We took US-50W out of Carson City, climbed over Spooner Summit (7,146') and turned onto CA-28E at Spooner Lake. We drove north (along the eastern shore of Lake Tahoe) passing Sand Harbor State Park and Crystal Bay; then west by Incline Village, Kings Beach/Tahoe Vista, and Carnelian Bay. This was our favorite part of the lake drive. The rest of the way was either very residential, out of view of the lake, or very commercial.
 |
| Climbing Spooner Summit |
Lake Tahoe is 22 miles long, 12 miles wide, 1645 ft deep (3rd deepest in North America) and it never freezes over.
 |
| Sand Harbor State Park |
 |
| Crystal Bay |
A rain shower appeared from the SW and moved slowly across the lake. A light rainfall started at Incline Village and didn't end until we got to S. Lake Tahoe.
 |
| View from Mt. Rose Scenic Overlook (above Incline Village) |
A lunch stop at Carnelian Bay provided a literal treat. It's hard to believe we could get excited about tuna salad and club sandwiches, but The Old Post Office Cafe served some of the best we've ever had. We'd go back and order anything, anytime!
We left the lake drive at Stateline, NV (at the SW corner of the lake) by taking CA-207N. This is an exceptional scenic route. It includes an 8 mile 9° ride down Kingsbury Grade.
 |
| Main route through Stateline |
 |
| Harrah's was one of the big casinos (plus Montbleu and Harvey's) |
 |
| Heading down Kingsbury Grade |
 |
| It's quite a ride |
 |
| Ah, down at last! |
At this point we were very glad we hadn't been towing. The grades were long and steep. The half-dozen road projects around the lake were irritating and presented some narrow passages. The four or five 10 mph descending, sharp cut-backs near Emerald Bay probably would have damaged the hitch or worse.
Our last treat was a stop at Genoa, the first settlement in Nevada (1851). The claim is disputed by Dayton NV, but we'll ignore that. The transition from Lake Tahoe's monied world to Genoa's historic community was dramatic.
 |
| The Pony Express went through Genoa |
 |
| John "Snowshoe" Thompson (delivered mail on snowshoes for 20 years) |
 |
| Court House |
 |
| Country Store |
 |
| And the "Thirst Parlor: |
 |
| It's like you've stepped back in time |
We returned to the RV park in sunshine. Dark clouds moved in from the west (over the mountain) near sunset. The wind is gusting.
Note: We didn't compliment this RV park yesterday. We must have been tired or grumpy, or both. Every service here is excellent. Some examples include: friendly service, outstanding restrooms and showers, large laundry facilities, and the fastest internet service we've ever seen in an RV park.
No comments:
Post a Comment