Destination: Zephyr Cove Resort and RV Park and Zephyr Point Conference Center, NV
In anticipation of my upcoming art quilt conference and five day workshop with master quilter and textile designer Jane Sasseman, I was beyond excited to be heading to Lake Tahoe, finally. (This conference was supposed to happen in 2020.)
I had a 3 PM check in at Art Quilt Tahoe (AQT) after getting Van and Quinnbo checked into the campsite that was only a mile away.
We were well rested after our quiet BLM stay. Back on The Loneliest Road, we headed west toward Carson City, the capital of Nevada. We came upon a unique site two hours into our ride. Words, which were spelled out in piles of melon-sized rocks, stretched for more than a mile. It took me a minute to figure out what the words meant, as all I could read was a few words. As we drove away, I figured out what would be the Preamble to the Constitution. Wow. Amazing. Van suggested that air traffic in the area was frequent and they were words to be read from the air, like someone spelling SOS on a desert island. More to ponder as we made our way west.
In Carson City, we had plans to find a truck wash as TCB was wearing a badge of dirt, dust, and bugs from our travels. I had a few last minute homework assignments I needed printed at Office Max, along with purchasing some tracing and drawing paper at Michaels. Carson City was a fascinating place filled with the conveniences of a big city, but had the feeling of small western town, with casinos and all. I loved the western touches like enormous tree trunks as posts for a gas station structure.
I was surprised to see how quickly the terrain changed as soon as we left Carson City into CA. We entered the Sierra Nevada where the roads became windy and narrow as we climbed steadily in elevation. We soon could see the lake, which was breathtaking. We arrived in South Lake Tahoe with time to spare. At the campground, I scrambled to rearrange clothes from packing cubes into a duffel. Van drove me to the Conference Center where I moved into a room with a beautiful, water view of the lake.
I was grateful for Van's help with moving my workshop supplies into the classroom where I would be spending the next five days. I needed my beloved Bernina sewing machine with many decorative stitches (required for class) and lots of fabric, thread and tools.
I said goodbye to Van and Quinn and collapsed on the bed I had just made, with fresh linens provided by the Zephyr Point Conference Center, a retreat center run by the Presbyterian Church. My mind had a hard time taking in the whirlwind of eight days and almost 3K miles of driving. Now I was with my "peeps."
I felt a bit guilty as I looked out at the gorgeous view, knowing Van would be in a campground with Quinnbo all week, but that thought disappeared once I attended the Welcome Dinner. Next year we will make plans for Quinnbo, so Van can join me as a guest at the conference center in 2022, with luck.
Sleep was a bit difficult as I was restless with anticipation. We had made it to our first milestone destination. I was finally getting to work, something I have missed since packing up my studio for selling the house and moving. Thank you Van and TCB.
