The last few days we experienced snow, rain, wind and sun.
As expected, Easter Sunday was a very quiet day that we spent reading and watching movies. Monday and Tuesday were a rain and snow mix and we hid out at the coach. It wasn’t the rain and snow as much as the howling wind that kept us inside. Even in our relatively sheltered spot, the wind was rocking our 29,000 pound coach for two days. We did venture out to run a few errands, but quickly returned to the coach.
We did make it to the gym a couple of times and we seem to be acclimating to the altitude. Nine months ago we were running at near sea-level in the sweltering Florida heat and humidity. Now we can watch snow flurries while running on a treadmill at 5,000 feet. We never know what the conditions will be and I’m surprised we’ve kept with the program.
I seem to have recovered from the flu, or whatever it was. Mercifully it passed quickly.
On one side-trip in town we visited the Nugget Casino in Carson City. After a buffet lunch, which was surprisingly good, we viewed their collection of rare gold. The collection includes unusual examples of leaf gold, ribbon gold, wire gold, thread gold and crystallized gold. It also includes samples of smooth gold, more commonly known as nuggets or placer gold. It is a very interesting display and is easily accessible at the front of the casino. It is worth seeing if you are ever in Carson City, Nevada.
Today the skies were clear and we decided to drive up to Lake Tahoe. We had been there almost seven years ago and were curious to see if the place had changed much. From Carson City, it is about a 25 mile drive, straight up. Once we passed 6,000 feet there was still snow on the ground and in the trees, but the roads were clear and dry.
We visited the area at the south end of the lake and it was much as we remembered it. It seems a combination of real estate prices and land use restrictions has kept development under control. Lake Tahoe is really a pretty place and the snow on the surrounding mountains made the views just that more spectacular. We did take some pictures, but they don’t do justice to the real thing.
Many years ago we were staying at Caesars Tahoe on a company-sponsored vacation when we got snowed in. All the roads in and out of the area were closed and we were stuck there for three extra days. Eventually we drove the 25 miles down to Carson City with chains on the truck (we had the pickup then). Looking back, I suppose Caesars Tahoe was not a bad place to be stuck.
Today, we walked around the area crossing back and forth between Nevada and California. We did a little window-shopping and dropped $14 playing video-poker. Near the Heavenly ski lift, we sat on a bench, took in the warmth of the sun and watched the skiers awkwardly clump by with all their gear. It was better than people watching at a sidewalk cafe in Paris. Eventually hunger forced us into the nearest Baja Fresh for Mexican food, which we hadn’t had in a long time. Around 3:00 we headed back to Carson City.
After a dinner of leftovers, we watched the movie Cast Away before going to bed. All in all, it was a good day.