Bob and I started the day on a productive note, by going for a run along the lakeside path. We didn’t run very far, or very fast, but given the altitude we still counted it as a victory. Meanwhile, back at the ranch, the girls were still not out of bed when we got back. But as we reached our condo, we overheard some neighbors talking about a bear nearby. We followed where they were pointing and saw a large bear taking a nap in a tree right in the middle of a walkway! Eventually Lanie came with us to see the bear, but Nadia elected to stay far away.
One unfortunate victim of yesterday’s hike was Lanie’s phone, which ended up with a broken screen when she dropped it while taking a photo. This caused much angst and consternation, especially since most phone repair shops were closed on Sunday. Happily today we found a nearby shop that was able to do the repair, though it took a couple more hours than Lanie would have preferred. All this excitement, combined with the fact that Zoe was working this morning, meant we didn’t do much else for the morning (unless you count the Harry Potter movie marathon that the girls have undertaken). Zoe had a much more productive morning, as her team found another hawk’s nest!
But by midafternoon, when the phone had been successfully repaired and Zoe was done with work (you get off pretty early when your day starts at 4am), we were ready to finally get a start on the day. Not that we had any major adventures planned. Zoe took us to her favorite happy hour place, just a short walk from her house. (Happy hour is 2-5pm every weekday, which works out perfectly when you start work at 4am and go to bed at 8.) We almost got tricked into paying full price for our drinks, by sitting at an outdoor table rather than in the bar, but fortunately a waiter saved us in the nick of time.
Right across the street from happy hour was out next stop, a large and elaborate mini golf spot. We decided to go for the 28-hole option, so we really invested some time here. It was a really good course, with very interesting and sometimes very difficult obstacles. On a few occasions a few of us failed entirely. On the other hand, 4/5 of us got a hole in one, and the last person won the “game of chance” at the last hole and got a free game. So all in all, a successful endeavor.
Finally, we headed over to the Stateline area, which is a hive of activity that (as the name suggests) spans the CA/NV border. On the California side is a quaint upscale shopping village centered around the main ski lift for the Heavenly ski resort. On the Nevada side is a row of high-rise casinos. It’s quite a contrast.
Also on the California side is the Fire + Ice restaurant, which some of you may recognize based on its Boston location. It’s always been a favorite of the girls, and was one of the top items on their wish list. (It’s an all you can eat experience where you make bowls full of various ingredients and sauces then bring them to be cooked on a huge round circular grill manned by a couple of chefs. There are a huge array of starches, meats, veggies, and sauces to mix and match, and you can get as many bowls as you want. Most of us went for an Asian bowl, an Italian bowl, and a Mexican bowl. Zoe won the award for getting the most for our money by going for a fourth plate.)
