Getting the flavor of … Lake Tahoe’s famous founders

Lake Tahoe’s famous founders

In the late-19th and early-20th centuries, the wealthiest families in the West were “putting the first necklace of summer mansions” around Lake Tahoe, said Christopher Reynolds in the Los Angeles Times. Today, the doors of these lavish homes are open to the public. Pine Lodge was built in 1903 by a president of Wells Fargo. It’s an enormous “California Craftsman: three stories, nearly 12,000 square feet, with eight rough cedar columns fronting the porch.” Vikingsholm, a 58-room Scandinavian castle built in 1929 for heiress Lora Josephine Knight, overlooks the lake’s only island, Fannette. George Whittell Jr., the scion of a San Francisco society family, brought in Italian ironworkers, Norwegian woodcarvers, and a “small army of Native American stonemasons” to construct the “Tudor Revival” Thunderbird Lodge and its 600-foot underground tunnel.

Contact: Boattahoe.com/places-to-visit.htm

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High-tech hikes through Shenandoah

Leave your trusty compass at home when heading to Virginia’s Shenandoah National Park, said Christina Talcott in The Washington Post. The park recently introduced GPS Rangers, a “novel way” to explore Shenandoah’s 500 miles of picturesque trails. For a small fee, hikers can rent the “paperback-size” GPS unit and have a “high-tech guide” whisper in their ear as they explore this beautiful section of the Blue Ridge Mountains. As you ramble through Big Meadow, learn about World War II soldiers who trained on those same marshy grounds. Uncover the region’s geographical history as you head up Hawksbill Mountain or take in Dark Hollow Falls. Hear the stories of those people who have hiked the Appalachian Trail before you, and learn how they came to rest at the “well-tended cemetery” on the park’s grounds.

Contact: Nps.gov/shen/photosmultimedia/gps-ranger.htm