We drove from San Francisco to Lake Tahoe during August 2006.  To make things more interesting, we tried taking photos along the way that would document major landmarks on what is actually a fairly boring drive.  The game definitely made things more interesting, and actually made us realize that there was plenty to document along the way.

    The drive begins with rolling, browned hills on the way to Sacramento and ends in the mountains.  Initially, you see the pristine hills, looking like bodies and faces reposing on the earth.  Then, pretty soon the hills get covered with wind turbines driving energy for Californians, and you realize that urbanization has taken over  However, there are plenty of cows around who munch contentedly even as ranches dotting the sides of the road are interspersed with suburban subdivisions that have taken over periodically.

    You eventually hit Sacramento, though if you take the highway bypass you don't really see it.  The water tower is a good reminder though, as is the state fair that beckons invitingly with a classic ferris wheel.  Our favorite landmark in Sacramento though was definitely the the Wonder Bread and Hostess factory.  It looked kind of shut down actually, but still, given the suburban tracts we had seen on the way from SF to Sacramento, the signs seemed an appropriate reminder of the 50's.

    The stretch from Sacramento to Lake Tahoe went by a lot quicker - or maybe we fell asleep and didn't really register any more photo opportunities.  In any case, before we knew it, we were driving around the lake, looking for our hotel.  The best market was of course the casinos - loud and obnoxious.  But quirky stores like the Dog Bakery also reminded us we weren't in Kansas anymore...