Thursday, August 13, 2009

Goodbye Big Pines, Hello Again Sagebrush

I'm back from vacation, our annual trip to Lake Tahoe. Not only do we go to visit my brother and family, but we absolutely love the landscape there. It was pleasant to take a break from the smoldering desert heat. We even had a day of cool air and showers off and on.


No bears caught on film or even in person {darn}. We only heard the cries and hollers of nearby campers upon the visit of a bear the first night. We spotted a couple of deer passing through and several squirrel and chipmunk. This little guy was feasting on a pine cone.




Our favorite event from last year was floating on the Truckee River. We have been telling family about it ever since and was a highly anticipated event for many of the family members joining us this year. Luckily the weather proved to be perfect and I'm pretty certain that the new "river floaters" will be talking about it for some time now.



We experienced a couple of new sights this year. On our travels up north we decided to stop in Bodie, California. Bodie is an old ghost town that was populated in the 1800's. About 5% of the original buildings remain from this gold mining town. It was fascinating to learn about the history there and a great stop for stretching our legs and eating a little lunch. Here we are in front of what remains of the Bodie bank. The bank burned down in 1932, only the brick vault remains. Can you imagine the money and gold that this vault once held!!



Another first was a hike to Angora Lake just south from the campground. A single narrow road along the mountain ridge, a short hike upwards and you reach the most beautiful lake with a small stretch of sandy beach. It was absolutely perfect. The kids enjoyed jumping from the boulders into the chilly water. What a fabulous little gem tucked away in the mountain tops!




The scenery and weather is spectacular, but this year was extra special because of family. It's always a treat to visit with my brother, his wife and their two little girls. They live in God's country everyday. We also shared this experience with family from near and far. I am ever so grateful for the memories. Now I have the task to scrap the 293 photo's I took so I will never forget!


My "little" brother with my kids and his girls on their front deck.


The campground gang!
Remember the camping bingo boards I made? Well, they were a hit. The kids played bingo indoors on our rainy day and the last night we camped.





There was a ton happening in the scrapbooking world while we were away. I arrived back home to some new Autumn/Winter Idea Books and a box filled with brand new merchandise. I am hosting an Open House this Saturday to reveal the new books, show off some new products and projects. Not to mention fun create & take projects to be made. I will post pics from the event soon!

1 comment:

Sarah said...

Wonderful pics Amy!!! Beautiful family. You are blessed.