California's Best Trips 2 - Full PDF eBook

(Dana P.) #1

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.

4 p203


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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