Page, Andy, Margaret and Henry's Travelblog

Lake Tahoe Vacation!

2006-08-19T11:22:00.000-07:00

Our family went to the shores of Lake Tahoe, California for our summer vacation in August. We stayed in the Berghoff, the cabin above, for a week. The cabin is located in Tahoe City, CA, with 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, and can sleep up to 8 folks.

It was a fantastic week, in which we went miniature golfing, hiked at Squaw Valley, visited Reno, cruised on a boat on the Lake, and simply relaxed, reading books, watching movies, eating good food (except for a really bad Mexican place - but there's always one of those on every trip).

Just as with our Kauai trip, this blog is set up chronologically from top to bottom (unlike other blogs which are bottoms up). So sit back, relax, and enjoy the pics from our trip to Tahoe!

Near the 18th hole.

Margaret putting away!

Henry claimed it was a two putt, but we all know it was a not-so-pretty double bogey.

Squaw Valley!

2006-08-19T11:18:00.000-07:00

On Monday we visited Squaw Valley, where we did some shopping at the Village at the base and we rode the cable car to the High Camp at 8200 feet, where we hiked a trail.

A bench made from skis.

An oversized "Paul Bunyan" chair.

With a miner! In the Village at Squaw Valley...

HIking at High Camp

2006-08-19T11:12:00.000-07:00

High Camp at Squaw Valley is at the 8200 ft elevation. We hiked a trail called the High Camp Loop, which is a little more than a mile and is classified as easy to moderate with minimal climbs.

Hah! Even the minimal climbs at this elevation are a little tough to get adjusted to. But we had a wonderful hike with fabulous views of the mountains (amidst the quiet chair lifts).

A meadow along the trail.

In wintertime, this area is flush with skiers. But it was a beautiful hiking these trails. We'll be back one day to hike more trails here.

The Olympic Museum

2006-08-19T11:08:00.000-07:00

At High Camp, there is a small Olympic museum dedicated to the games of the VIII Olympic Winter Games in 1960 at Squaw Valley. We enjoyed looking at the assorted artifacts and displays about those Games.

Some of the nations who attended.

Henry got the Gold! It was in the luge...

Can you hear the Olympic theme?

Views from High Camp

2006-08-19T11:04:00.000-07:00

Lake Tahoe is in the distance...

...a view sans family in the way...

...and more views from 8200 feet...

Riding Back Down

2006-08-19T10:56:00.000-07:00

One of the cable cars that we rode back down from High Camp.

Looking down from the cable car.

Once we passed this hill...

...we saw this view of the Squaw Valley base camp.

It was a wonderful morning and early afternoon hiking at the High Camp at Squaw. Once we arrived at the base, we walked around and shopped at the Squaw Valley Village, which is a little community of residences above retail and restaurant outlets, evoking a European village.

Wednesday AM

2006-08-19T10:50:00.000-07:00

We walked into town on Wednesday morning, and visited a small museum on Tahoe history and its surrounding grounds. There were a couple of brief trails that we walked as we awaited the museum to open.

The shoreline outside the museum.

A massive ant hill near the museum - the ant hill's large enough to merit its own sign!

The kids outside the museum.

Commons Beach

2006-08-19T10:41:00.000-07:00

While Page and Margaret were at the dentist on early Wednesday afternoon (to replace a filling that Margaret had lost), Henry and I walked down to Commons Beach in Tahoe City, where we played catch, had a snack, and Henry played at the playground adjacent to the beach.

Fortunately, all went well at the dentist, and the four of us eventually had lunch together at a local Mexican restaurant that shall remain nameless, due to food quality that was not even up to the standards of Mexican food at a Denny's, and service that moved at the speed of a turtle.

That aside, it was still a nice afternoon...after all - we were still on vacation!

The pier at Commons Beach.

Sun worshippers at the beach.

Henry enjoying the beach!

