Tales from our roadtrip, day 3

Or.... "The one in which we see the most beautiful spot on Earth"

Literally. I think that the views from high up on the mountain road, looking down upon Emerald Bay, Lake Tahoe, is seriously the most beautiful spot on Earth. At least that I've ever seen.

Lake Tahoe 2012

The best views are seen while you are driving, or you could precariously pull over on a teeny tiny strip of pavement to take a photo. We decided to stop for photographs at a nice, mostly-safe, vista point. It, however, has trees blocking some of the best views. It's still pretty. Do an Internet search of Emerald Bay Lake Tahoe photos and you'll see what I'm talking about. Just imagine seeing it in person, though, it's 10x better.

Ok, back-track a bit. Friday morning was nice and relaxed. We got ready, looked up some breakfast places, packed the car, and checked out. Our breakfast destination was the Driftwood Cafe. It has awesome ratings online and wasn't too far from our hotel. It was also along our way to Emerald Bay.

notice the chocolate stains on her jacket

It did not disappoint and I highly recommend it. My husband had the best omelet he's ever had, and I consider myself an omelet connoisseur of sorts. I wasn't offended though. They had 5 different meats, avocado, and cheese all crammed into a real-egg casing. It was lovely. G had the kid's Mickey Mouse pancake that came with an M&M smile. She'd never had M&Ms, so this was quite a treat for her. She truly knows a good thing when she sees them. I subbed the side of meat for a fruit cup for her. She was also the lucky duck at the table and got freshly squeezed Orange Juice. My husband and I tried some, and it was the real deal. Simply delicious. My breakfast was classic. A thin, crispy (but soft on the inside), golden waffle with a side of two eggs and sausage patty. Our coffee was also good. No complaints about the place. It was quaint, cute, and reasonably priced.

After our breakfast of champions we headed to buy some gas and get our landscape photos. The only bad thing about it was my fear of G toppling over the rails and down into a mountain/lake abyss. She didn't like how protective we were of her...but seriously, it isn't safe to let an adventurous toddler run a muck on a mountainous hillside. She did get to play on some non-railing side rocks.

After Emerald Bay we headed home. She cried for a while and then fell asleep. We thought we were golden until 40 minutes later when she woke up crying. Boo. We made a pit stop in Sacramento after the whining and crying got to be too much. After the stop and plentiful snacks, we made it home in one piece. We also successfully got an afternoon nap out of her at home.

It was a fast-paced road trip, but quite the adventure. I don't think we'll be forgetting it anytime soon :-)

Day Three Highlight: the beauty of nature
Day Three Bummer: failing at yet another peaceful car ride
Lessons Learned: Life is what you make it :-)