Day 2, 3 and 4 - Graeagle
We made it to Graeagle. An easy drive from Tahoe -- took us a bit over an hour, even with busy holiday traffic. Graeagle does their 4th of July fireworks on the closest Saturday to the Fourth, so this year they were on June 30th.
We arrived with provisions on hand, as my mom had been down with pneumonia for a few days. Very glad we could be there to help her. I made a batch of chicken noodle soup, and we settled the cat into her new surroundings. She'd been here before, so it didn't take long.
The kids love Graeagle (and their Nana!) so we spent our time on simple things, like decorating the wagon for the fireworks celebration.
It's a short hike (a few miles) from my Mom's house to downtown Graeagle, and we took her aging dog, Maverick, with us on the walks we took to into town each day for ice cream and other necessities. If you're ever in the area, the salted caramel ice cream at Buckaroo Chocolates is to die for.
Despite 5 days of antibiotics, my mom was still not feeling much better, so I'm pleased to report that our remarkable streak of spending some time at the ER on our vacations was not broken on this trip. Luckily, she's remarkably strong, and the doc decided that she did not need to be admitted, doubled her up on antibiotics, and allowed her to recuperate at home.
Graeagle fireworks have been a staple for us for over 15 years. We first started going pre-kids, and my step-dad Ron always had elaborate plans that involved dropping chairs and coolers to reserve a spot near the pond on the morning of the fireworks, leaving a car to retrieve them the day after, and then waiting hours for post-firework traffic to clear to make it the two miles home. As we gained more experience (and our kids got old enough to walk to town with a minimal amount of whining), we discovered we could walk to the nearby soccer field, and watch the fireworks from there.
The walk to and from the fireworks through the woods (with decorated wagon, and many other neighbors) is always entertaining.
On our last day in Graeagle, we grabbed Mav and started the walk into town for a swim at the Mill Pond. It was hot (high 80's) which is decidedly warm for these Half Moon Bay folk.
About halfway to town, Mav decided he'd had enough walking and sat down in a shady area of grass, refusing to go any further. Luckily, we had the wagon with us, so we loaded him up and continued on our way.
Overall - a nice few days before we begin our journey east to Yellowstone and beyond.
We arrived with provisions on hand, as my mom had been down with pneumonia for a few days. Very glad we could be there to help her. I made a batch of chicken noodle soup, and we settled the cat into her new surroundings. She'd been here before, so it didn't take long.
The kids love Graeagle (and their Nana!) so we spent our time on simple things, like decorating the wagon for the fireworks celebration.
Despite 5 days of antibiotics, my mom was still not feeling much better, so I'm pleased to report that our remarkable streak of spending some time at the ER on our vacations was not broken on this trip. Luckily, she's remarkably strong, and the doc decided that she did not need to be admitted, doubled her up on antibiotics, and allowed her to recuperate at home.
Graeagle fireworks have been a staple for us for over 15 years. We first started going pre-kids, and my step-dad Ron always had elaborate plans that involved dropping chairs and coolers to reserve a spot near the pond on the morning of the fireworks, leaving a car to retrieve them the day after, and then waiting hours for post-firework traffic to clear to make it the two miles home. As we gained more experience (and our kids got old enough to walk to town with a minimal amount of whining), we discovered we could walk to the nearby soccer field, and watch the fireworks from there.
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| Mackay's Action Shot! |
The walk to and from the fireworks through the woods (with decorated wagon, and many other neighbors) is always entertaining.
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| The path to downtown Graeagle through the woods. |
On our last day in Graeagle, we grabbed Mav and started the walk into town for a swim at the Mill Pond. It was hot (high 80's) which is decidedly warm for these Half Moon Bay folk.
About halfway to town, Mav decided he'd had enough walking and sat down in a shady area of grass, refusing to go any further. Luckily, we had the wagon with us, so we loaded him up and continued on our way.
Overall - a nice few days before we begin our journey east to Yellowstone and beyond.
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| 304 miles in! |
