The irony is that Americans think their infrastructure is crumbling. Our highways, bridges and roads haven’t kept up, they say. To me, they seem just fine. Better than fine, in fact. Smooth, fast and unblemished. I am happy to be on the road here. We’ve been driving across the country for a few weeks now, heeding the call of the great American open road. I’ve come to expect a sort of orderly beauty from each day, along with the comfort of enough coffee, fuel and Taco Bell stops. We’ve gone from New York to Boston to Vermont. We’ve done Chicago to St Louis via Champaign Urbana. Finally, we are on the West Coast to enjoy sunny America, at least for a bit — until we are ready to drive 6,000 ft up to Lake Tahoe, about 320 km from San Francisco. We are expecting this, the last leg of our journey, to yield the most gasps and Instagram favourites. The US hasn’t jaded me with her beauty yet, I am up for more. And I have forbidden myself from looking up pictures on the internet. They call the loop around the lake the ‘Most Beautiful Drive’ in the country and I want to be blown away by the real thing.

“Tahoe? Tahoe is beautiful.” A middle-aged San Franciscan who has lived in the city all her life said to me, “I have been there once.”

“Once?” I exclaimed, and from the look on her face, inadvertently gave her a touch of FOMO (fear of missing out).

I gave myself a smug pat on the back for being such an adventurer as we drove out of San Francisco, when I realised we were tracing the Zodiac Killer’s path — Frisco, Vallejo and Lake Berryessa. It dawns on me that we’ve watched that movie, Zodiac , with whatshisname bumbling about to solve the mystery way too many times on HBO.

Back in India, we are a couple of homebodies. Especially me. Which could explain why taking a predominantly uphill drive in a V4 makes me nervous. I feel like we’re light enough to roll down the wrong way. Why didn’t we Hertz a bigger car? A fuel-guzzling SUV? I ponder loudly. Pointedly. Thankfully, it begins to rain. And I say thankfully because this seems to bring out the Californian road safety industrial complex out in full force, in all its fluorescent magnificence. STOP sign-holding volunteers strategically smooth the flow of traffic to prevent mishaps, and vehicles with FOLLOW ME boards on the rear take us up a few thousand feet in a slow and orderly fashion. We are young globetrotters and ergo too hip to exclaim how seriously public safety is taken in the First World, but if our parents were in the backseat they would have approved.

Sierra Nevada, here we come, slowly, safely. Of the US, of course.

There’s the other Sierra Nevada in Spain. It is Spanish for snow-covered jagged mountain range, which, as a phrase, makes me go weak in the knees. Nestled all the way up in the heart of these mountains is the alpine Lake Tahoe — clearer, bluer and in its vastness, quite beyond what the mind can perceive as a lake. They call it the largest alpine lake in North America. “Has to be,” we say as we drive around the lake the next day. And beautiful? Yes, yes, yes. All 116 km of the loop around the lake. Totally worthy of being Instagram favourites.

Interestingly, Lake Tahoe straddles the State line between Nevada and California. Google-map it to see how the border runs right through the lake. We discovered during our visit that the history of the Nevada-California border is complicated. The boundary between the two States was agreed upon in 1849, a year after the Mexican-American war, by a motley crew of delegates, some of whom spoke only Spanish. After decades of under-funded surveys and hiking through combative Indian territories, the line was established. But surveyors’ errors continued to fuel jurisdictional disputes, which were only resolved after a congressional legislation was passed in 1985, over 100 years later. Driving around the lake means going through the beautiful shoreline that belong to both the States. The Californian part of the shore is called North Shore and the shoreline in Nevada is known as the South Shore. Both have the same panoramic views, ski resorts for winter tourists and all-season hiking trails, but the shores have also acquired distinct personalities due to a statutory difference: gambling is legally permitted in Nevada and not in California.

