Tahoe!

Last Saturday found us with a rare day off and since Gary's school is only an hour and a half from Lake Tahoe, we quickly decided to spend our extra time there.

We packed a picnic lunch, water bottles and our youngest son and headed out in Sugar Pine Point State Park for a walk in the woods and spectacular views of Lake Tahoe. 

I just love the smell of the forest! Don't you?

The boys were great hikers. We figure we walked about 3 miles total and there was only minimal complaining near the end. We're looking forward to many many more family hikes as they grow!

This is where we spread out our picnic blanket and enjoyed a lunch of veggie BLT sandwiches, grapes and mango salsa and tortilla chips with a hint of lime. 

I love love love this picture! Daddy's showing his boy a thing or two about skipping rocks.

After lunch we headed out for the rest of our hike.

Look--I was there! 

And so was Josiah!

We walked around for a long time looking for a lighthouse that was on our map, but we never found it. In talking to other hikers, apparently it's a deceptively small light on a rock and not an actual structure. Rude!

The boys loved climbing on the base of this tree. I loved the photo-op.

The last stop was to see the Hellman-Ehrman Mansion. We didn't take the tour of the inside, but enjoyed a walk around the grounds.

(Does this shed count as our barn for today?)

This was a family summer home built in 1903. It had electricity and running water (generator-powered)!

Tons of top soil from the back country was hauled in to create the hill's lawn and garden. It was just sand before. 

We took our tired feet and exhausted little boys back to the car and treated them to Mexican food before we headed home.

Thanks for enjoying our day at Tahoe with us!