Fly and Drive to Reno and South Lake Tahoe in Nevada

by Jo Ann Holt

When I was approached about taking a Fly/Drive trip to Reno/Lake Tahoe in August, I hesitated.  I had been to Las Vegas (before it was called Sin City) and Reno, Nevada several times, having a great time but always just flying in and out of town.  I couldn’t remember any scenery that would entice me to take a road trip. After all, isn’t Nevada smack dab in the middle of the desert?

However, I had often heard that Lake Tahoe is a very beautiful place, so I decided to fly into Reno, pick up a car (a gorgeous red Lexus IS 250C Convertible with a retractable hardtop) and explore more of Nevada.  I quickly discovered I had been wrong about the scenery—it is by turns mind-boggling, eye-popping, breathtaking and stunning.  The most difficult part of the trip was managing to keep my eyes on the road while driving from Reno to Lake Tahoe, because there is so much natural beauty to distract a driver.  Several times I had to pull over and just gawk at the view, like a typical flatland tourist.

The first overnight stop was to be Cottonwood Creek Farm Bed and Breakfast in Carson Valley, “world famous for its soaring and cycling,” only one hour from Reno on IH 395 South.  I somehow managed to end up on Scenic Highway 28 that took me miles out of the way, but provided the first opportunity to gasp at the scenery on a winding mountain road in the Sierras.

With each blink of the eye, the scene changed from mountains to forests to sparkling lake vistas.  It was like watching a travel film on TV.  This is not the kind of scenery to drive past too fast—those ambushed by such splendor simply must stop to applaud. 

However, I had been scheduled for several activities that evening, so I phoned Cottonwood Creek’s owner Barbara Flanagan and she gave me directions back to Carson Valley.  Her 40-acre working horse ranch is just outside Minden and Gardnerville, and is also an enchanting oasis. 

After taking a landscaping course at the local high school, former school teacher Flanagan proceeded to push back the native sagebrush to plant perennials and delightful gardens that begged to be explored.  This nature-lover’s dream includes an island in the midst of a pond filled with water lilies, and a small birch forest sprinkled with plants, rustic benches, water fountains, and original iron works by Susan Flakus.  This fairytale place is so enchanting, peaceful and serene it’s like a visit to another time and place.

Winner of the Governor’s Tourism Development Award, Cottonwood Creek B&B features three guest rooms or suites in the 4,500 square foot ranch house, built in 1995 of natural river rock and solid cedar planks. The house is beautifully decorated with paintings and antiques collected from Flanagan’s travels around the world.  She is also a gourmet cook whose lavish breakfasts are not to be missed!   In addition, this delightful getaway is also home to a Bakers Dozen of beautiful Arabian horses.

Cottonwood Creek Farm Bed and Breakfast is running a special “economic stimulus package” that features a $99 stay (two night minimum) with continental breakfast; for reservations call 775-782-3057.

While staying at Cottonwood Creek, I was invited to attend a wine tasting at nearby Tahoe Ridge Winery.  The winery is owned by Rick and Kathy Halbardier, an outgoing and popular couple transplanted to Nevada from California (which seems true of about half the people met on this trip).  The Halbardiers developed the first vineyard in Nevada in 1990, and their fine wines are quickly earning an excellent reputation.  Guests were invited to try several of their wines, as well as wines submitted by other winemakers for the upcoming state fair, all accompanied by a sumptuous buffet created by Chef Howard Jachens.   Chef Howard will run Tahoe Ridge Winery’s soon-to-open (in October) new tasting room, marketplace and bistro in Minden.

The next day, before taking the winding scenic road to South Lake Tahoe, I met Bethany Drysdale (another transplanted California girl) at the Nevada Commission on Tourism’s office in Carson City for a trip back in time to Virginia City.  A history lover’s dream, Virginia City was home to hosts of miners, overnight millionaires, brothel and saloon owners and others drawn to such discoveries as the Comstock Lode in the 1850s and ‘60s.  Still operating are such colorful relics of its heyday as the Bucket of Blood, Gold Hill and Delta Hotel and Saloon.  Upon entering the Mark Twain bookstore, I learned the former Samuel Clemens was working as a reporter in Virginia City when he decided to change his name to Mark Twain.  The Julia Bullette Red Light Museum and Piper’s Opera House, where Lilly Langtree and other famous actresses performed, are also open for tours. 

One of the best ways to explore the town and surrounding mines is the 35-minute narrated Silver Line Express train ride, a wonderful trip back into the Old West.

