Well, I don't usually come down to California in October, but I didn't get a chance to spend quality time with my nephew Ian over the summer. It's almost a tradition that I spend at least one full day with him every time I visit.
But I was just winding down from a project at the start of October and I had to get my taxes done. (Yes, I filed an extension and, apparently, I can't extend the extension.) So, instead of taking two days to drive down to Bay Area, I did it in one day. Troy had always driven it straight in a single day; I figured it was worth trying.
I left home at 3am. Yup,... 3... A... M.... Well, I tried to sleep most of the day on Saturday. I could only sleep an hour and a half each time. But my sleep is off anyway. I've been sleeping in the daytime and working at night. And it was too late to try to change my sleep cycle.
It's 13 hours if I drive straight, but with a stop for lunch, three 15-to-20-minute naps, and bathroom breaks, it took me 15 hours. I think I hit the traffic of people coming back into town at the end of the weekend, but it wasn't too bad.
I went to bed at 8:30pm. I woke up at 3:30am, although my alarm was set for 4:30am. I think I was wound up about the trip to Big Bear Lake.
Snow Lake Lodge at Big Bear Lake was a last-minute reservation. The only ones that RCI had in California were San Francisco, South Lake Tahoe, San Diego, and Big Bear Lake. Ian and I already had a photography day in SF. I was just in South Lake Tahoe this summer. And between San Diego and Big Bear Lake, the latter sounded more interesting.
Big Bear Lake is a lake at 7,000 feet above sea level. Rocky mountain. Pine trees. Dangerous switchbacks. Very much like Lake Tahoe, but different in a way. It's still more rustic, more quaint. I think it's what Lake Tahoe was like twenty-some years ago and without casinos.
We stopped by Blondie's Grille about 10 miles to the timeshare condo. The service was very friendly, but the food left a lot to be desired. Ian's burger was burnt dry. My fish and chips had very little stale fish, wrapped too thick and too bland corn dog batter. The lettuce in the chef salad was on the soggy side.
Dinner was much better. We went to the Boo Bear Restaurant. Their clam chowder tasted like Ivar's, my fries were crisper, the BLTA sandwich was decent (although the avocado was starting to get dark), Ian was happy with his corndog, and the "muddy" dessert was a nice ending. The final bill was a tad expensive though for basic entrees like that.
The timeshare condo doesn't have wi-fi, so we'll be heading to internet cafes during the week to upload these entries and to download emails.
Well, we'll have quite a week. Tomorrow (Tuesday), a pirate ship cruise and a visit to a solar observatory. On Wednesday, fishing and a trip to an internet cafe. On Thursday, geocaching. On Friday, who knows? Maybe we'll do more geocaching or more fishing.
Monday, October 08, 2007
Wednesday, June 06, 2007
Summer snow
Yup, you read it right. There's about a half-inch or so out there right now.
My mom and I arrived at South Lake Tahoe last Saturday, feeling the discomfort at temperatures in the low to mid 80s. It had been hot for a couple of days, so we didn't really go out at all. Besides, I've been coming to Tahoe every odd year since I bought this timeshare in 1994. So, we stayed at the condo, watched "Breakfast at Tiffany's" and the rest of the time, she buried her head in a Tom Clancy book and I buried mine in my laptop.
Yesterday, it cooled down to the 60s but it was raining, so we stayed at the condo again. And, this morning, snow. I guess it'll be another lazy day. :)
My mom and I arrived at South Lake Tahoe last Saturday, feeling the discomfort at temperatures in the low to mid 80s. It had been hot for a couple of days, so we didn't really go out at all. Besides, I've been coming to Tahoe every odd year since I bought this timeshare in 1994. So, we stayed at the condo, watched "Breakfast at Tiffany's" and the rest of the time, she buried her head in a Tom Clancy book and I buried mine in my laptop.
Yesterday, it cooled down to the 60s but it was raining, so we stayed at the condo again. And, this morning, snow. I guess it'll be another lazy day. :)
Thursday, May 31, 2007
Seattle to SF Bay Area
I had made this trip before. It's a much easier drive this time. At least, it wasn't snowing like it did when I made the trip last Christmas.
I left home at around 11am without hotel reservations. I was originally planning to stay at my sister Sam's new place in Bend, OR, but decided against it the night before. It was too far away from I-5 and it would just delay me. I was even wondering if I could drive all the way down in one day.
The strange thing is that, even with only five hours of sleep, I didn't feel I had to stop and take a nap. I was wide awake. It took a few hours before I started relaxing into the drive though, but once I did, it was actually a very smooth drive. I think it also had to do with the time I left; I avoided the rush-hour traffic in both Seattle and Portland.
By the time I got to Medford, OR, where I usually stop, there was still a couple of hours of daylight, so I kept going. When I stopped for gas, I called AAA's travel agency, but the Best Western operator (who had a distinct Filipino accent and was probably talking to me from Quezon City) quoted me almost $100/night. When I said I'd call back later, she said they had a manager's special for $79. I wondered if she was paid by commission. I said I had gotten a much cheaper rate before and she sounded surprised. After her "Really?", I was pretty sure she was talking to me from the Philippines. Besides, at 7pm in the middle of the week after a long holiday weekend, hotels should be practically giving away their rooms for the night.
I crossed the border into California and got to Yreka by dusk. I found a Motel 8 which charged me $60, including a AAA discount. No haggling. Everything looked very new, and they had free wireless internet access. Quite unexpected for a Motel 8. And most likely much better than the Best Western room for $79.
From Yreka to my sister Dee's house in Brentwood was just a five-hour drive the next day. By the time I got there, the yogurt I was making in my trunk had formed nicely. Yes, it was that hot in the car the entire two days.
I left home at around 11am without hotel reservations. I was originally planning to stay at my sister Sam's new place in Bend, OR, but decided against it the night before. It was too far away from I-5 and it would just delay me. I was even wondering if I could drive all the way down in one day.
The strange thing is that, even with only five hours of sleep, I didn't feel I had to stop and take a nap. I was wide awake. It took a few hours before I started relaxing into the drive though, but once I did, it was actually a very smooth drive. I think it also had to do with the time I left; I avoided the rush-hour traffic in both Seattle and Portland.
By the time I got to Medford, OR, where I usually stop, there was still a couple of hours of daylight, so I kept going. When I stopped for gas, I called AAA's travel agency, but the Best Western operator (who had a distinct Filipino accent and was probably talking to me from Quezon City) quoted me almost $100/night. When I said I'd call back later, she said they had a manager's special for $79. I wondered if she was paid by commission. I said I had gotten a much cheaper rate before and she sounded surprised. After her "Really?", I was pretty sure she was talking to me from the Philippines. Besides, at 7pm in the middle of the week after a long holiday weekend, hotels should be practically giving away their rooms for the night.
I crossed the border into California and got to Yreka by dusk. I found a Motel 8 which charged me $60, including a AAA discount. No haggling. Everything looked very new, and they had free wireless internet access. Quite unexpected for a Motel 8. And most likely much better than the Best Western room for $79.
From Yreka to my sister Dee's house in Brentwood was just a five-hour drive the next day. By the time I got there, the yogurt I was making in my trunk had formed nicely. Yes, it was that hot in the car the entire two days.