Lake Tahoe: A Surreal Natural Painting

Lake Tahoe: A Surreal Natural Painting

By: Ivy Lim

It was an unplanned trip to be honest. My aunt invited us to her birthday celebration to spend it in San Francisco where most of our relatives were staying. Actually, the exact location was in Concord, CA. But the city itself was just an hour away from San Francisco. Anyway, it was also a coincidence that when booking the tickets, EVA Air was on sale. Grabbed the opportunity to book the tickets.

So to really make sure the tickets was worth it, I just had to plan the ultimate road trip. Ultimate is a subjective word but for me it fit perfectly. Road Trips in the US is such an adventure because it’s mostly driving through open roads, highways.

First stop of my itinerary was Lake Tahoe. It was maybe a couple of hours from San Francisco. About three hours at most. Why Lake Tahoe? I must have heard somewhere it was one of the biggest lakes in the US and the most picturesque. Seeing the snow covered mountains and the blue lake pictures on the internet was enough for me.

Spend a day or two around the lake. Go skiing or boating or kayaking. For me I just wanted to marvel at the views.

Taken at Inspiration Point

There are a couple of view points that interested me. I’ll just post more about Inspiration Point and Vikingsholm. Those two places is where you’ll truly appreciate Lake Tahoe’s sceneries. Also, it’s just beside each other at the southern part of the lake.

It was a winding, icy road from where we stayed (Motel 6, a very cheap and clean motel) to go up to Inspiration Point. You could see the edge down below. Just be careful when driving up and it’s best to check the weather as well. We went there last April 2019. Spring season does not always mean it’s not freezing. So, please wear the right clothes.

Around Inspiration Point, just snow everywhere

I was very excited to see snow again. Too gleeful. Maybe 15 minutes in I just wanted to leave because it was just too cold for me. My fault as well to think I wouldn’t need winter clothes in April. Since, we were already there, together with my family, we just had to snap some quick pictures then back to the SUV.

Winter Wonderland in April

Look, there’s a little island. Somebody could be there now.

Vikingsholm was just a couple of minutes away from Inspiration Point. There was no one around. We were lucky that the parking lot was closed.

It was $5 to park.

Thick snowfall, how could you even park?

We just parked a few metres from the highway, just outside of Vikingsholm. Took quick pictures because it was cold and to avoid paying the parking fee if ever. Probably ten minutes tops that we stayed. Just snap and run! There was one other car that was parked from where we were. One.

Just wow to see the mountain with the trees and snow. And then there are my parents...it’s them alright.

We needed to get back on the road so we can reach Merced, CA by late afternoon. It was before lunch we left Lake Tahoe.

Another shot from the highway, yeah, the place is mostly covered with Pine trees.

Kings Canyon and Speedboat Beach were also on the recommended list on TripAdvisor. We could be just picky but Inspiration Point was the best in my opinion, the best spot to appreciate Lake Tahoe’s picturesque scenery. Put this on your bucket list, really, visit Lake Tahoe and it will be worth it.