Tag: 1950s

There is a lot You Can Do Other Than Skiing

There is a lot You Can Do Other Than Skiing to Enjoy a Lake Tahoe Vacation

A lot of people come to Lake Tahoe during the winter because it is considered to be a skiing paradise. But during the summer, there are also activities you can enjoy which means you can consider spending a Lake Tahoe vacation when school is over.

One adventure you can try out is horse back riding. There are ranches within the area so you can visit one and borrow a horse from the stable. Once you are on the saddle, you can gallop along the trail and see the lake as well as the snow capped mountains.

There are also trails for those who want to ride a bike or take a hike. Some are long while others are short so you can choose between those that are 2 miles long or longer. This is part of the 150 mile Tahoe Rim Trail that encircles the lake.

When you see Lake Tahoe, you will feel the blue water inviting you to go for a swim. If you go a few yards out, you will even see fish and a few other objects 70 feet below by using a snorkel and pair of goggles. Once you get out of the water, you can lie down in the sand and get a tan.

If you want to work up an appetite, you can do some kayaking or parasailing that you can rent from nearby stores.

One of the key attractions in Lake Tahoe is the cruise. There are two vessels to choose from namely the M.S. Dixie II and the Tahoe Queen. Both of these go on a 2 hour scenic cruise daily with a dinner cruise offered once a week.

While in town, you might as well do some sightseeing. Given its strategic location between California and Nevada, you can try your luck at the nearby casinos, shop for souvenirs at the local gift shop and visit the Ponderosa Ranch which is a theme park inspired by Bonanza, a television show which was quite a hit in the 1950s and 1960s.

Another attraction in Lake Tahoe is Vikingsholm castle. It is a 38 room estate that resembles an actual 1,200 year old Viking castle.

You shouldnt miss the sunset in Lake Tahoe and the best place to get the view is to up the mountain. There are trams or cable cars and gondolas which can take you all the way up. There are shops, sports facilities and restaurants so there are other things you can do instead of just walking through the woods.

If you want to see the Lake Tahoe and the surrounding area much better, there is no other way but to get a good view by air. There is a hot air balloon tour and a helicopter ride. These tours are only open subject to the weather conditions so if it is too windy, you will have to reschedule your little trip.

A vacation in Lake Tahoe is just the thing you need if you want to spend time with nature. There are properties you can rent along the lake as well as those secluded in the forests which is far different than staying in a hotel. So the next time you are planning a family adventure, consider a Lake Tahoe vacation.

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On the Road

It the 1950s, when car travel was pretty much the norm, a real mystic developed about taking car trips for vacation. It was during that time, when the interstate highway systems were being developed in America, that the famous Route 66 came into being. Before too long route 66 became a metaphor for getting out and seeing America. That is really when the idea of sight seeing and trying to take in the really great things this country has to offer became possible.

That popular mythology of getting out there and discovering the world of America surfaced in a lot of popular ways. The book On the Road by Jack Kerouac, while about more than just travel and sightseeing, spoke to an exploding need and desire in all Americans to know their country better face to face. A little later that urge to travel that was bubbling to the surface in all kinds of ways became more popularized by a TV show Route 66.

That part of being American which comes out as the urge to travel and see everything there is to see is part of our patriotism. But it is also a big part of the American spirit of adventure that is what brought our ancestors over here from the home country. The courage and desire to explore is just part of what makes Americans tick and it is one of the many reasons we love to get out there and see everything we can see.

That desire to get out there on the road is just as much part of how you and I as Americans tick today as it was when travel was new. Even though we have ample travel options especially by air, there is something irreplaceable about driving across the country, discovering its amazing sights from the front seat of an automobile.

So if you think we are suggesting you actually plan a cross country car safari for nothing more than the sheer joy of being on the road again, you are exactly right! When we talk about the great sightseeing high spots in America, its easy to talk about the big ones such as the Washington Monument or Niagara Falls. But there are hundreds of tucked away sights that are a sheer delight to discover when you just come across them in your cross country car trip.

Small towns and out of the way highways and byways have some unique and unforgettable sights of their own. Think of how you will wow your friends when you come back from your road trip adventure with pictures of…

*The strange but oddly beautiful Cadillac Ranch of song fame. As you drive along the badlands of Texas, dont drive off the road when you look out and see a field full of Cadillacs buried upside down in the Texas soil back ends sticking up like some bizarre experiment in farming.

*An off the road spot where you can actually mine for gold in the black hills of South Dakota.

*A desert in the middle of Oklahoma with sand dunes suitable for dune buggy rides.

*A massive replica of the pyramids of Egypt. And you dont need a turban to see it. Just take a few minutes off from the Grand Ol’ Opry and visit this sight in the heart of Nashville Tennessee.

The fun sights you can see on the road in a car trip across the majestic expanse of America will be sights that will stand out in your mind as much as the great and very well known sights that everybody enjoys. And dont be surprised if you see a look of envy in your friends eyes when they realize you were the one who had the guts to get out there and put your tires to the road and discover America all over again.

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