Emerald Bay by Lil' Bear

Welcome to the very first State Park Sunday at Family Adventure Guidebooks.  California State Parks and Beaches are facing closure.   This weekly feature is designed to encourage California residents and visitors to advocate for the parks that contribute so much to our lives and the California economy.

Emerald Bay State Park in Lake Tahoe, California is the source of many childhood memories.   As a young child I visited the Vikingsholm mansion, an elaborate Scandinavian inspired summer home located within the park.  The ornate Scandinavian designs with carvings and flowers inspired the way my family decorated my own play house at home.  My mom tacked boards along the roof line, and I had fun decorating them with colorful flowers.

As a middle school student I returned to Emerald Bay on a YMCA excursion.  My posse of giggling adolescent girls spread out lake side on their towels.  I will never forget the boom box playing “California Girls” by the Beach Boys.  That trip among girls who wore eye shadow and lip synced to Madonna around the campfire was my first glimpse at life as a teenager.

I give my own little guys the opportunity to explore Emerald Bay and make their own childhood memories.  I hope we can find our way to the island at the center of the lake and explore the stone castle tea house that captured my imagination as a child.  My mom’s family was from the Sierra town of Auburn, so we would have some family history to explore as well.  I’m worried that the impending closure of Emerald BayState Park will mean that I won’t have the opportunity to make this trip.

For more information about what you can do to advocate for California State Parks during this challenging economic times visit  The California State Parks Foundation .  Don’t forget to pay a visit to a local state park by next Sunday.  Wear green, have your photo taken with a sign downloaded from the park foundations SOS website and upload it.  Let’s let the California Legislature know  that we’re serious about preserving our state parks.

The above photo of Emerald Bay was taken by Lil’ Bear and is available on Flicker Creative Commons.  Check out her amazing photos.

Happy Trails,

Bridget