As we continued to make our way around the lake, it started to snow. I can count the times that I've experienced falling snow on one hand, so it's still a very magical experience for me. We saw signs for the Rubicon Trail and got very excited. One day, we hope to do the Jeep Jamboree Rubicon event. Our little rental car wouldn't have gotten far!

We found a pretty beach with loads of rocks.

The next morning, we checked out of the Hyatt Regency and drove towards the ski resorts behind Incline Village. The slopes were not open for skiers, but there were plenty of families playing in the snow. The views were stunning.

This is my favorite picture of the entire trip. Too bad that we didn't see any real bears, crossing or otherwise.

We continued to drive around the lake, in the same loop that we had taken the previous day. The sun was out and it was beautiful. The sun made the entire landscape look different, especially the shade of blue in the lake.

On our way back to the Sacramento International Airport, we spotted a creek and fall foliage. Like snow, fall colors are magical to me.

We stopped in Placerville (aka Hangtown) for a Starbucks and Baskin Robbins break. We saw more beautiful fall foliage.

We arrived in Sacramento a little early for our flight and it gave us about an hour to see our State Capital. We explored the riverwalk.

Our weekend was over far too fast and there are so many things to see in Northern California. I hope that a return trip is in our near future.

This is a long overdue post all about our 1st Anniversary celebration weekend in Lake Tahoe. We took the trip during the first week in November, where we experienced the first snow of the season as we drove near the Donner Pass on our way from the Sacramento Airport to Incline Village in Lake Tahoe. I had no idea that we would be driving near the Donner Pass until we saw signs for it and that led to me giving my British husband a grizzly American History lesson!

We stayed at the Hyatt Regency Resort in Incline Village, which is very close to the California side of Tahoe. All of the pictures that we took of our hotel have gone missing, so I will have to be extra descriptive here. Our hotel reminded me of Disney's Grand Californian. It had high ceilings, wooden beams and a lodge vibe. The pool area was beautifully landscaped with rock detailing and views of the mountains. We sat in the jacuzzi and enjoyed the snow and nature. The service was impeccable. We were greeted with a glass of champagne and escorted to our room. Our room was warm and comfortable with a giant tub. I love big tubs.

The Hyatt Regency even had a small casino, where I won three hundred dollars on a slot machine. Location was key. We were walking distance to several restaurants, including a fabulous fondue place. On our first night, we splashed out at the Lone Eagle Grill, which was recommended by our hotel concierge. They made reservations for us and even shuttled us to and from the restaurant. We drank two bottles of wine, knowing that we would be safely returned to our hotel.

We had an amazing two nights in Tahoe. Luckily the pictures of our drive around the lake turned out. I had so many beautiful shots, mostly taken by Dan, the family photographer, that I'm splitting them up into two posts.

Let's kick it off with our wheels for the adventure. Nothing fancy, but it had seat warmers and that was important, because it was really, really cold! I often stayed in the warm car, while Dan darted out to get the pictures.

We bought coffee from the bakery in our hotel and hit the road for a leisurely drive around the lake. We had no plans or expectations, other than to circle the lake and see what we would find.

The lake was crystal clear and the water was an amazing range of colors, from deep navy to light turquoise.

We stopped for lunch and a refuel of coffee at Heavenly. Heavenly is in the heart the mini-Vegas section of Tahoe. There are taller buildings (not really tall, but more than three stories) and multiple casinos, including a large Harrahs Hotel and Casino. We had yummy lasagna and pizza at the Base Camp Pizza Co. Ski season had not yet begun, so Heavenly was very quiet and the gondola wasn't running. Saturday afternoon was a ghost town.

After lunch, we drove to the Emerald Bay overlook. The small island is called Fannette Island and it is the only island on the lake. Emerald Bay is home to many submerged boats and in 1994, it was named an underwater state park. In warm seasons, you can scuba to see the wreckage.

Located above Emerald Bay, is Vikingsholm, an example of Scandinavian architecture and a landmark. It was about a mile walk down a steep hill, so we skipped it. Quite honestly, after our trip to Sweden, we had enough of Scandinavian architecture!

I have many more gorgeous Tahoe pictures to come in my second installment of our anniversary weekend trip report.

1st Anniversary Trip- Lake Tahoe (Part Two)

1st Anniversary Trip- Lake Tahoe (Part One)