The Tahoe Gal

2006-08-19T10:36:00.000-07:00

On Wednesday afternoon, we took a happy hour cruise on the Tahoe Gal. We had an appetizer and drinks on this brief hour and a half cruise along the northern shoreline of Lake Tahoe, cruising from Tahoe City to Tahoe Vista and back. It was very relaxing, with wonderful views of the surrounding Sierra mountaintops.

The Tahoe Gal...

Preparing to board...

The kids just as the "Gal" was leaving the dock.

Views from the "Gal"

2006-08-19T10:32:00.000-07:00

The northern shoreline.

The southwestern shoreline.

Lakeshore homes with private piers.

Around the bend is the town of Tahoe Vista.

More from the Tahoe Gal

2006-08-19T10:28:00.000-07:00

Our future vacation home with private pier...wishful thinking!

Page, Margaret and Henry enjoying the view from the "Gal".

The "Gal's" resident salty dog. It was actually a statue!

Sugar Pine Point

2006-08-19T10:25:00.000-07:00

We spent part of Friday at Sugar Pine Point State Park, along Tahoe's western shore. We were there before a larger crowd came, so we shared the thin strip of beach with only a couple of families.

The pier at the Park.

The thin strip of beach.

A couple of kayakers...

More from Sugar Pine Point

2006-08-19T10:20:00.000-07:00

The warning sign along the shoreline.

...which we ignored. Of course, the water was only knee deep...

Margaret and Henry hanging out on a log at the beach.

It was a great vacation in Tahoe. We will be back again!

Welcome to Kauai!

2006-02-20T23:45:00.000-08:00

Aloha! And thanks for joining us on our travelblog to Kauai. You will want to start here and scroll down, as the pictures are (more or less) presented in chronological order from the top of the blog to the bottom (unlike most blogs, which are bottom up).

Our family, in spite of brief illnesses among the 4 of us, had a wonderful time on Hawaii's Garden Isle. We managed to snorkel, sail, eat lots of food, play at the beach, and simply enjoyed the beauty of this island.

It certainly won't be our last visit!

So sit back, relax, and enjoy this virtual vacation!

The mauka view from the lanai of our condo at the Plantation Hale.

Opaekaa Falls, just a couple of miles from the beach.

The Wailua River valley. On the left side is the field on which Indiana Jones ran escaping the villagers in the opening scene of Raiders of the Lost Ark. The village in the right hand side was used in the Dustin Hoffman film, Outbreak; it was the village that was destroyed due to the ebola outbreak.

Page and Margaret snorkeling in the waters of Lydgate Park.

Page and Margaret at the Kauai Coffee Company. Good java here, and beautiful fields of coffee plants.

Margaret at Kamalani Playground at Lydgate Park. The beach is about 100 yards from the play structure.

Henry and Margaret ready to tackle the swimming pool!

The Wailua River and the Fern Grotto

2006-02-20T23:29:00.000-08:00

On Saturday, we travelled by boat up the Wailua River to the Fern Grotto.

The boat dock.

Getting ready for the ride upriver.

One of the Smith's boats returning to dock as we pulled out.

The trail leading to the Fern Grotto.

The Fern Grotto (stock photo "borrowed" from elsewhere.)

Hula entertainment and music on return from the Fern Grotto.

If this looks familiar, this was the field where Indiana Jones ran from the villagers during the opening minutes of "Raiders of the Lost Ark". The rope swing, however, was filmed elsewhere on the island.

More from the Fern Grotto

2006-02-20T23:22:00.000-08:00

View of the approach to the Fern Grotto, from inside the Grotto.

Ferns hanging down from the Grotto's ceiling.

Smith family members perform the "Hawaiian Wedding Song." The Fern Grotto is a popular Kauai locale for weddings.

Inner Tubing!

