Bella’s sister and her sister’s boyfriend are in town so Lake Tahoe is on the tourism checklist this summer.  Oddly enough, none of us have ever visited here.  It’s hard to believe that this semi-frequent traveler who has lived in California for over 30 years has never traveled here.  Truth-be-told, I am more of an ocean lover than a mountain lover, but it’s still surprising.

Fannette Island:  Emerald Bay

We pick up a Plymouth Pacifica rental minivan at the SAC airport and after hitting multiple construction delays (30 minutes and 15 minutes) on the two-lane road into Tahoe, we finally arrive just in time at Zephyr Cove (zephyrcove.com) where we will take a 2 hour boat cruise around the lake.

The gang heads to our boat:  M.S. Dixie, II

M.S. Dixie, II:  Indoor bar and dining room

There is an outdoor bar as well as an indoor bar.  The interior has a small stage for bands to play on night cruises (I assume) or special occasions.

M.S. Dixie, II:  Fish & Chips

I’m sporting my mint green Guinness beer t-shirt so I feel inclined to order this.  No Guinness accompanies it unfortunately but the fish is moist with a crispy moderately thick coating and tasty fries (chips).

M.S. Dixie, II:  Heading to Emerald Bay

M.S. Dixie, II:  Emerald Bay

M.S. Dixie, II:  Fannette Island

I stand out near the mast and feel the wind in my hair and there is a temporary feeling of peace and tranquility.  It is mildly interrupted with the confusing aroma of smoke.  I’d forgotten how close some fires were to this area until burnt timber hits my nose holes.

Vikingsholm Castle:  Emerald Bay

Find more information at vikingsholm.com.

Fannette Island:  Emerald Bay

A decent amount of boaters are out and about but not to the point of being obnoxious.

Fannette Island:  The tea room

The roof is gone but it appears to have a decent amount of the walls remaining.

Zephyr Cove Resort Beach:  South Lake Tahoe

For dinner we head to the Lakeside Inn & Casino to dine at The Timbers Restaurant (lakesideinn.com).

Lakeside Inn & Casino:  The Timbers Restaurant

This dipping sauce consists of whipped butter, shredded cheese, balsamic vinegar and olive oil.  The sourdough bread is served hot and fresh with only a very slight taste of sourness.

The Timbers Restaurant:  Prime rib, lobster tail, corn rice pilaf

The steak is pretty good but nowhere near great.  I recall Pala Casino’s buffet having a better one for sure.  It doesn’t help that parts of it are seasoned excessively with black pepper which I don’t care for.  The horseradish sauce is creamy and good with the au jus gravy being on the thin side but nice tasting.

Bella prefers steamed lobster because it is more juicy but I enjoyed the change with a bit of smoke and char on this grilled rendition.  The corn rice pilaf is decent, slightly unusual and kind of interesting.

The Timbers Restaurant:  Bear statue

Mountain towns sure do love their wildlife statues with artistic landscape murals painted on them.  Actually, they are kind of cool.

Our sweet rental ride:  Plymouth Pacifica

All kidding aside regarding mini-vans, this vehicle only had a couple thousand miles or less,  a TON of tech features and provides one seriously luxurious ride for a rental car.  Some of the features included: key-less start; quality navigation; automatic seats; excellent leg room; lane violation warning signal etc.

The gang at Emerald Bay overlook

The Emerald Bay at inspiration point in the late evening…

M.S. Dixie, II:  Night cruise in Emerald Bay

On the way to the hotel we stop off at a bargain grocery store.  We park our van and a  dirty beater mobile vehicle parks next to us.  The car’s windows look like they haven’t been washed since Billy Boy was in the White House and there are more dents and dings than the most skilled Caliber Collision center could handle.  It is no surprise when a “hillbilly junction function” family or group of some sort exits the vehicle.

Upon entering the store I would quickly observe a running theme.  I’m not sure anyone would find this many summer teeth (“some are here, some are there”) outside of the mountains of West Virginia or the hills of Kentucky.  I guess I’d forgotten a universal truth — “mountain folk is as mountain folk does”.  I won’t bother citing the number of shirtless males, dirty bare feet and superfluous amount of B.O. in the air.  Once I reach the checkout line I realize the only normal people in the entire place are us.

