North Tahoe Lodge

Tuesday 30th July – Sunday 4th August.

 

The Lake Tahoe area is a popular ski resort in winter, with many splendid ski lodges built to accommodate the winter visitors.  These ski lodges are of course still there in summer, and Laura and Arend had booked one for their wedding, and also a few days beforehand, so that family and friends who had come from many different places could spend some time together.  

 

Our lodge looked deceptively compact from the front.

 

However, the only section of our lodge at street level was the garage, one apartment above it, and the entry porch.  Dropping down the steep hill behind this level were three more levels of accommodation, with yet another balcony area below that, where the wedding ceremony was held.  Each level revealed stunning views across the valley below.

Beside Pat are three lockable bear-proof garbage bins.  The round black object near the front door was a flaming (gas) torch, which could be turned on to welcome guests.

By the time of the wedding, there were about 20 of us staying at the lodge.

 

Laura and Kirsty check out the view from one of the back decks.

 

The three small brown objects across the middle of this picture are deer, which we could often see from our decks.  (Killing myself I didn’t have my zoom lens.)  We also saw squirrels and chipmunks, and on several occasions a tiny hummingbird came to our dining room window.

On our first morning at the lodge, Pat was on the deck outside our room, and called to me that he could see a chipmunk.  Not having seen one before, I was so excited I ran straight through the screen door (which was unfortunately closed at the time), knocking it right out.  But I did get to see the chipmunk.  They are very cute – smaller than I expected, about the size of a rat, and very fast, so no pictures.

 

The lodge included many features which added to the enjoyment of our stay:

• Barbecue on the deck (we had to supply the three manly chefs)
• Outdoor heated spa (very popular and well used)
• Sauna, steam room and plunge pool with waterfall
• Movie room (this actually became known as the flower room, as Laura and her competent assistants assembled all the bridal party bouquets and floral arrangements from flowers which she had delivered and stored there)
• pool table
• bar (unstocked, of course, but included a coffee machine)

 

Relaxing in the comfortable lounge.

 

Anna puts Zoe to sleep in her new surroundings.

 

Sunset over the valley.

 

Sunrise the next morning.

It was wonderful to have this time together before the wedding with family and friends.  These memories will be treasured.

California: Black Bear Diner

Tuesday, 30th July, 2013.

Twelve of us, plus our luggage, plus a vast amount of wedding equipment, which included Laura’s very large dress, set off in three cars from San Francisco to the wedding venue near Lake Tahoe, a drive of about four hours.

A great deal of credit is due to the car packers, who with organisation and determination managed to insert an enormous amount of paraphernalia into the cars, including all the people.

 

For a touch of serious Americana, we stopped at the Black Bear Diner for lunch.  While waiting for everyone to arrive, those of us already there took pictures of each other outside the diner, surrounded by bears, stars and stripes, listening to American music from the sixties.  I think I heard “Sloop John B” at least six times.  Not that I minded.

Once we left San Francisco, the weather, which had been foggy and cold, suddenly became sunny and hot.

 

 

 

 

Surrounded by more bears, the twelve of us were soon comfortably installed.

 

For a typically Americana experience, Laura suggested we try Chicken Fried Steak, i.e. steak fried in breadcrumbs, like chicken schnitzel, and drenched in a kind of white gravy.  Three of us ordered the “small” size, as opposed to the regular, which also came with a cup of hearty soup, and a corn muffin.  By the time we had finished the soup and muffin, there wasn’t much room left for this “small” dinner.

We also weren’t very popular with the rest of our party, who had to wait for their dinner while we ate our soup and muffins.

 

Anna and Zoe shared a chocolate milkshake.

Well, that was Zoe’s plan.

 

Zoe was persuaded to settle for her own dinner.

 

With a black bear-paw serviette under her chin, that wasn’t too bad.

Well fortified, we all then set off for Lake Tahoe.

San Francisco: Around the Castro

26th – 30th July, 2013.

 

The primary purpose of our trip to America was to help with the preparations and of course to celebrate Laura and Arend’s wedding.  However, we still had time to enjoy many of the local sights.

Here is Pat pushing Zoe on our way up the hill to our apartment in Collingwood Street, in the Castro area.

 

Taking a break before tackling the hill.

 

On the walk from our apartment to Laura and Arend’s, at the top of a series of hills, there are many beautiful buildings to admire: 

 

 

It’s up hill all the way.

 

 

 

 

Pat on the Douglass Street steps.  There are pretty gardens either side of the steps:

 

 

 

 

Pat has made it to the top!

 

Not much further now!  There are succulents in many of the gardens along the way.

 

 

 

At last we can see their apartment.  It’s the one above the white one.  Not much further now.

 

Now we’re on Kite Hill, one of my favourite places.  It’s much browner than it was the last time we were here, and a few trees are missing, but the view is still stunning.

 

More of the view from Kite Hill.

 

At last we’ve arrived!  Here is the view from Laura and Arend’s balcony.

You can see straight up Market Street to the city.  To the right of Market Street  you can see the Castro Theatre, with its vertical red sign, and to the left of Market Street you can see the giant gay rainbow flag, symbolising the Castro.

The pointy building in the city, to the left of Market Street, is the Trans America Tower, designed so as not to cast shadows on surrounding buildings, and now an icon of San Francisco.

Mexican wine tasting party

Monday, 29th July, 2013.

 

Laura and Arend held a Mexican party for their families to choose wine for the wedding.  Sian had sculpted a Mexican skull themed fruit platter to set the scene.

 

Setting  up the wine tasting.

 

The tacos have arrived!

 

A big present.

 

Lake Tahoe to Hawaii.

 

Now that’s striking!

 

Zoe doesn’t have a very good view from here.

 

That’s better.

San Francisco: Palace of Fine Arts

Sunday, 28th July, 2013.

 

Plan A was that we would drive to Crissy Fields and take a walk along the beach towards the Golden Gate Bridge.  However, when we arrived, it was blowing a gale and freezing cold, so we walked inland instead.  Lucky Pat has two girls to keep him warm.

 

From where we were standing, Alcatraz looked suitably bleak and forbidding.

 

The Palace of Fine Arts could be seen from where we were, so we walked over for a closer look.

 

Originally built for the 1915 Panama-Pacific Expo, to exhibit works of art, the Palace of Fine Arts was designed as a fictional ruin, inspired by Roman and Greek architecture.

 

After the Expo, most of the buildings were demolished. However, the Palace was so beloved that a Palace Preservation League was founded by Phoebe Apperson Hearst while the Expo was still in progress, and so it was saved from demolition. 

 

Originally intended to stand only for the duration of the Expo, the building was not durable, and by the 1950s the simulated ruin was in fact a crumbling ruin.  In 1964 the original Palace was completely demolished and reconstructed, and became home to the Exploratorium interactive museum, and the Palace of Fine Arts Theatre.  Laura and Arend have seen Tim Minchin there.

Paul checks out the view.

“The Palace” is now a favourite location for weddings, wedding photographs, and wedding watchers, and is such an icon that a miniature replica of it was built in Disney’s California Adventure in Anaheim.

Pedram checks out the steps.

 

Zoe slept through it all.

 

We then went and had dinner in a local restaurant, then Laura took us to a retro Americana ice cream parlour.  Is Pat going to eat both of these hot fudge sundaes?