oe
Tavern, 6240.

FROM TAHOE TAVERN TO TALLAC

On Tuesday, June 9, 1914, I had the pleasure of making the first trip
of the season over the new Tahoe Boulevard from Tahoe to Tallac. Let
me here quote the account written at the time:

It was a fine morning, clear and just cool enough to be pleasant,
no wind, sun shining through the trees, the Lake glistening in its
richest morning glory, the air like wine, birds singing everywhere,
chipmunks chattering as they ran up and down the trees, and we as full
of life as they, when we made the start. Our machine was a Chalmers
20, a first-class chauffeur at the wheel, with instructions to go
slow, let us see all there was, and to run no risks if the winter's
snows and storms had interfered with the safety of the road. We didn't
even wear overcoats, though all the peaks were covered with snow.

The first mile or two from the Tavern is through avenues of second
growth timber just tall enough to be delightful. In turn we passed
many of the choice residences that are making Tahoe growingly popular
as a summer home, and then crossed Ward Creek and Blackwood Creek.
This latter is one of the principal trout spawning streams of Tahoe,
and to prevent fishermen from catching the fish that seek the stream
at the spawning season the Fish Commissioners have placed a buoy out
in the Lake, some twenty-five hundred feet away, within which bound it
is illegal to catch fish.

While many trees have been logged from this region there are still
enough to make it forest-like, and as the road winds and turns it
affords glimpses and full views, sometimes for only a moment or two,
and again for a minute or more, of the placid-faced blue Lake on the
left, or the snowy mountain summits straight ahead or on the right.
What rich contrasts of color, what revelations of majesty and
sublimity each new turn affords!

The first eight miles is fairly level road and close to the Lake, but
eight miles out, just before reaching McKinney's, the new portion of
the State Highway begins, and it has been engineered to give scenic
and romantic effect all along the way. In road building no longer is
it necessary to consider the cheapest and nearest way. "Give us the
most scenic," cry the motorists, "we'll pay the bills and our machines
will speedily eat up any extra distance we may be required to travel
to obtain the best scenery of the country." From now on the whole trip
is one of carefully engineered surprises