Goodbye Lake Tahoe and Hullo Los Angeles, California

Sunday, October 12, 2025

Lake Tahoe-Los Angeles

Goodbye Lake Tahoe and Hullo Los Angeles, Califoria

Today was devoted to making the long car ride back from Lake Tahoe in the north of California to Los Angeles in the South. It promised to be an uneventful day and so we tried to make it as interesting as possible.

day began with Breakfast in our Air B and B on Anderson Street in Lake Tahoe as we attempted to finish all the eatables in our fridge as we would be clearing and moving out in an hour. After our showers, we had the last of the bagels and cream cheese and carried away the other perishables (fruit, nuts, etc.) with the idea of fishing them off as snacks in the car. Then, we took our last pictures outside our B and B and left.

The Long Drive Down to Southern California:

(for at least the first hour), we drove through thick fog which made for some really wonderful photo opportunities as we skirted Lake Tahoe and merged onto the highway (5 South) and would take us all the way to LA. Coniferous trees whose tops were shrouded in mist made for a very autumnal, almost Halloweeny, kind of landscape. Once the fog cleared, we were away from the mountainous part of Lake Tahoe and making our way down south.

From this point onwards, the scenery changed quite rapidly depending on the various miles we traveled. There was miles and miles of sandy desert with very low shrubbery which made us well aware of the fact that, at heart, California, is a drought-ridden state. It was amazing to us how much irrigation has changed the face of development. We saw any number of canals or channels as they call them that are used to water the extensive acreage of California farm, field and orchard. Interestingly, for the first time ever, I saw signs advertising Punjabi Dhaba and Indian food. Clearly, the number of Punjabi Indians who have taken to trucking in the country has increased and now there are trucking stops to cater to their taste in Indian food (similar to the dhabas of Northern India found along the Grand Trunk Road, for instance, in the Punjab). We also passed a giant reservoir that obviously provides water to the city of Los Angeles.

Lunch at Wendy’s in Bakersfield:

We stopped as Bakersfield to get some lunch and since we were insistent on finding Wendy’s (as I was keen to enjoy their chilli), we had to travel quite a long distance from the point when we decided to stop for lunch. And yes, we did get our chilli eventually (where there is a will, there is truly a way!) and we had that together with a fabulous Southwestern Salad (this used to be my occasional lunch at NYU when I did not carry a sandwich for myself to eat at my desk). It was deeply nostalgic for me as this meal took me back to good times.

Back on the Road:

According to our GPS, we were supposed to reach Los Angeles by about 4.00pm. We were happy to stay on track and, in a short while, we could see traffic building up steadily, for we were just north of Los Angeles. In fact, we passed by Magic Mountain, the huge amusement park to which I had first been taken as a Rotary Fellow in 1988. I had more nostalgia as I passed by this area. It made me realize how many experiences I have garnered in my life and how much I have seen and done through the decades, Truly, a person could not have been granted greater opportunity and grabbed them all. I felt truly blessed.

Arrival in Los Angeles:

And them, without further ado, we were skirting Glendale and arriving at our hotel, The Glenmark. As it was a Sunday, I was keen to pay a visit in a Church to thank God for our safe travels and safe return. As it turned out, the beautiful, English-style, Episcopalian Church next door to our hotel, was open and Llew and I said Goodbye to AJ and Chriselle who left (because they had to pick up their dog from the sitter before it got too dark). We then freshened up just a bit, asked the hotel to deliver our baggage to our room that we had left in storage with them, a week ago, and as we had the daunting task of re-packing (as I would be leaving for India the next evening) while Llew would be staying on in the USA for another two weeks, we decided to nip out to church before it got too late.

And that was exactly what we did. The church is simply beautiful—a true little piece of England in the middle of Los Angeles. It has all the features one looks for in an English country church: a gorgeous altar, stained glass windows all around, lovely sculptural statuary, pretty pews and embroidered kneelers. We made a prayerful visit and then left the church to wander around the adjoining cloisters (yes, this church actually has cloisters) designed in the traditional way around a perennial garden that was filled with fall flowers. Then, that visit done, we returned to our room.

