Archive for the ‘Lake Tahoe Real Estate’ Category
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Continued from Part 1 – Your Summer Checklist- All Through the House.
In Part 2 of our Summer Checklist, focus is on summer recreation and prepping all of your outdoor gear.
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7) Get outdoor gear ready. This is a biggie here in outdoor recreation nirvana. I once saw a cartoon that had a VW Bug packed with every sort of bike, ski, canoe, outdoor recreation toy, etc. one could possibly imagine. Two guys looked on admiringly at this feat of car packing magnificence. The caption read: “All the toys ON and IN my car are worth more than the car itself!!! How true this is! I can’t help but laugh about it as I pull out my winter gear from the back of the car; ice skates, snowshoes and snow boots, etc… and replace them with beach chairs, towels, bike rack and hiking boots. Here are just a few suggestions to get you ready for summer.
Camping Gear: Now is the time to check your tent for holes and leaks, (as apposed to pitching it out in the wilderness and discovering during a downpour that what you really have is an enclosed camping shower). Check and fill propane tanks for camp stoves and lanterns. Pack matches in waterproof containers. Find all of your sleeping bags, coolers, cooking and eating utensils, backpacks, fanny packs, hiking boots, etc and have them ready to go. It’s annoying to have to spend hours scrounging around the Christmas ornaments and winter gear in the garage looking for all these items when you’re trying to ‘Get Out Of Dodge’ for a last minute camping trip.
Bikes: Check your bike tires and brakes. Replace flat or cracked tires. There are plenty of places in town that do bike tune ups if you’re like me and don’t have time to do it yourself. It’s a messy job anyway. Invest in a small bicycle pump and a few emergency bike tools. Add a basket or pannier to touring bikes for carrying everything from groceries to day trip picnics.
Canoes, kayaks, small boats, etc. Make sure there are no leaks, and all the equipment is in the craft. Life vests and paddles are a must. I’ve overheard many a person groaning that they forgot their paddles after the kayak was already in the water.
Beach Bag of Summer Stuff. I always try to have these items in a large beach bag or day pack in my car at all times: Sunscreen, chapstick, sun hat or visor, tissues, small flashlight, small fanny pack, water bottle, towel, dry socks, flip flops, small rain poncho in a pouch and Swiss army knife. These items are a life saver for impromptu beach or hiking outings to Summer night events. (You’ll thank me later when you have a handy little flash light so you’re not stumbling back to your car in the pitch black darkness after a late night event – for which Shakespeare at Sand Harbor comes immediately to mind…)
Low backed beach chair and outdoor blanket. There are so many summer events for which these are a must, that I always have them in the back of my car. You’ll also want them for those trips to the beach or a campsite rendezvous too.
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Summer at Sunnyside Deck Opening
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8) Make a list of everything you want to do this summer. Like I said, summer’s here are glorious, but brief. Time tends to slip away, we lose track of half the things we wanted to do, and before you know it, summer is gone. I’m usually not one for lists, but having one on the ‘fridge keeps my goals daily in my face so I remember to do them, and there is a real feeling of accomplishment as I check them off. My personal to do list usually involves favorite hikes, bike rides along the river or lake, hanging out on the deck at some of my favorite restaurants and BBQ’s with friends. I started my list already! We attended Sunnyside Restaurant and Lodge’s official opening of their outdoor deck kick off (see photo above) and did the popular Shirley Lake Hike, (see last year’s post on this hike here):
https://yourfriendinhighplaces.wordpress.com/2013/08/16/go-take-a-hike/
From Houzz Summer Checklist: www.houzz.com/ideabooks/25486546
How about you? Do you have any tips for summer to do lists or summer must haves? Things to do, places to go, events to see? Let us know in the Comments section. And we’ll keep you posted on all the fun happenings at Lake Tahoe, Truckee and the surrounding area.
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Share this: Lynn Richardson, Your Friend in High Places
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Photo by Sean Duggan.
“Lunar Eclipse Over Donner Peak”
Here’s my eclipse sequence composite that I photographed a couple of nights ago. This is what I had in mind when I set out to shoot the eclipse (though the Donner Summit location was a last minute decision) and I’m pretty pleased with how it came out. I’m working on a more detailed description of the planning and process that will be available next week.
