California Wedding Jaunt
July 7-11, 2016
Thursday, 7/7
To Reno!
Jed
traveled over to Baker City on Wednesday to join Rick and I on our quick jaunt
down to Sacramento to celebrate Jen and Kenny’s wedding. After his early morning dental appointment
(which happened an hour earlier than scheduled) we were on the road by
9:45am! Our route was to take us down to
Winnemucca, NV, and then on to Reno where we had a reservation at the Western
Village Casino for the night.
I drove the
first stretch of the way down south of Homedale, ID, and then Rick drove us
down to Winnemucca. Smooth sailing all
the way through the high desert land of Southeast Oregon! From McDermott on the OR-NV border south
there are more mountains along the way.
Plenty of green fields, however, and the Steens Mountains with their
snow peaks were striking in the distance.
Jed drove
us into Sparks and the casino arriving around 5:45pm. While checking into the casino hotel isn’t
pleasant due to the smoke filled atmosphere, the room itself was fabulous for
our $53 a night. We walked a short
distance to the Black Bear diner for dinner.
Always a fun place to eat with a group that enjoys all things bear in décor!
Just for
the record, Jed and I played two games of labyrinth and one game of
cribbage. I won all! (First cribbage win in years I think!)
Friday, 7/8
Lake Tahoe Cruise and Into Sac
We have a
leisurely morning eating the breakfast we brought with us (ok, so the classy
room did not include a continental breakfast!) and then hit the road around 9
hoping we were past the Reno morning traffic.
Rick had scouted out a route that we hadn’t taken before that we drop us
down to the northeast shore of Lake Tahoe, Route 431. What a wonderful road over the top of the
ridge (summit elevation of 8911’) and to a fantastic viewpoint overlooking Lake
Tahoe. We then dropped DOWN to the 6200’
lake level and drove around the north end of the lake and down the west
side. We were amazed at the summer
traffic! In fact we had hoped to stop at
Emerald Bay and p0erhaps take the short hike to Eagle Falls or Vikingsholm, but
there was absolutely NO place to park in that vicinity! We did finally at least find a place to pull
over for a few views out to the bay.
Having
missed our ‘lunch stop’, but pulled over at an ice cream place Rick remembered
from his South Lake Tahoe days in Camp Richardson. We all had ice cream for lunch! Jed’s treat!
We kidded him that he didn’t offer to treat until he saw the signs
inside that cones were only a nickel.
Unfortunately the signs were about 30-40 years old and inflation took
the price to $4 for a single or $5 for a double! He still treated!
While we
found the traffic at Tahoe a nightmare, the vistas were everything we
remembered and it was a fun sidetrip to Sacramento. We followed Hwy 50 down through Placerville
and to Rancho Cordova and our ‘home’ for the next three days.
Gretchen
had made all the hotel arrangements with the Fairfield Marriott – partly because
she had some ‘perks’ built up from the 5 months she and Shawn lived in a hotel
when their house was being filled from water leaks. And conveniently, Gretchen pulled up just at
the same time we did, having arrived from the airport with Tyler! So, she checked us all in! Three rooms on the third floor.
I call Liz
around 4 to find out where they are at and she says it has been a slow travel
due to some accirdents and road construction.
They will meet us at Margaret’s rather than come to the hotel
first. So after a little chill time, we
take off for the 20 minute drive to Marg’s.
(She actually lives just 3-4 miles as the crow flies, but there isn’t a
bridge over the American River where we need it!)
Friday
night at Marg’s is just dinner for our immediate family. Ken and Jen are hosting a Coast Guard party
at their house, and all of Elizabeth’s family (Ron’s sister) isn’t arriving
until the middle of the night tonight.)
Mom, Liz, and Dave arrived just after 7.
Marg has prepared BBQ pulled chicken in the crockpot with rice and
salad. Watermelon for desert. We eat outside and enjoy timed together, but
as the pool is totally in the shade now, we decide not to take a dip. Marg’s pool is totally solar heated, so
without a little sunshine it can be cool@!
Back to
hotel early for a good night’s sleep for everyone! And….just for the record, I notched another ‘come
from behind’ victory in Labyrinth before barely
losing a game of Cribbage. Jed and I went downstairs to play so Grandma
Mac could go to sleep. She was tired
from the long drive.
Saturday, July 9
HAPPY ANNIVERSARY, RICK!
So….Rick
and I have laughed that we are spending our 33rd anniversary
together, sharing beds respectively with Jed and my mom! Ah well, we have booked a special time in Glacier
in August at Rising Sun hotel for some anniversary hiking!
