Guided Tour of Lake Tahoe and Thunderbird Lodge – Pictures

During an amazing trip to the Reno Tahoe area Staci and I recently took a boat tour of Lake Tahoe and Thunderbird Lodge. Over all, one of our favorite parts of the trip was taking a boat ride across Lake Tahoe to Thunderbird Lodge. The mountain backdrop with crystal clear water could not compare to any place I have seen before. Words cannot do the area justice… and I am not even sure my pictures will either. But, I thought the best way to share would be to simply show you a handful of the views we captured as we rode across Lake Tahoe.

Cruise Lake Tahoe

Our adventure shoved off from Zephyr Cove Resort aboard Cruise Tahoe. The Tahoe has been cruising Lake Tahoe since 1950. She is a custom high speed cruiser built entirely of wood and originally carried passengers from Tahoe City to Emerald Bay, the South Shore, and other stops around the lake. They are booking for  public tours, weddings, or charters.

Zephyr Cove Beach

The Mountain Backdrop was Amazing

Lake Tahoe Beach Front Home

Lake Tahoe Lady of the Lake

Steve Dunham captain and tour operator at CruiseTahoe.com

Thunderbird Lodge

The magical Thunderbird Lodge National Historic Site is the centerpiece of Thunderbird Lake Tahoe. This historic home of George Whittell, Jr. is a museum and learning center for the charitable programs of the non-profit Thunderbird Lodge Preservation Society.

Thunderbird Lodge is a historic landmark

We pulled right up to the dock

One set of many stairs and passageways

Patio on the side of the Thunderbird Lodge

George Whittell began construction of Thunderbird Lodge in 1936. The architect, Frederic DeLongchamps, was famous in his time and was the Nevada State Architect.

Thunderbird Lodge was begun in 1936 by a man named George Whittell, Jr., or as he was more commonly called, the “Captain”

It was Whittell’s “summer cottage” on Lake Tahoe and consists of 2 master bedrooms, a great room complete with movie screen, 3 additional bedrooms for servants and a fully functional kitchen with the original appliances.