I told myself I would journal while we take our small vacations, but I haven't yet. I have decided to briefly write about our last Tahoe trip, taken last weekend with some obligatory photos. :)
I absolutely love living in California! We are 45 minutes away from the beach, roughly 4 hours from the snow during the winter. It can't get any better than this.
We like to leave early, not only to catch the sunrise, but it also allows time to shop for food, and drive a little and/or play in the snow before we check into our hotel.
In my family, we have a little road trip morning tradition. We stop off at a donut and coffee shop before hitting the road. Matt and I have been known to do the same, only we opt for healthier options, like a peanut butter bagel and soy milk. We listen to music and sing along, have deep, meaningful conversations, and I will take short naps since Gio is not much of a morning person. I've never really been much of a snow person either, we weren't exposed to it too much growing up. The more I go now though, I find that I love it!
Matt was an avid skiier as a child, but when he was in his high school years he found snowboarding was more his cup of tea. In college, whenever he and his friends had a break they would stay in cheap little motels, located within walking distance of either Heavenly or NorthStar, to snowboard all day long. We've stayed in said hotels before, but since I'm too chicken to snowboard, I have to figure out ways to entertain myself. Matt wanted us to stay in a much nicer room for me to relax in this time He actually goes a couple of hours at a time, so it isn't too bad. I would like to try to learn to ski or snowboard, but I want to take baby steps. It is a little intimidating, it feels like everyone knows what they're doing. Skiing seems easier, so I may just give that a try soon.
We stayed at the Embassy Suites hotel, near the Village and gondola for Heavenly. This place is so awesome, I felt like royalty. We have accumulated points through our credit cards so it is essentially free for any Hilton hotels we want to use. Score!
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| Look! Koi fish! It's the little things... |
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| I'm scared of heights, but I went on the gondola! Go me! |
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| Good morning, Tahoe! |
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| In the Village, by the gondolas, a snow fountain. How cool is that? |
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| peaceful |
I swam in the indoor pool for a bit to relax, hit the spa, watched cable TV in my super comfortable room- mind you, we haven't had cable in over two years so this is a treat for me- although I do not miss it and I feel it is a waste of money- weird? I know, I'm a strange, strange girl. I watched a documentary about the Concordia cruise ship accident. How terrifying! Here I go getting off track...I read, do my nails, upload any photos I've taken on our trip thus far, and I've actually gone to a couple of great spas for facials and massages. The hotel offers a free breakfast buffet every morning, with made to order omelets, and believe me, I couldn't be happier about that. Matt and I went to happy hour a couple of days in a row, in the hotel lodge from 4:30-6:30 with any free cocktails of your choice and snacks like popcorn, pretzels and goldfish crackers.We like to make our own lunch and have snacks on hand, but we go out for dinner. It feels like date night every night. :)
My favorite part of our recent trip was driving around the lake, stopping off at some beautiful views to take pictures and play in the snow. We learned a lot about the Washoe Native Americans who resided in the area (and some still do).
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| goobers |
On our fourth day, we drove to the other side of the lake, so Matt could snowboard for a couple of hours at North Star, and I chilled at their new lodge. I am partial to warmth, and unlimited hot chocolate refills!
Until next time, Tahoe! <3
