On the Road - Day 51

Chilly night. Blueberry pancakes, melon, bacon and hot chocolate at the Huddleston trailer to begin the day.









Watched Stevie and Dennis play checkers. Spied blue jays as they pestered tiny brown birds and medium sized black birds - bothersome dudes. Bid everyone farewell and headed south on Rt. 89 through Graeagle. Will have to remember that there's water there for boating/ kayak- ing as well as golf & horseback riding. Cute town is all of four blocks long.
Went through the Tahoe National Forest, climbing to 6,000 feet. Rt. 89 crossed I-80 in Truckee.










Stopped for lunch at the Bridge Tender in Tahoe City, where we had our first glimpse of Lake Tahoe. Walked on the bridge over the Truckee River, the only outlet from Lake Tahoe. This river does not flow to the sea, it flows to another lake. No water from Lake Tahoe reaches the sea!












Continued on Rt. 89 along the western shore, according to Rich (and Vance) this is the prettier drive. Very nice walk/jog/bicycle path around Lake Tahoe. Parked at Inspiration Point, a turnout for views of Emerald Bay - gorgeous! There was a stern wheeler just going past the little island (the only one in Lake Tahoe) there. Loved it all.
Since Ridge Tahoe is booked solid for the weekend, we reserved one of the last sites at Tahoe Valley Campground in South Lake Tahoe. After we got settled in our site (next to the restrooms, a propane tank and hydrant) we took a walk/hike around the campground, over a hill and through a meadow to a bridge over the Upper Truckee River. An airplane flew low overhead, as the airport is very close by. Collected some big pinecones which I will use to decorate the evergreen in our back yard. Had beef stew and salad for supper. Enjoyed seeing various campfires and the families gathered round roasting marshmallows, softly playing guitar, or talking story. Cozy.

Along the way: Scraps, "dog bakery and healthy grub" -- Turned round a bend and smelled Christmas trees! -- Pat saw a deer -- Rusted metal badminton birdie, jumbo sized (an incinerator) -- Squaw Valley -- Pat lifted an extra heavy weight!
Ended at Tahoe Valley Campground
1175 Melba Drive, South Lake Tahoe, CA
Odometer 62,987.8 (93.1) Total: 4932.4