I navigated our way out of San Leandro and into Tahoe, too scared to drive the monster onto the freeway. The Bay Bridge had been closed for repairs and a lot of traffic and confusion was expected as it re opened but luckily we missed it all and arrived in South Lake Tahoe in good time.
We stayed in a KOA campground, which was about six miles away from Lake Tahoe itself but in a quiet forested area away from the far busier RV communities. The first priority was to find a food market which thankfully we did. In hindsight it would have been better to do it at the start of the trip rather than racing against time so that we didn't have to hook up in the dark. But you learn these things as you go along. Raley' s had the most beautiful fresh fruit selection and grabbed a few beef skewers and prawns to be cooked later.
The inside of the RV was bigger than some hotel rooms I have stayed in the past. After being set up we considered lighting the barbecue provided by the campsite but sadly we had no charcoal. Probably not a bad thing considering the number of bear sightings in the area after dark. I remember holding the torch whilst my friend went outside for a smoke, it was about then paranoia set in. It made us laugh with hysterics after wards. Truth is some of the campsites have seen black bears as many as four in four hours however it tended to be the ones closer to the Lake itself. Still one had to be cautious...and no other soul was seen outside their RVs after sundown.
However as they say if you see a black bear in the wild be thankful. I liked the quietness of the place and finally caught my breath up and thoughts after the madness of San Francisco. The double bed at the back was very comfortable and I can't call it roughing it .
The next morning after stocking up once again at Raley' s, I must confess I stopped for my double espresso in Starbucks...they are everywhere !
The drive along the Lake was beautiful even if it meant putting us back by a couple of hours. The steep inclines and vertiginous scenery made for a slow drive but certainly worth it. I have posted a couple of photos. We turned left in Truckee to rejoin the I 80 towards Reno. And you know you have crossed the state line into Nevada when casino and gambling ads start popping up everywhere. I posted a couple of photos taken from the road.
