All Star Break VACATION

Summertime is meant for vacation, right?  Most people travel to a beach or the mountains for a summer getaway ... a break from the daily grind to spend some quality time with family.  For baseball families, this time only comes once a summer, and of course only if you don't end up at the All Star Game.  It's a three to four day break that we LIVE for ... it comes at just the right time too; a time where rest is needed, family time is a must, and baseball can be put on hold for just a little bit.

This All Star break we decided to head up to the lake ... Lake Tahoe that is (or as Levi likes to say ... Lake Taco).  It was about a three hour drive, although it felt much longer at times.  "Are we there yet?  When will we be there?  Can we watch a movie?  I don't want this movie, I want the other one!"

Despite the drive, it was easy to forget all the whiny voices once we arrived.  Our rental house was beautiful and the views were absolutely breathtaking.  We were ready to start our family vacation!

Having never been to Lake Tahoe before, it was fun exploring a new place and taking in the beauty of the nature that surrounded us.  We went to different beaches - some of which had no sand and only rocks, others that had a mix of both.  The first visit to the beach made me laugh, for I had prepped the kids before we went.  I told them, "we'll build sand castles" ... "bury our feet in the sand", you get the point.  Then we showed up and it was rocks.  Only rocks.  The kids then became rock collectors and skipping stone experts - and had tons of fun.

We went rafting down the Truckee River, which was beautiful and a bit nerve wracking for me at times.  The rapids weren't crazy like white water rafting or anything, but holding onto Levi and taking some rocks head on were a bit tricky.  The hubs handled the raft like a pro and we all stayed on the raft - no one overboard for us!  (can't say the same for the peeps behind us... "feet in the air!")

As if rafting wasn't enough adventure, the next day we went to Squaw Valley, a local ski resort that hosted the 1960 Winter Olympics.  We decided to take a gondola ride, about 6,000 ft up!  The kids thought the "ride" was fun and the mountain views were beautiful!

Over the course of our trip, we ate at several local restaurants and had some yummy meals.  We went to different beaches, playgrounds, shops, and indulged in ice-cream.

Lake Tahoe was such a beautiful place, but the time spent together as a family meant so much more.

Cheers to an awesome vacation - and to an even better second half of the season!  Go A's!

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