We spent the next hour distributing the weight between our four suitcases (each of us is entitled to 50 pounds)—so between the four of us, we had 200 pounds (or a little less than 100 kgs). After I had filled my bags with my 50 pounds each, we found that Llew had about 12 pounds left in one of his bags to play with—and he would fill this with the last-minute shopping that he would do (mainly foodstuff) in New Jersey (just before his return to India).

And when that task was finally done, we felt exhausted and as if we needed a break. So I suggested to Llew that we go upstairs to the Rooftop of the Hotel for a last drink together as it was our last night in two weeks. We would not see each other again until he reached Bombay as he would be spending one week in San Diego and one week in Somerset, New Jersey, with friends before joining me back in Bombay.

A Last Drink Together on Our Last Evening Together:

So off we went to the top floor of the hotel. It was nostalgic for us as a little over a year ago, we had been there for the pre-wedding cocktail party for Chriselle and AJ’s wedding and as we looked at the corner that our private party had occupied, it brought back really vivid memories for us. This time, we were seated in the non-smoking section. It was lovely to take in the lights of Glendale, for darkness had fallen over the city and, in the mountains, we could see lights while closer to us, the streetlamps were on and they lent a lovely romantic light to the city. Also, as there was an autumnal nip in the air, we requested the waiter to seat us by one of the gas heaters on the terrace. He did so and we were soon nice and toasty. Llew ordered a glass of Cabernet while I had a lovely citrusy gin cocktail. We also ordered a plate of salted edamame and by munching on these, we had ourselves a nice snack. We had a lot to talk about in terms of our recent motoring trip and our plans going forward. After about a couple of hours spent just chilling and enjoying each other’s company, we made our way back to our room where we had a very eclectic dinner based on all the leftovers we were carrying.

And on that lovely note, knowing that we had everything wrapped for our early morning departure from Glendale and another drive to Dana Point, California, about two hours south, where we would meet friends, we called it a night.

Until tomorrow, see ya’…

Enjoying the Varied Pleasures of Lake Tahoe, Harrah’s Casino and Hiking to Vikingsholme Castle.

Saturday, October 11, 2025

Lake Tahoe, California

Enjoying the Varied Pleasures of Lake Tahoe, Harrah’s Casino and Hiking to Vikingsholme Castle.

It promised to be another lovely day at Lake Tahoe and after waking up, showering, breakfasting on bagels and cream cheese with decaff coffee, we were ready to launch out on another day of exciting discovery. We decided to devote our day to exploring Vikingsholme Castle which Lonely Planet says is one of the highlights of a visit to Lake Tahoe and certainly the most popular monument in the area. So, off we headed in that direction. But first, as we passed by the only casino in the area at Harrah’s, we decided to stop there.

Visiting Harrah’s Casino:

In a place that does not have much to offer except for staggering scenic beauty, I suppose it is understandable that there would be attractions and past-times to suit every age group. And the casino at Harrah’s is definitely designed to suit the oldest members of tour groups who loved nothing better than to be seated facing a gambling screen with a one-armed bandit close at hand. As we were actually passing by it, we decided to stop, take a little walk to it, and get a feel of the place. None of us is a confirmed gambler but the pull of such places can actually be quite irresistible (if only for a stroll through the machines).

And so we did enter Harrah’s, walked through the casino, took in the lights, the glitter, the glitz and the glamor of the gaming tables (roulette, baccarat) and then decided to go upstairs to use the facilities. It is your cookie cutter casino with nothing different to commend it and after a few rounds, we were pretty bored as we had no intention of gambling ourselves. So back into the car we piled and off we went.

