California is known for a lot things; Hollywood, Counter Culture, Beaches, Wine Country, Redwoods, a sh*t ton of Nat’l Parks, In and Out Burger (possibly my favorite) and more.

I love all those things, but one of my favorites is its iconic gem; Lake Tahoe. Affectionately called, Big Blue.

Lake Tahoe is the largest Alpine lake in North America coming in at 191 square miles (307 KM). It’s 22 miles long, 12 miles wide, and has 72 miles of shoreline. Tahoe is 1,644 feet deep. That’s a lot of lake!

I haven’t been to Lake Tahoe in a minute, so when my sister called and said she had a coveted camp spot for a week at Nevada Beach Campground (literally on the beach of Lake Tahoe), I immediately started packing the bike.

From Mount Shasta, the ride to Lake Tahoe is about 300 (482 km) miles, but it’s a gorgeous ride. You can take the freeway and cut off about an hour but–the freeway–ewww. Since it was hot-around 90-95 degrees, I opted to stay as high up as possible and ride the mountains all the way in.

The kickstand was up and I rolled out of Mt. Shasta around 7 am. The ride was cool, but as the sun rose higher I soon started to shed some layers.

My GoPro was not cooperating with me at this point, so instead of fiddling with it, I left it be and just enjoyed the ride. For this reason I lack some photos in this section.

As you go past Lassen Nat’l Park, you’ll get to a cute little town called Chester. If you are a coffee lover, be sure to pick up some Rusty Roof coffee. Its roasted right in Chester! My favorite is called Dark Side of the Moon. But it’s often sold out and Lassen Peak blend comes in as a close second.

About halfway through the ride, I knew I was getting closer to the little mountain town of Greenville, CA that burned to the ground almost exactly one year ago. I made a short video of my ride through it. Spoiler alert, it’s sad. The good news is, they are rebuilding and rising from the ashes.

After traveling past Greenville, I stopped in Quincy for a break and some snacks. I met another motorcyclist and we chatted with each other about our destinations. Soon after, I was off and rolling again, finally making my way towards Big Blue.

Once I arrived, I set up house under a tree, grabbed my swimming costume (as my partner, the Brit says it) and headed to the beach with my sis, where we found her hubby waiting with a beach umbrella and some adult beverages.

During my stay, we also went on a few hikes near the lake. We were treated to some gorgeous views and also saw a snake. Oddly enough, it was not a Rattler. I’m not sure what kind it was, but it was moving slowly and we carefully stepped around it.

Our last night there, we feasted on homemade tacos, and then took an evening walk around the campground and down to the lake. I had my wheels rolling early the next day to beat the heat as I made my way back to Mt. Shasta. It was a fantastic trip and just fun to be out on roads, and in the blue waters of Tahoe. Thanks for coming along!