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Published: August 1st 2013
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We headed to California today, which luckily is only about 8 miles down the road from our campsite in Southern Lake Tahoe. A surprisingly well-developed, commercial resort town - a far cry from the places we've been hanging our hats lately. We skipped the casinos and chain restaurants, though.
Instead, we took a Gondola ride up Heavenly Mountain. The views from the midpoint observation deck were astounding. If I hadn't known better, I would have sworn we were in the Caribbean, the water was so blue and teal and clear. We rose about 9,000 feet, marveling along the way at the feat of construction erecting this tourist treat must have been. We have no idea how anyone scaled the virtually vertical rockface we watched unroll beneath us to clear trees, erect poles and string cables.
We knew there would be an opportunity to hike at the top, but were pleasantly surprised to find many other kid-friendly attractions as well. Rock climbing walls, a wooden fort playground, snowless and waterless tubing, log balance beams and more all translated into hours of wholesome, outdoor, kid-safe fun! After a brief stint at the playground where opposing forces attempted to conquer one another's
fortresses, we decided to take the "easy" hike to the eastern overlooks.
We quickly agreed that "easy" was a misnomer or someone's idea of a cruel joke! While not lengthy, the hike was steep and strenuous, especially at 9,200+ feet. We were all huffing and puffing our way up, and some did not even attempt to make it all the way to the top. But the sky has never been a deeper blue, and the colors seemed to just pop in the clear air and higher altitude. We had to discourage the kids from foraging all sorts of natural souvenirs, from rocks to pine cones to sticks for roasting marshmallows. Maggie & Billy tried out their spelunking skills on a rock formation at the top of the mountain - Maverick Maggie and Billy Goat may be more suitable nicknames for those two as they ascended to heights Todd and I wouldn't dare climb!
The hiking trail descent proved far easier than the effort it took to get up there in the first place, thank goodness. Even so, by the time we got back to Tamarack Lodge and the activity area, Todd and I were definitely feeling the thin
air. Sean and Maggie got tickets for the tubing attraction, and Todd and I got adirondack reclining chairs for our well-earned catnap on the top of the mountain!
After almost 4 hours in what really should be another time zone given it's height differential from town, we came down the mountain and explored the touristy trappings of Heavenly Village, a rustic, quaint, overpriced area with cute shops, gourmet everything, and live music to boot. We even treated ourselves to a western-themed old fashioned photo shoot to commemorate our trip! (Sorry, no digital copies provided - you'll have to come visit us to see the outcome!)
Todd and I agreed that someday he and I will spend a long weekend at this posh Marriott resort sans children. It looks like it could be a fantastic couples getaway if it doesn't break the entire bank in the process.
We ended our evening with a mini-celebration that the new campsite at our campground came with a functional internet connection so I could finally post the kids' blogs - hope you enjoyed those! Tomorrow we plan to kick back and relax on the beach, maybe rent a jet ski for an
hour, spend lots of time swimming in the lake, and if the fates are smiling on us, treat the kids to a 10-minute helicopter ride over the lake. So you'll definitely want to stay tuned for that as I'm sure there will be hilarious commentary to accompany such a grand adventure.
Good night for now.
Marcia
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The Other Baldwin Family
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The Thrill of Victory..and the Agony of De-feet!
A gondola ride to "Heaven", now that sounds like a great way to go. That hike on the other hand, leaves me breathless, but from my point of view, well worth it. Great job all! Now, if you see a "Stairway to Heaven", just keep on singing!