Lake Tahoe ALLLLL year long!

Another reason why California is a fantastic state...

Lake Tahoe

North Tahoe - Winter

South Tahoe - Summer

I would say that Lake Tahoe would be have to be one of the best places in the country to own a second home.  Summer time offers an unlimited amount of water activities and hiking then the winter is a snow wonderland for skiers and snowboarders.  

You get the best of both worlds - prime country for the outdoorsman!

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I personally have never been to Tahoe but I have never ever heard a negative thing about it.  It is a well sought after destination for all walks of life and for good reason.  Not many tourist places offer such a plethora of activities all year long - most have a high season and low season but here summer and winter bring in visitors for business all year long.  

Summer temperatures range from around 75-80 degrees during the day to the low 40s at night.  Winter temps average from a high of 40 to the lows in the teens and 20s but may dip to and below 0 degrees. 

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Lake Tahoe 

North

&

South

Starting with the south because this area suits my personality better :) 

It is home to a colorful, inspiring natural landscape that is home to a thriving art scene that promotes a laid back natural vibe that pairs well with the mountain life.  The streets are lined with working studios and galleries and you can view their art in any of the many festivals when the weather is warm while listening to the live music performances.  

Steve Barton painting his tropical scenes

But lets not forget why most people visit here - the outdoor activities!  

Hiking around the Tahoe Rim Trail or taking a nature walk through D.L. Bliss State Park are both great ways to spend your days.  

Tahoe Rim Trail is a 165 mile long trail that loops around the entire lake and goes through the Sierra Nevada and Carson ranges of California and Nevada.  Do your research on this trail before you set off for the local weather, trail closures, animal sitings and areas for specific experience levels - it is a challenging hike. The link above provides all the information you will need to plan your trip.

D.L. Bliss State Park is a great place to access the lake because whether you are a camper or a day visitor you can enjoy swimming, scuba diving, picnicking, or sun bathing on Lester Beach or Calawee Cove.  Lester Beach is the most popular place to launch your kayak or paddleboard but keep in mind you cannot keep trailers in the day use area - tickets will be passed out!

 Also, if you prefer to get out you can hike the Rubicon Trail, Lighthouse Trail, and Balancing Rock Trail. Check out their visitors guide linked above for all the details on what the park has to offer.

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Where to stay and eat:

For a complete list of places to stay check out the official South Tahoe tourist guide - the highlight the best of the 4 stars to rustic cabin lodges and everything in between.  The website also gives a complete review of places to eat, events and deals!  

Once you figure out where you want to stay call United Military Travel and let them book your stay now/ pay later vacation!  

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North Tahoe

While both the north and south are great places in the summer for boating, hiking, biking etc; north Tahoe is epic in the winter time for skiing and snowboarding.  Experience the world renowned chutes, bowls, glades and groomers at more than a dozen of ski and snowboard resorts.  

And if you have little ones or if you are like me who would just tumble down the mountain, have no fear, check out snow tubing, ice skating, sledding or backcountry snowmobile tours!  Tahoe accommodates all ages and experience levels :) 

This will never be me!

This is more like it :) 

Ski Lake Tahoe is a fantastic website listing all the ski resorts and the essentials to plan your visit.  Keep in mind that any where you want to stay and any packages you are interested in United Military Travel can book for you, just let your travel consultant know what you want when you call in.   

California - The Golden State - Part 3 of 3 - Santa Cruz

- - - - - I Left My Heart In California - - - - -

Out of all the cities and towns in California, Santa Cruz was our "dream" town to call home.  It offers us the soft, salty ocean breeze that we crave, the lifestyle that we live, the mediterranean climate, the outdoor activities we partake in, and the lifestyle mentality that we like.  You may ask, "why not just move there then?"  We have asked ourselves the same thing but it all comes down to the fact that the cost of living over there is much more expensive then the East Coast.  But who knows, maybe down the road we can finally call ourselves Californians.

One of the best things about Santa Cruz is its location, it is perfectly situated in the Monterey Bay in between San Francisco and Monterey. 

 Meaning, the marine life is out of this world amazing...you get to view the migrating whales from shore or sea, watch the sea lions folic everyday, and if you love dolphins this place is the mecca for them!  

The town itself is I guess is considered a "college town" because of the University of California at Santa Cruz but because of that the town offers a ton of fun, and funky shops, restaurants, and also exercise trails that hug the coast.  There really is never a lack of anything to do in Santa Cruz.

