Here's one of my many days of how to kill a day at Tahoe and do it right!
Especially for Scandanavians and the like (yggy and freinds!)
Vikingsholm Lake Tahoe in Emerald Bay is the finest example of authentic Scandanavian archtechure in all of North America set in a fjord atmosphere, almost like Norway..smack dab in the Sierras (google Vikingsholm+Tahoe)
Stunning castle with sod and wild flower roofs top here n there, turrets, waterfalls an Island with a mini castle! (in summer, and fringes of spring and fall bring a blow up float thing of your choice and use it to swim out to the Island, water can be cold)
A full day can be spent walking down and back up or better yet;
Pay $5, Park at DL Bliss sate park beach/campground, stay to the right, to the right, to the right as you drive down (use a bike if it's closed)...find Callowee beach (go early, you'll want a full day and parking can fill up fast and there are potties also!)
Enjoy the "Gold Coast Beaches" these are gold rush money estates called the ring road mansions they can NOT tell you to leave the beaches, they are nice estate owners anyway and the first 5 feet or so, from waters edge in 5 feet is absolute public right shore land for ALL 72 miles of Tahoe's shore lines, it is the law, use it and usually it's ok to use more than that first 5 feet along that gold coast stretch...pretty much everyone does, but do not wander into their yards please! these ring road families are nice, they've been there for over 100 years, we've never had an issue, ever....enjoy the golden soft sand and shallow waters...not as cold!
Then, at car parking level, find trail head, called Rubican Trail (sometimes sign is missing, go to the end of the parking lot and onto trail) take photos in first 1000++++ feet of trail with the lake and such as background (gives depth to your photos and or paintings)....hike to the Point of the mouth of Emerald Bay...have a picnic...then hike to the Vikingholm castle, do the tour if high season...inside is amazing...100's of Scandonavian craftsmen were brought in back in the turn of the century era, after checking out the castle and waterfall behind it...hike back up the MAIN tourist trail to car you have left waiting on Hwy 89 and drive back to your other car which you have cleverly left at Callowee Beach...maybe you'll camp maybe not...up to you or your group.
There are awesome cliffs and rocks and rope swings in that first 1000 feet of trail, please be safe..the cliffs and rope swings can be easy or challenging...also many watercolor painting classes and photographers...take pictures there! It is the best back drop for contrast of forest (all virgin forest, DL Bliss family were logging money and they did NOT allow the virgin forest to be cut there) and the Cobalt deep blue waters and mountains across the lake make for great photo ops.
Camp at Callowee...or not....just make it a day...some will leave the small kids and a parent or family member at the beaches...and do the full Rubican loop...it is awesome!
Also, there are about 20 camp spots in Emerald Bay...difficult to reserve BUT there's a small pier and it is amazing to pull that one off (you kinda need a boat) I like speed boats! too poor to own one but have been invited and it was great! (throttle therapy
but sailboats work also)
If you only have one car, just park at the top in Emerald Bay on the Hwy 89 hike down, check out the Viking castle and hike back up and then maybe go to the Callowee beach and use the first 1000 feet of the trail and swim and enjoy the warmer waters and the gold caost beaches. You do NOT have to do the full Rubican loop...takes all day for most. You can do these two places in sperate chunks and skip the loop trail...it works for some but the loop trail is great to do.
This a very special place and a well kept secret is how to do it the many varied ways I have explained....now it is yours to enjoy!
I know MANY more of these ways to kill a day in Tahoe (nude beaches are on the East shore) and will start a thread and share them on eplaya when I can make some time to explain them concisely, Lake Tahoe is the BIG Blue Playa...a great place to decompress...or enjoy on the way into BM festival...Tahoe drains into Pyramid Lake! hahaha...we are connected....but that's another story for another day...hint, things from Tahoe pop up in Pyramid Lake...
If some details are missing from this Vikingsholm description or you wish to ask questions you can PM me...I'll do my best to answer them clearly. As side job, I was a guide in Tahoe for most of my life...I know many hidden PUBLIC places guide books won't explain properly...or they do not know about.
I'm the MAN in a truck, burner who is stuck, you're in luck! I'll whip out my BIG tow chain and not charge you, not even one lousy buck!
