The Hamilton drive

We've been living in the SF Bay Area for almost three years now, yet I don't know why we never really thought of going up Mount Hamilton although we had known about it. A few weeks ago that trip did ultimately happen and I am so glad it did.

Mt Hamilton lies on the Diablo Range and the drive up to the top was one to remember. As we were going from the San Jose side, we took California State Route 130 that took us all the way up to the mountain. The ascent started just as we turned into Mt. Hamilton Road from Alum Rock Avenue. The narrow two lane highway took us past some lovely homes and some quiet ranches. The few four-wheelers we came across during the drive up, were largely outnumbered by motorcyclists and bikers who were obviously celebrating the good weather with an adventurous uphill ride.

The drive to Mt. Hamilton is definitely not easy considering the narrow roads, blind curves and the many bicyclists who shared the road, but the rewards are the sight of  pretty wild flowers lining the roads and more importantly enchanting views of the Santa Clara Valley.

If you saw the width of the roads and all the curves on it and you would wonder what you would do if you had an emergency and wanted to pull over. I must say I was thankful for the few places that allowed us do just that, as our little one had a few bouts of throwing up. The ascent is not a gradual one, so if driving through hills makes you sick you might have to second-think this trip. However if you brave that nausea, you're in for some exotic sights.

Lick through my lens

If you have been in San Jose, CA or around there and have carefully looked at the skyline, you just might have seen a white dome on one of the hills in the distance. 

And that just might have been Lick Observatory right on the top of Mt. Hamilton. Here are some pictures of the observatory. When we made plans for a drive up to Mt. Hamilton, I hoped to do the guided tour of the observatory in addition to the sights we might see from the tall mountain. Alas, there was no tour that day.  So all I have for this post is a couple of pictures of the buildings, which by themselves are an attraction. 

Lunch cruise on Lake Tahoe

How could you go to Lake Tahoe and not cruise its fresh waters?

Our plan to visit Tahoe was a sudden one. As such, there were many things we ended up not doing. But a cruise? That's one thing that we had to do!

Our Tahoe cruise was aboard the Bleu Wave, a burger boat that now calls Lake Tahoe home. We were on a lunch cruise so we boarded the boat at Round Hill Pine Marina in Nevada at 11:45 last Monday. When the needles touched twelve Bleu wave set sail and we were on our way to the other side of the lake.

Our trip on the Bleu Wave was an Emerald Bay Cruise and Emerald Bay happens to be a a bay on the west coast of Lake Tahoe, on the California side. So, as the water gleamed in the afternoon sun we crossed the invisible watery border that the states of Nevada and California share. Captain Jeff who steered the boat told us that the lake was 22 miles in length and 12 miles in width. The bay that we were heading to -- he said -- was about a mile long.

About half an hour into the cruise, we could see the mouth of the bay. Soon we were sailing into it and there ahead of us was the Fannette Island - the jewel of the bay. As we neared the island, Captain Jeff told us that this place was a safe haven for nesting birds. Just as he said that, we saw wild geese fly out into the lake. As we drew closer we saw more of these birds almost camouflaged against the rocks that stood out on this island.

The captain further told us that Fanette Island belonged to one Mrs. Knight who owned the Vikingholm Castle on the banks of the bay. It seems she had a little tea house built on top of the island. That was in the late 1920s. The island towered several feet above water and right on top we could see a part of a stone construction up there. When one of the tourists on board the Bleu Wave asked the captain if we could step on the island, I think I heard him say that this place is home to bears. We didn't see any though.

We went around Fanette Island and as we got close to the beach, we saw the famous Vikingholm Castle on the banks of Emerald Bay. The stone structure had some scaffolding around it and we were told that it was undergoing some maintenence work. This stone castle is now supposed to be owned by the state of California and is generally open to visitors.

After we took a few pictures of this palatial house we were in motion again as it was time to cross the lake and head back to Nevada. On our way back, Captain Jeff pointed out several famous mansions that stood on the banks of this beautiful lake. Before we set foot on land again, we had had a drink or two and a small lunch aboard the boat.

At 2 pm, Bleu Wave docked and its doors opened once again. The scenic cruise was done.

You might also like - Pristine Lake Tahoe 
If you would like to check out Bleu Wave here's the link - http://www.tahoebleuwave.com/

West Shore on Dwellable

Crossing borders

It was a day of crossing borders. Imagine going from California to Nevada, Nevada to California and back before going into California from Nevada one more time, all this in one day.

It was a pleasure trip that we were on but crossing borders was not exactly the plan. The itinerary for the day was go for a cruise on Lake Tahoe. That's it. However we crossed borders four times that day and at the end of the day, it just felt like fun.

When in Tahoe, we were put up in the City of South Lake Tahoe, CA. On day 2 of the little holiday, we had chosen to go on a cruise on the lake and our tour began on the other side of the border - NV. So after breakfast on the California side, we drove into Nevada.

There we did the cruise. We sailed into Emerald Bay on the California side and sailed back to the Nevada bank that we had set out from. Once we were done with the cruise, it was time to wrap up the holiday and head home. And as home was in California, we had to cross the border once again.

California from Nevada :)

City of South Lake Tahoe in the pm hours

When we made our trip to Tahoe, we chose to stay in the City of South Lake Tahoe in the California side. This beautifully built town beside the pristine Lake Tahoe, also happens to lie on the California-Nevada border.

When we reached this touristy town, it was an hour and a half past noon so the first thing we did was have a quick look at the Lake before we went and got some lunch. 


On hubby's first visit to Tahoe -- a couple of years ago -- he had dined at a restaurant called Taj Mahal Indian Cuisine and so we headed there for a buffet lunch. The restaurant seemed to be run by a family so apart from the just-out-of-the-oven rotis, chicken curry and Pakodas among other dishes, we were also treated to some of that kind of hospitality that instantly makes you feel at home. I'd give this place four stars.

After the sumptuous meal, we went and took a better look at Lake Tahoe, had a walk along the South Lake Tahoe Boulevard and then drove down to Ski Run Marina and spent the evening admiring the blue and green waters and the snow capped mountains on the otherside. And our toddler had fun playing in the sand at the beach.

It was while we here that we first noticed some wooden sculptures: there was a miniature Statue of Liberty, eagles and the symbol of California - bears. Later, after we'd checked into our hotel in the heart of the city, we took a stroll in the downtown area and guess what -- there were more bears, more eagles and more wooden sculptures.



This is what the City of South Lake Tahoe looked like at dusk:- 

As the day drew to a close and the mercury dropped, we knew we had to get back to the warmth of our hotel rooms but not without a peek at the Heavenly Gondola. The gondolas had stopped operations for the time being and so we didn't get to board it, but we did walk by and have a look at it and pledge that we would come back in the winter months to experience it first hand. 

Heavenly Gondola

Must check out - Pristine Lake Tahoe