The view along the walking trail

One of the best breaks on a small day

Sunset from the balcony of our hotel

We stayed at the Sea and Sand Inn where all the rooms are ocean front

And you have to visit the Santa Cruz Surfing Museum

This is a great website to search for all Military discounts in the Santa Cruz area too :) 

 This post concludes my travels on California, I would love to hear from you if you want to pick my brain about anything or give you more information about UMT.  You can contact United Military Travel here or call them 866-582-9579 :) 

California - The Golden State - Part 2 of 3 Big Sur and Yosemite

- - - - - I left My Heart In California - - - - -

Just a recap from my post on Wednesday - The Golden State Part 1 

* I am detailing mine and Josh's crazy and out of the ordinary adventures through central and northern Cali.  

* We camped everywhere we went and basically lived out of our rental car

* United Military Travel booked our airfare and car rental

Big Sur, California

The Greatest Meeting of Land and Sea

Before I get into our adventures I have to give my unsolicited advice on what we learned that our research left out.

1. Big Sur is LONG - getting from the northern point to southern point takes longer than you think.  I would quote you a time but it all depends on how you navigate Highway 1.  

2. Highway 1 is scary.... and beautiful at the same time.  It curves, spirals, and spoons the Pacific at an elevation of 400 +/-  feet above sea level so be prepared for breath taking views and knuckle clenching turns.

3. Make sure you get gas BEFORE you enter Big Sur because the only two gas stations charge almost double than what the national average is.

4.  You cannot camp in any of the state parks so check this website before determining where you will camp. 

Our first destination was Tree Bones Resort where they offer campsites, yurts or a "human nest" for accommodations.  They are a premier "glamping" resort, meaning they offer a luxury form of camping by blending the natural experience of outdoor camping with luxurious amenities. 

The resort itself is completely sustainable, leaving no foot print on the world by using solar power for all their energy needs, the food they feed their guest they raise and harvest themselves, and the water they filter and recycle on site. 

It may sound rustic but when you offer a sushi bar and a five star restaurant with a swimming pool over looking the Pacific Ocean you begin to move into the luxurious realm.  Instead of staying in one of the yurts or human nests we camped at one of their campsites on a bluff above the Pacific where we could see and hear sea lions talking day and night and view the sunsets from the comfort of our own tent.  The weather was perfect, especially for camping because of the constant wind off the ocean and the slightly overcast sky.  Yes, Treebones is a magical place and if we moved to California, I would work at there.  

This is our experience...

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Like I mentioned earlier you cannot camp in just any of the state parks in Big Sur so instead of driving around aimlessly (like me) trying to find a campsite near dusk - reference this website. Because what we ended up doing is driving Treebones, the very most southern point of Big Sur, back to Andrew Molera State Park which is right when you enter Big Sur from the north.  Again, please reference my unsolicited advice above...Hwy 1 is not an easy drive so if we had a chance to do it over we would obviously camp in Andrew Molera first then work our way south....not the other way around.  

Regardless of how long it took for us to arrive where we wanted to be, we had the most AMAZING time ever!  Our friends that we stayed with on the hippie commune in Napa came down and joined the fun. 

Check out our fun below!

Places to eat in Big Sur: some are on the side of the road and some are hard to find but this list has them all!

If you decide to visit Big Sur please feel free to contact me - I love sharing my knowledge of here!

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Yosemite National Park

Trying to come up with an opening line I realize that Yosemite is actually the very FIRST national park that I have been to.  Which at first stunned me but then when I think about it, I probably feel that I have been to more because I know so much about each of them.  The United States really does offer some of the most amazing parks in the entire world.  Makes me realize that I still have so much to see!  
Josh and I went to Yosemite in October and majority of the waterfalls did not have flowing water so we suggest going in the summer time.  
Also, all the hoopla about the Hantavirus in Yosemite - take heed to it by not staying in cabins they provide but you are more than safe to camp in your own tents.  
Also, stop by a grocery store before you enter the park because the few that are there charge so much for simple things!  But they are good for camping items and gifts.  

Here is our adventure: 

My only advice when hiking is stay on the designated trail....DO NOT CREATE YOUR OWN SHORT CUTS....

We did and this is what we found on the way back down...

Also, do not be like my dodo husband and hike in flip flops :) 

Our super car!

Our home for 3 days :) 

This is how we literally made all of our food

This photo had no real relevance but its my fav :) 

The North Face

Tunnel vision

Fishing :) 

Back view of the North Face

Monkey Man

The pine cones there are gigantic!  We brought this one home to his mom who puts it out for fall decoration!

Sweet little chipmunk! 

Redwoods galor

Sorry for all the photos, I just felt that in order to describe Yosemite our story needed to be told in pictures.  There is a ton to do for the nature lover!