50th Anniversary Trip - Lake Tahoe

     Seven days of sightseeing, relaxing and hiking at Lake Tahoe with Dave and Dian Wallis. The outdoor activities were interrupted slightly by snowfall on the second and third days.We were treated to a total of about six inches of snow. The snow was so fluffy and just floating down like tiny pieces of white feathers. For Sally and I, we have only seen it snow like this maybe 3 or 4 times in our fifty years of marriage. What a wonderful gift. 

                                    There is more than just a line that separates  California and Nevada.

I love to try and identify the blooming plants that we encounter on road trips and this one is bitter brush and was very common in the mountains where we hiked

                                                     Sally and her big pine cones

                                                                   Vista Point trail

                                         

                                                    Western Fence Lizard 

                                                               Vista Point Trail

               One of the most fascinating plants in this area - Snow Plant. It is parasitic and lives off the       roots of pine trees.

                                  This is the view we hiked to - Mountains and Lake

                                                               This wasn't Dian's first rodeo. 

                                                      "Salty Sally on the rocks"

                                      We never thought that we would get snow on this trip.

                                                       It really was snowing!!!!

 

                     Snowing doesn't stop Pickleball - fun group of players in South Tahoe.

 

Using the old mint press from the original Carson City mint, they were minting silver commemorative coins for the 150 anniversary of Nevada.

 

                                              I just had to have one or two.

 

                                                                The reserve 

                                      I have coins #204 and #205 of 2000 coins to be minted by old #1 press.

                                                       Nevada State Museum

                                                 Nevada State Museum

                                  

Live and Learn - I never knew that Mark Twain called Virginia City home and wrote for the Territorial Enterprise. 

They played lots of oldies that we knew well... Come on, Comstock Cowboys, play another one. 

                         We had loads of fun with David John at the Bucket of Blood Saloon. 

                                               Sally struck it rich at Caeser's.

 

                                       Huge trout in the Truckee River below the dam

 

                                                                  Truckee River 

 

       Memorial to those who traveled through Donner Pass -  This is the vicinity where the Donner Party of immigrants got snowed in and many lost their lives from starvation.  

 

                                                                            Stellar Jay

                                                      Western Peony Flower