Just to clarify - we only went to Tahoe once this summer, but we stayed for two weeks and I took an insane amount of photos. That's why these posts just keep going on and on. I promise this is the last post about Tahoe (until our next visit, of course). So here are our last ten Tahoe things!
1. Laking it. The lake itself was such a dream. We went almost every day and the kids loved going in and out of the crystal-clear water. Life without waves is a lot easier for toddlers on a beach!
2. The Flamingo Float. When you send a dad to the gift shop with a couple of kids in tow, they are going to come back with a gigantic flamingo float. No exceptions. Luckily, there were air pumps to blow up this giant monstrosity, or else said dad would have been mighty out of breath. Thank goodness for the dads of the world, because this purchase provided tons of fun for the kids. Orelia and her friends loved fitting in with all the millennials on the beach with their Instagram-worthy floats.
3. The Lake House. Kids LOVE a vacation home or hotel room, and it seems to make them sillier and quicker to laugh the second they walk through the door. We shared our second week with our friends and their kids, and it was lots of fun for everyone.
4. Jet skiing. Kids had to be five years old in order to jet ski, so of course we winked at Orelia (who was 4 and 11 months at the time), and she was magically five years old for the day! John and I took turns taking Orelia out on the jet ski, and she loved the thrill of it.
5. Fourth of July Dance Party. We avoided the beach on the Fourth of July, as it was complete mayhem. We took the kids to see a movie in the morning and had a BBQ in the afternoon with s'mores for dessert. While waiting for the fireworks (which we never ended up seeing anyway), the kids had the greatest time dancing on the deck. There's nothing like an impromptu dance party to make a night memorable.
6. Sky Jump. Orelia and Daddy are the adrenaline-rush-seekers in our family, and the Sky Jump was no exception. Bennett and I said "no, thank you" to this event, while Daddy and Orelia jumped and flipped high above us. John even accomplished a double flip a few times!
7. An Indoor Pool. Our kids haven't had the chance to visit a lot of indoor pools before, but I have a feeling this won't be our last one. They absolutely loved a warm pool and a hot tub, especially when Daddy launched Orelia to the next zip code.
8. The Rainbow Trail. When we had some time to kill, a kind local pointed us in the direction of the Rainbow Trail, named for the rainbow-colored flowers that line the path. Bennett is quite interested in colors, and absolutely adores the color purple, so he loved pointing out all the flowers sporting his favorite color.
9. Horseback Riding. When I was two years old, I certainly wasn't doing any horseback riding. Technically we booked a "pony ride" for the kids, but at this ranch it's actually just a very docile and elderly horse named Craig that takes kids for a walk around the property. Both Orelia and Bennett were very eager to try this, and I was so happy to see them out amidst the towering trees on a gorgeous animal.
10. Communing with Nature. We spotted a bear strolling down our street and wandering into driveways during our second week in Tahoe . After that, I pretty much let John handle all of Harper's walks. On the rare occasion I did walk Harper after our bear-sighting, I spent the entire walk on bear-lookout duty, wondering whether I should pick Harper up, if we spot a bear, or let her defend herself. Luckily, it never came to that. The kids had an absolute blast on this trip, and loved spending as much time as possible in the dirt, sand, forest, or lake depending on the setting. Summers are a wonderful time to let kids explore (though next time I'll take my exploring sans bears please).
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