The southern end of the West Shore features beautifully undeveloped swathes of lake shore, along with some of Lake Tahoe’s grandest estates in Rubicon along what’s known as the Gold Coast.

I talked about West Shore from Tahoe City south of Homewood in a previous column, so I’ll pick up from Homewood and head to Emerald Bay for this issue.

Sugar Pine Point
At the far south end of McKinney Bay is Sugar Pine Point and the state park that bears its name. The 4-mile shoreline of Sugar Pine Point State Park is a great place to picnic and sunbath away from the crowds. The north side of the beach is rocky, with sandy beaches on the south side. You can use the public pier or pull ashore; use caution as you can easily get stuck in the sand. From the beach you can go for a hike in the woods or follow the paved, interpretive nature trail to Ehrman Mansion for a tour of this Old Tahoe home.

Meeks Bay
Rounding Sugar Pine Point, you’ll enter Meeks Bay, once the summer home of Tahoe’s native peoples, the Washoe. The Washoe now operate Meeks Bay Resort through a concession with the U. S. Forest Service, which owns the property. The resort features Meeks Bay Marina, a campground, cabins and a convenience store.

Boaters are prohibited from tying up on the white, sandy beaches, but may pull up to the marina for supplies. This is the last place on the West Shore to gas up, grab snacks or other supplies; the next marina and/or eatery is at Camp Richardson in South Lake Tahoe, which is about a 20 to 30 minute boat ride from Meeks Bay.

Rubicon
Often referred to as Lake Tahoe’s Gold Coast for the families of old money that make this span of the West Shore their summer home, Rubicon Bay is one of my favorite places for a sunset cruise. Stretching from the end of Meeks Bay to Emerald Bay, most of Rubicon’s shoreline is craggy, high cliffs dotted by secluded spots. Once you past the last home on the north end of the bay, you’ll come to the white sand beaches of D.L. Bliss State Park.

With a large campground at the park, the beach, called Calawee Cove, is usually quite busy. You can easily pull up to shore and enjoy the beach, or take a hike on the Rubicon Trail accessible at the parking lot above the beach (to the left of the restrooms). Rubicon Bay also is a popular spot of boaters to weigh anchor and sleep under the stars.

At the sound end of the beach, rocky Rubicon Point juts into Lake Tahoe and begins a great stretch of cliffs extending to Emerald Bay. The waters off Rubicon constitute the deepest part of Lake Tahoe closest to the shore, dropping to depths of more than 1,400 feet. This stretch from Rubicon Point to the mouth of Emerald Bay also is the D.L. Bliss Underwater Park, so be mindful of scuba divers. (Scuba divers will float a small flag in the area where they are exploring.)

Along its high cliffs, you can catch glimpses of the Rubicon Trail. After you spot the bridge past Rubicon Point, look above it to the left to see Lake Tahoe’s first lighthouse, once the world’s highest elevation navigation light. One of the least known historic sites along the West Shore, you can reach Rubicon Point Lighthouse from Calawee Cove along the Rubicon Trail.

Emerald Bay
Emerald Bay, Lake Tahoe’s only bay, is home to Vikingsholm Castle and the famous Tea House perched atop Fannette Island. Enter Emerald Bay only through the channel, marked by red buoys on the starboard and green buoys on the port, to avoid large boulders under the water’s surface.
The bay is full of treasures to enjoy both on the shore and under the water. On the north side of the bay is a boat camp that is usually open to the public. Work on the pier, however, has the camp closed for the summer. Following the shoreline, look for the wreckage of an old dory — a small wooden skiff — just before the boat camp.

At the end of the bay you’ll find the Scandinavian-style Vikingsholm Castle, where you can tour the stately castle and its grounds. There are picnic tables along the beach and you can usually pull your boat right up to the beach. From the castle, you can hike over to the boat camp and out to Emerald Point.

After you leave the beach, head over to the outlet of Eagle Creek at the bottom of the falls and look for the underwater trees. Continue along the shoreline on the south side where you’ll find two sunken barges once used to transport lumber across the Lake. This is the site for the Emerald Bay Underwater Park, so keep a watch for scuba divers. The site is located directly across the bay from the boat camp. From here, head back to the bay’s crowning jewel — Fannette Island.

Approach the island from the south, where there’s a small cove. Follow the path from the cove and you’ll quickly ascend to the top of the island and the Tea House. The views are magnificent; no camping or picnicking is allowed on the island.

