A Scandanavian castle in the US?

Hello Blog Pals ~

It is I, Little Fox, reporting from the Vikingsholm parking lot. I am about to explore the castle built by Mrs. Knight in 1928 as a summer home on Lake Tahoe. Vikingsholm is called "Tahoe's Hidden Castle" but by the packed parking lot at 9am I would not say it too hidden.  It's a steep 1 mile trip downhill to the castle - let's go!

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Sigh.  It's still smoky from the wildfires but you can see an island off in the distance.  When Mrs. Knight bought the land for her castle she also got the island and built a tea house for her and her guests.  They rarely did formal tea out that because it took the staff a whole morning to set up a tea service, take it out by boat and set it up for afternoon tea which didn't really give them time for their other duties. 

The boat dock is still there so if you have your own boat you can visit the tea house.  The walls and foundation are the only thing left but the island is ripe for exploring. 

Tours start at 10:30 and I was a little early.  You know the early fox gets the chicken (it's a very popular expression in the fox community). More pictures of me hanging out near the lake.  

Still waiting for my tour. 

When Mrs. Knight built Vikingsholm she told her architect that she did not want to disturb any existing trees on the property. On paper the garage was supposed to be 2 car but in real life it ended up being a 1 car garage because of the trees.

It's tour time!  The castle is one of the best examples of Scandinavian architecture in the USA.  Mrs. Knight did not have any children but her favorite niece's husband was the architect (and yes he was Scandinavian).   The State of California is working hard to keep Vikingsholm  in good shape.  You can see a couple of rangers on the right working on the castle.  

You can see the cedar tree (or ponderosa pine....can't tell) on the right.  Again, a tribute to Mrs. Knight condition that no trees be harmed in construction. 

Lots of rooms.  This was the the "pink room".  You can' t tell but it was painted pink.

Formal dining room.  The rules for the guests were simple:  Breakfast at 8am, lunch at 12:00 and dinner at 6:00.  No exceptions.  Mrs. Knight invited her friends to spend the summer at the castle and the only condition she had was that everyone ate meals together.  The rest of the day was up to you.  Horseback riding?  No problem.  Hiking?  No problem.  Boating?  No problem.  Just be sure you are back in time for the meal.  In fact, she charted boats to the Tahoe Tavern at night for her guests, you could stay out as long as you wanted and the boat would bring you back to the castle when you wanted, just be sure you were at the breakfast table, dressed appropriately, at 8am. 

Now I am behind the scenes in the kitchen.  This is where the staff had their meals.  Working as a staff member for Mrs. Knight was a good deal.  Cooks had their own private rooms and bathrooms in the castle.  Maids had their own quarters too (although they couldn't be married under her employ).  Other staff had it good too.

1) Mrs. Knight had an annual BBQ for the staff and their families (they would come from far and near to hang out at the castle).

2) Nightly excursions to the Tahoe Tavern for entertainment.

3) Compensation that was above the industry standard at the time.

4) When Mrs. Knight passed away in 1945  she gave each staff member $1000.00 per year of their employ with her.  Some staff members were with her for over 40 years!

A 1936 Dodge Limo was Mrs. Knight's mode of transportation.  Many nights after dinner the limo would ferry her guests up the driveway (1 mile long) then everyone would take an after dinner walk back to the castle.   

All of this exploring makes a fox tired.  Time for lunch. My roommates saw this place along the side of the road and it wasn't even a discussion they just knew to stop here.  Sometimes my roommates do things right.  This looks like my kind of place!!!!!

Here are the barrels.

Secret ingredients in the bags.  I think it was sugar. 

Friendly animals nearby so you know it's good. 

The BBQ was great (especially the chicken).

Lake Tahoe was great but it's time to start the long drive home.

The biggest little fox, um I mean city, in the world

Guess where I am?  

Right now I am enjoying the riverwalk. It's hot, about 100 degrees outside but the hanging flowers look really cool.

It's been a long time since this fox has been to Reno and they have done a great job of the riverwalk.

Being in Nevada....this fox needs to test his luck.  These are some old time slot machines.  Some payout money and the one on the left pays out with a gun.  I think I will take the money (assuming I win).

This slot is called "Wolf Run". I wonder if I get a discount being that I am a fellow canine?

I need to rest. This casino is really big and sometimes you just need to relax while on vacation.

More rest for this fox.

What's next?

A trip to Virginia....City that is.

Virginia City, Nevada.  Current population 900 (and it's the county seat to boot).  Population during it's heyday as a mining town in 1873, about 25,000.  Virginia City was a major mining city, mainly mining silver and ore and is famously known for the "Comstock Lode".   Mark Twain was a resident and a reporter for five years before heading to San Francisco.

This museum looks interesting.  Now, it says it's great interest to adults and children but what about foxes?

A cool selection of mining equipment.

Old time medicine bottles.

Old timey guns.  Well, I guess it was the wild west.

Found an old check stating the miners salary.  I bet he worked hard for his $14.00 a month.

Boom towns like Virginia City often had some trouble with maintaining law and order. St Mary's of the Mountains was founded in 1868 to provide some religion to the town. 

Any type of church that has a wine cellar is my kind of place.

The church burned during the big fire of 1875 and they rebuilt the church in 1876.

Speaking of lawlessness I came across the modern day sheriff.  I bet this bear keeps law and order.

Let's go for a hike...

Time for me to go on a hike.  I am exploring the Tahoe Rim trail.  It goes around the lake and is supposed to be amazing.  There are some rules but I can follow those.

This is the view from the parking lot!  I can't wait to see what scenery the hike is going to offer.

My goal today is Martis peak road.  

More great views of Lake Tahoe along the trail. 

After lunch, sorry no pictures, my roommates took me down to the lake to get an up close and personal view.  

Wow!  This is an amazing spot.  The only thing that would make it better is a large dish of ice cream or gelato or frozen yogurt.

On the road again......

Hello Blog Pals,
It's me, Little Fox, back on the road.  It's wildfire season and there is a lot of smoke n the air. 

My first night was in Alturas, California.  Alturas is a county seat and has a nice courthouse.  Don't worry, I am not down here on a warrant or some other "funny business" but as a guest and tourist.

Let's go hiking!  Our first stop is on a hike in the Modoc National Forest.  They did a good job of posting rules and giving information to hikers like me.

Mill Creek Falls was our first stop.  Not bad water flow for August. 

Clear Lake is my next stop.  I saw a couple of anglers trying to catch some fish.  I don't think they were having lots of luck today.

Time to leave this area and head further south.  Where will I end up?

So long Modoc National Forest.....be back soon.

Recipe Contest - Jerry and Ben's recipe

Hello Blog Pals.  Today, I am working on a recipe from my friends Jerry and Ben.  This is their submission for the recipe contest.  Looks challenging, but yummy so let's get started.  Step one: I should read through the recipe to familiarize myself with it. 

The gang says to use all beef or 1/2 beef and turkey, I am going to give that a try.

More ingredients: Milk and breadcrumbs.  Essentials for meatballs. 

Chili sauce and onions.  Can't go wrong.

Snack time:  Every chef needs a break.  These grapes are fresh. 

The pan is hot.  Let's cook. 

So, J and B said to finish them in a sauce from Chili sauce and jam (yum) but I am cooking for a few special diets so I am going to finish them in the oven and offer the sauce on the side.   I hope those two aren't too mad at me. 

Time to test.  Let me bring in my "expert" on bar food, Drunk Fox. 

He approves (great recipe J and B).  Of course the smell of fresh cooked food brings out all of the stuffies.

Ok, Beanie your recipe is next.