Hands down one of my favorite place to take a photo or just bring a picnic and watch the sunset. About 3 miles beyond Northstar California on the north side of the highway, shortly before reaching Brockway Summit, you’ll turn left and head up. And up. It’s an easy, paved but pot holed drive for all vehicles when the weather’s fine and the gate’s open, leaving you with only a short hike to the fire lookout and its sweeping 360º view. That view includes a stunning stretch of Lake Tahoe, a front row seat to the string of peaks on the Sierra Crest, and views to Donner Lake, Castle Peak and the reservoirs to the north. On an average day, you may see the distant and foreboding Lassen Peak, hanging on to its clutch of snow through most of the summer. A bonus to this trip: you and the kids can step into the fire lookout and join the ranger (when manned in the summer months) for a lesson in finding way points and learning to operate fire finding equipment. You can even hoist a pair of binoculars or spotting scope for a more intimate look at the local landmarks. A must do on my list.