Exploring Emerald Bay:

We made our way back to Emerald Bay once again and found it to be really packed. It was, in fact, hard to get parking in the parking lot, as it was already past 11.00 am and most of the thickest tourist crowds were already out and about. Eventually, we did find parking after a great deal of confusion as we could not figure out the spot which we needed to make our base for the hike to Vikingsholme Castle. Yes, we did take more pictures because this part of Lake Tahoe is really gorgeous and lends itself superbly to camera enthusiasts.

Hiking to Vikingsholme Castle:

From what we had read, the hike to Vikingsholme is a one-mile hike from the top of the mountain to the base of the Lake where you will be at the lake shore. One mile is not far at all for experienced hikers, but, believe me, it was the most challenging hike I have done in recent times. To get down to the Castle is a piece of cake as it is all downhill---but oh boy, on the way up, you are doing nothing but climbing higher and higher. I have to say that I had a really tough time on the way up. But I am getting ahead of myself.

First of all, Chriselle and AJ told us to go ahead while they parked the car because it was really hard to find a spot in the crammed parking lot. And so Llew and I set off downhill at an easy clip. Our aim, of course, was to visit the Castle. So here’s a word about the ‘Castle’. This vast stretch of beautiful land was privately owned and in the 1920s, it was bought by a family of businessmen called the Knights. One of the brothers, Harry French Knight, married a woman called Lora Small More, who had traveled extensively in Scandinavia. When she arrived at Emerald Bay, she found that it reminded her very much of the fjords of Norway and Sweden. She decided, therefore, to get an architect to build her a house that would be a pure imitation of the wooden ‘stave’ houses of Norway (of which I had seen many during my visit to Norway in 2009). So she commissioned Lennart Palme, a Swedish architect (and her nephew by marriage) to design and build the home for her. While it was designed as a family home, it is referred to as a castle because of its exterior design—crenellated, turreted, etc. Palme also traveled to Sweden to study the layout of family homes as well as the decorative exterior details that gave it a distinctive ‘Viking’ look.

Palme returned to Lake Tahoe where his vision for the Castle took shape. In the summer, tours are given of the interior and exterior of the Castle, but I have to tell you that after the hike downhill, we discovered, to our horror and complete disappointment, that the entire property is out of bounds to visitors and cordoned off as it is completely under renovation and refurbishment. This was probably the biggest disappointment of our entire trip. I am not sure if other visitors knew this, but we certainly did not. It is also possible that they knew this, but were keen to hike to nearby Eagle Falls instead of taking a tour of the house.

By the time we arrived at the end of the hiking trail (which also brought us to the lake front), we were simply too exhausted to consider making a detour to get to the nearby Falls. Instead, we took a little break on a bench by the lake and then began the hike uphill. And this was where my lung power was severely tested and where I realized how much of a challenge it would be before I would reach the top. It took us more than an hour to do the one-mile hike upwards (with many stops every feet meters as the terrain was so tough) and, at the very top, we found Chriselle and AJ sitting on a bench. They had barely gone down about ten minutes before they decided to turn back up again.

By this point, we were well and truly pooped and decided to get back in our car and drive homewards and to spend the evening relaxing there. And that’s what we did. We stopped at Safeway to pick up some cheese and salsa and with these items, we made our way back home.

We sat down to enjoy a glass of wine with cheese and nibbles and then made ourselves dinner consisting of roast chicken with salsa and salad with fresh fruit for dessert.

It had been an eventful (if slightly disappointing day), but at least we can say that we actually took in the most popular sight in the region.

Until tomorrow, see ya’…

A Drive Around the Periphery of Lake Tahoe from California into Nevada and Back

Friday, October 10, 2025

Lake Tahoe, California

A Drive Around the Periphery of Lake Tahoe from California into Nevada and Back

Waking in our really beautiful cabin-style Air B and B in Lake Tahoe was truly a pleasure. Our bedroom was beautifully decorated with soft burnished amber glass bedside lamps that gave a soft golden glow to the room and the ambience of a mountain hut. Outside, the leaves on the trees were just beginning to turn and Fall was most definitely in the air. It was cozy under our down comforter—so it was with difficulty that we emerged to find breakfast.

