Gracie Lou Visits Tahoe!!!

Thursday night Friday morning my dear friend Grace arrived to Sacramento!  Mike and I picked her up from the airport at midnight and we all made the trip back to Tahoe... getting home at 3:00 am (that's 6:00 am Grace's time).  I would have been ill as a snake but not sweet Gracie!  She handled the time change flawlessly!  Needless to say, once we got home we all went straight to bed so we could start our adventures the next day.

The sightseeing began with a trip to Emerald Bay in an attempt to beat the "tourons" [ Admittedly, I stole that word from a co-worker...  tourist + moron = "touron"].  Well, our attempt didn't work.  There were people everywhere.  'Tis the tourist season in Tahoe!  But, we got to get out of the car and hike around the falls a bit, so it was all worth it.

Mike napped by the falls - he drove all night so he was tired. 

 We decided to get away from the crowds at Emerald Bay by driving up to Angora Lakes and Fallen Leaf Lake.  A few years ago a huge section near Angora Lakes caught on fire (out of control campfire) and because it's so windy here... it spread quickly.  Lots of acreage burned and 242 homes were lost in approximately 8 hours.

The burned area spreads for miles. 

Mike and I at Angora Lakes. 

 We stopped at Fallen Leaf Lake for a picnic lunch... then headed back to see another waterfall (one of MANY in this area).  

Mike decided to relax in the shade... bless his heart... he was so tired! 

Gracie Lou and I... standing in the middle of the falls! 

 After quick naps at home... we loaded up the paddleboards and packed a cooler and headed to the beach for a sunset paddle and lakeside cookout.  It was the perfect way to spend my 28th birthday!

The next day we headed down to South Lake for breakfast at a local bagel shop.  We were able to walk just a block over to the beach and watched a HUGE stand up paddleboard race.  Lots of "paddleboarding celebrities" were racing!  That was pretty exciting (for me anyway).  

After breakfast we were ready for MORE adventures so we headed up to North Lake to raft along the Truckee River!  It's a self-guided tour because most of the 3 hour trip is just floating along in the current.  The rafting company jokingly refers to the rapids as "Class .7" [the lowest class of whitewater is Class 1].  

My kind of rafting! 

Shortly after starting our journey, I got REALLY hot (it was 90 degrees outside afterall - a HEATWAVE for Tahoe).  So, I braved the water and jumped in:

 Water temp: a cold refreshing 60 degrees. 

Grace tried her very best to stay warm and dry... but strangers with supersoakers were scattered along the shores of the river, just waiting for us innocent rafters with no place to hide.

Shaking the water from her ears! :) 

 When it's 90 degrees in Tahoe, apparently everyone decides to float the Truckee.  There were lots of people... which really made for a fun trip! At times we played "bumper rafts" with strangers.

 Obviously Mike is a St. Lawrence River Rat... this cold water didn't stop him from taking a swim.

Mike swimming in place against the current... who needs a therapy pool??? 

 And of course I couldn't let him swim alone... and I like to think of myself as an "honorary river rat" so I braved the cold refreshing waters.  I hope my mother-in-law and sister-in-law are proud! :) 

There are no words.  

After BACKFLIPPING OFF the raft into the water! Crazy boy. 

After rafting we decided to head to Squaw Valley Ski Resort since it was closeby.  We rode the tram to the top where they have a swimming pool at 8,200 ft. above sea level. 

Going up! 

Grace swimming at 8,200 ft. above sea level with SNOW in the background on the mountaintop! 

LOTS of marmots... look under the open umbrella, sitting on the rock. 

Squaw Valley.  Home of the 1960 Olympics.  With Lake Tahoe in the background.  

The tram at Squaw.  

 Sunday, it was time for Grace to leave (which was entirely too short and next time I DEMAND she stays longer).  We decided to take it easy and just laid on the beach for a few hours in the morning... doing a little paddleboarding which Grace was a PRO at.  Then we showered and headed for the airport.  I was so happy to have her here on my birthday weekend and I was SO very sad to see her leave!  She was a little reminder of everyone that I am missing from home but I'm so glad she got to experience a little bit of Tahoe.  Thank you so much for coming to visit us Grace... and please come back ANY time!  

Just for fun... here's a video of the "Class .7" whitewater rafting: