallac Association holds many different events here throughout the year. This entire location lies in a forest of pines and is a lovely place to picnic and spend a couple of hours or more. Walking or bicycling on the pathways, which connect each of the buildings, is an easy and enjoyable way to explore the site.

Much of our past has been overrun by the present, but there is an area near Lake Tahoe that provides us a glimpse into our history. Most of us have heard the story about the ill-fated Donner party that got stranded in the mountains in the winter of 1846 near present-day Truckee. One can visit the nearby park named in honor of this group and see for themselves the site of this infamous episode of human endeavor gone horribly wrong.

Donner Memorial State Park is today a quiet stop along a busy interstate highway. Little evidence can be seen of the tragedy that took place here so many years ago. However, there is a large boulder along one of the trails in this park that served as the back wall and fireplace of the cabin belonging to George Murphy, one of the members of the group. There is no visible sign that one of the settlements was located here apart from a commemorative plaque, erected in 1919, that bears the names of the 48 people who survived and the 42 who perished. Altogether there were four separate and distinct campsites located near each other.

Besides the previously mentioned Murphy cabin built against the boulder, there was a cabin located on the spot now occupied by the pioneer memorial statue erected near the museum and parking lot. Another campsite lies to the northeast along Donner Pass Road, less than a mile from the state park. A white cross and a simple memorial mark the spot. It's in the corner of a factory outlet mall that grew up around it. About 7 miles farther to the northeast was the Alder campsite where the Donners were encamped for the winter. That site is now a picnic ground and relatively undeveloped.