Lake Tahoe to Napa/Sonoma

We are thoroughly enjoying Lake Tahoe and our home here at Sugar Pine Point State Park, which was recommended by our friend, Krista Hayenga.  We've had one or two other campers in this campground over the 4 nights we were here, but, we virtually have the place to ourselves.  Some of the wonderful things about the whole Lake Tahoe area are the bike paths and hiking trails.  I don't know if the bike path goes around the whole lake but it was everywhere we looked.  I actually got on our bike and took a little tour down to the next town.  As long as I stayed on the bike, I did fine.  Getting on and off with this old hip replacement was the hard part.

While Jim was busy learning about the solar systems (yes, we had one 150 watt panel installed with a 30 amp charge controller before we left), Boo and I took a lovely hike along the General Creek Trail which was the nordic ski trail in the 1960 Winter Olympics.  The trees here are remarkable--large stands of sugar pines, ponderosa, lodgepole and huge pine cones.  Walking in the forest is so different than at home in Colorado, which is so much drier-here the forest floor was soft and spongy.  Everything smelled like pine and the air was crisp (and COLD!)

Just as Jim was going to take a bike ride, we experienced a sudden drop in temperature and a blizzard developed in a matter of minutes.  The snow was coming in horizontally and so, we quickly got back in Maxine, played a little Trivial Pursuit, listened to James Taylor and Carole King, and broke out the good wine!

On Mothers' Day, I got to sleep in (it was in the 20s!) and luxuriate a little. We turn the generator on in the mornings to warm things up-a godsend!  Got phone calls from all the kids--missed being with them but feel like a lucky mom to have these three for my kids!  We packed up a picnic lunch and headed for the lake in 30-40 mph winds, found ourselves a little protected spot for a picnic and then hiked along the beach to the lighthouse.

The wind couldn't reach us here. 

Can't explain this kind of beauty...

My guys - cold but adorable

Our view

This fungus is a gorgeous color but is killing the trees.

Couldn't believe that this was "the lighthouse"!
It is the world's highest elevation operating navigational lighthouse!

We will miss these scenes!

We left Tahoe on the 12th reluctantly but are excited for the next adventure, which will be visiting our niece, Jaime, and her family in Petaluma.  We drove out of Tahoe past Squaw Valley where we have skied before (and barely remember) and over Donner Pass through the beautiful Sierras.  The down hill drive seemed to last forever.  We decided to hunker into an RV park near Napa for a laundermat, a wifi hookup and showers.  We have electricity, a sewer hookup and unlimited water.  Not our style, but very practical and necessary.  For one night, this is good.