Wednesday, July 25, 2012

"Aunt" Caleb's visit


Boy did we pack it in while my brother was here. (Mary was able to stay a week longer... but that will have to be in another blog.) Nate just adored "Aunt Caleb" as he called him....and I think pretty highly of my brother as well.  :)  I'll give you the quick version of the visit.

Day 1: Mountain Biking on the Flume Trail


This bike ride has spectacular views... if you can endure the first 5 miles of uphill riding.  Mary and I got a head start while the boys (this was the one thing Joe was able to join us on) dropped off a vehicle at the end of the ride.  


It was funny, as Joe and Caleb were passing a couple biking up as well, Joe asked if the couple had seen his wife and her sister riding this way.  They answered, "The only people we have seen so far were two teenage girls just chatting away as they flew past."  Two funny things in that.  1) That I can still pass as a teenager.  2) This was obviously at the very beginning of the ride... we were not talking much near the end of the climb.  

Day 2: Mt. Tallac Summit



Yes, we decided to go big.  With a total distance of 12 miles and a 3,500 feet altitude gain, we had our work cut out for us that day.  But it was worth the effort for the gorgeous views of Lake Tahoe and the desolation wilderness behind us.  Thankfully, we were all still friends at the end of the day.  




Caleb was a stud for carrying my two-year-old up and down and Mary was a lifesaver for carrying Chloe down the whole way.  We slept hard that night. 

Day 3: Bike ride from Meeks Bay to Squaw Valley


Our bums had mostly recovered from our bike ride a couple days ago, so we mounted up again on the other side of the lake and biked the 20 miles out and back along Lake Tahoe and then following the Truckee River.  The kiddos were towed along on this adventure and I was so grateful for Caleb's strong legs and willingness to pull them on the way back!  

Day 4: Small hike to Chimney Beach and celebrating the 4th


We headed out earlier than usual along the east shore to hike down to Chimney Beach, a secluded beach along highway 28.  Sometimes I am the only one there, but it being the 4th of July... a CRAZY time in Tahoe, we definitely were sharing our sand, but not too bad.  We all went for swims in the chilly water, jumped off rocks, caught some rays, and played with the munchkins.  A lovely morning.  



That afternoon Caleb and I got to go paddle boarding while the kids napped while Mary graciously stayed with them and made 4th of July decorations to boot.  Read the earlier post about our 4th of July celebrations if you would like to know more details about the evening.  

Caleb taught Nate to say "Whatsup"

All in all, we had a fantastic time and Caleb was greatly missed when he left early on the morning of the 5th.  His laid back attitude, good laughs, willingness to help lend a hand, and "I'll try anything" mentality was an enlivenment to our summer!  Thanks for coming out C-Diggity-Dogg!  

No comments:

Post a Comment