Boat class rescheduled
The U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary has rescheduled its About Boating Safety class from July 25 to Aug. 1 at the North Tahoe Event Center in Kings Beach. For more information, call Jerry Gilmore at (530) 587-3334.

Magical West Shore

The West Shore is perhaps the most alluring of Tahoe’s shores from the mouth of the Truckee River – Lake Tahoe’s only outlet – to the old Tahoe estates and sights along the shore to Homewood. 

The West Shore begins at the Tahoe City dam, which has regulated the flow of water from Lake Tahoe via the Truckee River since the first dam was built in the 1860s.

Heading south along the West Shore, the hamlet of Sunnyside is about 2.5 miles south of Tahoe City. (Caution: South of the first buoy field after leaving the Truckee River Outlet area, there is a large boat house at the site of the former Tahoe Tavern with many underwater hazards.)

As you reach the first bay, head to shore for a meal at one of the West Shore’s best restaurants, to stock up on supplies for your own picnic, or for marine services and gas. Sunnyside Resort is a popular spot for visitors and locals where you can grab a sandwich on the vast deck overlooking Lake Tahoe or dine in style inside the Chris Craft Room. Whatever your dining choice, be sure to ask for a slice of Hula Pie for dessert. The restaurant offers a complimentary water taxi and buoys for its patrons on a first-come, first-served basis.

Navigation aide: The lights from Sunnyside Resort can be used as an aide, along with the row of four lights from the private beach at Tahoe Park north of the resort. Heading north along the West Shore, you’ll see the row lights from Tahoe Park before Sunnyside comes into view.

Leaving Sunnyside and rounding the next point, you’ll enter Hurricane Bay with a more than 1.5-mile stretch of public beach. The rocky beach is a popular spot for sunbathers, and Hurricane Bay is an ideal spot of water skiing and boasts one of the best fishing spots on the lake. This also is one of Tahoe’s few public beaches where dogs are welcome.

Heading south, a small rocky outcropping hides a lagoon. The lagoon is the remnant of a failed attempt by two brothers in the 1980s to illegally build their own marina. As the story goes their construction project landed them in the slammer.

Continuing south, you’ll come upon Kaspian Picnic Area with public restrooms, picnic tables and barbecue grills (dogs also are welcome). This end of Hurricane Bay is generally less crowded and there’s a public access pier – it’s the only one without a gate. From the pier, head left on the bike trail to the restrooms and picnic area.

If you’re willing to walk a bit, head left from the pier along the bike trail to climb Eagle Rock, a volcanic outcropping towering above Lake Tahoe. This quick hike offers a panoramic view of Lake Tahoe and the Sierra Nevada; it’s about .2 miles from the beach.

McKinney Bay, home to the community of Homewood, lies south of Hurricane Bay. As you enter the bay, you’ll notice the majestic stone chalets of Fleur du lac built by Henry J. Kaiser in 1939 in only 29 days. The location for the winter home of Don Corleone in “The Godfather, Part II,” Fleur du lac is a private community featuring a rocked-in inland waterway, a red brownstone breakwater with a lighthouse, drive-in boat storage, a double swimming pool, amphibious plane landing and a water ski take off. Please respect the resident’s privacy and do not enter the marina.

Elegant, outdoor dining at West Shore Café is a great way to relax with tables arranged on its pier over Lake Tahoe and they offer complimentary water taxi and buoys for its guests.

Two marinas serve boaters at Homewood, with Homewood Marina on the north end and Obexer’s Marina to the south side. Both offer gas and pump services, along with a chandlery. If you want to stock up on supplies and grab a bite to eat, tie up at Obexer’s and visit Obexer’s Market featuring an espresso bar, deli and a upscale market, or cross Highway 89 to grab a bite at the Old Tahoe Café or Pisano’s Pizza.

Homewood is also the location for the Tahoe Maritime Museum, which pays tribute to Tahoe’s maritime history and houses Shanghai, a preserved launch from the 1860s that was resurrected from the bottom of the Lake and restored.

As you head out of the south side of McKinney Bay, you’ll come to one of Lake Tahoe’s most popular gathering spots – Chamber’s Landing. Located on the end of a pier, Chamber’s Landing Bar is said to the oldest bar on Lake Tahoe. It is famous for its Chamber’s Punch and is a popular viewing area for summer sunsets. Dogs also are welcome on the piers at Chamber’s Landing.

