I get super excited when someone comes to visit me. Mainly because I love stay-cations and Reno/Tahoe is the best place for it, especially now that I have a beautiful house. The day I came back from New Zealand, my host sister K. from Minnesota arrived to see me, so she said she would understand if I was tired from my trip and didn’t wanna do much. Does she really not know me??

Brand-new guest bedroom!

In Reno we walked around the neighborhood for a couple of hours (she got blisters, oops…) and being the nature lover she is, she taught me the name of the birds and plants in the area, so it was like I was a tourist in my own backyard. I took her to dinner at one of my favorite restaurants in Reno, Grateful Gardens, and was ready to show her downtown and Hot August Nights, but I guess being a good host means I have to follow my guest’s pace, so we chilled at home with a movie instead.

Walking near my house

Beautiful leaves

No one believes there are wild horses around!

We also went on a hike up Mt. Rose, but only to the waterfall, which takes about 45 minutes. From there, she saw Lake Tahoe for the first time, and I just loved her enthusiasm! Last year, when my brother’s girlfriend saw the lake for the first time, she said “I’ve seen more impressive things…”, so it was delightful to see someone as excited as me about this place.

It’s the lake!

Mt. Rose Waterfall

Yay!

The next day it was a trip around the lake, with stops in Tahoe City, Emerald Bay, Camp Richardson for lunch at The Beacon, and Nevada Beach for a walk to the lake with Slick. Seriously, Lake Tahoe is the most beautiful place on earth. And I just came back from New Zealand.

Emerald Bay

K. and Slick – Nevada Beach

Tahoe City