Travelogue 22--Nevada & California

This travelogue will be presented mostly through pictures...we hope you enjoy them!

After spending Labor Day weekend staying in Park City, UT, and visiting our friends, Jane & Jerome Johnson, we headed west. We were delighted to learn that we were just in time to take in the Reno Hot Air Balloon Festival. We headed down the mountain at 4:30 a.m. in order to witness the awe-inspiring ascension of about 120 magnificent balloons at dawn. What a spectacle it was! They came in all shapes, sizes and colors--each one, fascinating in its own way. This was our first balloon festival experience, but we're sure it won't be our last!

Reno Hot Air Balloon Festival

More Hot Air Balloons

Hot Air Balloons Come in All Shapes!

We also headed over to the infamous Virginia City, NV to check out this historic mining area. We strode along wooden boardwalks, sauntered into the "Bucket of Blood Saloon," and viewed the International Camel Races (until the rain started). Taking a ride on the Virginia-Truckee Short-line Railroad was a ride back in time. We headed to the neighboring area to see the old Gold Hill Mine with its visible remnants of days gone by. Virginia City definitely has a 'tourist trap' feel, but we still enjoyed walking with the ghosts of the old miners.

Virginia-Truckee Railway and Gold Hill Mine at Virginia City, NV

We made our home at Sugar Pine Point State Park on Lake Tahoe for the next two weeks. Our campsite was tucked away beneath the giant sugar pines. The quiet was only broken by the coyotes and birds. One day when Tom was bike riding, he surprised two bears as they were sitting on top of a huge dumpster, prying the lid off. They sure are resourceful critters!

Sugar Pine Point State Park, Lake Tahoe, CA

We loved the beauty of the Lake Tahoe area. Unfortunately, the smokey haze from the California wildfires significantly impacted the photography opportunities on most days. Still, we really enjoyed the hiking, biking and fantastic scenic beauty. We took several side trips including one to the Donner State Park where we learned more of the tragic tale of the Donner Party.

Sugar Pine Cone, Lake Tahoe's Emerald Bay, and Tom enjoying Lake Tahoe, CA

Lake Tahoe itself is a very beautiful lake. The water is quite clear, and there is even a visitor center with an underwater viewing chamber that was well worth the visit.

Lake Tahoe and viewing chamber

After enjoying Lake Tahoe, we headed over to the wine country to meet up with some friends of ours, Charlie and Norma Cooper. Charlie was working as a grape tester for one of the wineries, and Norma was working through a temp agency. Since they were both well acquainted with the area and the wine industry, they became our very knowledgeable guides. Before Charlie and Norma became full-timers, they had a model building business. It was wonderful to see two of their models on display in the wine country--one at the Sonoma Valley Visitor Center and one at one of the wineries in the area.

Charlie & Norma Cooper and the model they built

Grape clusters; Tom and I enjoying the winery grounds

The next destination we headed for was Yosemite National Park. That's where the next travelogue will pick up, Until then...

Love from the wanderers as the journey continues...

Kay & Tom

Checkout the other Travelogue entries!