Incline Village Bike Ride

Our first stop was another virtual geocache relating to the old show Bonanza. Here is the photo I will be downloading to geocache.com to log that I have completed the find.

Ponderosa Ranch Relic GC8257

Download any picture that relates to this area.

N 39° 14.246 W 119° 55.703

What a perfect day for a bike ride. Of course, I think every day is perfect for a bike ride as long as it is clear with a nice temperature. Wheels are good I always say.

Jan pulling the Croozer with Glitter and Gizmo.

Nancy is learning to shift. Soon she will want to tow a cart.

Today we packed up and headed to a part of Lake Tahoe we haven't visited, Incline Village on the North Shore overlooking Crystal Bay. The planned ride is along a beautiful section of shoreline with exclusive lake shore estates.

Gate to one of the estates.

Sculpture on one of the homes.

About one mile out on our ride we discovered that we had forgotten our leashes. We like to take them in case we need to take the dogs out. So we rode back to the van. We decided to eat lunch before doing our ride.

Yes, I love bike riding.

My bike and the Croozer cart with Tink, Aiden and Chip.
Yeah, I have the heavier load.

A view of Crystal Bay from our bike ride.

On our way back to South Lake Tahoe, we pulled into a vista point. What a beautiful view.

Driving Directions: From the cabin take Hwy 50 north until you reach the junction, then take Hwy 28 into Incline Village.

Bike Directions: Known locally as the "The Jogger's Trail" this 2.5 mile long paved trail starts at Gateway Park off Hwy 28 and Lakeshore Dr. and follows the shore of Lake Tahoe. Trail ends at the top of Hwy 28.

Biking Summary: In North Lake Tahoe, there are two paved bike paths. A 2.5 mile section runs between Lakeshore Drive passing exclusive lakeshore estates, gardens in Incline Village and provides great close views of Crystal Bay. The path ends at Selby Drive near the Ponderosa Ranch. Another 2 mile sections runs between Sierra Nevada College and the lake.

Special Features: Incline Village comes by its name honestly. Flat it ain't. In 1878 loggers built the Great Tramway of Tahoe, an incline cable railway, ran to the top of the mountain to carry logs to the flume to Carson City, hence the name “Incline Village.” Now Incline Village offers a great mix of specialty shops located in the downtown area. It’s a delight to explore downtown Incline Village, where many visitors find themselves spending entire evenings. Most of the shopping is found on the main Tahoe Blvd. Visit the Artist’s of Tahoe Gallery and take home a glimpse of Lake Tahoe’s pristine beauty. Or visit Redbeard’s Book Den for books out of print since you were born. Small family shops offering unique gifts such as homemade candles and old time kites populate the narrow streets, as well as huge sporting good and fashion spots such as the Tahoe Emporium where you’ll find the latest in sporting goods.

The famous “opening scene” of Bonanza was filmed on this location at North Lake Tahoe near Incline Village, and Lake Tahoe was among the outdoor locations used to film the weekly episodes. The cast and crew traveled to Incline Village in summer of 1959 as a starting point for filming around the Lake Tahoe basin. The only filmed footage at Incline Village was filmed in June of 1961 of the cast riding their horses through a wooded clearing with the Mount Rose Peaks in the background, for establishing shots that would be edited in with many episodes over the years. The house, both interior and exterior, was located on a Hollywood sound stage.

Bonanza

We chased lady luck, 'til we finally struck Bonanza.

With a gun and a rope and a hat full of hope,

planted a family tree.

We got hold of a pot of gold, Bonanza.

With a horse and a saddle, and a range full of cattle,

how rich can a fellow be?

On this land we put our brand, Cartwright is the name,

Here in the West, we're livin' the best,

fortune smiled, the day we filed the Ponderosa claim.

Bonanza,if anyone fights any one of us,

he's got a fight with me, Bonanza.

Hoss and Joe and Adam know every rock and pine,

no one works, fights, or eats, like those boys of mine.

Here we stand in the middle of a grand Bonanza.

With a gun and a rope and a hatful of hope,

we planted our family tree,

we got hold of a pot full of gold, Bonanza.

With a houseful of friends where the rainbow ends,

how rich can a fellow be?

On this land we put our brand, Cartwright is the name,

fortune smiled, the day we filed the Ponderosa claim.

Here in the west we're livin' the best Bonanza.

With the friendliest, fightingist, loving band,

that ever set foot in the promised land,

and we're happier than them all.

That's why we call it Bonanza...Bonanza...Bonanza...

Perhaps the most interesting thing (and the most disturbing to idyllic childhood memories) was that Bonanza was created to sell a commercial product. Hours spent watching Bonanza, dreaming of the Wild West and swooning over Little Joe came about because RCA, NBC’s parent company, wanted to sell more color televisions!

Geocaching: 

Ponderosa Ranch Relic GC8257

Virtual cache
Download any picture that relates to this area.

N 39° 14.246 W 119° 55.703

"Please Don't Litter" GC2ZEGN

Hint: Cammo is brown.

N 39° 15.086 W 119° 58.27
This is a pill container hidden close to Preston field. It is a short walk from there to the cache. This may be a hard find for some as there are many spots in the rocks, trees and bushes for the hide. (Preston field is closed for 2011, but there is a spot off the 28 right next to Preston field to park for now). BYOP, since this is a log only cache.