The plan was to take the 72-mile shoreline drive of Lake Tahoe – but with the fog that has descended on the Ridge Resorts building I am billeted in, it was not likely to happen.
Waking up at 0630 hours, I could still see the building tops shrouded by the fog. However, after 4-1/2 hours, it had gotten worse. More like the dusky gloom of morning sun trying to peek through the fog failed completely. It is now more of white screen as I look out the window.
Coming up to Lake Tahoe, my group started out early on Saturday morning by leaving Los Angeles at around 0600 hours using the “BackWay,” as my family calls it – taking the Fwy 134 East to Interstate 5 North to the Antelope Valley Fwy 14 North then the Fwy 395 thru Hwy 207 up Kingsbury Grade and finally to the Ridge Resorts property. Except for 2 quick pit stops and one for lunch at Erick Schat’s Bakery (where my brother-in-law, Raffy, took over the wheels), the drive was calming and filled with beautiful panoramas.
We’ve been here for two days now and we already enjoyed the recreational activities being offered by the resort – played racquetball, badminton & volleyball in the courts; used the sauna & Jacuzzi. We also had encountered a very jovial catholic priest at Our Lady of Tahoe yesterday – who pulled a practical joke on us by telling us that the church had been sold to a Christian church called “Witnesses of Christ.” He even offered us monetary enticement if we join their congregation. It felt like the 3 times that the devil tempted Christ at the mount! But no matter, the temptation was rejected and we are all safe!
If you are staying in a place that has at least a refrigerator & microwave, eating in would be the best option. That is, unless you are on a perpetual “foodie trip” and are focused on the next big thing in culinary arts! Well, we weren’t. We stocked our refrigerators with chicken & steak, filled the pantry with groceries & snack foods. This way, we are in control of what, when & how much we ate at a given time.
But, that fact does not deter us from going to those “Must-stops” like the Sno-Flake Drive-in where the burgers are moist and delicious while the milkshakes are sinful and oh-so-worthy of taking in all those calories!
Yes, staying at the resort while the precipitation lifts is not a hardship for us. There are still those many trails to ponder over, the swimming pool to dip our toes in, mini-golf to win and a lot more to discover! After more than 20 years of my family and I vacationing up here, my expectations have always been high – in terms of activities, dining, relaxation and more. And this time is no different.