We are
basically free today until mid afternoon, so I contact long-time friend from my
childhood, Alan Schleiger, and we arrange for him to come to the hotel for a
visit. That way it was easier for Mom to
enjoy the visit as well, as Ed and Lonnie, Alan’s parents, were some of their
closest friends when we lived in Sacramento.
Both of them are now gone. Alan
and I grew up in the church together, his birthday being just 3 months before
mine.
Well, the
five of us (Jed and Rick also) sat down in the lobby and talked for over two
and a half hours! So good
to reconnect with such a friend.
Disappointed that the visit worked out better for Saturday, as Alan’s
wife, Moira, couldn’t be there as well on that day.
Mom laid
down for a short nap while I made a quick trip over to JoAnn’s fabrics to pick
up supplies for my banner making workshop on Wednesday. We all headed over to Marg’s around 3pm. Time for a swim and then help Marg set up and
be ready for all the out-of-town family to gather together, as well as Jen and
Ken and Tom and Heather and Matty. Ron’s Mom, Marie (age 95!), as well as Tinny’s
two kids and partners, were there. Ken’s
mom and son, Lucas, as well. I think
Margaret counted 27 in total! Fun evening together. Good time in the pool with Jed and Kaila,
Tyler and Everett, Kirsty, Liz, and Gretchen.
After time Jed and I played CornToss with Tinny’s daughter Nia and her
boyfriend, Damien.
Big day
tomorrow, especially for those 90 plus grandmas, so we head back to room around
8, and put Grandma to bed! Hmmm…maybe
this was the day that Jed and I played games downstairs. I can’t remember!
Sunday, 7/10
Wedding Day!
Mom and I
are up and down for breakfast by 7:30 (once again to find all the Simmons gang
already eating!). Dave, Liz, Mom, and I
are heading into church at Northminster.
Rick and Jed have a leisurely morning and Rick takes an extended walk. Kirsty and family and Gretchen stayed at
hotel hoping to get the kids down for a nap prior to the wedding time. Not sure how successful that was, but Grandma
Mac did take a hour sleep!
We enjoyed
our worship time at NPC – a guest preacher today – and Mom left BEFORE she shut
down the place because Liz promised a stop on Monday at the Quilter’s Gathering
before they head up north.
We leave
for the wedding up in Roseville around 4pm.
The venue is Provence Restaurant and Patio. Chairs are set up for about 100 below the
patio under a giant oak tree. We manage
to get Mom and Marie down the slightly steep path to a chair for the wedding
ceremony.
The
ceremony is uniquely ‘taylored’ to Jen and Ken and their desire for a ‘Pirate
inspired’ wedding! They adapted a
Hispanic tradition to a pirate treasure chest; Matty brought up a tiny treasure
chest at the beginning of the ceremony.
He had the biggest grin on his face looking up at Kenny, and then didn’t
realize there was a change in the terrain and wiped out on his bottom! It was priceless, but he went running to Mom
afterward! With Kenny’s Coast Guard
background, all the participants were listed as Our Trusty Crew! A reading of their ‘Love Story’ used nautical
and pirate terminology, as did their vows!
It was just fun!
Appetizers
and drinks during pictures, then a good meal.
We were assigned a table with Mom and Liz and Dave. Kirsty and Gretchen wanted to know why Jed
got to sit at the ‘big kids’ table!
(They were at an ‘outer’ table with the kids! Judging from the look of
that table cloth at the end of the evening, it was a wild meal!)
We try to
get a few family pictures, but it is hard with all that’s happening! I got a ‘girls’ picture but failed to get Jen
in it! Rick took a selfie of the three
of us back at the hotel (since we were all dressed up in matching
clothing!) Also got a shot of Mom Mac!
Into bed
and Mom quickly was asleep! We watched
the end of the Olympic gymnastic trials and then lights out as well!
Monday, 7/11
Home to Baker City!
A long day
but we cruised the 600 plus miles to Baker City in just under 10 hours. Stopped only for bathroom breaks or gas
(Winnemucca – gotta love a Prius!) Rick
drove up to Donner Summit, Jed to Winnemucca, Rick to Jordan Valley, and I took
us home from there. Luke had the gates
open and driveway almost clear (only Jed had keys to his car!). Rick and I will miss our welcoming committee
when we come home this fall!
A GOOD
trip, other than the two messages to let us know that first Louise Trapp had
passed away and then today the call from Luke that Pat Fessel had passed. That one was tough to take. Loved those two ladies!
