The trip to Tahoe was one of the more beautiful drives that we have experienced while towing the trailer. It was basically a straight shot up highway 395, which ran parallel to the Sierra Nevada mountains and provided a near-constant stream of beautiful vistas throughout the four-hour drive. I would say that this was one of our favorite driving memories, but I’m not sure how many memories Sam actually has of the trip (that sleepy girl slept for a good chunk of the journey)!
We stayed on 395 until we hit Carson City. From there we hung a left and took a narrow road over the mountains before dropping down into the Tahoe Basin. If you’ve never been out to Tahoe, add it to your bucket list – right now! This area is easily one of the most beautiful spots that we have seen in all our travels around America. The color combination of the landscape seems to come together just right and creates a real sense of mysticism – from the deep-blue lake to the white snow-capped mountains to the lush green of the pine trees.
Lake Tahoe had been on our list forever, but we worried that we wouldn’t be able to find an open campsite this late in the year. Fortunately, we eventually came across one campground that had full hookup sites available during our visit, Zephyr Cove Resort RV Park, located in the small Nevada town bearing the same name. We thoroughly enjoyed our stay at Zephyr Cove, it was easily the most wooded campground that we had visited, which was a nice change of pace and really made us feel immersed in nature even though the highway was only a few hundred yards away.
Yup, as this pic suggests, we got dumped on with snow that first night we were in town. Thankfully, we thought ahead to check the forecast, and were able to get there early enough to get set up before the weather arrived. We were also thankful to have our heated hose, which had come in quite handy over the past few weeks with temperatures regularly dipping below freezing. At this point, we had gone through a handful of snowstorms while in the trailer, and fortunately, we were able to make it through without freezing or sustaining any damage to the rig (that we know of, knock on wood). Although the snow definitely makes life more difficult, it sure makes for a pretty backdrop when it comes to taking pics!
Another fun part of Zephyr Cove was the beach/marina area which was a short walk from our campsite. The main attraction here was easily the huge paddle wheel boat (I’d call it a river boat, but I guess since it’s on a lake, that name doesn’t quite apply). In the summer months, this beautiful giant provides regular cruises around the lake, but for now it was just serving as a prop for tourists like us to take pictures with.
Since we didn’t have our skiing gear with us, we decided to forgo the ski slopes and instead go for a nice drive around the lake. One of our favorite things about this cruise was seeing all the beautiful homes that lined the lakeshore – including the Godfather II lake house, which I was quick to spot.
However, the high point of the drive was Emerald Bay, both figuratively and literally. This spot was simply stunning. Not only is the bay itself picturesque but this is also one of the highest vantage points along the highway, so you get a great view of the entire lake in the background. Unfortunately, the crowds have also discovered this serene location, making parking spots hard to come by. Thankfully, we were lucky enough to find a tiny pull off that was in the perfect spot to snap a few pics.
I can safely say that Lake Tahoe has been one of our favorite stops along our journey. It is truly one of a kind and we can’t wait to come back someday, hopefully in the summer so we can see it from a different lens. But for now, it was time to take our show back out on the road if we wanted to make it home in time for Christmas.
On to Idaho!