Emerald Bay was a highly recommended destination at Lake Tahoe. To get there meant driving on a route that was getting ready for the onslaught of summer tourists. At several points, it was monitored by road construction crews and we sometimes had to wait 10 minutes until a pilot truck escorted the traffic across. With a wind advisory and a storm threatening snow a day later, the hours of the park that day were 11 am to 4 pm. We got there at about 1 pm. Several vista points along the way offered beautiful views of the bay and Fannette's Island, which is the only island in Lake Tahoe.
A Steller's Jay was splashing about in a nearby brook. There were a few clouds in the sky and it was a perfect day for a visit.
We parked at the parking lot for the Vikingsholm Trailhead. A huge granite rock welcomes you as you get out of your vehicle. Some great views from this point!
Both the parks website and the Vikingsholm site warns visitors about the steep mile long trail that takes you to the castle. A sign at the trailhead also asks people with medical conditions to keep away. However, this was a very popular trail going by the number of people using it. A lot of young couples used it for a brisk walking hike. I should have taken my hiking poles to aid in climbing back up, I would've covered the distance in less than the 25 minutes I took to do it without them. It was absolutely worth the walk down. The trail was very scenic with wildflowers, streams and lush green foliage dotting the route.
I turned the camera on the trail backwards as we climbed back up to our vehicle.
A Steller's Jay was splashing about in a nearby brook. There were a few clouds in the sky and it was a perfect day for a visit.
We parked at the parking lot for the Vikingsholm Trailhead. A huge granite rock welcomes you as you get out of your vehicle. Some great views from this point!
Both the parks website and the Vikingsholm site warns visitors about the steep mile long trail that takes you to the castle. A sign at the trailhead also asks people with medical conditions to keep away. However, this was a very popular trail going by the number of people using it. A lot of young couples used it for a brisk walking hike. I should have taken my hiking poles to aid in climbing back up, I would've covered the distance in less than the 25 minutes I took to do it without them. It was absolutely worth the walk down. The trail was very scenic with wildflowers, streams and lush green foliage dotting the route.
At the bottom of the trail, one is at the same level as Fannette's island, after walking down 500 feet in elevation.
The Vikingsholm castle stands there in all its glory! It is a beautiful piece of Scandinavian architecture, built in 1928, depicting medieval times. The tours were not operational when we visited but just the outside was enough to keep me mesmerized. I will write about this in detail in a separate post. Old homes like this one always deserve a post of their own.
As we walked away, this small house was on the side.
I turned the camera on the trail backwards as we climbed back up to our vehicle.
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