2nd August 2016 - Tahoe Vista CA - Kms to date 8,949

Kms today 170

We all walked into town for brekkie including Kellea and Lola and had a thoroughly alternative one for a change. Dan and Kellea had an appointment at a Montessori school so couldn't hang about. As it turned out Dianne was on her way over to look after Lola.
We drove the way Rafe suggested via the Donner Pass and Donner Lake.
This was the first route through the Sierra Nevada and it was a rough road for the wagons. The railway came this way too and that really opened up California. When we arrived at Lake Tahoe no-one was at home so we sat in the garden and played Gin Rummy. I got the best hand dealt to me for the whole trip and was about to lay down Gin when Rafe arrived and Alan was only too glad to fold the hand.

Donner Lake.

Rafe made us lunch and afterwards he looked over our plans for Yosemite and Death Valley and as a result we rearranged some hotel bookings. I went for a spin on Rafe’s Triumph Triple trail bike and took it up to Mt Rose dressed in my red leathers. Dan from our 2013 motorcycle tour came over when I got back and told us he and Joe were heading into Reno the next day for the Hot August Night car show, one of the biggest hotrod shows in the USA.
Rafe suggested that we head up to Squaw Valley for the Blues Festival, which we did in the ‘stang with the top down and Rafe squeezed into the back seat. This was the venue for the 1960 Winter Olympics and was virtually built from scratch for the event.

Squaw Valley 1960 winter Olympics.

Now it has been taken over by Condos and shopping but still has great skiing. We had a pizza before heading out to the main square for the show. The band were more Rockabilly than Blues but the main entertainment was the crowd of ageing baby boomers dancing in front of the stage.

The lead harmonica player giving it heaps.

Where have all the years gone??

We drove back with the top down and found Dianne was home so we caught up with her while Rafe made us some desert?

Rafe getting the word.