Breakfast was the bagels with cream cheese we had purchased with decaff coffee and feeling quite full with our first filling meal of the day, we decided to set out. Our aim today was simply to skirt the vast periphery of Lake Tahoe, to see the lake in all its variety, to explore the little towns along its banks and to simply take in the scenery of a part of California where lake meets mountains and mountains meet sky.

And so, with AJ behind the wheel, we started our tour of Lake Tahoe. We stopped firstly at the town of Kings Beach, just half a mile ahead of us. Chriselle and AJ got coffees while Llew and I browsed around the stores. None of them were open at this hour, but we were fortunate to find the Tourist Information Center open and in it, we found maps as well as an obliging assistant who told us what not to miss and where to be sure to go. Armed with these resources, we got back into our car again and had a most leisurely drive around. Just a little past Kings Beach on an eastwards drive, you will leave California behind and enter the state of Nevada (which I found to be pretty exciting) but there is little fanfare to announce this fact other than a large sign post with the name of the state name printed on it.

There is nothing really exciting to say about Lake Tahoe except that it is scenically enchanting. You need to keep your eyes peeled to the windows to take in the sights of mile after mile of fragrant coniferous trees, thick woodland paths, occasional one-horse towns with a single grocery store, gas station or coffee shop, boating piers from which people with water-sports on their minds can enjoy rowing or wind surfing.

Yes, we did pass by Incline Village where there is a very pretty walkway that juts out over the lake. It was filled with joggers and walkers and people taking the air on a delightful autumnal morning. The lake waters at the banks are crystal clear and although it is a lake, there are actually waves—which gives you an idea of how huge it is. Eventually, we arrived at Zephyr Cove where one can board ferries that take passengers across the lake for a delightful cruise to Emerald Bay where there is a very pretty island. We stopped there to eat our homemade sandwiches of smoked ham and cheese with lettuce salad as we watched children play along the waterside. This part of the Lake does have attractive shops, should one wish to do a bit of shopping. We merely walked around to enjoy the feel of the cool sun on our back before we moved on.

Past Kingsbury, we crossed the state line again and re-entered California and as we wound around South Lake Tahoe, we took in the sweet wooden cabins everywhere as well as the really expensive mansions of what is called the Gold Coast or Millionaire’s Row. Yes, I could easily see how this place could become the playground of the rich and famous who have disposable income to burn yet wish to get away from the glare of the public eye. At Meek’s Bay, we marveled at the turquoise blue waters of the Lake which, somehow seem to be patterned in ribbons of multiple shades of blue. It is really quite staggeringly beautiful.

And then, we followed signs and much thicker traffic to arrive at Emerald Bay which is probably the most popular part of the Lake. Most cars stop here as there is a large car park which allows you to park and then walk to the Lake’s bank to look out over one of the most beautiful bays in the center of which is a picturesque island. Close to this area is a hike to a castle but we decided that, if anything, we would do it the following day. So, taking a few pictures at this point, we moved on.

By this point, it was late afternoon and as we moved further north, we arrived at Tahoe City which I honestly expected to be much larger a settlement than it actually was. Yes, it is where the majority of the year-round population is based and so there are the usual utility stores here—supermarkets, hardware stores, even a thrift shop. We parked to stretch our legs and browse through some of these stores, to get our magnet in one of the souvenir stores and then to get a cuppa.

Yes, we were ready for tea-time and, luckily, I spied a small eatery called Rosie’s Café, a rather quaint place where I was certain we’d get a nice pot of tea and a tidbit. I stepped inside, met the lady there who assured me she could serve us tea and so inside we trooped. I have to admi that what really attracted me to the place was the promise of what was called ‘Grandma Rosie’s Secret Recipe Strawberry Shortcake’. And as we sat at the table and ordered peppermint tea for ourselves, we also ordered the shortcake. And boy oh boy, what an inspired idea that was! The strawberry shortcake was one large cake that was crammed with fresh slicved strawberries, pillows and pillows of fresh cream, a thick strawberry sauce and just the most melt-in-the-mouth texture and delectable taste. Despite the fact that all four of us shared it, it was more than enough for all of us and we ate well. It went perfectly with our mint tea and made for a really grand stop in a very modest place in a lake-side town.

