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Published: August 2nd 2013
5:00 am - THUMP!!
Marcia - "Oh my God, a bear is ramming the RV!"
Todd - "Tommy fell out of bed."
Turns out Todd was right this time. Tommy had rolled right out of the overhead cab compartment, falling about 3 feet to the floor below with a very loud THUMP! Thankfully, no harm done, other than an absurdly early start to the day. Luckily all were able to get back to sleep for a few hours. Good thing, too, as our day was delightfully full once again.
Our plan (as of 24 hours before) was to rent a jet ski this morning and have Todd take the kids out in turns while Marcia stayed on the beach with the other kids for swimming and sunbathing. We had had a plan yesterday as well to go to a Treetop Adventure park, filled with ropes course, zip lines, tree platforms and just generally cool stuff. Unfortunately, not booking advance reservations has its downsides as when we finally got ready to go we discovered that they did not have any open spots yesterday or today for a family of 6. The Gondola was our second choice and turned
out great, though, so we weren't disappointed.
Today started out a bit rougher, however. When Todd got to the jet ski rental place, he discovered they had canceled all rentals (jet ski, motor boat, even paddle boats) due to high winds. Uh oh. We set up camp on the beach so the kids could swim for a bit, but that was extremely short lived as the roughly 60 degree water proved too daunting for any prolonged water fun. As the kids sat shivering on the beach, trying in vain to shield themselves from the 15 mph winds, Todd called the helicopter place we'd learned of yesterday evening, only to be told that they were also not flying due to forecasted strong winds.
But, being the persuasive and charming guy that he is, he convinced them that we only had one shot at this helicopter experience, so they said okay but come RIGHT NOW! So, after our 15-minute beach stint, we packed up and rolled out as quickly as we could, changing out of bathing suits and into sweatshirts and jeans as we rolled down the road toward the rinky-dink Tahoe airport. The kids were beyond excited at the
prospect of flying, while Todd and I were wondering if 1) we would get there in time for them to still take us up, and 2) if it was actually safe enough for them to take us up if we did.
But as soon as we arrived the excitement and adrenaline took over as we walked out on the tarmac amidst the small private planes. One by one we were assigned seats, strapped in and given our Black Hawkesque headsets for the flight. Even before our skids left the pavement it was one of the coolest things we've ever done! But as we lifted off, the kids were squealing with delight so much that the pilot had to get on and ask them not to scream so loud - he couldn't hear the air traffic control tower! We calmed them down enough to enable the pilot to get out of the airport space, and then spent 10-15 minutes oohing and aahing as the world below us receded and we enjoyed a birds-eye view of this small piece of paradise.
The kids commented almost non-stop, though there was one point about mid-way through our flight when the pilot radioed
back to his partner at the airport not to book anymore flights today. THAT was not very reassuring as images of unplanned water landings raced through our minds, evident from the look Todd and I shared surreptitiously. Putting aside our fears, we enjoyed the rest of the tour, flinching only a few more times as a particularly turbulent wind would shake our tail or induce that stomach dropping feeling you get when on a roller coaster.
Our pilot was great, though, and soon delivered us safe and sound back to the airport, inviting the kids (including the biggest and oldest of us) to all sit in the pilot's seat for a photo op. The kids unanimously announced this as their new favorite hobby and asked when we could go again. We told them to get 2nd jobs.
Seriously, though, it was the thrill of a lifetime, and Tommy in particular seemed to just eat up the entire experience. Perhaps a pilot's license is in his future.
Since our original plan had been to hang out at the beach most of the day doing water sport activities, the turn in weather (windier and chillier than yesterday) meant we
had to quickly regroup. We opted, at Sean's repeated urging, to take a 2 hour boat ride across the lake. The views were spectacular, and Todd and I managed a few relaxing moments in the sun on the top deck while the kids enjoyed a glass bottom porthole and a video in the cabin about what's at the bottom of Lake Tahoe. Which, by the way, we learned is roughly 1645 feet deep at its deepest point, and is the cleanest alpine lake in the world, along with being the 2nd largest. If it were drained, it would cover the state of California in 14 1/2 inches of water. Yes, Todd's proclivity for trivia is wearing off on me after repeated and consistent exposure for 14 days.
Which also marks the halfway point of our 28-day adventure. Hard to believe we are cresting the hill and beginning the downward slope, but it's true. At dinner this evening, we asked the kids about their favorites so far. Horseback riding, helicopter rides, the bison traffic jam and the lake cruise were all immediate and definite responses. Of course, this suggests that the actual National Parks we've seen (Mt. Rushmore, Devil's Tower,
Yellowstone, Grand Tetons, Crazy Horse drive by) aren't making quite as much as an impression as we might have hoped!
But everyone agreed the trip has been going very well, with a few notable excepted moments, of course. But when I see Maggie and Billy going off to climb rocks together, or Tommy and Sean engaging in a high-speed, intense conversation that really only the two of them can process and understand, I can't help but think that this trip is cementing some familial relationships in ways that won't be evident for years to come. Yes, they all still threaten to do bodily harm to each other on a daily basis. But they also genuinely like one another and enjoy spending time together every now and then. I look forward to watching those relationships evolve and deepen over the next decade or so. The glimpses we're getting on this trip of what may come in the future are heartwarming and encouraging.
When we pulled into camp tonight it was already dark. Before we got set up for the night, we brought all the kids out and looked up. As expected, they were in awe of the sheer number
of stars we could see, including the Big and Little Dippers, the North Star, Orion's Belt, and even (faintly) the Milky Way. It was a great moment, just standing there under the towering pines, looking up into the heavens, bedazzled with a million points of light glittering just for us to enjoy.
We got back too late for a campfire tonight (dinner was a whole other adventure we can talk about some other time), so we roasted marshmallows over the gas stove as the kids got ready for bed, and tried yet another fancy s'more recipe from Sean's book. Squish a marshmallow between two chocolate chip cookies, really. Sickeningly sweet, as you can imagine. But I must say, the propane flame does a fabulous job of toasting the marshmallows!
We're off to Yosemite tomorrow - Todd will rise early and get us on the road as the rest of us sleep. Our pilot recommended stopping at a particular lake between here and there (I've forgotten the name), and we're hoping to get in early enough tomorrow afternoon to be able to do a little exploring/hiking before we head to the campsite. I'll be eager to see how Yosemite
compares to Yellowstone, as there's been a bit of an ongoing curiosity about the two "Y" parks and which one will be better. Guess we'll know tomorrow or the next day which one wins this crowd's stamp of approval for first place.
Thanks for reading and commenting - not only are we feeling blessed to be able to take this trip in the first place, but doubly so to be able to share it with all of you.
Marcia
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Carol Koboldt
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Marcia, I'm really enjoying your commentary on the trip. It brings back so many memories of doing a similar trip 21 years ago (we only did 14 days, covering places you've seen to date). Look forward to the blog every day!