Lake Tahoe

This past weekend we went on a family camping trip to Lake Tahoe.  I'm embarrassed to admit this but this is the first time we've been camping with all the kids.  I really like camping, but not so much with tiny babies or while pregnant.  So to all you who camp with teeny ones or while expecting, I commend you.  You are a better person than me.  Emma is big enough now to walk around and not fall in the fire, so we geared up and headed to the lake.  Tahoe is about 4 hours from our house.  Our gear barely fit in the car with all the kids in there.  It was a tight fit.  We might have to pack stuff on the roof rack next time.  Here are the kids helping us set up the tent.  I booked a site at a resort (Camp Richardson) with a beach and marina on the lake so we were really close to the water.  They also have a bike rental place and little ice cream shop.  The place was nice and it was fun, but I don't think I would recommend it or stay there again because of the beach situation.  I'll get to that.

Matthew and Anna came with me to buy some firewood from the little camp store.  

They did some exploring along the way.

Our first night we had tacos.

I was afraid I would forget something vital with the food, but it all worked out.

The kids playing Go Fish.

John checks out the fire.

Matthew brought his bird book.  He enjoyed identifying the different birds that we saw.

Matthew and Anna have inherited my love of well done marshmallows.

If it ain't black, put it back (in the fire).

Mmmm, s'mores!

Hot cocoa with breakfast.

We drove over to Emerald Bay.  We would have liked to explore more (Vikingsholm and some of the waterfalls and trails) but it was so crowded we couldn't find a parking space.  Lake Tahoe is so beautiful (I'd never been there before) but super crowded on summer weekends apparently.  In Southern California people go to Vegas for the weekend.  In Northern California they go to Tahoe.  We lucked into a parking spot at this lookout over Emerald Bay.  So pretty!

We need to come back at a less crowded time!

Grant tries to block Anna's view

After being unable to park anywhere at Emerald Bay we headed back toward our campsite (South Lake Tahoe area).   We stopped at the Lake Tahoe visitor's center.  I love visitor centers!  They were having a small festival there - the Native Species Festival.  Lots of plant displays - too bad my mom wasn't there.  We got to meet Smokey the Bear.  But the kids didn't know who he was and were all (but Anna) too afraid or shy to approach him.

At the visitor's center we were able to go on a short hike.  The visitor's center was gloriously uncrowded.  I think the hike was only a half mile loop but part of the loop was flooded so we went down one way until the flooding and then back the other way to the flooding, so I think we did a mile total.  Emma was getting a little tired by the end.

Here we are near the flooded part.  Part of the trail had a boardwalk over a marsh area.  This was taken seconds before Matthew fell in.  :(  He only fell in with one leg at least.  He was ok.

View of Mt. Tallac I want to say.

Part way through the hike was this stream profile where you could see under the stream.  It was so cool.  This was part of Taylor Creek.

And Taylor Creek from above.  All the rivers and streams we saw were bursting with water.

It's a high water year for California.

We found the flooded boardwalk trail again.

Time to head back.

Checking out a cool topo map of Lake Tahoe.

There were lots of fun activities as part of this Native Species Festival.  The kids got to climb through this blow up salmon...

Then swim up stream...

And hide their eggs in the gravel

They got to make bracelets.  Each color represented something about the salmon.

The rangers told the kids about it.

And helped them with their bracelets.

Later on we headed to the beach.  I thought this beach was private for guests of the resort only.  But that was not the case.  Anyone can use the beach.  And on this summer Saturday afternoon, everyone did.  It was so crowded.  Horribly crowded.  Like spring break in Florida.  I was disappointed about that.  But we braved the crowds for a few hours.

The trees go right up the shoreline so there is not a lot of beach to speak of and its actually shady in the water.  That's not something you find at most beaches.  At our campsite and in the lake there was a lot of yellow pollen from the trees.

We rented a kayak for a few hours. That was so much fun.

I haven't been kayaking in many years.

The boys on the beach

And some of the girls.  Emma did not want her feet to touch any sand or pine needles, so I held her most of the time.  I can't wait until she outgrows this.

John on the skinny beach.

Some of our kayakers

More kayakers.  Everyone got a chance to go.  And everyone but Emma went multiple times.  The kids really liked kayaking.  We'll have to go again.

And here we are on our last night having hot dogs.  The kids loved camping and want to go again soon.  I had a great time too but was not thrilled with the crowds.  Lake Tahoe is so beautiful and I'm glad we got to visit.  I'd love to come back again, but would prefer a less crowded time or place.  It was just too many people for me!!  But we still had fun.