Lake Tahoe

Lake Tahoe is the only place on this trip that none of the eight of us have been to before. We've heard lots about it and know it probably more as a ski resort.  Most people forget that the 1960 Winter Olympics were hosted in Squaw Valley, California, just a stone's throw from nearby Lake Tahoe.  In the summer time, there's lots of boating and water sports at the Lake as well as abundant hiking.

Lake Tahoe is split between California and Nevada, and we rented a house in South Lake Tahoe on the California side.  Our house was located in a subdivision called Tahoe Keys that was built with a lot of canals connected to the Lake so folks could have a dock and easily boat in and out of the Lake. We didn't have a boat during our stay, but our house did have two paddle boards and a canoe.  The kids loved paddle boarding and Mona and I took the canoe out on the Lake.

We only had a day and a half in Tahoe, so our main activity was driving the complete circumference of the Lake (about 80 miles) stopping along the way to see the gorgeous views and dip our toes in the water.  After the five Great Lakes, Lake Tahoe is the largest lake by volume in the United States.  It's the second deepest lake after Crater Lake in Oregon -- Mona and I will be visiting Crater Lake later during this trip.  Even though it's he middle of the summer, we're still reminded of the altitude of the lake and surrounding mountains as we're still seeing snow-capped peaks.

Although this was a quick visit, it gave us a real sense of what the area is like and why so many people like to come and visit.  Hopefully, we'll make it back one day.