We stayed at The Ridge Resort above Lake Tahoe, and in Nevada (read:  legal casinos), though the Nevada - California State border runs through the Lake itself. A ski and winter sports area, it is part of the Sierra Nevada range of mountains, and when you look upwards you can see Freel Peak 3316 m(10 881 feet) and Jobs Peak  3250 m (10 633 feet) towering overhead

 

 

An overall view of almost the entire Resort complex

Our unit was on the lowest floor of this block

Closest to the bears!

Like this one - perched on a rooftop

Quite a view from our Resort - and this is eastwards, away from Lake Tahoe

 

Afternoon cruise on the Tahoe Queen, an authentic Mississippi paddlewheel boat, but not steam driven. We marvelled at the views - especially of snow capped peaks  -  unaware that within a few days we would be in the midst of it  (snow, that is)

Though it is located 1900 m (6228 feet) above sea level, at its deepest, the lake goes down 500 m(1648 feet), so the water remains cold for most of the year.  Sudden squalls and storms have claimed lives of boaters and swimmers.  Known for its clear waters and panoramas of mountain peaks

We were headed into Emerald Bay - on the eastern side of the Lake.

This picture shows the aftermath of a landslide - back in the 1940s.  The main ring road around the Lake can be seen cutting across this photo. The mileage around the lake  is 120 kms  (75 miles)

In Emerald Bay sits Vikingsholm, a 38 room mansion, built in 1929 for Mrs Lora Josephine Knight as a summer home, mostly from materials found at the lakeside.  With her husband, she was the primary financial backer for Charles Lindbergh's non stop solo flight across the Atlantic in 1927.

 

Within Emerald Bay lies Fannette Island, the only island in the lake. It is topped with the stone remains of a tea house or summer retreat also built by Mrs Knight. Fannette Island was the home of Captain Dick "Them's my toes" Barter from 1863-1873. The eccentric captain had moved from England and built his own tomb and chapel on the island. He enjoyed sailing and earned his nickname from his penchant of showing his self amputated toes to guests. Ironically, he was never interred in the chapel he built, as he was lost in a storm off Rubicon Point in 1873.

 

 

 

We took the Resort Shuttle daily to Harrah's Casino at Stateline, on the south  eastern shore of Lake Tahoe, where we found this larger than life tribute to the Pony Express which ran through this area

A far cry from the horses of today which work the tourist routes around Stateline

This collection of Beatles memorabilia is displayed in one of the Casinos there

 

Wine, vinegar and olive tasting  -  locally produced near Stateline

 

We thoroughly enjoyed a coach tour which wound around the Lake edge for 120 kms the Lake and took a full day. We learned so many interesting facts and heard a few tall stories along the way

Eagle Falls waterfall - which drops quite a distance into Emerald Bay

Sand Harbour - where the prevailing winds have deposited fine grained white sand which has formed a pleasant beach  -  interspersed with arrangements of such large rocks!