This day was so special... two state capitals in one day!
We left Brisbane around 8AM and surprisingly the traffic outbound was not bad at all. I was doing most of the city and interstate driving so I got to drive across the Bay Bridge and that was really exciting, even though it was on the bottom section.
I'm ready to face this crazy California traffic... Let's do this!
I cannot wait to get on the Bay Bridge!
This was a really cool experience!
On our way, we made a pit stop east of Vallejo, CA at none other than... McDonald's! This one was not near as high priced as the San Francisco one but still not what I would have liked for breakfast!
We made our way into Sacramento around 10AM and made our way to the California Capitol Building. As a child, my family and I visited many state capitol buildings in our travels around the US and the baseball stadiums, so this was a must for us on our way to Lake Tahoe.
With Covid precautions still lingering and California just opening the week before, we thought we would just be able to walk around the capital grounds. As we arrived and got closer to the front of the building, we realized we could actually get into the building and didn't even need an appointment! This was a gorgeous capital building and we loved the way the state highlighted every county in the state. The dome was absolutely stunning and of course... GOLD! Unfortunately, we were not able to go to the senate or house chambers as those were still closed due to Covid but we were thrilled just being able to actually get in the building. We spent about an hour in the building and then continued to make our way to Reno... via In-n-Out Burger, of course!
We made it to Sacramento!
This building and grounds were GORGEOUS!
The capital building featured a shadowbox of each and every single county in CA and this was so neat to see where the county was and what was it's best feature! This made me want to visit ALL the counties in CA!
This might have been my favorite part of the grounds!
I just had to!
Bye bye California... Next stop, Nevada!
Our time at the California State Capital Building!
He won't admit it... but he LIKES In-n-Out.
The problem is, I LOVE IT!
TIP- ALWAYS get the fries "Animal Style". You'll thank me later!
I GREATLY appreciate this was an interstate and 4 lanes... not 2!
Welcome to Nevada. I am not sure I have ever seen this sign either, even after 4 trips to Vegas!
Once we got to Reno we went down to the main "strip" where the "Reno Sign" is located. This area itself reminded me a lot of Fremont Street in Last Vegas. It was not large and had an old feel to it. There was a Circus Circus that looked as nice (or nicer) than the one in Vegas and a few other casinos. We did not spend much time in Reno but tried to hit the highlights as best we could.
This was not even as built up as Fremont Street but had the same vibe!
This is what we came for!
Hmmm looks nicer than the one in Las Vegas!
Yep... Probably nicer than most in Reno!
The traffic getting out of Reno was more than we expected and we had to take a detour but we eventually made our way to Carson City, the capital of Nevada. This capitol building was tiny and lacking compared to the California state capital but we were thrilled to be able to cross off another state capital on our list.
Welcome to state capital #2 of the day... Carson City!
This capitol building was actually split into 3 sections; Senate Assembly, House Assembly and the Governors Office. We were able to see the Senate and House chambers and talk to some lovely workers about the Nevada political scene. These representatives only work 120 days every OTHER year. We saw a sign saying the Senate will resume February 6, 2023! This seemed crazy to us but that is how the Nevada Political scene works. It was fascinating.
The main building and Governor's Office!
Bucket List Check Off #2!
More of the Governor's Office!
The Senate Assembly Building!
Ummm... Sign me up! Yes please!
The House Assembly Building!
We then got gas and snacks outside of Carson City and Chris took over to drive the curvy roads around Lake Tahoe itself. This 20 mile drive from Carson City to Stateline was absolutely breathtaking and not too stressful. We got to our hotel shortly before 4PM and was able to check into The Hardrock Hotel and Casino. The check-in line was full at this time and it took about 20 minutes to get checked in. However, I was able to get us an "upgrade" to a "lake view" room in their small Sunset Tower.
The view as we drove from Carson City to Stateline, NV.
We reached 7,000 feet elevation!
Our very first view of Lake Tahoe!
This drive was absolutely GORGEOUS!
Another view as we passed Zephyr Cove.
This is just a taste of the drive!
The Heavenly Tower of The HardRock Casino and Hotel.
Once we got to our room we realized this was anything but a resort or a "lake view". Imagine Circus Circus or Four Queens in Vegas... Now lower your standards just a bit and you have The Hardrock Lake Tahoe. The room itself was small and VERY DATED. The furniture was dirty, cracked and in need of repair or replacement. The bathroom also had many issues, including cracks in the sink and bathtub. Not to mention the hair in the sink and tub as well as the bed which looked to be "thrown together" instead of made. But our main problem with the room was the "Central Air".
This was the view from our "Lake View" room.
More like parking view room with a smidge of the lake!
We had a double as that was all that was available for a lake view!
One of the beds was missing a ruffle... Gross!
