To Lake Tahoe or Bust!
It was one of my last destinations of my 2020 Photo-Trip. The climax of the trip. It was the furthest out West I had ever been by myself. I was what the whole trip was about. Lake Tahoe. After leaving Las Vegas and the horrors of being cat-called, I hit the road to Lake Tahoe. It was a bittersweet drive all the way there, knowing that it was my turn around point but also realizing it was me accomplishing a goal and a journey I never thought I would embark on alone. I woke up early in my Vegas suite, packed my gear and headed downstairs to the Bellagio check-out desk, my Peter McKinnon Travel bag slung across my back with my Canon EOS R5 locked into its mount at the ready for any last-minute shots I could grab. As I was checking out, the clerk noticed the body of my camera and instantly commented on it. A fellow photographer! We chatted it up for a minute, talking about gear, where I was headed next and some of the shots I got around the city and in Arizona. Then I got my invoice and headed to the car. First things first before I hit the road; gas. I filled up my rental car, got a good stretch in, Redbulls and gummy bears at the ready, driving playlist queued and I was ready to go. The next 7 hours was nothing but beautiful mountain ranges, quaint little towns (including a small, frontier, gold mining town), and the ever so creepy World Famous Clown Motel in Tonopah, NV. Seriously, if you’ve never heard of it, go Google it now! It’s weird. And I had to drive past it….twice!!!
After a few stops for gas, photos and the occasional speeding ticket, I reached the outskirts of Lake Tahoe. I could see what I only imagined were the mountains that incased the lake. Coming from Vegas, I drove through Carson City, NV a bit before I hit the freeway leading into a mountain pass. I honestly began to get a little nervous. It was time to get back into serious “photo-mode”, which I hadn’t really been in the mind-frame since the Grand Canyon. Now being that this was my first visit to Lake Tahoe, I had no Idea what to expect. I had my cameras riding shotgun, ready to go but truly not ready for what came next.
As I drove through the winding, twisting roads, I kept my eyes peeled for a glimpse of the lake. I was somewhat shocked with how long the road took me to get to where I could see the lake. I could see visible signs of the climate and environment changing. Patches of snow and green forests began painting the scene of exactly how I imagined Lake Tahoe to look in the winter. As I crept closer and closer to the lake, I had a few false alarms. One being Spooner Lake. In comparison, it’s a puddle compared to Lake Tahoe. How naïve of me to think THAT was the destination. I checked my GPS and continued down the road. Twisting and turning. It was fun at first but it soon became somewhat annoying and kind of nauseating, but I was focused on getting to the Lake. I began to wonder if I was ever going to make and then it happened…a clearing in the trees…..
What I saw next was possibly one of the most breathtaking sights I NEVER thought that I would see. Imagine already laying eyes on the Grand Canyon, Sedona, Las Vegas and thinking “Surely there isn’t anything that could possibly top that” and then arriving at a location that almost instantly made for forget about everywhere you’ve been prior. It was about 2:30 in the afternoon, the sun was beginning to fall to the West, gold and orange beams of light piercing through the trees and as I turned the corner, I saw Lake Tahoe. Now for those who may have never been, it is truly a massive lake. The pictures on the internet don’t do this oasis justice and I was worried that I too would fall short of presenting an accurate representation. I kept driving, following my GPS but I could not help myself from constantly glancing out the window and see that beautiful, blissful, blue lake. I hear my GPS chime, my turn was coming up, Incline Village, I take a sharp left, driving down a road parallel to the lake, I check the clock and I had an hour to check into my AirBNB. Photo Time!!! I pulled in the parking lot of a beach in Incline Village which was walking distance from my AirBNB and before I would even step out the car, I texted a friend from home and confessed that I may never be able to take a picture of this place that will truly to it justice. As an eager photographer wanting to make leave his mark on the world, it humbled me immensely. I grabbed my R5, hopped out the car and as I approached the lake, my brain went into overdrive. “How to I capture the whole lake? Do I have a lens wide enough? What if the colors are all off? Make sure you’re shooting RAW! Holy shit this place is massive. Focus, where’s the sun coming from? Polarizer? ND Filter?” I took a deep breath and reminded myself that while yes, photos were important…..I’m on vacation and this is my time. I stopped for a second to take it all in; the sights, the smells, the sounds of a Karen bitching at me because I was flying my drone in a public, authorized fly-zone, over a lake! Yeah she ruined the moment lol.
***Ok so quick detour! Yes, I was flying my drone at Lake Tahoe. A DJI Mini 2! This thing is tiny! It’s 249 grams, super quiet and I can essentially fit it in one of my pockets. ALSO…THERE WERE OTHER PEOPLE AT THE BEACH!!! Right behind me there was a family of three; a Dad and his two kids that were super fascinated by me flying a drone. We struck up a conversation about the specs, he complimented me on my flying skills as I was weaving through trees and gliding inches above the lake. Another couple came up as I was in mid-flight and thought it was super cool. AND THEN HERE COMES KAREN…from like 100 yards away:
Karen: “Can you shut your Drone off?”
Me: “………..HUH?”
Karen: “Can you shut your Drone off? You’re disturbing the peace!”
Everyone else at the beach: “………..????”
Me: “…………..sure…….” *lands drone*
Dad with his kids: “Hey kids come here. Remember how we were looking for a ‘Karen’??? This guy just found one! Right over there, look! She’s harassing this guy about flying a drone in public space.”
Needless to say she tried to kill the vibe but the Dad and I had a good laugh out of it, she left, and I started flying my drone again. Okay, back to the story***
The Lake was amazing! I spent the next four days hiking, daydreaming and making coffee on the beach with my Travel AeroPress and even tried my hand at Astrophotography. And THAT is another story about the dumbest thing I’ve ever done for a photograph lol. I went to Rally’s for the first time (not photography related but yeah…it happened), hiked the Monkey Rock trail, almost got attacked by two dogs on the beach early one morning and realized there’s a huge difference in the price of gas in Nevada and California. It was everything I thought it would be and more. There were times where I even forget to take my camera places or get a picture of something. But it didn’t matter. You don’t need pictures; Lake Tahoe will not let you forget it. An oasis between two states. It is definitely on my list of yearly travel locations and I can’t wait to get back there in 2021.
