|
Welcome Aboard
East Shore Lore
By
Katherine E. Hill
 The
boulder-strewn East Shore south of Cave Rock is a great
place for cruising and sightseeing, but with few safe
spots to pull ashore. So, it’s best to admire the shore
from a safe distance and go in only at the local
marinas.
You
can head across to the East Shore from any spot on Lake
Tahoe, or launch at the public ramp at Cave Rock
State Park. To start a cruise toward South Lake,
it’s best to head north past Cave Rock for the best view
of one of the area’s natural wonders.
Cave
Rock is named for the small caves above Highway 50 that
were cut by waves when the lake was 200’ higher during
the ice ages. Cave Rock is not a rock, however, but the
neck of an old volcano.
It
also is a sacred site to the Washoe, Tahoe’s
native people. The Washoe once spent the summer hunting
and fishing in the Sierra, living along Lake Tahoe’s
shores. In the winter, they would travel to the Carson
and Washoe valleys. Cave Rock was considered the home of
the Lady of the Lake, a guardian spirit of the
Washoe. They would hold important religious ceremonies,
including weddings and funerals, at Cave Rock.
Looking south toward Cave Rock, you can make out the
features of the Lady of the Lake – her chest starts at
the water and the features of her face are formed by the
rocks up to her “eyelashes.” Today, Highway 50 runs
through the rock through two tunnels.
The
stately homes of the East Shore are made even more
dramatic by the boulder-strewn shores, where many homes
seem to have emerged right out of the granite.
Boaters on the Lake will notice the distinct differences
between the East and West shores. While the West Shore
is heavily forested with vast beaches and high cliff
walls on the southern end, the East Shore is most noted
by its granite boulder piles jutting out on points up
from the lake and along the shoreline.
Intermixed among the lakefront homes that seem to perch
on the boulders is the former Harrah home. The
gray structure with square windows is non-descript among
today’s estates, save for the tree growing up through
the porch. The home was often used by visiting
entertainers at Harrah’s Lake Tahoe, most notably Elvis
Presley, who was known to hit golf balls into the Lake.
Zephyr Cove comes into view with its large, sand beach and the paddle
wheeler “M.S. Dixie II.” Millionaire eccentric George
Whittell Jr. once owned 24 miles of Lake Tahoe shoreline
in the 1930s extending from Zephyr Cove north along the
East Shore around to present-day Kings Beach.
Zephyr Cove offers fuel and other boat services, along
with boat and water toy rentals. There’s a public beach
next to the marina, and you can stay the night with a
buoy rental from the marina and cabin rentals available
from the resort. You’ll also find the Sunset Bar &
Grille next to the beach, with Zephyr Cove
Restaurant a short jaunt from the beach. There’s
also a general store next to the restaurant to stock up
on supplies.
Heading south, you’ll round Zephyr Point. Be
careful of the underwater boulders and stay well away
from the point. Around the point, you’ll enter Marla
Bay, with a long stretch of sand beach. The Round
Hills Pine Beach & Marina is on the south side of
the bay. The beach is open to the public and the marina
offers water toy rentals, heated swimming pool, bar and
grill, and the Rum Bar right on the beach, but no
fuel or pump services. You’re welcome to moor your boat
at the pier to come ashore for a bite.
Leaving Marla Bay, you’ll come around Elk Point
with Round Mound above at 6,717’. The mountain is
named for its round appearance, making it easy to spot.
While the point is rimmed with dangerous boulders,
Nevada Beach lies ahead. The vast, sandy beach stretches
down to Edgewood Golf Course. Enjoy the beach,
but only admire the golfers from the lake, as Edgewood
has no boat access.
The
casinos of South Shore tower above the Lake right before
the California state line. Just south of the casinos is
Lakeside Marina, the closest marina to the
casinos. Lakeside offers full marine services including
launching, as well as power boat and water toy rentals.
You can grab a bite at Lakeside Beach Grill.
However, the beach on either side is private.
South Lake Tahoe is the largest developed area around Lake Tahoe,
stretching from the East to West shores. I’ll explore
more of South Lake in a later column.
Katherine E. Hill may be reached at
editor@tahoethisweek.com or visit
www.tahoeboating.blogspot.com.
(Top)
|
