In the cold of this frigid, snowy winter, we found ourselves reminiscing about a desert trip, replete with ghosts, misadventures, and boondocking east of nowhere.
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On a recent trip to Tomales Bay, we introduced a third generation to the wonders of clamming. Hunting for cockles is like hunting for treasure. It requires a journey, discomfort, hard work, and a lot of faith that all the effort will turn up gold. Not only did our hard work pay off, our kids loved the thrill of the hunt.
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Happy New Year from Happy Cabin! May this year bring you all that you wish for, along with a few surprises.
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A unique libation, like a certain smell, can be completely transportive. There are few cocktails as unique as the pisco sour, a Peruvian concoction made from egg whites, lime juice, simple syrup, bitters and, the key ingredient, pisco.
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A few days before Christmas, 4-year-old Maris went snowboarding for the first time, graduating from our living room and local beach to the magic carpet and a bunny hill. Read on to see how she did!
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My Mom is like an elf around Christmas, bustling around the kitchen with trays of candies and plates of cheesecake. It took me a while to figure out my holiday candy niche. These boozy chocolate rum balls are a contender.
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The winter holidays are almost here. North Lake Tahoe puts on a festive celebration from early December through New Year’s Day, with theater, music, crafts, games, festivals, sleigh rides, movies, and feasts. This calendar lists our favorite family-friendly holiday events happening within a short drive of Happy Cabin.
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Today we are thankful. Thankful for a warm, inviting home. Thankful for healthy, happy children. Thankful for delicious, lovingly prepared food. Thankful for immediate family, extended family, and our chosen family of friends. Thankful for the rain in the Aptos mountains, filling the stream behind our house and watering the apple trees. Thankful for the first snow falling at Happy Cabin, where our guests sent a picture of the backyard blanketed in fresh powder.
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We are officially getting excited for snow! Last weekend, with visions of snowflakes dancing in our heads, we took Maris’ new Burton Riglet Snowboard out for a spin. On the beach.
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Nothing says “cozy” like a warm drink on a cold day. Our favorites are drawn from our traditions and travels.
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The weather is changing. It seems like just yesterday it was all we could do to keep cool. Now we are eyeing the fireplace at Happy Cabin, wondering if it’s time to cozy up. As the seasons change, so does the menu.
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But what about those in-between months, the so-called “shoulder” season when everything slows down a bit, the locals venture back into town, and the weather is changing, bringing brilliant days interspersed with rain or chill? What are we supposed to do then?
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Our black lab Oliver is not a big fan of water, but Anaya is determined to "train" him how to swim. On a recent hot afternoon, the lessons began.
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Part of the fun of living somewhere new is that every day is an adventure. Every outing is a chance to discover something. On a recent trip, we ventured out to North Tahoe Regional Park, chasing rumors of a zipline.
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Grandpa toiled for weeks in the hot summer sun over built-in redwood bunks, crafted by hand from pieces of redwood he'd been saving for a special project. Not only are they functional and fun, the smell of linseed oil and old wood takes me back to another happy place we discovered on a trip to Turkey we took when Anaya was only 4-years-old.
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This blog gives me an excuse to slow down and remember the journey. I hope it will also become a place for our guests to learn more about Happy Cabin and its charms.
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