Resort at Squaw Creek:  Lobby

We were on the fence for a minute about staying in North Tahoe or South Tahoe, but opted for the north given we’re not a family nor are we in our twenties where being located in the middle of the action is preferred.  As a result, we chose the Resort at Squaw Creek (destinationhotels.com/squawcreek/accommodations) featuring Craftsman mission style architecture and design.

After tossing our bags in our modest-sized room we sniff around to check out the resort.

Resort at Squaw Creek:  Christmas in August

The Elf is getting into glow-in-the-dark bocce ball

We can’t pass up taking advantage of an empty Bocce ball court.  Each of us wins at least one game before we move on.

Glow-in-the-dark Booce ball:  A young skipper asked to join in on the fun

They also have a small soccer field with artificial turf and two goals adjacent to us for one-on-one competitions.

Classic, NOT to be cornfused with classy signage…

Another reminder that common sense and common courtesy are in short supply in the world today.  And of course signage does cater to the lowest common denominator.

In the morning I pour myself a cup of Maud’s Guatemalan coffee from the in-room Keurig machine before we head to breakfast.

Cascades Restaurant:  My buffet plate

We have a brunch buffet at the Cascades restaurant inside the hotel.  Almost everything is very good to excellent.

Cascades:  Miniature French Toast Stuffed with Sweet Cream

Cascades:  Berry yogurt parfait and mango chia seed pudding

I can’t get enough of chia seed pudding.

Cascades:  View from dining room

After breakfast we lounge and swim laps at the pool.

Resort at Squaw Creek:  Pool

It would appear I forgot to get a daytime photo of the entire pool area which even includes a water slide for the youngsters or young-in-mind.

The Links at Squaw Creek

Our golf is on-site at The Links at Squaw Creek (squawcreek.com).  It is a links style golf course which I enjoy immensely, although my wallet does not.  Anyone that has played a links course knows painfully well that unruly and diverse plant life can eat golf balls like nobody’s business.  You may hit one that appears to stay in the fairway, but one bad bounce and it’s buried under tall grass never to be found again.

The Links at Squaw Creek

This course was designed by Robert Trent Jones, Jr.  We’re really enjoying the company of an elder statesman local named Jerry.  He’s giving us helpful tips and showing kindness at every turn.

The Links at Squaw Creek

I am holding off on teeing off since other golfers seemed within my range — if I hit the ball correctly that is.  Jerry gives me the green light and as luck would have it, I put “a can of ass” into it and smoke a bomb that travels about 285 yards and over the couple in the cart ahead.  Yikes!  These Cobra F-max clubs may be even better than I thought.

“Squirrel nation” is about to get fired up…

The golfing squirrel has been known to “pin it to win it” now and then.

The Links at Squaw Creek

I am a supporter of green initiatives, but I’ll admit the one they employ here is costing me today.  This golf course doesn’t use pesticides, fungicides or rodenticides.  It is one of California’s most environmentally sound golf courses.

As a result, it is “au naturale” and wild grasses grow here that only a botanist or phytologist would recognize.  Per the starter, they trim some but not nearly as much as they would like or should.  We’ll see what my ball count is looking like by days end.  I arrived with 15 golf balls in tow today.

The Links at Squaw Creek

I like the wooden cart paths in spite of them feeling rickety at times.  Many of the tee boxes are on a slope so I have to pick my spots wisely for teeing up.  And some tee boxes are “torn up from the floor up”.

The Links at Squaw Creek

A very picturesque course.  For being unruly, the course is in pretty good shape especially since it is the dead of summer.  Most fairways are in good enough shape and while the course isn’t green, it’s greenish.

Hole number 18 had about 80-100 Canadian geese on it so we had to clear the green of goose mud prior to putting.  “Au naturale”…   🙂

The Links at Squaw Creek

Is this considered a playable “plugged lie”?

The final tally of golf balls remaining in my bag = 3.  The other 12 are gopher bait.