This hotel just had air blowing. If it was above 45* outside then if you turned on the AC it blew out cool air. If below 45*, then it blew out heat. We traveled to Tahoe during a heat wave and it was 89* when we checked in. We turned on the AC but it was not blowing out cool air. Since it was not set to meet a certain temperature, it would click on and off all the time. This made for very, VERY long and sweaty nights. We asked for a fan and eventually the housekeeping department brought us one but that moved around the stuffy air; it did not cool down the room. Between the actual heat of the room and the broken curtain not blocking the sun from coming in, we would return to the room at 6-7PM and it would be SO HOT! The thermostat would read 75-78* and the fan would still be blowing. It was so bad that after the 1st night I thought about checking out and looking for a room elsewhere but we just stuck it out.
And that was just the room at Hardrock. The casino was not much better. It was a small casino that you would see in a town like Stateline but even with 10-15 tables, only a handful of them were open and many slot machines were being repaired and worked out. The Sportsbook was nothing more than an ATM like machine placed in a bar to place bets on sporting events. We were spoiled with The Mirage and The Bellagio sportsbooks but this was so bad it was laughable. TIP- While we had a GREAT TIME in Lake Tahoe, that was not due to the hotel or casino! Needless to say, we will not be staying at The Hardrock Lake Tahoe ever again!
Evening
After we got settled we ventured back out to explore and do some hiking. We found Nevada Beach near our hotel and went to explore this area before the sunset. We found a hiking trail near Nevada Beach called Lam Watah Nature Trail. This trail led us all around the mountains near Stateline, NV and then dropped us at Nevada Beach. This was a 2.8 mile trail and it was perfect for a long day of travel. TIP- This is a very user friendly trail that allowed dogs and would be VERY kid or family friendly. Plus it dumps you AT THE BEACH!
The front of the Hard Rock Casino on Hwy 50.
Lake Tahoe at Nevada Beach!
We found an entrance to the south of the main entrance that offered a parking LOT (not street parking) that was $10 for the day. This would be my recommendation for Nevada Beach.
The scenery was breathtaking and offered great views of the lake as well as the mountains!
These trees were stunning!
We loved getting off the trail a bit and exploring on our own!
Nothing heals the soul quite like the BEACH!
Oh my... This water is COLD!
We loved this beach and the views it provided!
Selfie time.. .
This sunset was so pretty!
As we began to be the only ones left on the beach, this was SO PEACEFUL!
We decided to try Sushi Pier, a restaurant we saw as we approached Stateline on our way into town, for dinner. We love sushi and the reviews online seemed promising. We ended up ordering the All You Can Eat Sushi and this experience was AMAZING! Literally some of the best sushi I have EVER had. The sushi chef was right in front of us making our specialized rolls and would even take special requests. The service was great, despite there only being 1 waitress and 1 hostess due to staff shortage. This was a common scene in Lake Tahoe, especially but also in California as well. TIP- It did take longer than normal due to the chef MAKING our rolls as we ordered them and allowing special requests. We ended up trying 7 different rolls and they were all INCREDIBLE! I would HIGHLY recommend this if you are in Stateline. It was $32.95 per person and trust me, we ate at least that much per person! We tipped our server and chef VERY well! They were working HARD!
The All You Can Eat option included everything on page 1 and the highlighted stuff on page 2. This was an incredible deal and as mentioned above, some of the best sushi we have ever had!
Our sushi chef Glen.
The Pink Lady roll was our favorite- FULL of fresh crab! WOW SO GOOD!
After dinner we went back to the hotel and straight to the tables. We were able to find a $15 minimum Blackjack table and Chris sat down and played. He played for about an hour and doubled his money so that was win for sure. We then went to the Center Bar and played video poker. TIP- This is always such a great way to get a drink at any casino. We played $1 per hand and got free drinks. Ended up with 3 drinks and tip for less than $10.
By then it was nearly midnight and we were tired so we went to bed. When we got to our room the thermostat read 75* and the AC fan was "blowing cool air" but it was just miserable. I felt like I was back in Texas and ERCOT was asking us to "conserve energy". (ENTER EYE ROLL HERE). It took us both a LONG time to fall asleep but eventually we got somewhat comfortable and had a decent night.
This was a such a great day full of gorgeous buildings and shimmering sunset! We are already in LOVE with Lake Tahoe and the gorgeous scenery around her! We cannot wait to explore her even more as we going hiking the next day!
UP NEXT... DAY 5 and the hike of our LIVES!
Thanks for following along! We appreciate your support!
God is good... ALL THE TIME!
DID YOU MISS A DAY? Get caught up below:
Do You Know the Way to San Jose- Day 1
Redwoods and Wine Country- Day 2
And Then There Were Four- Day 3
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