#142 - Zephyr Cove Lodge

Lake Tahoe, Nevada

For years Don and I have had our eyes on this place, right on US 50.

The rustic lodge with the neon sign, finally lured us in for a stay. 

Rambling Roadside Lodge

You can't miss the place if you're driving to Tahoe from Reno.  The highway nearly touches the porch.  There's something a little Route 66 about the front of the lodge, with cars whizzing by.  But it's all pines, cabins, beach and lake in the back.

Back

There's also a parking lot on the side and back, but that's a good thing. It was a treat after staying at a South Lake Tahoe's Marriott, with 29-dollar per day, valet parking. We parked right by the restaurant's deck and used the stairs in back to reach our second floor room. 

Upstairs

The knotty pine and vintage photos tried to welcome us, but there was a bit of an odd vibe to the upstairs. There were only 4 guest rooms in the lodge.  It looked like one hall held old guest rooms that now house staff. As we walked down the sloping hall towards our room, we passed a number of rooms being used as offices during the day. The Zephyr Suite at the far end was not booked, nor was the Bridal Changing Room, next to our room. We were pretty happy about that.

Room #1

Our room wasn't luxurious, but it was spacious. There was room to spread out, which you don't expect in an old hotel.  

Windows

Both windows were open a crack, letting in some fresh air... which was needed. The furniture and TV were dated, but there was a built in with microwave, fridge and coffee maker.  The US Forest Service now owns the Zephyr Lodge and Resort, so the accommodations were more modest in style and price than most Tahoe resorts.

The View

Our room faced the highway and Zephyr Cove Resort's RV Park. It was pretty noisy in the afternoon, but by nighttime, we had to pull the box fan out of the closet. It was too quiet to sleep!

​I don't think there were any guest rooms that faced the back.  They must be paying high rent for that office space with lake and mountain views.

Stairs Going Down

There was no elevator, but we did have indoor stairs. The lodge office was located in the gift shop to the right.  I'm not sure about the grand doors on the left.  I'm guessing those fairytale doors lead to a banquet hall. There had to be some place for that bride to go after she changed into her gown... in the room next to ours! 

Open Space

This space between the gift shop and restaurant at least had a few couches, but there was no cozy lounging space, like you expect in park lodges. That made me more curious about the history from a roadside inn to a lake resort.

History

There were lots of old photos, but I could find very little history on the lodge.  So many park lodges have young staff and they can never fill in the blanks.  This photo from 1939, shows a sign saying "Zephyr Cove Beach" above the door.

Zephyr Cove House

Here's a photo from the menu. There's a brief mention of  Andrew Gardner, who first opened the Zephyr Cove House in 1862.  I think maybe this house (or inn?) became a store with gas pumps and the resort lodge was expanded later.   But that's sort of a guess.  I can't believe in this Googling Age, I could find so little history.

Our Room on the Right

So all I know is, the resort opened in the '30's and our room, with 2 dormer windows was on the right, above the restaurant.   Pretty sweet looking building, even without knowing the history.

Lake Resort  

Behind the lodge we found cabins and a mile of beach. For  a Friday in October the lake was lovely and quiet. The M.S. Dixie II Sternwheeler had just come in from a tour. The paddle boats were all lined up, but the beach restaurant and store were closed.

A Few Tourists

The air was perfect down by the water.  I tried to imagine this beach in the summer when US 50 is jammed with tourists.  

Bar & Restaurant

The recently updated dining room and bar seemed to be getting some local business in the afternoon.  Zephyr Cove has over 500 residents, so this might be just the place to go at the end of a work week. 

Dining at 7

But the locals seemed to be all gone by 7.  Luckily we didn't wait any longer, since there were a couple tables finishing meals.  They might have been tempted to close had we not walked in. We got a table right by the fireplace and ordered a Rueben and Cobb salad.  The food and service was quite decent, but even with a fire we didn't feel compelled to linger.

What's Notable?

I'll remember this lodge as a cute place, sandwiched in between a busy road and a lovely beach, with pine trees scattered here and there.  It had the potential of being a charming retro lodge, but the focus was definitely on the beautiful water.  The neon sign is sort of an indication that some updates are still needed.