Lake Tahoe

We couldn’t have been luckier with the weather at Lake Tahoe, a huge, 1,600-foot deep body of water straddling Nevada and California. Despite snow a few days previous and rain forecasted for the following day, we managed to strike a sunny, 75 degree Saturday.
Approaching the lake from sun-baked Carson City to the east, we climbed up and up the Alpine-like Sierra Nevada, cooled by tall pines and imposing granite.
Quickly, we caught our first glimpse of that pristine lake about which we had heard so much.
This place is totally worth a visit, and all the hyperboles are true. Everything is completely clear – the air, the views, the water.
Having chosen to go north and west around the lake, we thought that the Nevada side – which includes the Lake Tahoe State Park – was by far the superior, and the emptier.
So, having scouted out the California side as well, we raced back to Nevada and spent one glorious hour at Sand Harbor. There, we shared the long beach with fewer than ten other people.
Gazing out at perfect snow-topped mountains, inhaling the scent of Ponderosa pine trees, disbelieving the amazing non-stick sand, and admiring the artfully strewn boulders along the water’s edge, all we could scream (quietly) was “Splendid, splendid!”.
We even swam. The water was **absolutely freezing (59 degrees Fahrenheit)**, but we couldn’t even think of missing out on that opportunity.