Ava and I drove through SW Colorado after her adventure at the North Rim of the Grand Canyon where she met Donna Brown when Ava hurt her knee and couldn’t climb back out of the canyon. Ava and I both both fell in love with SW Colorado.

As I drove up into the South Lake Tahoe area, I was reminded of SW Colorado. But it was when I actually got into the quaint little city wrapped lovingly with a river, meadows and beautiful snow-capped mountains that really took me back to last summer camping with Ava. Although it’s a busy little city, it still manages to keep its small town atmosphere where neighbors chat happily with a stranger needing directions. Dana and her two little ones walked with Montana and me to find Lake Tahoe. She told me she’d grown up here and came back to raise her children here and lived in the same neighborhood as she did when she was young. Says volumes to me.

South Lake Tahoe from bike trail where Montana was frantic trying to bark at each and every bike. I got quite a workout trying to keep her from freaking out the cyclists!

Montana waiting for her next victim on the bike trail!

Truckee River flows through the town

Snow capped mountains hug this wonderful, clean city.

Beautiful!

The coolest tribute to this area is how you won’t get any styrofoam for take-out and how you’ll see many VW buses of vary styles and years. Never saw this many outside of the State of Oregon! Does that mean they’re moving back to California? LOL

VW bus of yesteryear!

The original VW bus! Is that a gypsy wagon I see? Only in California!

A wonderful surprise was when Montana and I walked to the bank earlier today was finding a great Mom & Pop Mediterranean and Greek restaurant called Artemis  located at 2229 Lake Tahoe Blvd., Ste A, South Lake Tahoe, CA 96150 (www.ArtemisMediterraneanGrill.com).

I’m a bit of a Gyro meat snob as I’ve had the best at the now closed Shipfeifer’s which used to be located on Peachtree Road near Brookwood Station in my hometown of Atlanta. It was the absolute best Mediterranean restaurant in Georgia and I haven’t found another one of equal quality…until today. Too bad I had to drive all the way to California to find it!  Funny thing is that if I’d blinked, I would have missed it but I was hungry, looking for a place to sit outside (because I had Montana) and needed  something tasty. Interestingly enough, when Dana and I were walking later this afternoon, I mentioned this restaurant to her. Much to my surprise, she said it was her favorite in town!

As I had no room for all my lunch or to try their home-made desserts, I got a paper to-go box for my leftovers and for my Baklava. As I’m a Baklava snob as well, I just couldn’t resist getting it. After all, I’m on a quest and have to have things to write about, right? Well, let me tell you that their Baklava not only was the largest I’d ever been served but it was the BEST I EVER HAD!  It was fresh (as they advertised), not dripping in syrup but lightly dribbled with quality honey, the pastry was light and flakey and the filling absolute pleasure! It was so big I was sure I’d save half of it to go with my morning coffee. That did NOT happen. I found myself licking the cardboard container!

I was going to try to save this post until I’d seen Emerald Bay as I hear it’s an amazing view. Oh well, you’ll just have to wait for it like I do! I’ll go by there on my way to Petaluma, CA near the Pacific Coast. I’ll stay in a Motel 6 there before camping four days in the redwood forest where God lives.

Happy trails!