OLD CARS AND AN ANCIENT LAKE

We finally slowed from our “stop  and drops” and settled into Reno for 2 nights.  Nevada is an odd state.  So much desert and seemingly deserted territory,  then bang!  You’re in Reno with all of its glitz and gambling.  Gambling has its own culture:  garish architecture, enough neon to go to the moon, Native American croupiers, and populated by both zombie -like gamblers and flamboyant high rollers, or at least  want-a-be’s.  After walking around a nearby casino, Dave and I agreed that we didn’t care to throw our money away, and after the BBQ, the food looked as cheap as it was advertized.

On Labor Day we did a day trip in the truck up to Lake Tahoe.  David had secured tickets on a boat cruise and we left in time to drive around the lake the “long” way so that we would see as much of it as possible in our drive and then more from the water.  Being 99% pure (according to the narrative on the boat), the water draws a deep blue from the sky.  With mountains all around, it is beautiful.  Because the lake is so deep and takes hundreds of years to “turn over” its water, pollution is a big danger.  Luckily this was recognized early and most of the development around the edge seems to have happened in the 50’s and 60’s.  The land is so valuable, buildings are rehabbed and while there were some gorgeous houses, their foundations seemed to have been there a long time.  You feel as if you’re in a time warp.  Only in South Tahoe are there many commercial endeavors and it was obvious that re-habbing buildings is encouraged.  For instance, we saw a CVS that was obviously inserted into an old Ace Hardware building, and the fast food places all conformed to the local “mountain cabin architecture.”

Emerald Bay from an overlook...We would be on the paddle boat in the center in an hour.

The boat ride was aboard an old paddle wheel tour boat and we enjoyed the cruise along with about 500 of our new BFF’s.  Being Labor Day, the cruise was filled, and other than feeling a little like cattle being herded on board, we enjoyed the cruise.  We sat on the center compartments on the upper deck that held life vests as they were the only open seating when we came aboard.  (We were thoroughly ticked by the woman in line ahead of us, who was holding a place for about 50 tour group members who suddenly wedged in ahead of us.  It seemed especially rude…But I guess I would have had a different point of view if I were on the tour…lol)   Being good at making lemonade out of lemons, I stuck up several interesting conversations with our deck mates.  The young couple beside us worked in San Francisco and she was from the Ukraine, and he was from Jordan. They were really interesting. There was a fun group of women seated together just aft of us who were on their 50^th High School Reunion. 

Emerald Bay from the boat... same island.

A wealthy lady in the 20's built a castle on shore and a "tea house" on the island

An eagle's nest

Dave said, "There's a glare and i have no idea what I'm filming"... yea right!!

Deb, dressed and ready to drive!

Tuesday morning we took in a car museum before leaving the campground.  Most of the cars were in a collection from Harrah’s.  The really old cars that predated the Model T were fascinating and it was sobering to realize that several of the cars we had driven are now considered antique!!   The whole museum was extremely well done.

Dave was ready to buy this car until they told us a small door ding would cost
 $24,000 in gold plating!

A copper Rolls Royce

The Rolls hood ornament was a likeness of his mistress/secretary!

Before mass production, Model T's were painted by hand and came in many colors

In the 50's my Dad swore the gas mileage in his bug was so good, he would have to dip gas out!
I learned to drive on one like this!

After learning on the Beetle, my sister and family drove a sporty Corvair

Daddy, this is how I remember John and Sue Evans

Of course there had to be an Edsel

This fish tale car from the 50's went 80 MPH and got 47 MPG...
Detroit has been holding out on us!!

This looked like our old Henry J to me... but it was labeled an All State car... you could order it from the Sears Catalogue

As I write this we have crossed into California.  Abbie and Ella have been worried that we will have “earthshakes”.  Emily said it was from a volcano scene in a movie they watch, “The Land before Time”.  I figure with my vertigo which has reared its ugly head again, I’ll never know.  Dave just finished maneuvering through Sacramento’s rush hour traffic and  the rich farmland of Lodi surrounds us on either side of the freeway.  There are huge vineyards which I’m guessing are table or juice grapes as we’ve not seen any winery signs and the field looks very industrial.  We have also passed olive trees, corn, beans, and a dairy farm.  We’re back in the bread basket.  The farms here are obviously getting water.  Though’ on the weather this morning they said it would be “clear with occasional smoke.” 

After one last "stop and drop" in a state park, we will settle into Santa Cruz and Ben Lemmon for Julia's wedding!