On September 19, I
celebrated the four-month anniversary of the start of my journey. It’s now 1/3
complete and the time has gone really fast.
On my way to Tahoe, I stopped
for breakfast at the Alpine Inn, near famous Squaw Valley, site of the 1960 Winter
Olympics. There was a sweet little dog tied out front (mostly grown puppy, I gathered)
with a sign in front of her that said her name was Nala and that customers needed to be
gentle with her because she has a torn ACL. She belonged to one of the waitresses who said
she was going to need surgery. After breakfast, I suggested to the owner that he should
put another jar next to the "tip" jar with a note that said it was the Nala
surgical fund. I made the first $5 contribution, and felt really good about it all day.
I finally arrived at Lake
Tahoe, which was one of my most anticipated places to visit other than the National Parks.
It took about 15 minutes of riding through town (Tahoe City) before I even got a glimpse
of the lake. Once I did, however, its beauty was readily apparent. Tahoe has long been
considered America’s most beautiful lake, largely due to its crystal clear waters. I
followed very nice bike paths for the first 10 miles or so, winding along the lakefront
and through some of the adjoining forests.
I rode down the entire west
side of the lake and ended up in the city (over 21,000 population) of South Lake Tahoe.
This was kind of the first hint that something wasn’t quite right here. I headed for
the Chamber of Commerce for some guidance on campgrounds or motel lodging, and came away
disappointed when I found the office closed. I was still muttering about this when I
encountered a city campground that offered showers as well as a very nice appearing
campground. It was nice, and I stayed two nights.
(Great
Adventures to Scenic Places)
