So to celebrate Michael's 30th birthday (August 29th) and our 5th anniversary (October 25th), we decided to vacation a trip-just the two of us! We have taken short trips around our anniversary the past 3 years, but this one was going to be extra special...I mean, 30 years old and 5 years of marriage is something to celebrate indeed.
My main criteria was I wanted to go somewhere I had never been before that would be difficult to take a little one. As much as I love to veg out on the beach with my feet in the sand and waves crashing on the shore, we decided to go somewhere other than just a beach destination. We do a beach week every summer with Mike's family, and that's always a great place to take kids. I was looking for a little more adventure, and I really wanted to head west. I haven't been out west since high school, and Mike had never been west of Texas before. We looked into several places all over the United States that we both wanted to visit, but from the start, I realllly had my heart set on Lake Tahoe. I never even knew where Lake Tahoe was, but ever since my sister-in-law Megan and her husband Jim took a vacation there and I saw their pictures, it became pretty high on my list of places I wanted to see. So after few weeks of research and discussions/convincing Mike that Lake Tahoe was the best place to go, we booked our trip!
My mom and Jay kept Ellie for us, so we flew out of Atlanta- Atlanta to Chicago (such a tease to not get to stop in for Anna's Bachelorette Party), and then Chicago to Reno, NV. Honestly, just the plane ride itself was awesome. We had incredible views the whole time, and I was just in awe of our vast country, the variety of landscape, and all of the uninhabited land. The pictures don't do it justice, but here are a few views I don't want to forget...
The Salt Flats...just incredible!
Our first day there was super rainy (and snowy at the higher elevations), but it actually was perfect. We landed and arrived in Tahoe just in time to catch the Tennessee vs. Florida game, so Michael had made it clear that finding a sports bar to watch the game was #1 on our agenda. We were starving from a looong day of travel, so we settled in at a great sports bar in Incline Village and ordered a slew of yummy appetizers and delicious football food watching the rain pour down for a few hours. We spent the rest of the day relaxing and exploring our resort.
The Hyatt at Incline Village
And yes, we were the only people hanging out on the beach in the cold, drizzly weather :)
The next day we made our way around the entire lake, which is 42 miles, and made lots of stops along the way exploring different towns and enjoying the unbelievable scenery. The rain we had on our first day seemed to make the air extra clear and crisp, which reminded us so much of our wedding day. Also, it left a blanket of snow on the mountain tops that made our experience even more magical! Apparently, this was one of the earliest snows Tahoe has seen in a long, long time. We loved the weather there...chilly at night in the 30s but sunny and 60s during the day. You are so close to the sun there that 60s feels pretty warm when you are in the sun.
Lake Tahoe is split right down the center making it about half in California and half in Nevada. We stayed in the Nevada side, but we were only a few miles from the state line.
We did a lot of this...taking pictures. How can you not?!?
Drinks and appetizers in Heavenly at Fire & Ice by the fire pit!
Views of the only island in Lake Tahoe, Fannette Island.
The beautiful Vikingsholm, built in 1929. The only way to see Vikingsholm is to hike down the mountain, and then back up, of course. It was a nice hike and definitely well worth it!
This is the M.S. Dixie II, the same boat we took our dinner cruise on.
So we sat down on at a random picnic table before we headed back up the mountain, and we sat right where two other lovebirds named "M and K" were once before. How perfect!! I was so excited! :)
I'm a huge dork.
BIG pine trees!
There are remains of a small, stone "tea house" on top of the island where Mrs. Knight, who owned the Vikingsholm castle (below), used to invite her guests for afternoon tea.
The breathtaking Emerald Bay
At the top of the lookout after our hike
One of the little treasures that I discovered from some of my research was this tiny bar called Chambers Landing. We caught it right before they closed for the season. They make a famous Chambers Punch that is a slushy fruit punch drink with 3 different kinds of rum...and oh my gosh, it was delicious! We had the best time there having drinks on the water and getting to know a couple of locals and a few other regulars. I felt like I was in a movie scene...it was surreal and so.much.fun. Our bartender was great, and I asked her 20 questions of course getting the story behind this neat little bar. Apparently, it's the oldest building over the water west of the Mississippi-pretty cool! Also, it was originally a post office, and mail came in on boats from across the lake. I love fun facts :)
Having a blast at Chamber's Landing!
Such a pretty little bar!
We ate dinner and caught a gorgeous sunset at a restaurant named Sunnyside that came highly recommended by the locals. Good choice!
The following day was the warmest while we were there, so we planned to spend a good part of the day at Sand Harbor State Park just south of our hotel on the Nevada side. They say Sand Harbor has the most beautiful beaches in Tahoe, and from what we experienced, I would have to agree! We rented a tandem kayak for a few hours and had a picnic lunch on the beach. It was heavenly!!!
Setting off on our kayaking adventure!
We kayaked down to "secret beach" and enjoyed a picnic all to ourselves!
Skipping rocks
Ahhh, one of the greatest moments of relaxation!
Reading magazines by the pool...ahhh, so nice!
That evening we enjoyed a sunset dinner cruise to celebrate our anniversary! It was a great time, and the stars were unbelievable that night out on the water!
Beautiful scenery by the docks of Zephyr Cove.
Boarding the M.S. Dixie II
Loved every minute of the sunset dinner cruise to Emerald Bay with my hunny!
Our last day in Tahoe we ended up driving all the way around the lake again but in the opposite direction. It's really amazing how different the scenery seems going one way versus the other. It seems like every time you turn a corner, there is another breathtaking view! We ventured a little farther north and west to a few hot spots we didn't want to miss. We walked around the adorable town of Truckee and had an amazing breakfast at Squeeze In. After shopping around Truckee, where you feel like you are in an old movie scene, we then ventured over to Squaw Valley, which would be a snow skier's paradise!
Truckee, CA
We loved the architecture in Tahoe! We pulled over to snap pictures of this house, one of Michael's favorites.
We enjoyed smores by the bonfire on our last night in our robes followed by one last visit to the hot tubs- nothing short of fabulous!
After 5 days away, we were super excited to get back to see our girl. Ellie had a blast with Nana and Papa Jay in Georgia while we were away, and we are incredibly grateful to them for taking such good care of her! Ellie even got to be in town for cousin Delaney's 2nd birthday, so that was an extra special treat!
I had so much fun going through all of our pictures (hundreds of them!) and reminiscing about our time in Lake Tahoe to write this blog post! It was only a month ago, but the experience seems surreal. It was so wonderful to get away from our day-to-day lives and enjoy a new adventure together to celebrate!! If reading this post hasn't convinced you yet, just ask me about our trip, and I'll be happy to convince you that Lake Tahoe is a must-see/must-do for everyone! We will never forget our time in Lake Tahoe and can't wait to go back someday!
