Bask under the sunlight and take in the breathtaking beauty of Lake Tahoe while marveling at the picturesque image of Thunderbird Lodge in Incline Village, Nevada.

Also known as Whittell Estate, this 6-acre waterfront property was built in 1939 by George Whittel Jr. He belonged to one the richest families in San Francisco. He also owned almost 40,000 acres of land along the Nevada shore of Lake Tahoe.

In addition to the architecturally wonderful mansion, the estate also contains the ?Elephant House?, a boathouse with the famous Thunderbird yacht, a 56-foot luxury yacht owned by Whittell, and an underground passage containing a dungeon. When Whittell died in 1969, the property was taken b the US Forest Service, while the lodge house went under the management of the Thunderbird Lodge Preservation Society. The estate is open for public tours.