**4-21-14..Print Update: For all who have inquired about purchasing a print of this image, here is a link where you can do just that. Available in a variety of sizes as photographic prints, giclée watercolor prints, canvas prints and metal prints:
http://seanduggan.smugmug.com/Lunar-Eclipse-Over-Donner-Peak/
The three miles of Old Highway 40 that goes from the western edge of Donner Lake to the top of Donner Summit is packed full of recreational and scenic pleasures. Here are a few of your best options:
Road biking-This three mile climb is the highlight of the one of the regions most popular road bike routes from Donner Lake to Cisco Grove. The views of Donner Lake, Mt. Rose, the Rainbow Bridge and the Donner Crest are unbelievable. And with the steep grade, the speed you will be riding will give you plenty of time to enjoy the view.
Rock Climbing-On the second half of the climb, the road heads past some of the best rock climbing not only in the region, but in the world. There are a variety of interesting routes for every level of climber, and even if you are not a climber yourself, it’s pretty fascinating watching people make their way up those massive rock faces.
Photo by Michelle Portesi
Hiking-Just at the crest of the summit, the Pacific Crest Trail crosses Highway 40. You can hike either direction on the PCT and find spectacular hiking. To the south, the route climbs up towards Donner and Judah Peaks, past Sugar Bowl and eventually into the Granite Chief Wilderness and Squaw Valley (or Mexico if you are so inclined). Heading north, the PCT travels through prime climbing territory while dishing out excellent views of Donner Lake and the Rainbow Bridge. It’s about four miles, mostly ascending, to Interstate 80.
It’s also fun on this northern section to wander off trail through the open terrain and see what you find. There are several larger lakes, and a very small, but surprisingly deep, little pond surrounded by granite. You will know you are in the right place when you see a healthy population of Catfish residing in the pond. Reportedly, the ancestors of these fish were planted by Chinese railroad workers building the Transcontinental Railroad some 150 years ago—they were looking for another source of protein to supplement the meager rations they received from the railroad companies.
20 Mile Museum-From Rainbow Bridge heading west you will find 34 interpretive panels along Highway 40 telling interesting stories about Donner Summit’s colorful and often dangerous past. Whether you are on your bike or in a car, they are certainly worth a stop and read.
Share this: Lynn Richardson, Your Friend in High Places
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Happy Memorial Day everyone. The holiday weekend is usually a sneak preview of our upcoming season. While summers here can be brief, they are in a word: spectacular. If you have never truly spent any time in our fine area, this weekend might just be the time to come up and see all that the area has to offer.
In getting ready for this busy season, I’ve updated the *About page so that you know a little bit more about me personally. I’ve also added a new page *Homes for Sale. While the blog is mostly about enthralling you with the Tahoe Truckee lifestyle and all that we have to offer, the *Homes for Sale page are my listings of current properties for sale and some pending or sold properties. While this by no means is the full breadth of the properties I am selling or have sold, they are a compilation of the most recent. I’ll be updating the page as new properties become available and others are sold.
More information and photos on all of these properties can be seen on my website. Links are listed under each property on the blog.
Here are the direct links to the new and updated pages (or you can just click on the menu tabs above)
https://yourfriendinhighplaces.wordpress.com/about/
https://yourfriendinhighplaces.wordpress.com/homes-for-sale/
So enough about business. There are a few fun things to do this weekend.
May 24 & 25, 11:00am – 7:00pm – Made In Tahoe Festival, Squaw Valley
Join us in celebrating our local arts, culture and music. The festival includes a vendor village, community stage and sidewalk sales. For more info: http://squaw.com/things-to-do/events-calendar/made-tahoe-festival
Sunnyside Celebrates 27 Years
Here’s to another ring on the tree – Sunnyside is turning 27! Celebrate the official start of the Tahoe summer at the Sunnyside Deck Opening and 27th Anniversary Party on Friday, May 23, 2014.
Mountain Grill Opens at 11:30am | Live music from 3 – 9pm. For more info:
http://www.sunnysidetahoe.com/events
Opening Day at the Lake –
Memorial Day Weekend is always considered the official opening of Lake Tahoe’s Summer Events Season. State and Federal Parks gear up for the season, Restaurants open up their patios and folks start opening up their summer cabins and getting their boats in the water. For more info on what’s happening in the area, go to this link:
Calendar of events
So come up and see us this weekend. The Lake is calling…
Share this: Lynn Richardson, Your Friend in High Places
YOUR FRIEND IN HIGH PLACES 