Travel days are, well, just that, travel days! I don’t really put much planning into travel days. If the distance is too far, we plan an overnight stop but otherwise, we pack lunches, put the destination in our GPS and hit the road! I was really sad to leave the Tetons. I just loved everything about the area.
I was ready for a little quiet alone time so Ken graciously offered to take the 3 older boys with him for the day! We had 8 hours of travel ahead of us and planned to stop at a Walmart parking lot in Winnemucca, Nevada for the night. Travel days have been really fun. There is just so much to take in. Changes in landscape and weather, interesting little towns, entering new time zones, crossing state lines. It really is just another part of the adventure. We never know what lays ahead of us!
After leaving the mountains, much of the day was spent traveling through farmland until out of nowhere, we came upon a beautiful canyon rim! Twin Falls, Idaho. I called Ken who was about 45 minutes behind me, and told him to plan to make a stop in Twin Falls. It would be a beautiful place to get out and stretch legs and I also saw a sign for Chick-fil-a! An added bonus! There happened to be a visitor center with a nice park and overlook. Tate and I took a few minutes to get out and soak up the view and the fresh air.
I learned that Twin Falls is where daredevil, Evil Knievel, attempted to jump across the canyon in 1974 on a steam-powered rocket. I also noticed that there were several people packing parachutes into backpacks. A quick google search revealed that this is one of only two legal places for BASE jumping in the United States. What is Base jumping you may ask? I did not know either. BASE (Bridge, Antennae, Spans, Earth) jumping is “the recreational sport of jumping from fixed objects, using a parachute to descend safely to the ground.” The boys made it just in time to see 6 different BASE jumps! What a treat!
With Chick-Fil-A in our bellies, we made it to Winnemucca to spend the night in the Walmart parking lot. We started out early the next morning for Lake Tahoe, Nevada. The road into Tahoe was beautiful, but a little stressful for pulling a camper! There was a long mountain pass and a rock bridge that Ken could only fit through if he straddled the center line! We arrived at our beautiful campground, Zephyr Cove, with lots of tall pine trees and tight turns! We made it into our space safe and sound with a lot of sweat on our brows! Ken is a hero for pulling and parking that camper!
We had an uncharacteristically warm day, so we quickly set up the camper and raced across the street to swim in Lake Tahoe, pass the football, and relax on the beach! It was beautiful!
The next morning Ken left for a 4 day business trip. This was the first time the boys and I would be alone in the camper. The week went very smoothly, but we sure did miss Ken!
We took the mornings slowly, staying in pjs a little longer than normal and reading together. We worked on school while Tate took his morning nap and adventured in the afternoons. On Monday, we went into Carson City (a drive back over that mountain pass!) to stock up on groceries for the week. We were pleasantly surprised to find a Costco!
Tuesday, we enjoyed the 72 mile scenic drive around Lake Tahoe which offered beautiful vistas, lots of shoreline, famous landmarks, and quaint towns. We experienced Salmon spawning in the Taylor River. Hiked along the beautiful Emerald Bay and even saw a beautiful rainbow over Lake Tahoe. Toured Olympic Valley, the location of the 1960 Olympics. It was a beautiful drive.
Wednesday we explored the Heavenly Ski Mountain Town. It was just a short drive up the road, but it was right over the state line into California which the boys thought was so fun! Quaint cobblestone sidewalks, adorable little shops, an old-fashioned candy shop, live music. We had a wonderful time being outside and discovering the little town.
Thursday we rested. We moved slowly. Walked around the campground. The boys played football on the beach. Got caught up on laundry and prepped the camper to head out the next morning. We were so glad to welcome Ken back late Thursday night!
Friday morning was an early departure for Death Valley, but things did not quite go as planned….