Laurie's Final Day in Tahoe...

Our day began in Emerald Bay and a tour of Vikingsholm.

This was our view during our lakeside picnic lunch.

And this was a little guy who wished he could join us!

We there found ourselves at the Tallac Historic Site. Over century ago, this special locale held the "Grandest Resort in the World" and the summer retreats for three of San Francisco Bay Area's socially elite families. Today the remains of the resort and the restored estates attract many thousands of visitors annually to recapture this bygone and significant era in Tahoe's history. The Tallac Historic Site offers something for everyone. Many paths and most buildings are accessible. We thoroughly enjoyed our explore!

Our first (and last stop) as at the Baldwin Estate (1921), once the hideaway for Elias J. "Lucky" Baldwin's granddaughter, Dextra. Today the main building is the Baldwin Museum and Educational Center for the Site. Within the 4000 square foot log cabin are exhibits on the legacy of the famiy and the significance of the Native American Washoe Tribe who came before. We watched the thirteen-minute introductory video so Laurie could learn more about it all. It was very informative.

Next we strolled to the Pope Estate (1894), the oldest estate and the largest of the three estates. We enjoyed the quiet of the arboretum with its non-native plants, waterfall, pond, and gazebo. Oh and we just had to hug this Giant Sequoia.

This was the first time I had been to the first of Dextra's cabins (lived in while the big estate was being built). This darling lakeside cabin had a wonderful exhibit on The Women of Tahoe and their contributions to the development of the Basin. I vowed to come back and learn more about each of the amazing women but for today, my focus was only on Ethel Agness Joslin Vernon.

Ethel learned of the Lake Tahoe area in a school geography class and later was hired at The Tahoe Tavern (1909). There she met Clarence William Vernon and married him on October 5, 1911, in Truckee. Their honeymoon was a 23 day trip around Lake Tahoe in a rowboat. Ethel was a poet, photographer, and artist. She wrote Indian lore and poetry for the Los Angeles Times. In Tahoe, she began writing for newspapers like the Sacramento Bee, Auburn Journal, and Sierra Sun. In 1944, she published her first book, A Voice from the Mountain Top and in 1953, she began to publish her own poetry magazine, Through the Rainbow Gate. And if that was amazing enough, she showed her artistry in the weaving of pine needle baskets. Her craftsmanship was displayed all over the United States and parts of Europe. Many of her baskets are still on exhibit at the Gatekeeper's Museum in Tahoe City. Wow. I so need to know more.