Lake Tahoe, Vikingsholm, Rubicon Trail, Emerald Bay

The deep blue waters of Lake Tahoe reminded us of the Caribbean, except for when looking up to see snow ski mountains rimming the lake. After stopping in to blow a whopping two dollars each at the casinos, we headed for the good stuff outdoors.

South Lake Tahoe had a wide range of accommodations, and with some door knocking we were able to find fine cheap accommodations. I recommend just going a couple blocks off the main drag where old nearly uninhabited hotels were easy to find, though prices for the same level of quality varied widely so the door knocking questions were helpful.

From South Lake Tahoe, we drove around the lake to its southwestern shores and into Emerald Bay State Park land. The views from the high road were great, with one fun section that went along the top of a ridge that dropped dramatically down on both sides of the road.

At the landward end of Emerald Bay lies the historic Scandinavian architecture mansion called Vikingsholm. A wealthy lady, inspired by designs from trips to Scandinavia, orchestrated its construction in 1929. Two hundred workers custom built most everything on site, based on an architect’s design that situated everything so as to preserve all of the most significant trees. Furniture was either purchased as actual antiques hundreds of years old, or else reproduced in exacting detail (down to replicating the original scratches). Today Vikingsholm is open to public tours and part of Emerald Bay State Park, with ongoing restoration and maintenance work in progress.

The Rubicon Trail was a beautiful flat 5 mile walk from Vikingsholm at the landward end of Emerald Bay, through the northwest shore of Emerald Bay State Park, and ending on the western shores of Lake Tahoe in D.L. Bliss State Park. It offered water views up close and personal, while walking through boulder-strewn forests sprinkled with flowers and history.

Then the hanging out and relaxing began. Needed to include some of that, too!