2006-02-20T23:14:00.000-08:00

Page and her dad went inner tubing on Monday. I was going to go, but alas, that was the day that Kamehameha's wrath was incurred on my poor digestive system. Here are a few shots that Page took from Hanama'ulu, where they went inner tubing down an old plantation irrigation canal.

View from the starting point.

The start of the canal adventure.

Page lazily floating down the canal.

More folks headed down the canal.

Apparently, at least 3/4 of the tubing adventure occurred in shade or in tunnels, which explains why they had to wear helmets and head-mounted flashlights.

Still, looks like it was a fun time. I will have to do this the next time I'm in Kauai.

Old town Hanapepe

2006-02-20T20:38:00.000-08:00

With Grandma and Grandpa in tow, the family tackles the Swinging Bridge in Hanapepe.

The river that runs underneath the swinging bridge.

The Swinging Bridge really did swing! The kids were a bit nervous crossing it.

The kids found a banana tree outside the Kauai Kookie Company in Hanapepe.

The Sunset Sail from Poipu

2006-02-20T20:08:00.000-08:00

On Valentine's Day, the four of us sailed on the "Spirit of Kauai", a 55 ft catamaran, for a sunset sail out of the port at Poipu Beach. We left at 4:30 pm, and sailed east along the coastline, searching for humpback whales.

We succeeded - it was on this sail that we sail a whale breach. As Henry said, "I saw his face!"

Awaiting departure.

Page, Henry and Margaret relaxing before our departure.

Andy and Henry relaxing on the trampoline.

Hanging loose with very silly faces.

Our Hawaiian Jimmy Buffett...

Page, Margaret and Henry relaxing on the trampoline.

Family shot, with Poipu in the background.

More of the Sunset Sail

2006-02-20T20:00:00.000-08:00

The mountains of southern Kauai.

The kids relaxing on board, watching the sunset.

A Hawaiian sunset.

Kapa'a Farmer's Market

2006-02-20T19:56:00.000-08:00

The small, yet crowded Kapa'a farmer's market, complete with pineapples, papayas, and other tropical fruit.

The kaimito and chitco - two fruit we'd never tasted before. Delicious!

Luau!

2006-02-20T19:22:00.000-08:00

On our final night in Kauai, we attended a luau at Smith's Tropical Paradise near the banks of the Wailua River. Fabulous meal, with kalua pork, teriyaki chicken, salad with choice of papaya seed dressing or lava guava dressing, fried rice, sweet potatoes, macaroni salad, vegetables, cucumber salad, and more wonderful dishes too numerous to remember.

I'm typically not a fan of rice pudding, but their rice pudding for dessert was outstanding.

And no...I still don't do poi.

Family photo in matching outfits just prior to the luau, taken outside our condo.

The entrance to the "tropical paradise."

The schedule of events. A fantastic show followed the meal.

The grounds of Smith's Tropical Paradise.

Peacocks walked around the grounds amidst the guests.

Guests begin to congregate around the imu.

Page and the kids on a pedestrian bridge in "paradise".

The imu. The pig is buried in there.

The imu ceremony. The pig is being lifted from the pit.

Hang loose...

Hanging loose with some of the cast members.

Page and Margaret with some of the ladies from the cast.

The show that followed the meal was a fantastic homage to Polynesian, Hawaiian, Filipino, Chinese, and Japanese cultures, full of wonderful dances. We highly recommend this luau if you go to Kauai.

The Last Day

2006-02-20T18:46:00.000-08:00

Our last day in Kauai consisted of breakfast at Gaylord's, at the old Kilohana Plantation, where we were serenaded by the guitarist in the picture above.

We then did a little bit more shopping at Hilo Hattie's, before returning to our condo to finish packing.

Once done with the packing, we took one last stroll along the beach at the Coconut Coast.

View back towards the mouth of the Wailua River

Andy and Henry walking along the beach.

Henry playing in the sand one last time.

And then, it was time to return to 50 degree weather in the San Francisco area.

Mahalo to the kind citizens of Kauai! We'll be back again!