Wes Storytelling Series - Volume 3

I have worked in some of the funniest places just using my laptop.

The picture is of me working on the 3rd floor of the Perot Museum in downtown Dallas, TX.

It was the only public plug outlet for the entire museum. It happened to be located near the earthquake simulator, and it happened to be everyone's class field trip so the place was packed with screaming kids. As I got on the call, I apologized for the background noise, and continued with the discussion. I had to take a project call there and put myself on mute as much as possible. No one on the call asked me where I was and I didn't need to tell them.

Once I was sitting in a Starbucks across the Hudson river in NJ with downtown Manhattan, NY in my view. Other times I have been in hip coffee shops that near Yosemite, where hippies hang out.

Often times I witness job interviews at coffee shops for either the coffee shop that I am sitting in, or other places of employment. Sometimes I feel like walking over and trying to be the sales guy on behalf of the interviewee, because they screwed it up, with a comment like "At my last job, they just didn't understand me"

Once I was stuck in the car hunched over for a couple hours in Colorado busting some pricing out in the car, because it was snowing and there wasn't a good coffee shope nearby. That was fun!

A couple weeks back, I found myself in between calls in South Lake Tahoe talking to some hikers sitting next to me that were in the middle of the Pacific Rim Trail. Holy Cow! They started near the Mexican border and were re-stocking on food .

Just call me "Wes the RV Campground IT guy"

Every time, I pull out my laptop, phone, and mifi (mobile wifi), the older folks at the RV site seem to think that I can solve all of their technology issues in the world. I am constantly asked for the campground wifi password, and when they can;t get on line, they always seem to express that verbally to me. And I'm like, "okay try the password and remember that it is case sensitive." This usually does the trick. Every one is mesmorized by my flashy "gizmo's" one older Floridian called them

Can you keep it down, I am trying to get some work done.

Often times, especially in Florida, the older folks want to have fun in the game room with Ping pong or pool, or whatever suites their fancy. It's kind of funny, that the stereotypical roles are reversed. A guy in his mid-thirties feels like telling older folks in their mid-sixties that he wants it quiet so he can get some work done.

Lake Tahoe and Reno Nevada by Ally

Tahoe 

 The first week was full of adventure! We had our first glimpse of Lake Tahoe with Aunt Nicole, who drove an hour and a half from Reno, Nevada. We hung out at Pope Beach, not far away from our campsite.

Emerald Bay

 The lake was so stunning.  I floated around in the water on a little raft, high mountains all covered in pines and the lake changing colors right before me. Hues of dark greenish brown, to light vibrant blue, to a dark deep blue, amazing. It was so peaceful and relaxing. We went to Baldwin Beach another day that was a little bit further away from our RV Park. Laying down on the grainy sand, sun beating down and the water lapping up at the shore was so nice. Mom took us a little northwest to Emerald Bay. We took a picture at Inspiration Point and then hiked down the Vikingsholm Trail; a gorgeous Steep hike down to the bay, with little waterfalls trickling from the side of the mountains.

Inspiration Point 

Baldwin Beach

Heavenly 

 It was very busy and hard to finding a parking spot .We learned to get to the hikes early in the morning to get a parking spot. While we were visiting Emerald Bay we also entered another parking lot that lead to the Eagle Falls Trail. We didn’t actually go on the trail, but while checking it out we saw a black bear! It was just resting underneath the boardwalk! We looked at it for a while. 

Vikingsholm Mansion

Another day we drove to Heavenly, a cute shopping area on the boarder of CA and NV. We ate lunch at Baja Fresh, walked around the little shops and got some candy at Rocket Fizz Soda Pop and Candy Shop. We also went to look at the Gondolas that take you all the way up to the ski slope and we drove through state line into Nevada. 

Heavenly 

Mom took us with her on a run while we biked along side with her on a trail that runs parallel to highway 89. Super Fun!

One day we noticed an ice-cream shop that was packed with people. The line was out the door.  We figure if there were so many people there, there must be something special about it. And there was. The prices were cheap for how much ice cream they give you; over a pint! This place was called “Camp Richardson Ice-Cream Parlor.” 

On Friday, we had Aunt Nicole, Uncle Andrew and their two little boys over for S’mores. Showing our RV to them, and hanging out around a campfire was super fun. Saturday Dad was off work and we drove up past Emerald bay and to D.L. Bliss State Park. We went on the Lighthouse Trail Loop and admired the gorgeous lake through the massive pines. 

After this, we drove to the Nevada side and joined Aunt Nicole at Sand Harbor Beach. This was a very pretty beach with rocks to jump off of and places to swim. Even though the water was incredibly cold, it also was a whole bunch of fun. While Shelby and I were swimming around the rocks we saw a ginormous crayfish just crawling on the sand. It was kind of funny and a little bit creepy. Sunday we tried to go to the Calvary Chapel Church just down the way from us, but I guess there was no more seating! 

