Sunday, May 20, 2018

Visiting Lake Tahoe in May

Last weekend, we drove to South Lake Tahoe with my aunt. She very much enjoyed the drive from the Bay Area and the ever-changing scenery. And of course she loved the beautiful views there.

We arrived just a bit before sunset and made sure to experience it right on the shore.



It's always fun to hang out with Mark Twain a bit. 


Andy and I always take some hotel room mirror selfies...


We stayed in a comfortable two bedroom unit with a kitchen and big dining room table, where we enjoyed most of our meals.


Rain was forecast for Saturday, but we made sure to get out early to go on the Van Sickle hike to enjoy the beautiful trail and the views of the lake.

Andy pointed out that I didn't quite wear a hiking outfit, but for the relatively short hike it worked out well. We only walked from our hotel to the trail head (about 1.5 miles) and then to the Vista Point. Hikers can also hike to a small waterfall (about 1.1 miles from the trail head or all the way to the top - we did that hike several years ago, and it's a quite strenuous hike that takes several hours each way, but you are rewarded with fabulous views).






 
We finished the hike before it started raining and went to Base Camp Pizza Co. 


It's a fun place with delicious hummus, salads and pizza.



Wednesday, May 16, 2018

Visiting Hakone Gardens in Saratoga

Yesterday afternoon we took my aunt to Hakone Gardens in Saratoga for a short and relaxing visit. We got there in the late afternoon and stayed for about an hour, but it's such a relaxing place that's perfect for spending the entire afternoon - reading, meditating or just relaxing.


The garden is so beautiful and serene.


The kid enjoyed feeding the turtles.


I wore my super comfortable LuLaRoe leggings, a LuLaRoe top and a long cardigan. My outfit was super comfortable, but with my necklace I felt put together.


Such a pretty palm tree.


I always love a waterfall.


There is enough space for kids to run around a bit.


And there is a great view from the observation deck.


Question: Where is your favorite place to relax? 


Wednesday, May 2, 2018

Sentence a Day: April 2018

Here are my sentences for April 2018. You can read my past sentences on my Sentence a Day Page.

Sunday, April 1, 2018
We had a nice Easter, including a wonderful brunch at Il Fornaio.



Monday, April 2, 2018
I started the day with a barre class, and then we went on a very hilly, six-mile hike at Mission Peak.



Tuesday, April 3, 2018
We are taking care of a lot of errands this spring break - got new tires and took care of several other items; we also enjoyed a low-key brunch in the sunshine. In other news, I'm VERY sore.



Wednesday, April 4, 2018
Dropped off the car for more repairs and had to leave it overnight; we also went out for some Korean short rib soup.



Thursday, April 5, 2018 
Spent the morning making several long phone class and finally got the car back in the evening.

Friday, April 6, 2018
I started the day with a barre class and then dropped the car off at the dealership for recall repairs.


Saturday, April 7, 2018
We activated our Season Passes at Great America and met up with friends for dinner.

Sunday, April 8, 2018
We took Andy on a beer crawl in the afternoon, and the kid and I had fun playing games.



Monday, April 9, 2018
Today is the first day of the spring quarter, which is always exciting.

Tuesday, April 10, 2018
Today was an emotional day.

Wednesday, April 11, 2018
I talked to my favorite (and only) aunt for several hours on the phone.

Thursday, April 12, 2018
I started the day with a barre class and then got caught up on a lot of work.

Friday, April 13, 2018
My dad turned 80 today, and it was sad, once again, that I'm not able to be there to celebrate with him; I saw the cutest little family walking all over campus today.


Saturday, April 14, 2018
Andy and I got to escape to San Francisco for a few hours today, and we very much enjoyed our quality time together.


Sunday, April 15, 2018
I decided yesterday to do a food-based cleanse after all, so I spent the day trying to get prepared for the coming week.


Monday, April 16, 2018
Coffee withdrawals once again - unfortunately, I had been used to drinking way more than the one cup I had negotiated with myself, so the withdrawals aren't fun.

Tuesday, April 17, 2018
The kid is on spring break, and we went to see Black Panther in the afternoon.

Wednesday, April 18, 2018
I taught my morning class, and then the kid and I went on a 5-mile hike.



Thursday, April 19, 2018
It was a super busy day, made even busier because we'll drive to the Central Coast tomorrow after my morning class, and I had to get ready for the trip.

Friday, April 20, 2018
It's the last day of the kid's spring break, so we got to leave a bit earlier than usual for the Central Coast;  once we got there, we discovered that there is a newly opened taproom - Libertine - in town, and Andy had a flight of sour beers, which he loves.


Saturday, April 21, 2018
We started the day with a gym workout and then went for a long walk on the beach.



Sunday, April 22, 2018
On the drive home, we stopped by Bristols Cider House; we really enjoyed their ciders.

Monday, April 23, 2018
A good friend of ours turned 50 and celebrated by performing at a local music stage; what a fun evening!


Tuesday, April 24, 2018
It was a super busy and stressful day.

Wednesday, April 25, 2018
I didn't sleep well and really struggled to get up; I'm proud of myself for making it to a lunchtime barre class, which actually gave me more energy for the rest of the day.


Thursday, April 26, 2018
I finally met a good friend for a hike - we had been trying to get together since January!

Friday, April 27, 2018
I started the day with a barre class, taught my 3-hour class, went to Costco to get ready for my aunt's visit and then played basketball with the kid - I was sooo tired at the end of the day.

Saturday, April 28, 2018
The day started with a dead battery and a missed barre class, but then I was very productive for the rest of the day getting the house ready for my aunt's visit.

Sunday, April 29, 2018
I started the day with a barre class, picked up a few more groceries, picked up my aunt from the airport in the afternoon, and then the older kid and his girlfriend came over for dinner.

Monday, April 30, 2018
It was a busy day, but I was able to get away for a lunchtime barre class, and we played wall ball with the  kid at night.



An InLinkz Link-up


Question: What were your highlights in April? 

Be well,
Andrea