And The List Goes On

For those of you who know my hubby this won't surprise you. He is a record keeper. He keeps records of EVERYTHING! Most of the time they are just dumb things that no one would ever care about. Including him. He has a list of how many days he has taken in sick leave since he got hired in 1980. Who cares? I only need my two hands to keep track of how many times he has called in sick. He keeps lists of all the work that has ever been done on one of our cars. Ok, I get that. But, why do you have records about cars you don't even own anymore? He has a book of monthly expenditures dating back to Jan 1998. That's just the book I can find, there are probably more. He has a list of all of the major purchases we have made, ie. furniture and appliances, dating back to when we were first married. I could actually tell you how much we paid for our first couch or how much we spent on electricity in March of 1998.

That brings me to the point of this blog. He has a list of every vacation we have ever taken. Every single backpacking trip he has taken with our son. Every weekend getaway we have taken as a couple. This list tells you where we've been, how long we stayed, and how much we spent. While I will it admit that I'm not exactly sure why he makes, or keeps, these lists, looking at the vacation list is a nostalgic walk down memory lane. It got me to thinking that I might do a blog series on some of our vacations.....starting with our honeymoon in November 1978. If there are any memories that stand out in particular, I'll share them with you.

We were married in November 1978. The first night of our honeymoon was spent at the Sheraton Harbor Island Hotel in the honeymoon suite. I'll spare you too many details about that night :o) I do remember Hubby went back to the car to get something and while he was gone I "prepared" for his return. When there was a knock on the door, I went to answer it wearing my honeymoon lingerie. Obviously, I thought it was him. Imagine my surprise when it was room service delivering our champagne and who knows what else from hotel management? Embarrassed? I'll say.

The next day we started our drive toward Lake Tahoe. We stopped and stayed in a cute little hotel in Mammoth. I don't remember anything eventful happening there. As funny as this might seem, I do remember eating pancakes in a little restaurant across from the hotel.

Our next stop was Lake Tahoe where we stayed in a cabin owned by a friend of Hubby's parents. Rustic isn't even the right word to describe this little place. This would be our first trip to Tahoe as a couple. This summer we will be taking our 16th trip. We've stayed in the cabin 15 times.



The cabin is actually a little converted garage. One bathroom, a kitchen, living room and upstairs loft. I can't even begin to tell you how many memories our family has created in this little cabin. The generosity of this family is immeasurable, as they refuse to charge us to stay. Over the years we have done work on the property or purchased something that the cabin might need, but that has been it. Because of the opportunities they have given us to vacation there year after year, Lake Tahoe has become our 'heaven on earth.'



I remember seeing Lake Tahoe for the first time on our Honeymoon. I had never been there before, and I'm not sure what I expected. I remember driving around the lake and seeing glimpses of blue off in the distance, between the trees. At the point when we popped out of the trees and I had my first unobstructed view, I was amazed at the size, the color and the sheer beauty. November was crisp, clear and sunny. I was instantly in love with Lake Tahoe.



The cabin is not designed for winter use. Normally they close it for the winter right after Labor Day and open it back up around Memorial Day. As a favor to Hubby they kept if open that year. It has no insulation and, let's just suffice it to say, it's a good thing we were on our honeymoon. We slept as close together as possible, right by the fire. We spent our days hiking and exploring and enjoying each other's company.

The last weekend of our honeymoon we spent in San Fransisco. We stayed right at Fisherman's Wharf.




I remember walking up and down Pier 39 and watching all the street vendors and performers. The act that stands out in my mind was people diving from way up high into a not so big pool. I thought they were really stupid. Funny how you remember things like that. I also remember having a great seafood dinner the last night before we had to drive back home to reality.

Knowing me, the drive home was spent planning our next vacation. I tend to do that. I need something to look forward to and almost always have a 'plan' I'm trying to sell to hubby.

So, there you have a recap and a few pictures of our first vacation as a married couple. 3 nights worth of hotels, a rustic cabin, gas and food. The trip cost us a grand total of $320.00. Wow! I'm sure that 30 years ago that was a good chunk of change for 2 twenty year olds, but I don't think it would go very far today.

Next up....a short get away skiing in Big Bear.