After discovering that the snow conditions at the Heavenly Resort weren’t the best, we decided to skip the slopes for a day and took a paddle-wheel boat tour of the Lake Tahoe.

Pier

The two-hour tour was on-board the M.S. Dixie II, the largest cruising vessel in South Lake Tahoe.

The M.S. Dixie II

The cruise left from Zephyr Cove Resort, which I’m sure is a very popular place in the warmer months. We took some time while we waiting for boarding to begin to take some photos on the beach.

Chip and Kim

My brother-in-law was brave enough to take off his boats and dip his feet into the chilly water.

Cold Water

Once on the boat we were treated to breathtaking views of the Lake Tahoe.

Lake Tahoe

We cruised west toward Emerald Bay and the Heavenly Resort quickly came into view.

Heavenly Resort

The boat has a small glass bottom window that was very cool to watch as we entered the shallow waters of Emerald Bay, named after the greenish hue the water takes on with decreased depth.

Emerald Bay

The bay is about 1.7 miles in length, and about two-thirds of a mile wide at its widest point. It is almost completely surrounded by steep mountains.

Group Shot

Emerald Bay is one of Lake Tahoe’s most photographed and popular locations.

Fannette Island Tea House

The only island on the lake, Fannette Island, is found inside Emerald Bay. The stone structure on top that looks like a miniature castle is called the Tea House and was built during the same time that Vikingsholm was constructed, from 1928-29.

Vikingsholm Castle

Vikingsholm is one of the finest examples of Scandinavian architecture in the western hemisphere. This served as the summer home for Mrs. Lora Josephine Knight and was completed in 1929.

After enjoying the views in Emerald Bay, we cruised back to our starting point and enjoyed a couple of drinks from the bar. Food is also available for purchase and everything we had tasted very good. I would definitely recommend this cruise to anyone visiting South Lake Tahoe.

Zephyr Cove on Dwellable