We finally warmed up in our sleeping bags after about an hour or so and slept fairly soundly for the most part. So that was pretty nice (and better than I expected given the gnarly weather forecast). The only unfortunate part about being cozy and warm in a sleeping bag is the fact that you do eventually have to leave said bag. In this case it was in the 20’s when we woke up, so there was no reason to sit around relaxing at the camp site. We quickly packed the tent (knocked all the ice off of it..) and hit the road with the heater blasting.
One thing I’ve noticed lately is that I love camping, but only when there’s a reason. Usually we go out to the desert where there are rarely towns, let alone towns with hotels. In that case camping is awesome because there are literally zero other people. Lately though we only camp in an effort to save money. This time we had plans to go out to the wilderness, but it didn’t really turn out that way. I don’t really view “campgrounds” as actual camping. I think next time we plan a trip like this, we may just make hotel reservations in a bunch of quaint small towns and explore them. I find the people, culture, and history almost as interesting as being in the middle of nowhere.
This morning we headed into the town to Truckee, which is super cute. Reminds me of the old western version of one of our Northwest logging towns. I would have liked to stay there for a day or so and just explore around and eat at all the cafes on the main street. However we were here specifically for breakfast and coffee. My trusty Iphone indicated that the Squeeze In had both of those things and enough stars associated with it to be tasty. The restaurant itself is awesome. It’s tiny (hence the name) but every available surface is covered with people’s signatures and quotes and doodles and there is a fantastically random assortment of things on the walls. If I had been thinking clearly I would have grabbed my camera to document. The food was fantastic. Jason had french toast and I had a breakfast burrito the size of my head. We would love to come back here! Turns out they were also featured on the “throw down with Bobby Flay” so you know they’re good stuff!
Another thing we didn’t really realize about Truckee until we got home was just how many ski resorts there are in the area. I keep moving the map around and seeing more of them. One place even has a hotel you can stay at where you just leave your room and walk to the ski lifts! That might be fun someday!
We continued down Highway 89 (great road, btw..) and finally arrived at Lake Tahoe! Lake Tahoe is another place I had always heard about, but never thought about actually visiting. The lake itself is huge and is lined with mansions and “cabins” that I’m sure cost more than the entire town of Port Orchard. On this particular morning all of the cabins and trees were dusted with the perfect amount of snow.
So it looks like I’m now planning a return trip to Truckee and Lake Tahoe at some point!