Lake Tahoe!

Right before school started we took a trip to Lake Tahoe for a quick vacation. Mommy and Daddy always thought of Tahoe as a winter vacation spot, so it was our first time going to Tahoe in the warmer months. We were pleasantly surprised when we discovered that it makes a perfect summer getaway. The weather is warm, it's very nature-y (if you're into that), dog-friendly, and family-friendly. And the beach could not be beat!

Always a fun vacation when we can bring Brady!

We rented a cabin on the north shore by King's Beach. Having only been to ocean beaches, we discovered how much fun a lake beach can be. It was warm and sandy, but we didn't have to worry about big ocean waves or salty water. The water was so clean and crystal clear, and shallow enough that we could walk really far out and still be knee deep.

We even rented a kayak. Just trying to get all five of us on board at the same time (including Brady) was pretty funny. People kept offering to take a picture for us, but we didn't bring the waterproof camera. We must have looked like one crazy family! Once Colin got a hold of an oar, he refused to let anyone else hold it, but he didn't know how to paddle either, so we didn't get very far out. Eventually, Mommy and Daddy took turns watching Colin so I could paddle out with each of them. It was super fun and one of the highlights of the trip!

We also had a surprise visitor joining us on the second night.

Cao-Cao!

One of the things Mommy really wanted to do was ride the gondolas up the mountain at Northstar resort. They open up the mountain for hikers and bikers during the summer. Turns out, since it was toward the end of summer already, the mountain was closed on weekdays. Such a bummer. We ended up driving another thirty minutes to Squaw Valley resort, where we were able to ride the aerial tram up the mountain and take a nice scenic hike. It was neat to see what a ski resort looks like when there's no snow.

Cao-cao helped me with a scavenger hunt for things listed on the trail map, and it made the hike much more interesting.

That's a storm brewing in the background. Because of lightning, they had to close the tram early and make everyone go back down. At least we got our hike in!

We're really glad that Cao-cao joined us on this trip. He was super helpful in getting both me and Colin motivated to keep hiking. And we also really enjoyed just hanging out with him at the cabin. It was a real treat to spend some quality time with him.

The morning before we headed home, we stopped by a tiny miniature golf course down the street from our cabin for a quick game. 

Here's another trip to add to our growing list of annual family traditions!