{Dog-Friendly} Lake Tahoe

Itching to get out of the house in the safest way possible, we took a little road trip to Lake Tahoe. It was a great choice since we were easily able to hike, swim, and kayak while keeping our distance. It was even better because the scenery was unbelievably beautiful!

Our first stop was in Emerald Bay State Park, where we hiked to Cascade Falls. The hike itself was pretty easy, but Indy did have to scramble over some rocks for a bit. He was pretty tired once we got there, so he was able to relax...right in the middle of the waterfall. Goofy dog.

We grabbed lunch at Sprouts Cafe (which was super yummy!) and then checked in to our hotel. We stayed at a place called BaseCamp, which was right on the CA/NV border. It was a great little spot for us and Indy was happy for the chance to rest!

The next morning, we hiked over to Secret Beach and Chimney Beach. This beach is dog-friendly and honestly SO beautiful. We couldn't get over the water's color and the snow-capped mountains behind. Indy happily swam to his heart's content and then we hiked back up to our car.

We had a quick lunch at Super Tacos (fast & delicious!). After Indy wore himself out, we figured it was a good opportunity to take him kayaking! We were basically convinced he'd unintentionally flip us over in an attempt to swim, but he was the perfect pup and just enjoyed observing the water for an hour.

That evening, we took it easy (basically Indy didn't move for hours). The next morning on our way home near Davis, CA, we passed by some beautiful sunflower fields that we couldn't pass up. It was a nice chance to stretch out our legs and stand next to sunflowers that were taller than me!

It was a nice little break for us, and I really think most people were doing a good job of distancing. We didn't interact with a single person that wasn't wearing a mask, except a few folks that we passed while hiking. 

Overall, I'm happy we were able to take a mini vacation. It definitely helped us recharge!

{Dog-Friendly} Yosemite National Park

A few weeks ago, we took a much-anticipated trip out to Yosemite National Park! 

We left pretty late on Friday evening so that we could head into the park first thing on Saturday. If you're not staying in the park, it's a good hour+ drive to Yosemite Village. Along the way, we stopped at Tunnel View to get the iconic views of the valley.

After a quick drive to Yosemite Village, we parked our car and started the walk to Lower Yosemite Falls. It was a quick hour walk from the parking lots to the Falls. Dogs are allowed anywhere that has paved paths in Yosemite, so there were lots of places to explore with him in the Valley.

Since we went in the fall, Lower Yosemite Falls was barely trickling water, so we definitely need to return in the Spring to see it in all it's glory!

Afterwards, we walked Cook's Meadow Loop which took us all around the valley floor. We got up close with a few deer (that were interested in Indy, but didn't run away!), got some great views of Half Dome, and led us back to Yosemite Village for lunch.

On our way out, we stopped at El Capitan and watched the rock climbers for a good hour or so. It was crazy to see because you could barely see them! It looked like they barely moved, but you know they were making some serious headway on that rock.

After, we made the quick hike to Bridal Veil Falls and stopped again at Tunnel View before we went back to our hotel in Oakhurst for the evening.

The next morning, we drove into the park again. This time, we made our way to Glacier Point (with a few stops along the way). This side of the park is magical and we really want to come back and hike to Vernal and Nevada Falls (which are visible to the right of Half Dome). 

After an hour or so walking around, we jumped back in the car to start the drive back. We drove out via the main entrance into the park and WOW, it was so beautiful! You follow along the river for the drive and you have two gigantic cliffs with periodic waterfalls on either side.  

On the way back, we stopped in Livermore for a wine tasting and then finished the drive home. We had a fantastic time bringing the pup to Yosemite and we wanted to treat him a bit before he went into surgery the next week. No worries - he's doing just fine. The vet was being extra cautious and wanted to remove a few fatty lumps, but he got a clean bill of health!

For our next visit, I think we'll head there without him to hike some of the more interesting trails.

Up Next: We're heading to Singapore and Thailand in less than a month to celebrate our 10th wedding anniversary!