And then back in our car we went for the last segment of our drive back home. AJ and Chriselle needed a couple more things from Safeway, so we went back into the supermarket before we reached home. We rustled up really delicious dinners of our roast chicken and packaged salad with toast and fresh grapes for dessert. And after dinner, we sat down to play a really fun game called Rock and Roll—a quiz game that was based on questions pertaining to music, musicians, groups, composers, etc. from the 1950s to the present. Of course, as AJ works in the music industry, he was far more well-versed about most of the questions and Chriselle was far more up-to-date with current music than Llew and I were—nevertheless, we had a really lovely time as we gave ourselves up fully to the fun of the game which was punctuated by much guess work and tons of laughter.

Yes, there was a TV set in the cabin, but, funnily enough, none of us felt the need to watch anything. As the evening grew darker and twilight gave way to night, we showered and then hunkered down in our rooms for a cozy night of sound sleep.

Until tomorrow, see ya’…

Discovering the Thrills of Sacramento and an Introduction to Lake Tahoe

Thursday, October 9, 2025

Napa Valley-Sacramento, California

Discovering the Thrills of Sacramento and an Introduction to Lake Tahoe

Today was another beautiful day—like all the others we’ve had on this trip. We left our Best Western Plus Hotel and motored northeast to begin our stay at the lovely Lake Tahoe about which we had heard so much but never been. But first we had to stop en route at the capital of California, Sacramento. En route, as we exited through Napa Valley, we passed by mile after mile of laden vineyards, ripe for the picking. Then, we left this idyllic part of the state behind and entered Silicon Valley where the high-tech nature of the state became evident. Clearly, it is from the revenue generated by this region that California prospers. I have a classmate from school who lives close by in Milpitas and as we passed by the exit signs on the highway for her town, I gave her a call to say hello. But that was all that we could manage as our schedule was tight.

Exploring California’s Capital, Sacramento:

We were all excited to be in Sacramento as it is the capital of California and, other than Chriselle, who had been there on work, the three of us had never even passed through the city. As it turned out, Chriselle had a good idea of where to take us and so we headed straight towards the waterfront. When we arrived there, we discovered that everything was still closed as it was about 9.30 am. Instead, we decided to drive towards the Capitol building. Its Dome was evident from a long distance because these structures are so distinctive—so it was easy to go over a bright yellow bridge towards the Dome.

As it turned out, there was an employment fair going on in the open patio area in front of the Capitol and we were among the earliest visitors. As a result, we ended up picking up a bunch of freebies in the form of lip chap stick, note pads, stress balls, ball point pens and pencils, magnifying glass and ruler combos, key rings and even a T-shirt for Llew. This was super fun for us although Chriselle and AJ chose to remain in the car.

The Capitol is an impressive building, of course, gleaming white in the early morning sun. It is surrounded by the skyscrapers of downtown Sacramento where the corporate offices of so many companies are based. The sun was bouncing off them as we drove around and received a sense of the most spiffy part of town.

But then, we were hungry as we hadn’t eaten breakfast and decided to find a place where we could buy brunch, As we had been talking about Carl Jr. for a few days (the fast food chain that seems to be very popular in California), we thought we would check it out. We ended up eating burgers there (I got a Chicken Southwestern Style grilled burger which actually turned out quite nice). With our bellies satisfied, we could turn out thoughts towards more sightseeing and this time we headed back to the Waterfront.