On our drive around the lake we discovered that most of the stretch on both sides of the shoreline is dotted with small tourist towns that offer various options to eat, drink and stay, ranging from luxury hotels to B&Bs. We aren’t gamblers and also, we couldn’t quite reconcile nursing hangovers with panoramic views all around us, so we ruled out staying in the South Shore. We had decided upon South Lake Tahoe in California before we got there, which is not necessarily the best of the shore towns but was a practical choice since we preferred the hotel and the fact that it was close to the highway. South Lake Tahoe is also right next to the state line and a town in Nevada called, well, Stateline. From our hotel in California, we could see a big, busy casino beyond the border in Stateline.

Of all days of our driving around America, the one around Lake Tahoe was the most memorable. It did live up to the tourism marketing brochure we picked up from the hotel reception. Next to the brochure stand was a basket filled with beautiful beehive-shaped pine cones. These were from Jeffrey pine trees, and could be found strewn on the sides of the road around the lake. I was curious to find out which Jeffrey the tall evergreens were named after. I looked it up and found out that he was a Scottish botanist who disappeared in the Colorado desert on one of his expeditions. I hope I can remember to pick up a few pine cones. In a glass jar, they would make for great centrepiece decoration and conversation starter.

Among other things, I will also remember the drive for the many times my heart was in my mouth; steep cliffs, dangerous edges and sharp turns abound but the road is safe for the experienced driver, and rewards intrepid motorists with fantastic views. Strategically located ‘view points’ offer parking and restroom facilities. And because we’re still in California and because we are vegetarian, life is a tad easier. Many restaurants along the drive offer vegan meals (cashew cheese taco and coconut milk flan anyone?).

Of all our stops along the way, the most rewarding was the 1.6-km hike down to Emerald Bay from the highway. As the trail curves, you get fabulous views of the bay water, which is emerald green (hence the name), unlike the rest of Tahoe which is more Mediterranean blue. Despite its natural beauty, one never quite feels far from the crowd at Lake Tahoe, but a quiet spot in Emerald Bay offers seclusion and privacy. Gazing at the blue-green waters in silence, I thought about the Washoe tribe that lived in the area and the lake they once called daaw , anglicised to Tahoe. I thought also of home, the land, forests, animals, and yes, lakes, we are losing to development.

A few days ago, we were in San Francisco, where we stopped at poet Lawrence Ferlinghetti’s book store, City Lights. Perhaps, that’s why the words were so readily available to my mind when I needed them, just a few minutes before we headed back up, desperately short of breath, lugging our lazy urban asses up the trail:

I am waiting

for the meek to be blessed

and inherit the earth

without taxes

and I am waiting

for forests and animals

to reclaim the earth as theirs

Back in the hotel, I realise that we’ve forgotten to gather our share of Jeffrey pine cones.

Travel log

Getting there

Several airlines — Singapore Airlines, Lufthansa, Emirates, Air India and British Airways — operate from major Indian cities.Flying times vary, depending on where you’re travelling from, but on average, getting to San Francisco can take about 24 hours, including layovers.

When to go

June to August is ideal for Indian tourists, as the temperature averages at 20°C. Activities during this time include hiking, paddling, beach-bumming and, of course, driving around the loop for excellent views of the sun-kissed lake and mountains. A drive during winter offers equally breathtaking views of the snowy alpine mountains and the lake; Lake Tahoe doesn’t freeze due to its sheer volume and depth. However, winter driving requires either a four-wheel drive or chains on tyres, experience in mountainous terrains and a good dose of caution.

Stay

There is a wide range of lodging options including casino resorts, lake houses, cottages and hotels. However, to experience a slice of ancient history, you may consider the Meeks Bay Resort. It is operated by the local Washoe Tribe on Meeks Bay, which was a traditional gathering place for the tribe.

Tip

Most drivers whizz through the towns around the loop and head straight to key spots that include Cascade Lake, Emerald Bay and Eagle Falls, to soak in some spectacular views. While at Emerald Bay, do stop at Vikingsholm, a 38-room mansion which is considered to be a fine example of Scandinavian architecture in North America.

Aarthi Gunnupuriis a freelance journalist and author based in Bengaluru

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