Archive for the ‘Coldwell Banker Real Estate’ Tag
Sunny skies on Sunday at Tahoe
Yes, it’s that time of year again. When crisp mornings are followed by warm afternoons, and the bright yellow leaves of the aspens and cottonwoods shine brightly against the deep blue skies. But then, just when you are nicely lulled into complacency with the beauty of autumn, the snows of winters arrive, usually with a vengeance with just a day or two of warning. Will you be ready?
-Are the hoses disconnected and stowed away? Has the sprinkler system been turned off and drained?
-Is everything out of the yard that you don’t want covered in snow for the next six months? Kayaks? Lawn chairs? Planters? Bike racks?
-Do you have all your firewood stacked and ready to be easily accessed so you can stoke the flames of winter?
-Has your heater been serviced?
-Have you installed a stop and drain valve to easily shut off the water in your house when you leave for an extended period?
-Have you reorganized your garage so that you can actually get a car in there? And does that car have its winter tires on? Do you need new windshield wipers?
-Is the snow blower ready to go, or the snow poles installed along the driveway so the snow plow company won’t dig up your landscaping?
-And where is that @#*& snow shovel and snow and ice scraper?
View from my office this morning!
Phew, you’ve finished those pesky chores. Now you just have one more fun step before winter. Go shopping. Can’t find your warm gloves and need to get another pair? What about that jacket that died in April? Now’s the time, and the local businesses would love to see you come walking in the door. Or better yet look up the local ski swaps. I’ll have information on ski swaps later in the week so check back in a few days.
Finally, satisfied that you are ready, it’s time to sit back, relax and dream of what that fresh dumping of new snow will bring you: Is it a smooth glide across Euer Valley, or would you prefer to catch a view of Tahoe as you make your turns from the top of the Sherwood Chair? Or perhaps your dream is simply sipping on a hot toddy, sitting close to the crackling fire, and watching the big flakes float to the ground.
Share this: Lynn Richardson, Your Friend in High Places
Soon the dust will settle under a fresh dumping of rain, and we will all be happy mountain bikers, hikers and leaf peepers. But then those pesky and lovely children who reside in our mountain homes will look out the window at the steady rain coming down and say, “I’m bored! What are we going to do?” And you, being the brilliant parent you are, know the answer: The Truckee KidZone.
The KidZone Museum is located at 11711 Donner Pass Road. It’s the large white dome between Truckee High School and the Fire Station. At the Museum you will find a hands on museum and a place for young children to play. There is an outdoor nature play center, an Art Studio, indoor play structure and a Scientastic lab where kids can join in on weekly hands-on science activities. A highlight of the KidZone is the Take Flight Tahoe hands-n play exhibit, which comes complete with a plane, from which kids can communicate with the control tower. Once they are finished flying they can go fix stuff in the airplane hanger, before retiring to the hotel and café they will visit while traveling.
All the Museum exhibits are created with the same philosophy in mind, learning through play. Kids have fun, work off excess energy, and learn along the way. In fact, perhaps they will have such a good time at the KidZone, they will want to go there on a sunny day.
Summer hours are Tuesday-Sunday 10:00 am to 1:30 pm. Starting October 15th, winter hours go into effect: Tuesday-Friday 10:00 am to 5:00 pm, and Saturday and Sunday, 10:00 am to 1:30 pm. KidZone Museum is also available for parties when closed to the public. Information is available at http://www.kidzonemuseum.org/ or (530) 587-5437.
Share this: Lynn Richardson, Your Friend in High Places
.
EVENT CANCELLED!
Unfortunately, it turns out that this venue is on Federal Park land, not State Park land. As you no doubt have heard, Congress has decided to shut down the entire country’s PUBLIC lands while they decide whether or not to get their collective acts together.
The fish however, did not get the memo. They will continue doing what they do, which is spawn. The rangers won’t be giving the planned educational tours, and the river viewing area and visitor center will be closed. On the other hand, if you are so inclined, there is nothing wrong with a little civil disobedience I say.
Just stroll right past those ‘Park Closed’ signs, enjoy the fall colors and watch the fish!
.
Spawning Kokanee Salmon at Taylor Creek
.
Fall is soon upon us, and that means it is time for the annual Kokanee Salmon spawning ritual.
We on the North Shore of Lake Tahoe and Truckee tend to forget that there is a whole other half to the lake, with plenty of fun things to do – other than gambling. (Although you can do that too after you’re done with the daytime/outdoor activities.)
The South Shore of the lake will once again play host to the annual ‘Fall Fish Festival’ – (formerly known as the Kokanee Salmon Festival.) The name change is no doubt due to the fact that, hey, there ARE other fish in the Lake…which the Forest Service Biologists will be happy to educate you about from 10am- 4pm on both Saturday, Oct. 5th and Sunday, Oct. 6th.
The Taylor Creek Visitor Center is on Hwy 89 south just past South Lake Tahoe heading towards Emerald Bay. The trails at The Center meander through lovely aspen and pine forest as it follows the stream, which is perfect for viewing the colorful salmon as they make their way to the spawning grounds. Depending on what week in the fall you hit the area at, there will be anywhere from dozens to hundreds of salmon the entire length of the stream. (It’s kind of like trying to catch the height of fall colors in the mountains. It’s never at quite the same time every year.) There is also an underground viewing area that cuts right into the stream bed. There you can see what’s really going on underwater and get a different perspective of the stream than you could get viewing it from above.
Do keep an eye out for bears. There’s plenty of fish, so there are often bears lurking about trying to fatten up on all that plentiful bounty before they go into hibernation for the winter. Be sure to go to the links below and read up on the proper ‘bear etiquette’ while you’re at Taylor Creek.
.
Tallac Historic Site
.
Continue along the trail until you get to the fence that separates the nature center from the Tallac Historic Site. Slip through the gate and wander the estate of a bygone era. While the building tours themselves may be closed for the season, the grounds themselves are pleasantly interesting and home to some of the most lovely ‘Old Tahoe’ architecture to be found at the lake. Walk along the beach, or check out the last vestiges of the gardens as they wind down for the growing season.
.
Tallac Historic Site
.
For more information on The Fish Festival and the Tallac Historic Site, go to these links:
Fall Fish Festival
Tallac Historic Site
tahoesouth.com
.
Share this: Lynn Richardson, Your Friend in High Places
YOUR FRIEND IN HIGH PLACES 