Tours & Attractions
Scattered about historic AI Tahoe are blue, turquoise, and white signs. Find all ten of the signs and write their location site number next to the site clue below. Some site numbers are near private property. Please respect the owner’s privacy. If you are driving, make sure to park your car legally off the road. The location site numbers are # WA-1 and # AT-1 through # AT-9.
Take your time and enjoy the hunt. Scan the QR codes with a smartphone to learn the significance of that location or visit the Lake Tahoe Historical Society at 3058 Lake Tahoe Blvd. to purchase a printed guide.
When you’ve found all the sites, fill out the information at the bottom of this sheet to claim a prize at the museum.
Location A = Site # ________
(38° 56′ 39” N 119° 58′ 36” W)
Just as the Washoe came to this site in a ceremony, folks are again coming here to celebrate. It’s fitting that this location introduces you to AI Tahoe. You’ll find there’s more to AI Tahoe than AI.
Location B = Site # ________
(38° 56′ 25” N 119° 59′ 22” W)
The Washoe were here first, long before any of the others. And while Seneca and William claim the first lakeside hotel, we know that this neighborhood was a Washoe summer resort long before. This area was a campsite, one of many around the lake.
Location C = Site # ________
(38° 56′ 27” N 119° 59′ 22” W)
Wagon roads brought people here and wagon roads took them away. Those that stayed built communities. Look into the forest here and you can see what is left of the first road that passed through AI Tahoe. If you look close you can see a metal spike in a tree that once held a lantern. There are traces of other wagon roads throughout Lake Tahoe; you just need to slow down and look for them.
Location D = Site # ________
(38° 56′ 31” N 119° 59′ 23” W)
This was the site of the first lakeside hotel in all of Lake Tahoe and the beginnings of what became AI Tahoe. It surely would not meet current standards for a lakeside hotel, but in the day it served the needs of “one hundred maddened gold seekers,” serving them “tarantula juice,” an adult beverage, “warranted to kill at 40 paces.”
Location E = Site # ________
(38° 56′ 38” N 119° 59′ 12” W)
From this spot, you can see the location of the neighborhood’s first community. Tom and Sophronia built a community that provided all of the necessities: jobs, housing, and retail. An overwater dance hall and tavern had revelers from around the Sierra arriving by boat, buggy, stage, and probably on foot.
Location F = Site # ________
(38° 56′ 28” N 119° 59′ 15” W)
The residents “residing” here aren’t going anywhere and only a few are made known. A utility excavation caused a resident outside the gate to be relocated to a more secure setting behind the gate. Can you guess which house is rumored to be haunted?
Location G = Site # ________
(38° 56′ 29” N 119° 59′ 00” W)
You’d never know by what you see today that this site was once the height of luxury accommodations. AI and Frank had a grand run here, putting Al Tahoe forever on the map.
Location H = Site # ________
(38° 56′ 39” N 119° 59′ 08” W)
From this location you can see it all; to the north is the volcano that blew its top, to the south is where the AI Tahoe Inn stood, to the east is the ghost of Globin’s Chalet, and to the west is the site of the village that became AI Tahoe.
Location I = Site # ________
(38° 56′ 39” N 119° 59′ 02” W)
The summer people had a grand time here dancing to the likes of Dave Brubeck, Dick Jurgens, and Eddie Howard. A quarter-mile out, a steamer would offload visitors on holiday.
Location J = Site # ________
(38° 56′ 27” N 119° 58′ 38” W)
This 1930’s building housed a hotel and bar, a meat market, and a gas station. Like many buildings of its time, a fire changed the way it looks today. Today you can get a beverage and some ribs and reminisce about the good old days.
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Anderson's Bike Rental
Al Tahoe History Hunt
Hostoric Al Tahoe Neighborhood, South Lake Tahoe, CA 96150