Lester Beach 

So we went to a beach in the northwest part of Tahoe called Lester Beach. It was by far the best beach we went to. The water was SO clear! Shelby and I brought goggles and we swam in the crystal clear water. It was like free snorkeling. It was the color of Hawaiian water but much, much colder. Shelby and I both agreed swimming in Lester was the closest we could be to being mermaid. :) 

During the first week, we found some great local places to eat. One: Brothers Burrito House which was super yummy and cheep. And Two: Yellow Sub which had the yummiest and biggest sandwiches. What a great first week and we have one more to go!

Week 2 Tahoe ~

Mom Reading her Trail Map
at Eagle Lake. 

  This week was a little bit slower since we did some schoolwork and stayed home. However we did go on a hike called the Eagle Falls trail. We were going to go to this one last week but we decided to go on the Emerald Bay hike instead. This hike was pretty intense with a whole bunch of stairs made out of rock. It leads us to the Eagle Falls and beyond that, Eagle Lake.



 We had a few campfires and played state bingo with the family during the nighttime. Mom drove us kids to play in the lake at Pope beach again. On Thursday Dad wanted to go on the Emerald Bay trail spontaneously. Mom thought that was a bad idea  so we got some Ice cream at Camp Rich instead. That night the whole family watched the first Presidential debate. It was very interesting and I enjoyed learning about the Candidates. What I gathered is that I don’t really like Donald Trump. He is too stuck up, puts his power in money and he is rude. Instead I do like Ben Carson and Rand Paul. Friday we met up Aunt Nicole, Uncle Andrew and our cousins Wyatt and Owen at State Line. We ate at Base Camp Pizza for a late lunch, and then went to the Rocket Fizz Soda Pop and candy Shop to get some candy. We also walked across the state line into Nevada. After this we drove around the residential area of South Lake Tahoe and saw some of the houses Uncle Andrew used to live in while he was a little kid. While driving around we saw a brown bear roaming around in the neighborhood! 
He was about ten feet away from us! We watched him walk around and smelling for food in the trashcans. He knocked one over and ate some left over food! It was pretty cool to see a wild bear in its own habitat and being active.

BEAR!!

During the Storm,
the boats were rocking !

Sun set

Dad and Uncle Andrew

We drove to Camp Rich which also has a beach and a dock. While driving the wind picked up significantly. Watching the water on the lake toss the boats in the storm was pretty cool. Rain began to sprinkle on us and the waves on the lake rushed to shore.



The Zion’s went to the store to get some soup and hot chocolate and they came over to our RV to eat dinner and enjoy some hot chocolate around the campfire. While this was taking place the sun came out a little so we went to the Camp Rich beach again to watch the sun set over the mountains and reflect its light on the lake. It was a very beautiful Tahoe sun set! The next day we were off to Reno, Nevada.

Reno Nevada ~

We got to Reno in the mid afternoon and that night we went to Aunt Nicole’s house to have dinner with them and a family mom and dad have known since they were kids named the Jacksons. It was a very yummy dinner, Aunt Nicole made awesome enchiladas. It was super special getting to hanging out with the Jackson’s since we haven’t seen them since Aunt Nicole’s wedding. 

Shelby and Megan Jackson 

Sunday Aunt Nicole brought us to her church called Grace Church and we enjoyed a Sunday morning sermon. For lunch we went to In n’ Out. YUMMM. We went over Aunt Nicole’s house and she gave us a full hair salon experience  for us girls while Dad took Collin, Wyatt and Owen went to get a screen door that Collin broke the night before. Aunt Nicole shampooed our hair, cut it, highlighted it, and got a whole bucket load of nail polish for us. :) (She is a professional hair dresser, amazing blessing!!)  

After this we went to a park to play kickball with the Zion’s, the Jacksons and other families that I have never met before. I have never played kickball, but I learned that it is pretty fun. Monday we went to a massive store called Scheels that has a Ferris wheel to ride on for a dollar and ice cream for a buck. It also had a playground inside that the little ones enjoyed! We went to see Uncle Andrew doing his work as a Police. 

That night they all went swimming with us at the GRS (Grand Sierra Resort) the hotel that also owns a RV park that we were staying in. That night they came over for dinner. Tuesday we went to Reno’s Discovery Science Center with the Zion’s and learned about the human body, mechanics, and history of Nevada. That night Uncle Andrew, Aunt Nicole, and Mom and Dad went out for dinner and to play pool while Shelby and I watched our siblings and Wyatt and Owen at their house. We played with homemade Play dough, ate dinner, played video games and card games, ate dessert and watched Incredible. I cleaned a whole lot too. :) It was a joy to watch cute little Wyatt and Owen that night and to bless their parents with a night out. 

Wednesday all my family and the Zion’s hit the road for a half hour drive into CA to Truckee. We walked around the little shops there and after that went to Donner Lake. It is smaller than Lake Tahoe but still all the fun. We swam and floated on yellow floaty. We also rented paddle boards and paddle boarded for the first time! I thought it was even better than canoeing. You have to balance and use your arms to paddle your way around. While canoeing you just sit and paddle. I even enjoyed the lake water lapping at the board and wetting my feet. 