Exploring ‘Old Sac’, i.e. Vintage Sacramento:

It was while exploring vintage Sacramento that I picked up on a lot of historic aspects of this capital City. Sacramento was probably one of the terminating points of the long pioneering journey of those Californian predecessors who were part of the Gold Rush. It was they who set up the earliest settlement that developed into the great city it is today. To replicate the sense and ambience of this era, Old Town (or Old Sac) Sacramento has been created. It is a series of simply three or four streets that were constructed around the railroad station. The station itself can boast old steam trains that still run and give visitors rides for a fee while recreating the era of prospectors who tried their luck because they had nothing to lose. We did not take the train ride but we did hear the train enter the platform with its old-world whistles that proclaimed its presence.

Walking through the streets of the town gave us the opportunity to buy our magnet as well as gifts for a few people in Bombay who have been helping us keep an eye on our loved ones while we are on holiday as the shops had some interesting merchandize. There were wonderfully old-fashioned shops selling old-fashioned candy, ice-cream, T-shirts, souvenirs, distinctive clothing, footwear and the like. It really was a fun place to explore. We ended up buying some salt water taffy as well as ice-cream and getting a sense of the area and its offerings and after a very leisurely time spent in this quite fascinating space, we returned to our car.

Longish Drive to Lake Tahoe and Exploring Truckee:

All that was left then was for us to make the mileage that would take us further north to Lake Tahoe. It was not that long a drive before we started to enter Alpine Country. Indeed, the roads leading up to Lake Tahoe offer as much stirring visual interest as the Lake area itself. The tall coniferous forests mingled with the famous Sequoia (or California Redwoods) are plentiful in this area as are eucalyptus trees. We could actually smell the fragrance of these glorious pine-family trees as we inched closer.

Eventually, we arrived at a town called Truckee where we decided to take a break in order to explore it on foot. We parked out car and decided to explore the shops. Of course, we did see magnets, post cards and the usual souvenirs that one finds at every tour stop but we also saw a train station (for people can reach this spot by train) as well as eateries and ice-cream parlors. Yes, it was nice to get out and stretch our legs and, at the same time, to take in the mountain ambience of this place. I soon realized that, like Jackson, Wyoming, and many of the towns in the Montana region, the interior décor and design of the homes in this area are influenced by the Lake and the beautiful mountains that surround it. And so, it was fun it to take in the artistic motifs that bring class to this area.

Finding our Air B ad B At Kings Beach:

Leaving Truckee behind us, we continued along our route and found ourselves being treated to our first glimpses of the Lake—a lake that is so vast that it seemed like a sea ahead of us. The ring road that circles the periphery of the lake is visually interesting as it is punctuated by thick green, coniferous vegetation and a series of structures that form homes and, only occasionally, tiny, one-horse towns. Eventually, after receiving our first views of what the next couple of days would be like, we found our way to our Air B and B on Anderson Street in the town of Kings Beach in the north of Lake Tahoe where we would stay for the next three nights.

But, having found the place, we decided to stop at the Safeway supermarket which was fairly close to us to pick up some provisions for the next three days as we had been eating fast food and fancy meals in restaurants for so long that we had reached a point when we wanted something simpler.

And so, at the local Safeway, close at hand, just about five minutes’ drive away, we picked up staples such as bagels, cream cheese, bread, cheese, cold cuts and packaged salads—with these items, we’d have meals for the next few days.

Before we ended our day, as there was still somewhat pretty light emanating off the lake, Llew and I decided to go out for a walk down to the waterfront to enjoy the sound of lake waters lapping the shore. And so, off we went, into a really lovely twilight to take in our first real sights of the lake. It was quite lovely and we enjoyed sitting there amid the quiet serenity, as night fell quietly about us.

When we did return to our lovely cabin (which, by the way, was most charmingly furnished and decorated, we put together a dinner of our store-bought food and then made our way to bed.

It has been another lovely day—punctuated by a visit to a huge city (a capital, in fact) and ending with entry into the most bucolic area which promised us mountains, forest and lakes.

Until tomorrow, see ya’…