After traveling to South Lake Tahoe, I enjoyed an invigorating massage at Reflections Spa at Harrah’s Lake Tahoe hotel, where I spent the next few nights.  While there were people everywhere playing various games of chance, I decided to resist the temptation to try the slots in favor of culture.  I followed the scenic lakeshore back to Sand Harbor Park for the Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival to meet local tourism promoter Kristen Power for a performance of “Measure for Measure,” a seldom performed play I had never seen.  The actors were first-rate, the food and beverages at Shakespeare’s Kitchen delicious, and the setting, absolutely magical.   With another play, “Much Ado About Nothing,” scheduled for the next night, I had to pinch myself to be sure I wasn’t dreaming. 

One more highlight of my Nevada trip was still to come, with the next day’s excursion to Thunderbird Lodge.  The fabled summer residence of eccentric California multi-millionaire George Whittell Jr. was built in 1937, at a time when he owned 40,000 acres and 27 miles of shoreline at Lake Tahoe.   The reclusive land owner has left behind a fascinating glimpse into the past that shows, as F. Scott Fitzgerald claimed, “the very rich are different from you and me.”

While born to great wealth in 1891, young George showed his rebellious streak by running off with the circus, then joining Frank Buck in bringing back live animals from Africa, and marrying and divorcing several showgirls before he turned 24.  He redeemed himself by rescuing friends and neighbors during the San Francisco earthquake in 1906.  In 1914 he joined the Italian Army as a captain, serving as an ambulance driver on the front in World War I.  After enlisting in the U. S. Army in 1917 when this country entered the war, Whittell was decorated for valor under fire by the Allied governments.  Hospitalized for a wound received toward the end of the war, George fell in love with his young French nurse, Elia Pascal, finally finding a woman that could be welcomed into the family as his wife. 

After their 1919 marriage, George showed his aptitude for increasing the family fortune was every bit as astute as his father and grandfathers before him.  Inheriting $30 million when his father died in 1922, he drew about $50 million in stocks from the market early in 1929, thus protecting himself and his millions from the Stock Market crash in October of that year.  After forming a Nevada-based business in the early 1930s, George was able to buy over 40,000 acres of land on the Nevada side of Lake Tahoe from businessmen who had not weathered the crash.  He originally planned several large developments for the property, but first he built a summer retreat for himself.  After the Thunderbird Lodge was completed in 1939, including a 600 foot tunnel to allow him to get from the boathouse to the Lodge without being seen, the increasingly reclusive landowner decided not to develop the lake property commercially.

He brought his elephant, Mingo, and his pet lion, Bill, to live at the lake during the summers while his wife usually spent her summers back in France.  He also hosted such legendary figures as Ty Cobb and Howard Hughes at the Card House, built especially for poker games.  In addition to the main house and Card House, there is a Caretaker’s Cottage, Cook/Butler’s House, an elephant garage, the Admiral’s House, and Gatehouse along with the Boathouse.  The site, design and materials of the buildings are examples of the work of Nevada’s most prominent architect of his time, Frederic J. DeLongchamps, who worked closely with Whittell on every aspect of the building and landscaping.

After his death at age 87 in 1969, George Whittell left a legacy of well-conserved public lands at Lake Tahoe.  The six lakefront acres that include the buildings on his estate are now managed by the non-profit Thunderbird Lodge Preservation Society, and are available for not-to-be-missed tours for a nominal fee.   for more information about this fascinating place and its history.

There are many other places in Nevada I would have loved to visit, but simply ran out of time.  Next time I’m taking my favorite historian, my husband, along to revisit some of these places and explore more of Nevada’s fascinating history in places like the state’s first town, Genoa, settled by Mormons in 1850.  Next time you go to Las Vegas or Reno, spend another week and visit the rest of Nevada. Not only are the views spectacular, the people are the friendliest you’ll ever meet. 

For information on Cottonwood Creek Farm Bed and Breakfast, visit www.ccarabians.com. 

For more information on Tahoe Ridge Winery, visit www.tahoeridge.com or email info@tahoeridge.com.

For more information on Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival, visit www.laketahoeshakespeare.com.

For more information on Thunder Bird Lodge and its fascinating history, visit www.thunderbirdlodge.org.

Jo Ann Holt is a columnist based in Dallas, Texas, and a frequent contributor to Travellady.com and carladynews.com.  She can be reached at joannholt@gmail.com.