I recently visited Reno, Nevada in November, 2007, for a convention. I made a day trip to Lake Tahoe for sightseeing. I didn't catch Lake Tahoe at its best. It was cold and raining but no snow yet. The ski resorts were still closed and all of the state and national parks were closed for the season too. All of the restaurants were open for lunch and dinner but nothing in between. The only place I could find for lunch at 3PM was McDonalds.

My route included a drive from Truckee, CA to Tahoe City, CA. This is a very pretty drive and follows the scenic Truckee river. I stopped at Squaw Valley which would be a great place to visit in the summer (for the views) or winter for skiing. On this day only the shops were open and there were very few people.

Tahoe City is a good place to stop and stretch your legs but otherwise move on to more scenic destinations. I drove south along the lake and was disappointed. All parks were closed and much of the area south of Tahoe City was fairly heavily populated with cabins and small houses.

Further south was much better. The drive becomes much more scenic as you head towards Emerald Bay. Great views and neat rock formations make for great photo opportunities. Be sure to stop at the Vikingsholm Overlook. Do not miss this spot, especially if the weather is good.

This was as far as I could go as it was getting dark and the weather was getting worse. I would love to go back and visit this area again during clear weather.