Tahoe

You really have to see it to know the meaning of "Keep Tahoe Blue." The colors are incredible and at points you would swear that there was a reef in the shallows. It is a deeper blue than I have seen in any ocean. The mountains climb above its surface to impossible heights while creating an incredible shelf into the depths of the lake. Ski resorts sweep down the hills as if they were naturally carved by the paths of avalanches. Coming from Colorado, this recognition stuns even me. These lift operated playgrounds range from the Vail owned Heavenly on the Nevada side to tiny mom and pop outfits on the West shore. A die hard skier could spend a week here without even seeing all the mountains, much less ride them.

Quite a trip when you can go from such serene nature in California to the most gaudy, neon-infused hotels that house the Nevada side's casinos. There is a street that runs along the state line and on that corner is the first of these money traps. I'll try not to be too bitter, though they did suck over ten dollars from my wallet (but I drank for free). While I explored Harrah's hotel, I discovered a basement eatery called, American River Restaurant. No buffet here, but it was themed like the American wilderness. Yes, plastic versions of the very trees that could be seen less than a mile away from the hotel itself. I found myself wondering if patrons here had ever heard of a picnic in nature where you can hear nothing but the chirp of birds and the snap of twigs under your feet as opposed to the recording piped in through the in-ceiling speaker system. To make matters worse, this restaurant was located directly next to the video arcade, where eager gamblers can stuff twenty bucks into their kids' pockets and not see them for the rest of the day. Besides training young gamblers (the tickets with which kids use to buy worthless crap with actually resemble money), but it keeps them inside in front of video games instead of on the beach, on a hike, or at least horseback riding.

I find it hard to believe that people would go to such a beautiful place just to sit inside all day. Maybe the coming ski season will bring more hope, but until then, stay in California.