In person, the water is the most amazing shades of turquoise and cobalt.  With a purported 100 feet of visibility you can see the large granite boulders along the coastline, just beneath the surface of the water.  

I am much too wimpy to swim in snow melt water but we did take a dip in Harrah’s heated hotel pool everyday.  And some splendid naps were had on the lake front beach.  One evening we had an outdoor dinner at the Beach Cafe’ just steps away from where we napped in the sand.  The Greek salad with salmon was amazing.  The wine list was not.  I noticed our neighbors had a bottle of Raymond red but when I inquired, I was told they had “brought their own”. 

One evening we found a sidewalk cafe serving Cesar salads and pizza and another night we went to the top of Harrah’s and waited the 45 minutes to have their buffet.  I loaded up on fresh shrimp, pineapple, and sushi.  David had three helpings of prime rib.  How does he stay so thin!

The walking stick is to fend off bears.  I’ve been petrified of bears since I was a pre-teen and heard about the grizzly bear attacking and killing three teenagers in their sleeping bags. 

The best part about hiking is that you get a really great workout without even knowing it.  You are so enraptured with the scenery, you forget you’re exercising.  It builds up a great appetite and is a nice bonding experience for partners.

Our hike around Fallen Leaf Lake produced some beautiful images too.  We saw lots of Salvia, wild roses, and Indian paintbrush.  For some reason the shallow waters near the damn created some interesting shots.