What a diverse day! It began at the South Lake Tahoe Library where 38 other community members came to meet the Sheriff.

"Sheriff John D'Agostini Presents: Criminal Activity: Awareness, Reporting & Prevention. Our El Dorado County Sheriff will provide an overview of things we should know here in South Lake Tahoe. Of special interest is the homelessness, crime trends and the most common financial scams targeting our communities and ways to avoid falling victim to scammers. In addition, the Sheriff encourages questions from the audience on any other subjects that are of concern."
The Sheriff shared successes, concerns and plans for the future. After his presentation, there were several thoughtful questions and we all departed feeling good about our law enforcement.
And he shared his vision:
Next in the uniqueness of my day occurred at the Tahoe Maritime Museum. This was Karen and Stephen's first visit here and it was the perfect introduction to this very cool nautical treasure.
We came to hear sailor tales. "Returning for Part II. Join us for a fun evening of maritime stories from Capt. L.R. “Spike” Wimmer, Capt. US Merchant Marine.  Spike’s maritime background is quite extensive, and includes the role as Harbor Pilot for the US Navy in the San Francisco Bay. Internationally, Spike was an inspector and surveyor for the governments of Panama, Belize and Greece. Here’s a talk you won’t want to miss!"
Being as I'm a Navy gal, I thoroughly enjoyed hearing Spike's story, A long road to the Wheelhouse.
This is a man who sailed, as a teen, from Newport to Alaska in the 60s when one had to rely on his wits, stars and mad skills. So dang cool.


In addition to sailor stories, we had the great opportunity to explore the entire museum. The current exhibition is called The T-Files: The search for Tessie.
Inspired by the 1990's hit series The X-Files, this experience captures the human need to pursue and study the unknown, the mysterious and that which has yet to be proven. This area of interest is often categorized as the pseudoscience: cryptozoology. Lake Tahoe has its own “cryptid,” or unproven creature, in the form of Tahoe Tessie, but in the world of lake monsters, Tessie is not alone.

There are, in fact, tales of aquatic monsters in lakes, rivers, estuaries and coastal waters all around the world. Many stories are recent and mostly just tales created to entice tourists, but many have an ancient lineage. The focus of The T-Files: the Search for Tessie, is to recount the stories of monsters that have a significant history, such as myths, beliefs and sightings passed down from indigenous peoples, medieval travelers or reputable explorers! Along the way, the museum invites visitors to join us in the search for Lake Tahoe’s own monster, Tahoe Tessie. Does she exist? Believers say yes, skeptics say no. That is the destiny of most water monsters; only definitely alive in the minds of those who “want to believe.” I highly recommend you visit this awesome exhibit and decide for yourself.
In addition to the facts presented, there was a delightful Tessie art display. This one is from the book sculpting duo of My Thousand Words, Debbie and Rachael Lambin. So very fun!