A word or two about South Lake Tahoe on Sunday morning: Much. Better.
Having attempted to get a ticket for the Tahoe Queen the previous day and failing to even get into the parking lot, we decided to give it another go today. In addition to going on Sunday instead of Saturday, we went for the earlier cruise at 10am, showed up an hour earlier, got a primo parking spot, bought our tickets, and boarded for a three hour tour (well, only two and a half, but I don’t hear the Gilligan’s Island theme in my head when I say that) to Emerald Bay.

In yet another illustration of the stark contrast between the previous weeks’ desert adventures and this one, the sternwheeler had a Mark Twain impersonator on board. He ambled about the boat with gigantic—but sadly unlit—cigar in hand, spinning yarns from Rouging It and other Twain works. He had a pleasant speaking voice, and shared some good information about the lake’s history. When asked what in the world he’s doing on the boat, he replied, “The reports of my death are greatly exaggerated.”
It was a beautiful day, and the Tahoe Queen is a great way to see the lake.