Navigation aide: The lighthouse at Fleur du lac marks the north end of McKinney Bay, with Chamber’s Landing rounding out the south end. In succession from north to south at night are the lights of Fleur du lac, Homewood Marina, West Shore Café, Obexer’s and Chamber’s. 

Continuing south are Sugar Pine Point State Park, Meek’s Bay, Rubicon Bay home of Tahoe’s Gold Coast, D.L. Bliss State Park and Emerald Bay. I’ll cover this section of the West Shore in a later column.

 

 

 

 

Opening Day on the Lake

Summer officially begins Memorial Day weekend with four days of festivities on the West Shore during the 3rd Annual Opening Day at the Lake. Deck opening parities, swing bands, historic tours, parties, barbecues and the Seaplane Splash-In are among the many festivities scheduled.

Opening Day is a great way to celebrate the start of summer and to enjoy the many wonderful activities the West Shore has to offer. You can also download or pick up a Passport for a chance to win many great prizes.
Take your Passport to participating locations and get at least 15 stamps to be entered in the raffle for lodging at Granlibakken or Chaney House, Jet Ski rental, $200 savings bond, Sunnyside Resort dinner for two, Tahoe House gift certificate, lift tickets to Homewood Mountain Resort, wine basket, bike rentals and more.

Download a Passport at http://www.tahoewestshoreassoc.com/ or visit any of the locations with Opening Day events.

The best part is that many of these celebrations are accessible by boat. So get a group of friends and family together and head out on the lake for Opening Day.

Friday, May 22
Start the day and the weekend by lending a hand at the annual West Shore Cleanup. Signup at 8 a.m. at Homewood Mountain Resort, then hit the neighborhoods to clean up.

Afterwards, head to Sunnyside for its Deck Opening Party. A great place for lunch and dinner, the party starts at 11:30 a.m. with a live band and raffle from 3 to 7 p.m. (Check out Barbara Keck’s wine column, It’s Grape, featuring Sunnyside’s wines in this issue.) Sunnyside offers three buoys for tie-ups and boaters may dock on the pier, with all spots on a first-come, first-served basis. There’s also a buoy taxi service and a dingy for guest use.
Rideout Community Center is hosting an Open House and Bingo Party from 6 to 8:30 p.m.

Saturday, May 23
The popular guided tours at Ehrman Mansion at Sugar Pine Point State Park and Vikingsholm Castle in Emerald Bay State Park start for the season. Tours are offered from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Ehrman Mansion and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Vikingsholm Castle. There’s a public pier at Sugar Pine you can tie up to and you can land your vessel at the beach next to Vikingsholm (just stay off Fannette Island, its closed until June 15 for nesting birds).

West Shore Café is hosting Jazz on the Deck starting at 11:30 a.m. and Bridgetender has its Patio Opening Party starting at 4 p.m. West Shore Café offers 25 buoys for its guests with complimentary boat valet service.
Finish the evening with the Swing Dance at 8 p.m. at Granlibakken Resort. Tickets are $25 per person or $40 per couple.

Sunday, May 24
Tahoe Maritime Museum, one of the lake’s gems, is holding a First Anniversary Party from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. with kids activities, guided tour at 2 p.m., store discounts and a commemorative item while supplies last. Admission is $5 for adults and free for kids 12 and under.

Sugar Pine Point State Park debuts its newest exhibit featuring historic memorabilia from the 1960 Winter VIII Olympic Games held in Tahoma and Olympic Valley. The dedication is at 11:30 p.m. in the Pine Lodge Barn and Coach House on the lake side of the park. The exhibit will feature racer’s and official’s clothing, Olympic credentials, publications, race course markers, photographs and more.

Tours also will be offered at Vikingsholm Castle from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and at Ehrman Mansion from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Monday, May 25
Today’s when the Seaplane land on-masse at Obexer’s Marina in Homewood. The Mike Brown Seaplane Splash-In is loads of fun whether you’re on land or on the water. The Splash-In is scheduled at 10 a.m. and many of the planes pull into the beach for spectators to get an up-close view. This is also a great time for wooden boat cruising, so keep your eyes open for those beauties.

A barbecue will follow at Obexer’s from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., with the Fly-By Finale from 1 to 1:30 p.m.

Guided tours will be offered from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Ehrman Mansion, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Vikingsholm and at 2 p.m. at the Maritime Museum.