‘A place of such sublime beauty’
North America’s largest alpine lake has crystal clear waters, outdoor sports and a historic mansion with secret tunnels.
Back in 1931, Nevada introduced the Wide Open Gambling Bill. The proponent, a rancher turned Assemblyman, later regretted some effects of his legislation, which he (correctly) envisaged would boost revenue in what was then the nation’s least populous state. “I don’t think it’s right allowing these one-armed bandits in every supermarket … and restaurant in the state,” said Phil Tobin.
Tobin died in 1976 in Reno, where I’ve touched down. I roll off my plane and straight past a bank of flashing slot machines in the airport terminal. Perhaps I should have pressed a button or two because, as it turns out, I’ve struck it lucky.
I’m visiting nearby Lake Tahoe, North America’s largest alpine lake, in September straight after the Labor Day long weekend. Summer holiday-makers have trailed homewards; the high-altitude holiday playground perched in the Sierra Nevada range is quiet but still somehow bathed in glorious sunshine. A biblical storm recently swept through the area, wrecking the Burning Man festival, a 2½-hour drive to the northeast.
That headline-grabbing apocalypse seems a million miles away when I roll up to the Travel North Tahoe Nevada Welcome Centre. A shuttle bus is picking up those who have tickets to a guided tour of Thunderbird Lodge, a historic lakeside mansion that symbolises Tahoe’s hedonistic golden age.
One couple calls the welcome centre, frantic they might miss pick-up for the day’s last tour after their flight was delayed. We wait several minutes more and they scoot in. Lady Luck’s on their side too.
Captain George Whittell Jr, an eccentric tycoon who was fond of keeping big-game animals as pets, built the three-storey Tudor Revival stone mansion complete with secret tunnels, underground rooms, a card house perched on a headland and a boathouse to protect what some say is the world’s most recognisable speedboat. He had grand plans to build casinos nearby. Those plans never came to fruition as he became more reclusive.
Instead, some of his holdings eventually became the foundation for Lake Tahoe Nevada State Park, which today attracts more than one million visitors a year.
The park’s big drawcard is Sand Harbour, a place of such sublime beauty and clear water that you can see giant boulders resting on the lake bed. Laze on the golden sand, in the shade of cedars and Jeffrey pines, and you won’t spend long wondering why the lake’s nickname is Big Blue.
The downside of such a picture-perfect attraction (besides the habituated squirrels that boldly approach for snacks) is that it’s a nightmare to nab one of the limited parking spots. I skirt around this issue by renting an e-bike from Flume Trail Bikes and pedalling (OK, more like coasting) 5km along what many believe is the most scenic bike path in the western US.
This unfettered view shouldn’t be taken for granted. Back in Incline Village, where I’m bunking down at the recently revamped The Incline Lodge, some lakefront is inaccessible thanks to a series of gated estates known as Billionaires’ Row.
After circumnavigating the entire lake one lazy afternoon (it takes only three hours in low season but up to eight hours in peak summer craziness), I can see why the mega-wealthy prefer life at the top of the lake. While the south features a stunning beauty spot in the shape of fairytale Emerald Bay, it’s hectic traffic-wise. Much easier to sail across from North Lake Tahoe in a yacht and drink it all in from that impossibly blue water.
At both ends of the lake, you’ll know you’ve crossed the state line thanks to the presence or absence of casinos. I head to the less-neon California side to stay at The Village at Palisades Tahoe. When the 1960 Winter Olympics were held in this area, it was known as Squaw Valley. After the local Washoe Tribe advocated for the derogatory term “squaw” to be removed from place names, it’s now Olympic Valley.
Outdoor types flock to Palisades year-round. In warmer weather, the resort’s Tahoe Via Ferrata will satisfy any urge for a natural high. Although you’re clipped to a safety cable, it takes nerves of steel to inch across a wire tightrope, around blind corners and scramble across a cliff face high above the valley floor. If I can do it, though, anyone can. Ditto for nearby Tahoe City Treetop’s off-ground adventure course.
Before farewelling the lake, I have one last adventure of the aquatic kind. Tahoe Adventure Company’s sunset kayak tour departs from Tahoe Vista. My guide encourages me to leave valuables in a secure locker but I bring my phone and rental-car keys, stashing them behind me in a waterproof envelope. You might think you know where this story is going. I indeed swivel too quickly, end up in the drink, and panic that I’ve just lost more than the plot – but my run of excellent luck holds fast.
In the know
Delta flies from Sydney to Los Angeles daily, with multiple onward connections to Reno-Tahoe International Airport, a 50-minute drive from North Lake Tahoe.
delta.comGuided tours of Thunderbird Lodge are available Tuesdays and Fridays, May 30-October 13; US$75 ($114) a person.
Flume Trail Bikes rentals generally operate March to December. All-day e-bike rental is $US89. State park entry for cyclists is $US2 a bike.
The Incline Lodge, a hip alpine-themed motel, is an affordable option on the lake’s Nevada side, just 1km uphill from Billionaires’ Row.
Palisades Tahoe is a year-round resort offering accommodation, restaurants, a pub, grocery store and winter and summer activities. The Tahoe Via Ferrata reopens for the season on May 15, a three-hour tour starts from $US219 a person.
Tahoe City Treetop’s “aerial trekking” adventures start from $US63. Tahoe Adventure Company’s sunset kayak tour is $US80 a person (minimum four people).
Katrina Lobley was a guest of North Lake Tahoe and Delta.
