We went to Tahoe on Memorial Day weekend with the rest of California (it always feels that way when we drive to Tahoe and don't leave first thing in the morning). But really, I did't even care if a 3.5 hour drive took up 7 hours, it was worth it. We have been feeling busy lately and needed a family vacation; spending time in the car together as well as outside in beautiful Lake Tahoe is just what we needed!
We got the truck ready with animals, clothes and food while the kids were at school (man it's so much easier to pack when you are not packing winter clothes! I've have officially converted to a West coaster). When it was pickup time we snatched Brady and Brody up and headed off to Tahoe! 7.5 hours later, we were there (insert three stops, three different GPS apps and lots of brake lights). The kids fell asleep for the last hour of the drive and we transferred them into their beds when we arrived. The next morning when they woke up I heard Brady loud whisper "D, we are in Tahoe, wake up, we are waking up in Tahoe". It was christmas morning level excitement!
The boys got up, Chris made coffee and breakfast and we all headed outside to play and explore in the woods. After a bit of play we packed up and drove to redo a hike that we did with the boys (and Rocco) in the Fall of 2014 when the boys were just shy of turning 3. This hike follows the Pacific Crest Trail and drops you down to beautiful Echo lake. We planned to do the same thing we did in 2014, we would all hike the ~2 mile to the lake and then Chris would run back to the truck and pick while the boys and I wait for him at the lake. Last time the hike was fun and uneventful (other than it was the first time the boys had hiked at elevation and on a famous trail). This time it was eventful! We saw patches of snow all along our hike and at the last third, we got snowed out! The trail turned to completely snow and we could not figure out there the trail was and where the tree markers were. In addition, the snow was really really slippery and the hill was very steep. We could not keep the boys and the dogs on the incline in the snow and be safe so we made the next best decision: slide on our butts down the embankment through the trees to the road that leads to the lake. With a combination of side stepping and butt sliding we made it no problem! It was really crazy to hit a point where it was no longer safe to be where we were. Of course we could have just turned around but that would have been a bummer. Sliding let us finish what we started and gave us a cool story ;)
Everyone wants to hit mom with a snow ball
"Look, snow, and we have to walk over it!"
"Where did the trail go?"
"Mom, I'm hiking, leave me alone"
"...and then, we lost the trail and had to slid on on butts!!!!"
We made it!
Waiting for Chris....
...while looking at this....
For whatever reason, I turned my GPS app on before we started our hike. I love that I have this recoding of us walking along the PCT and you can see where we had to abort mission. Such a great souvenir.
After our hike, we went back to the house and made lunch and hung out. We then headed downtown for drinks and dinner. We had a great time listening to live music and eating outside.
The next day we got up and headed out to see a waterfall!. On the curvy backroads we saw a young female hiker waving us down. She looked panic stricken and asked if we saw the bear that was following her. We did not see it but offered to help her circumvent the bear so she did not have to cross its path again. As we traveled down the road to the waterfall the road kept getting more and more narrow and more and more beautiful. The lake was amazing and beyond the lake was an incredible waterfall that was flowing from all the rain and snow melt. I am a waterfall fanatic and this one did not disappoint! It was amazing.
From the waterfall we hiked down to the lake we saw on the way it. It was pristine and beautiful with views of the Nevada snow capped mountains in the background. We saw a beach and decided this is where Hank needed to learn to swim. Chris rolled up his pants and waded out into the water and helped Hank figure things out. Once he felt himself swim, he loved it! The boys jumped up and down and cheered him on.
After some lunch and some hanging around, we went downtown to ride the gondola up the mountain. The kids were excited to ride in the little capsules and I was excited for the views (the actual ride freaks me out, and it was my idea, who would have thought!). At the observation deck we took in the views and at the top of the mountain. At the top of the lift we threw snow balls and played in the snow. After another nice dinner outside, we were ready to relax back at home and enjoy our last night in town. It was a very restful and fun vacation! I am so happy we went!