Resort at Squaw Creek:  Cornhole, ladder toss and other lawn games are poolside

This resort has no shortage of fun outdoor games and activities.  Actually, it seems to be a running theme in Tahoe in general.  We hit the pool for more laps before dinner.

Fat Cat Grill & Bar:  Lobster mac & cheese (w/wild Atlantic lobster claw)

We drive into Tahoe City for dinner.  It’s creamy, light on zesty cheese flavor but pretty good.  We are mostly winging it on our restaurant choices for this trip with a gentle assist from Yelp.

Fat Cat Grill & Bar:  Gourmet “California burger” with sweet potato fries

The burger isn’t cooked medium-rare, but it is quality meat and not dry so I say nothing.  It is closer to midway between medium and medium well.  Since it’s grass-fed beef and I’m at a bar and grill, there’s no way I’m sending it back as long as it’s plenty edible.  It has applewood bacon, pepper jack cheese and guacamole.

The sweet potato fries come with an interesting companion of a creamy green chile sauce.  It seems odd but it works nicely.  I even dip my burger in it here and there.

Christy Hill Restaurant:  Tahoe City

This was our first choice which sits just off the lake but they are sold out for the night.

Boat pier:  View of Christy Hill (LEFT) Restaurant

Squaw Valley:  Aerial tram rides

Note the skinny cables, the tiny white tram in the CENTER of the photo and understand that the tallest boulder you see here is NOT the top.  😦

Information on the aerial tram rides may be found at squawalpine.com/events-things-do/aerial-tram-rides.

Squaw Valley:  Aerial tram

This shot is looking backwards where we came from.

High Camp:  Hockey rink

High Camp:  Ladder toss game

I make three of three by getting them to wrap around the rail on the further one you see in the background.

Mountain bikers:  Ready to take on High Camp

Squaw Valley 1960 Olympics Museum

There are numerous photos from these games.

Squaw Valley 1960 Olympics Museum

Squaw Valley 1960 Olympics Museum

Squaw Valley 1960 Olympics Museum

Both the stick and puck were used in these Olympics.  Another reminder of the equipment advantages athletes have today.

Squaw Valley 1960 Olympics Museum:  I accept my honorary gold medal…

In the early 2000s’, I invented a sport known as duck tackling.  I petitioned the Olympic Committee to have this sport added to the 2008 Beijing Olympics but surprisingly I never heard back.  My petition included a comprehensive 98 page document covering the needs of the birdie athletes (i.e. massage therapists, athletic trainers, veterinarians, nutritionists etc.) as well as those of the athletes tackling them.  I’m still unsure where I dropped the ball in my detailed written presentation.

High Camp:  Swimming pool

High Camp:  The Granite Bistro (outdoor patio)

It is way too windy outside so we dine inside.

Bella informs me while were here that Allen proposed and Cindy accepted at High Camp.  Welcome to the family Big Al!

The Granite Bistro:  Gourmet burger with fried egg

This is what I should have ordered.

The Granite Bistro:  Banh Mi

This consists of a pork and pheasant spiced sausage served on an ordinary carpy hotdog bun.  The sausage is pleasant enough but nothing exciting and the shrapnel of cabbage slaw, cilantro, fresno chili, tamari aioli doesn’t make up for the delectable burger I’m sniffing on my RIGHT.

Squaw Valley Aerial Tram:  Cindy and Bella

The ladies opt to pass on staring down out the windows.

Squaw Valley Aerial Tram:  Interesting boulders…

Salvador Dali would have a field day here.

Squaw Valley Aerial Tram

Again, notate the skinny cables and ask yourselves how are these inspected?  Who?  And how often?

The Village at Squaw Valley:  Craftsman accommodations

I’m more into the Art Deco style of design or mid-century modern these days but Craftsman Mission style will always be appreciated by me.

Olympic torch burns day and night

Donner Summit Overlook:  Cindy and Allen

Donner Lake

This photo is taken from Donner Summit Overlook.

Donner Summit Bridge

The gang at the state capital in SAC…

It’s in the upper 80s’ or low 90s’ today and feels even hotter.  We sniff in at the state library to enjoy some air conditioning and look around at the ornate design.

State capital:  SAC

THE END!!!