Keep Tahoe Blue

Rai, your father suffers from what is commonly called 'wanderlust'. I have an insatiable curiosity, love to explore new places and terrains, and can't get enough of beautiful landscapes and foreign cultures. In short, I'm a born traveler.
You'd think that 2 years living abroad and 2 years of continuous travel around the world would have been enough to get that travel bug out of me. That's not the case. All that travel has been an appetizer for all the experiences I hope to still have. Luckily, it doesn't take much to fulfill this deep need for discovery and adventure within me. What this means is I don't need to get on a plane and fly off to another part of the world. I don't even need to drive off and out of the city. Often, just spending an afternoon walking the streets and alleys of a neighborhood new to me is enough to quench my thirst for discovery.
In terms of travel, this past year was a tough one for me. The year before, we had made trips during every school holiday (southern California for Thanksgiving, Winnipeg for Christmas, and Montreal and the Maritimes for Spring Break) culminating with 2 months in Japan for the summer. This past year, however, preparing for our biggest adventure yet (your arrival!), we didn't travel anywhere.
Hoping to give me my travel fix, your Mom and I took a little trip up to the Sierra Nevada mountains and Lake Tahoe this past weekend. We've explored this area before, but our last voyage of discovery to this region was more than five years ago. Time really does fly!
We met your Grandma and Grandpa at Lake Tahoe, enjoyed two fine days with them before remaining for two more days just the three of us.
For most of our time in the mountains, the skies were perfectly clear and the sun blazed down strong and hot. These conditions were perfect for showing off this incredible crater lake at its best. The thick, pine forests around the Lake were a deep green and the Lake itself a dark blue tapering to light blues and greens around its shallow shores. Looking out over the beautiful Lake we, for the first time, could see why so many cars in California have those 'Keep Tahoe Blue' bumper stickers.
Our mission was simple: show Rai the beauties of this blue gem in the mountains. Our days were simple too. From the hundreds of hikes that can be done around the Lake, we chose the best five or six. Each day we took you on one or two breathtaking hikes (on which you never failed to get the attention of at least 3 or 4 other hikers who couldn't get over how adorable you are), enjoyed the sunset over the Lake, and gave you a bath in our cooler in the evening.
Like the Ocean, you'll need a few more visits to fully understand what you're seeing but, with a family cabin under renovation just 30 minutes south of Lake Tahoe, we're sure you'll have plenty of opportunities yet.
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A video from our walk down to the incredible Emerald Cove...


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The Sierra and Tahoe are so beautiful and we were there for five days so here's a slide show with more photos:
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