Lake Tahoe is a beautiful place. I drove from Reno as night was falling, so did not see the lake at all until this morning. After looking at the map, I had planned to stay in Crystal Bay, but was so horrified by the bright flashing lights and number of casinos that I drove a little further to Kings Bay, the first place across the border in California. California regulates gambling much more strictly than Nevada, so there were no casinos.
I got up early to see sunrise – too early! I waited on the lakeshore for about an hour in quite low temperatures. Even wearing my fleece, I was cold. The view and atmosphere were worth it, though.
I drove down the west side of the lake, through Tahoe City (population: not very many), where I missed my turn, driving up the picturesque Truckee River valley for a few miles until I realised that the road was not about to head back to the lakeshore. It was worth the diversion, however.
The next place to make a great impression on me was the beautiful Emerald Bay; I stopped twice to take photos from different viewpoints, and spent time just enjoying the view and praising God for his creation.
The rest of the drive down Lake Tahoe was pleasant, and I stopped many times to look and enjoy the view. After a while, though, looking at pine trees on a lakeshore became somewhat repetetive, no matter how beautiful the scene. I also aimed to be in or close to Yosemite for the night, so had to move on.