Lake Tahoe

Yesterday, Thursday, brought us “back” to Tahoe. As I noted the place has a great deal of resonance for me. In fact, if I remember correctly, it was the summer of 1964, fifty years ago, that my family first came up here, and for many years my parents summered here to escape the heat of Palm Desert.

Where we started the day, in the Nevada desert

Here looking toward the Sierras

OK, long story here. The short version is that this is Fort Churchill. The long version is that when we honeymooned here in 1971 I drove my 1959 Corvette over about nine miles of gravel roads (Sharon swears that the car had more creaks and rattles after than before), to find this historic site, totally unrestored, undeveloped (they have since done work on it), and the only other living being within ten miles a rattlesnake sunning itself on one of the walls. Since then whenever we have put in more effort getting somewhere than the site warrants, we turn to each other and just say, "Fort Churchill." Today this is a state park and when we drove past, I just had to go in and take a couple of snaps to share. There!

We arrived around 2:00, checked into the motel, as Sharon likes to do, and then headed out. We managed to find a state park with beach access outside Tahoe City and got in a short walk.

A study in blue

From there, we set out for Emerald Bay, my favorite spot in all of Tahoe. And after driving through South Lake Tahoe, which looks like Vegas with trees in the way (I’m a north Tahoe snob), and then returned for dinner at Lanza’s, where we used to eat with my parents, back in the day.

Today, Friday, we strike out for Truckee and lunch at OB’s Board, which has been there since we honeymooned here in 1971. As I said, memory lane.