NIGEL THOMPSON
There’s much more to Nevada than Vegas. Hit the jackpot on an adventure break near Reno and Tahoe
Smokey the American quarter horse carried me gently and carefully towards the ridge through a tall pine forest. Giant acorns the size of garden gnomes littered the dusty trail.
Finally, when we crested the hill, we were rewarded for our efforts with a stunning view of Lake Tahoe, the blue jewel of northern Nevada.
This beautifully clear, snow-fed, freshwater lake lies high in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, at 6,200ft.
Stretching 21 miles long and 12 miles wide, and with an average depth of 1,000ft, Lake Tahoe has been the lifeblood of this region for almost 200 years.
It irrigates the farms of Carson Valley to the east, provides the drinking water for the towns around, and has for decades been a natural playground for the many locals and tourists attracted to its cool, azure waters.
With hiking, skiing, boating, golf and horseback riding all available here, it is a perfect spot for a holiday in the great outdoors. And there no shortage of entertainment to be found indoors in these parts too.
The Rat Pack used to perform in casino hotels by the lake for guests that included US President John F Kennedy and actress Marilyn Monroe. Nowadays superstars such as Robert Plant and Janet Jackson pack ’em in. Eccentric millionaire heir George Whittell Jnr liked it so much that in 1936 he built the magnificent Thunderbird Lodge from local pine and slate on the north-east shore. For a tour of the historic property, which is now owned by a preservation trust (Mr Whittell died in 1969 aged 87), I paddled in a kayak from Sand Cove. It was worth it just to see the extensive tunnel network he created so he could smuggle his mistresses in and out. Later, after relaxing in the luxurious