The back half of 2018 in review
Soon after arriving home from the ride, it was back to the cooler climes on Lake Tahoe. Joining my once a year hiking buddies, Mark and Dan, we spent a few days hiking the Desolation Wilderness and a portion of the Pacific Crest Trail, made famous by Reese Witherspoon in the movie, "Wild"
We gave way to these folks. They had been hired by the park service to remove an old bridge and pack out the debris.
On our way out on the last day of hiking some fellow hikers informed us that the trail we had planned to take was not maintained and was very difficult. Being somewhat tired, our only other option was to back-track a LONG way back to the trail-head. These folks told us about a water taxi that would provide a substantial shortcut. Who knew there was a water taxi in the wilderness? We joined some other hikers and took a small outboard back to our starting point. Dan’s wife was kind enough to pick us up and give us a ride to our car that was parked at the end of the other trail.
After the hike, we joined my friend, Fernando, and spent some time relaxing on his boat on Lake Tahoe, which is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful places in the world.
From there it was Vickie and I off to another beautiful lake, Lake Michigan and Mackinac Island. Mackinac, only accessible by ferry and having the unique feature of "no automobiles" was a special treat. The only means of transportation are walking, cycling, or horses. All transportation on the island takes place in horse drawn carriages, including taxis and the UPS guy.
Staying at the Grand Hotel, and enjoying amazing food and entertainment, Mackinac is a throw-back to a quieter, gentler time where coat and tie are required for dinner and the pace of life is much slower.
A trip to Napa with friends, a couple of visits to Austin and Nashville to visit family, and a big family gathering at the Otts Casa for Christmas finished up another year of adventures.
