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  5. Road Trippin'

Road Trippin': West Sacramento to South Lake Tahoe on '50'

Lake Tahoe is one of our state's most popular destinations, obviously not just for out-of-staters but also every year for hundreds of thousands of Californians from Sacramento, the Bay Area and beyond. One well-beaten driving path to the bustling tourist town of South Lake Tahoe, which is tucked onto the lake's lower shoreline, is via U.S. Highway 50. The national roadway, which continues on for another 2,800-plus miles to Maryland, is big on on windy turns and scenery. Check it out with CT News is the latest installment of Road Trippin'.

Gallery

us50-01 (Screen shot courtesy of Google Maps)
us50-02 U.S.. Highway 50 begins its (almost!) cross-country path in West Sacramento, at the intersection with Interstate 80.
us50-03 Before U.S. Highway 50 reaches Folsom, it has passed through Sacramento (and as of 2023 is in the midst of years of renovations).
us50-04 Placerville, due to its Gold Rush roots and related shenanigans, has the rather jolting nickname of Hangtown.
us50-05 As the roadway gains elevation east of Placerville, views to the south are charmingly bucolic -- especially on sunny days.
us50-06 District 3 maintenance workers Jamie Bist (left) and Keith Warliter stand in from of the roadside Bridalveil Falls off U.S. 50.
us50-07 These old stones near the junction of Ice House Road pay tribute to the Pony Express, which trod over this region around 1860.
us50-08 It's hard to read now, but this plaque at the Pony Express site describes Riiverton Bridge, which spanned the American River from 1900 to 1930.
us50-09 This particularly pretty stretch of U.S. Highway 50 parallels the American River to the south.
us50-10 Going past all manner of (sometimes tiny) towns and scenery, U.S. Highway traverses 12 states in all, plus the District of Columbia.
us50-11 One of Caltrans' many rural maintenance facilities can be found a few paces north of Highway 50 near Kyburz.
us50-12 On a weekday in early December, a couple of short stretches of the roadway were reduced to one lane to allow for tree trimming.
us50-13 The Strawberry Lodge, for whatever reason, failed to endure as a successful overnight stop for U.S. Highway 50 motorists.
us50-14 U.S. Highway 50 was constructed in the 1920s as part of the new national highway system. It ran from Sacramento to Annapolis, Maryland.
us50-15 Sierra at Tahoe is one of several popular ski resorts in the Lake Tahoe region. The ski season, though, hasn't yet begun in earnest.
us50-16 Caltrans has outdone itself with the engineering feats it has racked up in recent years shoring up Highway 50 near Echo Summit.
us50-17 Looking back westward from a pull-off spot near Echo Summit, motorists can soak in breathtaking views of the Sierra Nevada.
us50-18 One of Caltrans' many recently constructed roundabouts is at the junction of State Route 89 in Meyers, just this side of South Lake Tahoe.
us50-19 A plaque spells out the story behind a welcome sign at the eastbound entrance to South Lake Tahoe along U.S. Highway 50.
us50-20 Motorists can veer off to skirt the western shoreline of Lake Tahoe at this point in the town of South Lake Tahoe.
us50-21 To the left as you drive through town you can catch glimpses of the area's landmark attraction, a blue diamond surrounded by forest greens and rocky browns.