Swimming Dogs and a Goat Farm

The weather is hot (finally!) and we were in need of a cool-down. Andrew had Friday off so we headed to a water park. We had a blast feeling like kids again on the big slides. On Saturday, we went to a nearby lake at Shadow Cliffs Recreation Area and spent the day along the shore. We read and played with Hazel. She had a great time swimming and sunbathing. Hazel loves nothing more than lying in the sun (well, that or eating a banana) so this was a day in heaven for her. 

We spent Sunday in Pescadaro and Half Moon Bay. Pescadaro is home to Harley Farms, a goat dairy farm. We went on the farm tour, which started with an overview of the farm as we sat in the garden where they grow edible flowers. Next, we ventured into the pasture and were able to move around freely and pet the goats. We were surprised at how laid back the goats were. These guys ladies (they are being bred for their milk!) would wander over to us wanting to be petted. Our guide explained any and everything you could possibly want to know about the animals. We also saw the area where the goats are milked twice daily, and even went in the kitchen where they make the cheeses. The tour was followed with a very delicious cheese tasting. We had such an amazing time at the farm that I told Andrew that someday I think we’ll need to buy a couple goats. We’ll see if we ever live somewhere where we don’t have a city ordinance against it! But, really, who would have known that goats could be that cool?

On the way home, we stopped in Half Moon Bay where there is a paved trail alongside the ocean. We had brought our bikes so we spent the rest of the afternoon biking with a beautiful view.

 

Lake Tahoe

What a great weekend! We hopped in the car on Friday and had one thing on our minds… a relaxing weekend camping in Lake Tahoe. It took us four hours to get to Nevada Beach Campground, our home for the next two nights. We really lucked out with our camp site.  The view was absolutely incredible.

I had never been to Lake Tahoe, so the idea of snow covered mountains in June was extremely foreign to me. While lying outside our tent, I was able to suntan while looking at the snowy mountains! Andrew kayaked on the lake while I read but by the early afternoon we were ready to hike with Hazel to see the Angora Lakes. We were expecting it to be a short one, however, the road that lead to the trailhead was gated shut, presumably from the lingering snow and heavy snow melt. We decided to park the car outside the gate and hike it in to the trailhead. This ended up taking much longer that we had anticipated. Andrew had his iPad with him which he consulted with often and would say to me “it (the lake) should be just over this ridge.”

That became the trip’s tagline as it felt like we crossed 20 ridges before we ended up approaching the still-frozen lake! How quickly our dream of cliff jumping into the lakes came to an end! Hazel must have sensed the upcoming calamity because she was dead set on turning around just minutes into the hike.

 

But after sweet talking her into cooperating, she proved to be the man woman as she just kept trucking along. The hike certainly wasn’t a bust, though. It was great family time for us and we also got an amazing view of Fallen Leaf Lake.

Since it got cool in the evening, we were able to leave the pup in her cage in the car (windows cracked, of course), and we strolled along the town and through a couple casinos.  We did the same the next morning and also went to a couple beautiful lookouts (including Emerald Cove). Andrew is excited to come back and ski when winter brings a heavy blanket of snow to the mountains. I’m not so much.  But I am all about snuggling up in a ski lodge with some hot chocolate and a good book!

Rainy Weekend

This weekend didn’t quite turn out as planned. The car was loaded with everything that we would need for a weekend of camping in Yosemite. The sky was turning gray before Andrew and I checked the weather (one of these days we’ll learn and do this prior to just before taking off).  Sure enough, rain and thunderstorms were forecasted for all weekend. Not having anything else to do, we hopped in the car and drove over to California’s Great America. We bought season tickets a month ago and have found it so convenient to be able to stop in for a few rides and leave just as soon as the lines and screaming kids get on our nerves. So we got in a couple rides before it started to pour and spent the evening and next day watching movies. 

On Sunday the rain stopped and we went to Gilroy Gardens, which ended up being more of a kid/family amusement park than we realized. And since Andy and I are sans child, we felt a little weird! The park has a garden theme and there are six gorgeous garden areas to walk. I thought the park’s  “circus trees” were really cool. The trees were created by a California man who dedicated his life to shaping and grafting them into these strange and complex designs. The park bought the trees when he died, and transplanted them in their gardens.  The park is in Gilroy, CA, which is known as the Garlic Capital of the World. We drove through Gilroy as we were making our way to our new home on moving day and for some reason escaped the very pungent garlic smell. This Sunday, however, the garlic scent was in full force and had us wondering how the citizens of Gilroy have gotten used to that aroma.

While our parade was definitely rained on this weekend, we ended up having a good time and are excited to do Yosemite another weekend.  But we WILL be checking the forecast first!

Swan paddle boat ride!!