Thursday all of us went to Wild Island, a water park in Reno. Shelby and I went on all the slides in the park and enjoyed the cool water on the hot day. The little ones also had a great time too! There was ride called The Eye of the Dragon that Collin, Shelby and I loved. There was also one called The Black Widow that is pitch black inside and you don’t know when the big drop is. I caught some wind on that ride. It was fun! Mom went on some rides to with Aunt Nicole! That night we all met back up with the Jackson Family and went to dinner at a Food Truck place. It was a fun experience .  

Friday Mom and Aunt Nicole went out the  while Uncle Andrew and Dad took us kids bowling at a place called Coconut Boll. After bowling we drove around some bumper cars. Now that was fun. :) 

We ate In n’ Out then came to our RV to say goodbye to Uncle Andrew who had something to do that night. Wyatt and Owen stayed at the RV while Aunt Nicole took Shelby and I out. We went to go get some yummy hand crafted chocolate at a little quaint shop. I got a peppermint truffle that melted straight away in my mouth, Shelby got an orange infused truffle and Aunt Nicole got a spicy truffle. We went to two shops: Charming Charlie’s, a jewelry place and Francesca’s. Aunt Nicole let us pick out some jewelry that she bought for us. The next morning was Saturday and Aunt Nicole, Wyatt and Owen came over to see us pack up; ride in the RV while we got gas and then to say good-bye. 

Owen, Wyatt and Aunt Nicole rode
with us to get gas in the RV 

It was a great time in Reno visiting good friends and now we are off to Ashland Oregon.

San Jose and San Francisco

July 11^th-July 18 Morgan Hill ( San Jose)  CA  By:Ally 

Mom and Gretchen 

Tori and Julia 

Sunday morning we woke up and went to Venture Church, the church that we used to go to when we lived in San Jose for a year. Afterwards, we had lunch at the Sitter’s house; they were a huge blessing to our family when we lived in San Jose. They would watch us kids so my parents could go on a date a couple times a month. Monday we went to our good friend Mrs. Gretchen's house to visit her and her sweet family of seven kids. We had lunch together, played with the kids, and had long chats with Mrs. Gretchen. 

Chit Chat 

Lacey, Collin and Sarah 

Tuesday we did some schoolwork and that night went to our friends the Phillip’s house for dinner and to visit. We played capture the flag and four square with Sarah and Hue, the Phillips 17 year old twins. 

Wednesday we hung out at Mrs. Gretchen’s house to play in their pool and visit some more. That night we had dinner with them and ate some of Mrs. Gretchen’s yummy food that she cooked, Pesto chicken and coconut salmon with coconut sauce….. oh sweet deliciousness! Mrs. Gretchen also made her famous smoothies, and cinnamon rolls. 

Purisima Creek Trail 

Thursday we woke up early and drove to Half-moon Bay to go on a hike in the Redwoods with Mrs. Gretchen’s family. After the beautiful green tree covered hike, we drove to the bay, got some strawberries from a local market, and ate them on the sand and admired the gorgeous view of the water.

 Friday we did more schoolwork and in the evening Gretchen and her kids came to our RV Park to see our RV and hang out for a while. We went to the park, and walked around. Mom made dinner for everyone and then we had a campfire and ate s’mores. It was  sad having to say goodbye to them. They are an awesome family! 

While we were in San Jose we had to stop off at our favorite ice cream place “Sweet Retreat”.

July 18 - July 25

Where: Pacifica, near San Francisco, CA

We arrived at the RV park in awe,t he park was right on the cliffs of the ocean! We could see the ocean through our door from our site. It was so beautiful! Sunday we went into the city of San Francisco and went to the Fisherman's wharf. There, we went to the Ghirardelli factory and bought some delicious dark chocolate.

We walked along the streets, went to the bay and saw the Golden Gate Bridge, and drove past Pier 39. Monday Dad flew to Utah for a business trip and the kids were sick, so we stayed home and did our school work. Tuesday me and the kids that weren’t sick went to the pool and walked on the little walkway the RV park provided that was right on the cliffs, where we could see the ocean. While walking we saw whales spouting water. Dad was still on his business trip. Wednesday, dad was in San Luis Obispo for a site walk. We woke up early and got some hot chocolate. Afterwards we did more some school work then walked down town Pacifica to a little bookstore. We got some new books for a dollar! Hooray for books! :) Thursday mom drove us kids to Devil's Slide, a two-mile hike along the cliffs that drops off into the ocean. It used to be a highway but they shut it down because of landslides; now it is a walkway for the public.

Devils Slide walk 

 Dad came home that night and we watched the sun set over the ocean with him and then Mom and Dad went out. Friday the family all went on a walk next to the Pacifica Pier. We walked on the beach, with strange black sand, and enjoyed the noise of the waves. After this outing, Dad and all of us went out to eat at a pizza place with one of Dad’s relatives named Mike. Mike is GG’s nephew. We visited with him for a while over some pizza lunch. We went home when we were done, to go swimming. The next morning it was time to leave. We were off to wonderful Lake Tahoe!