My friend, author Kae Reed, launched her amazing new book tonight at the South Lake Tahoe Library. Kae, who originally published these Must-Do Scenic Hikes articles in her online newspaper, Lake Tahoe News, has gathered all the best information in an easy to read guidebook.

What better way to spend a Tuesday than having a talented author take us on a verbal and pictorial journey to dozens of trails throughout the Lake Tahoe Basin and beyond.


The audience was entranced and Kae sold a great number of books! The night was a success (and a whole lot of fun).

A request of Cindy's was to attend a Sunday church service. I knew the exact spot, so early in the morning we headed to Fallen Leaf Lake for waterfall viewing and worshipping.

St Francis of the Mountains is a summer chapel operated by the Episcopal Diocese of Northern California.
The Chapel was built by members of the Fallen Leaf Lake Community in 1923. Isn't this the most serene setting for a church?


Rev. Andrea was welcoming, heartwarming and emotion-evoking. I had made the perfect choice for this morning's service.
We then strolled through history as we headed to the Wa She Shu It’ Deh Cultural Heritage Celebration at Valhalla.
The Indian Tacos served here are absolutely delicious.
Lake Tahoe was and is sacred ground for the Washoe Tribe. This culture and heritage celebration on its shore is hosted by the Washoe Tribe of Nevada. Representatives from tribes across the United States, Canada, Mexico, and South America gather to celebrate native traditions.

This longstanding festival, open to the public, features Native American dancing, master basket weaving display, food, crafts, and music.
The spiritualness of the day added to the magicalness of it all.
Our day ended at Heavenly Village with dinner and a viewing of the new (and surprisingly awesome) movie The Lion King. This has been an amazing week with Cindy and we barely scratched the surface of all there is to do in Summer at Lake Tahoe. She'll just have to return one day soon. Way, way fun!

Cindy has a "to do" list and one of the things on it is to Stand Up Paddle. I am a huge fan of doing this fun summer activity at the wonderful alpine resort of Angora Lakes.

Named for the Angora goats that were grazed here in the 1870s, the resort was built by the Hildinger family in 1918 and they still own it.
Getting to the resort takes a little bit of effort.
Angora Lakes Resort Day Use Area Essential Eligibility Criteria:
We endeavor to offer a unique day use experience at Angora Lakes Resort, a historic Lake Tahoe front-country location.  To safely enjoy the resort, visitors must meet the following essential eligibility criteria: Participants must have the ability to safely hike, bike or use other nonmotorized means (including with assistance of a companion)  to go up and down hill at least a mile roundtrip over rocky, rugged, slippery, and sandy terrain, with obstacles up to 18” high, at 7000-7500’ elevations. There are no paved surfaces beyond the Angora Parking area.
But oh my... it is so worth the effort.
This is my favorite place to Paddle and a highlight of Summer.




Cindy was a natural!


Best floatie ever!!! I need one of these balloon dogs.
Cindy is a swimmer...Me, not so much! It was cold.


After our idyllic day out, we came home for an early dinner in the backyard and gaming (we are huge fans of Rummikub). Ahh, the lazy days of summer. It doesn't get much better than this!

Cindy, Karen, Steve and I piled in the car and drove around the Lake, visiting all the various thrift stores along the way.

The coolest find was this rack of jewelry that came from the Ponderosa Ranch. For those who don't know, this was the tourist destination based on the television show Bonanza. When our sons were younger, this was 'a must' visit each time we came to Lake Tahoe. What I found interesting about this find is that the Ranch closed in 2007. Where has this rack been for the last 12 years?

Lunch was exceptional Thai food in Incline Village.
The day ended in Truckee, getting takeaway pie and strolling through history.

Even though we were beat, we strolled to the Lake to experience a typical Tahoe Summer Thursday.

Live at Lakeview is never just about the music.

After I finished my Spin Class and Cindy hiked with Steve, we joined Jenny for FOUR hours of kayaking on Lake Tahoe. It was a Wonder Woman Day.

There was plenty of flower ogling opportunities along the lakeshore, too.



Along with admiring a variety of flying beauty as well.




Isn't this a dramatic view? Thunderstorms were on the horizon.


This beautiful and unique flower is the Common Bladderwort (awful name).


We could have paddled about all day! So picturesque.




I loved that Cindy has embraced Tahoe wholeheartedly. Thank you to Jenny for making a magic moment for all of us. On to the next adventure!