California's Best Trips 2 - Full PDF eBook

Sierra Nevada between
mountains and desert
flatlands. For killer
lake views in summer,
ascend the gondola from
Heavenly Village, or
board the paddle wheelers
of Lake Tahoe Cruises
(%800-238-2463; http://www.
zephyrcove.com; adult/child
from $39/15; c) that ply
the ‘Big Blue.’ Survey the
azure expanse of the lake
at eye level from in-town
beaches or aboard a kayak
launched from Zephyr
Cove (%775-589-4906; http://www.
zephyrcove.com; 760 Hwy 50;
entry per car $8; c), which
also has sandy swimming
beaches. It’s about 3 miles
north of Stateline, NV,
where you can bet a stack
of chips at the hulking
casinos, all buzzing with
bars, nightclubs and 24-
hour restaurants.

54 p203

The Drive » Unless the

road has been closed by heavy

snowfall, set a course heading

northwest from South Lake

Tahoe’s ‘The Y’ intersection onto

scenic lakeside Hwy 89. You’ll

pass USFS Tallac Historic Site

and Taylor Creek Visitor Center,

both of which have nature trails

and educational exhibits, before

reaching Inspiration Point and,

further along, Vikingsholm

Castle’s parking lot.

2 Emerald Bay &

DL Bliss State Parks

Sheer granite cliffs and

a jagged shoreline mark

glacier-carved Emerald

Bay (%530-541-3030; http://www.

parks.ca.gov; per car $8-10;

husually late May-early Sep;

c), a teardrop cove that

will get you digging for

your camera. Panoramic

pullouts all along Hwy 89

peer over the uninhabited

granite speck of Fanette

Island, which harbors

the vandalized remains

of a 1920s teahouse once

belonging to heiress Lora

Knight. She also built

Vikingsholm Castle (tour

adult/child $8/5; h10:30am

or 11am-4:30pm late May-early

Sep), a Scandinavian-

style mansion on the bay

that’s reached via a steep

2-mile round-trip hiking

trail. Heading north,

the 4.5-mile Rubicon

Trail ribbons along the

lakeshore past hidden

coves to DL Bliss State

Park (%530-525-7277; http://www.

parks.ca.gov; per car $10;

husually mid-Jun–early Sep),

with its old lighthouse

and sandy beaches. In

summer, the Nifty Fifty

Trolley (%530-541-7149;

http://www.bluego.org; rides $2)

shuttles between the

parks.

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The Drive » Head north on

Hwy 89 past the sandy beach at

Meeks Bay, forested Ed Z’berg

Sugar Pine Point State Park

and the lakeshore hamlets of

Tahoma and Homewood. At

the intersection with N Lake

Blvd/Hwy 28, Tahoe City’s

commercial strip, turn left to

stay on Hwy 89 another 5 miles

northwest to Squaw Valley Rd.

3 Squaw Valley

After stopping in Tahoe

City for supplies and to

refuel your stomach and

the car, it’s a short drive

up to Squaw Valley USA

(%800-403-0206; http://www.

squaw.com; 1960 Squaw Valley

Rd, Olympic Valley; adult/

child ski-lift ticket $92/41,

aerial-tram ride $29/10, all-

access summer activity pass

$63/30; c), a megasized

ski resort that hosted the

1960 Winter Olympics.

You could spend a whole

winter weekend here

and not ski the same run

twice. Hold on tight as

the aerial tram rises over

granite ledges to High

Camp at a lofty 8200ft,

where you can take a

spin around the ice rink

while being mesmerized

by vistas of the lake

so very far below. In

summer, families crowd

the outdoor swimming

lagoon, disc-golf course,

zip-line and the hiking

and mountain-biking

TRIP HIGHLIGHT

k

Eastern Sierra

Scenic Byway

Downtown Reno’s
casinos are just over
30 miles northeast of
Truckee via the I-80.

m

Ebbetts Pass

Scenic Byway

From South Lake Tahoe,
it’s 20 miles south along
Hwy 89 to Hope Valley,
although Ebbetts Pass is
closed during winter and
spring.

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