
As I've mentioned, the naming conventions in and around Lake Tahoe can sometimes leave something to be desired, but one of the nicest names is Heavenly, which has these wonderful gondolas which carry you up into the mountains. Sadly, we discovered that they were not operating on Monday morning, so instead we bopped around the Heavenly compound, investigating little shops here and there. We decided to do lunch at the Driftwood Cafe. This turned out to be a good decision, as just then it began to pour down with rain.
I love it when it rains in California. First of all, we're in the middle of a four-year drought, so every raindrop is welcome. Secondly, Kris loves the rain, so I like seeing the smile on her face when the clouds darken. We experienced a lot of different kinds of precipitation on this adventure, and enjoyed nearly all of it. We had a nice little lunch as we waited for the storm to pass.
Pass it did, and we considered what to do with the rest of our day. We decided to drive up to the Emerald Bay overlook. This is a cliff high up in the Sierras that allows you to look down into the lake. There, on an island in the lake, is a castle. Of all things. It's tiny, though, because you're very high.
It's actually also very tiny. It's technically called "The Tea House", and is a miniature castle that was used by the inhabitants of the nearby estate as... well, as a tea house. The nearby estate, now the property of the great state of California, is located on the nearby shore, and is called "VIKINGSHOLM".
Which is a pretty awesome name.
At the Vikingsholm overlook, I chased a chipmunk around and over all of the rocks. "Don't fall off the mountain, dear," said Kris, as I hopped up onto rocks that were, admittedly, pretty close to the edge of a gigantic cliff. The chipmunk and I were friends by the time we left.
And now, for a quick Public Service Announcement: Remember, you should never ever feed wildlife. I did not feed the chipmunk. I just chased him around with my camera.
Note that there is no shot of a chipmunk here. Make of that what you will.
Tomorrow, ADVENTURE!! :)
I love it when it rains in California. First of all, we're in the middle of a four-year drought, so every raindrop is welcome. Secondly, Kris loves the rain, so I like seeing the smile on her face when the clouds darken. We experienced a lot of different kinds of precipitation on this adventure, and enjoyed nearly all of it. We had a nice little lunch as we waited for the storm to pass.
Pass it did, and we considered what to do with the rest of our day. We decided to drive up to the Emerald Bay overlook. This is a cliff high up in the Sierras that allows you to look down into the lake. There, on an island in the lake, is a castle. Of all things. It's tiny, though, because you're very high.
It's actually also very tiny. It's technically called "The Tea House", and is a miniature castle that was used by the inhabitants of the nearby estate as... well, as a tea house. The nearby estate, now the property of the great state of California, is located on the nearby shore, and is called "VIKINGSHOLM".
Which is a pretty awesome name.
At the Vikingsholm overlook, I chased a chipmunk around and over all of the rocks. "Don't fall off the mountain, dear," said Kris, as I hopped up onto rocks that were, admittedly, pretty close to the edge of a gigantic cliff. The chipmunk and I were friends by the time we left.
And now, for a quick Public Service Announcement: Remember, you should never ever feed wildlife. I did not feed the chipmunk. I just chased him around with my camera.
Note that there is no shot of a chipmunk here. Make of that what you will.
Tomorrow, ADVENTURE!! :)