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Tahoe to Die For |
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LATE LAST SUMMER, my husband and I were invited to visit good friends who have a spacious summer home in Incline Village. Until then, I had only been to Lake Tahoe to ski during winter, and I was overwhelmed by the beauty of the lake and surrounding areas in summer. I was also fascinated by the rich and colorful history of the region. Lake Tahoe is the largest alpine lake in North America. It’s 22 miles long, 12 miles wide and has a shoreline of 71 miles. The lake has only one outlet, the Truckee River, which flows east into Pyramid Lake. (Fun fact: Lake Tahoe is protected by the U.S. Coast Guard as an “interstate navigable waterway” and is the most desirable Coast Guard duty station in the world.)
When the California gold rush lured fortune seekers to the rugged Sierras, they used passes to the north and south to circumnavigate the treacherous Tahoe basin. The discovery of the Comstock Lode, rich in gold and silver, not only increased traffic, it nearly stripped the land of trees, used to build the labyrinth of mines. The decline of the Comstock Lode may have been the saving of the Tahoe forests.
Reports of the beauty of Lake Tahoe did not go unnoticed by the wealthy families of San Francisco. By the turn of the century, the lake had become a haven for the well-to-do. This period marked the heyday of steamship transportation around the lake, not only carrying mail and delivering supplies but also providing lavish transport for visitors. During the 1920s and ’30s, the roads through the mountains were paved, bringing in greater numbers of people and sparking growth of smaller, middle-class lodges.
The 1960 Winter Olympics at Squaw Valley put Lake Tahoe firmly on the map as an international destination. Today, there are 15 downhill resorts and 10 cross-country ski centers in the area. Winter sports also include snowboarding, snowmobiling and ice skating. Summer activities are practically limitless: golf, hiking, biking, rock climbing, fishing, hot-air ballooning, horseback riding and a variety of water sports.
The best way to see the lake is by boat. You can rent motorboats and sailboats, or you can take a scenic tour on one of the two steamships still operating.
OUR TAHOE ADVENTURE began at the Lone Eagle Grille, a charming lakeside restaurant that’s part of the Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe Resort, Spa & Casino complex in Incline Village. It features warm woods, open beams, two massive rock fireplaces and panoramic lake views. After enjoying a tasty lunch and a breathtaking view of the lake, we boarded our hosts’ boat. They have a 25-foot Cobalt, which is extremely popular for transportation, sightseeing and water skiing.
We left Incline Village in North Lake Tahoe and traveled up the north shore to Crystal Bay, site of the legendary Cal- Neva Resort, Spa & Casino. This lodge was built in 1926 by wealthy San Francisco businessman Robert P. Sherman. It burned to the ground in 1937, but was rebuilt in just 30 days by then-owners Norman Biltz and Adler Larson, who hired 500 men to work around the clock to finish the new buildings, known today as the Indian Room, the Circle Bar and the main casino area.
Through the 1940s and ’50s there was a succession of owners—serious gamblers with names like Pretty Boy, Bones and Baby Face. The most famous owner was Frank Sinatra, who had it from 1960 to 1963. He built the Celebrity Showroom to accommodate big-name performers—and placed a helicopter pad on the roof for easier and more-private access for his show-business colleagues.
The resort sits on the state line between California and Nevada. Kids love the swimming pool because the state dividing line is painted across the center of the pool, and they can swim back and forth between the two states.
THE FOLLOWING DAY, we toured the north and east sides of the lake in Nevada and were impressed with the enormous size of many of the homes. None are primary residences; all are second or third homes. One mansion recently sold for $30 million. A larger estate—with subterranean parking—is valued at $100 million.
We went down to the south side of the lake to Tahoe Keys Marina, Tahoe’s only inland marina. We stopped for a superb lunch at the Fresh Catch Restaurant, with fine dining and finer panoramic views of the lake and surrounding mountains.
From there, we traveled to the southwest side of the lake and Emerald Bay, a 3-mile appendage of Lake Tahoe and one of the most photographed spots in the world. On the shore is Vikingsholm, one of the finest examples of Scandinavian architecture in the Western Hemisphere.
Our sightseeing complete, we returned to get ready for another culinary experience. Our hosts chose Le Bistro, a hidden gem in Incline Village that serves expertly prepared French country cuisine in a cozy, romantic dining room. The internationally known chef-owner, Jean-Pierre Doignon, trained at Laneloise and won the Association des Maîtres Cuisiniers de France’s coveted award for best apprentice of France. He makes everything himself, using only organically grown ingredients, and changes the menu almost daily.
On our last day at Lake Tahoe, we visited a few of the more famous tourist attractions. We started at Fanny Bridge—named for the view of the posteriors of the people bending over the bridge to catch a glimpse of the giant trout that live just below the outlet gates of the dam controlling water flow into the Truckee River.
On our way home, we reflected back on our fabulous few days in Lake Tahoe and decided the main attraction of the area continues to be the quiet beauty of the Sierras and the inspiration of the lake itself, little changed from the days of the Washoe Indians.
Jeanne Jones’ Cook It Light column has more than 30 million readers worldwide.
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