Reno 2014

Last week we flew out to Reno for Dave's bowling tournament at the National Bowling Stadium.  The weather this year was much better for traveling other than our landing in Reno.  The mountain crosswinds made it pretty turbulent as we made our descent but we were also dipping and wobbling.  We got right down near the ground to the point where you start to brace yourself for touchdown...only to have the pilot gun the engines and pull us up at the last moment and take us up and around for a second attempt.  We were pitching and wobbling too much for him to make a safe landing on that first try.  On all the flights I've ever been on, I've never seen that before.  We were happy to finally be safe on the ground!

We rented a car and got great use out of it.  We stayed at the Grand Sierra Resort this year which was a fabulous hotel but it was little over a mile away from the downtown where all Dave's bowling was.  We were able to park for $5 a day at the bowling stadium and walk to whatever we wanted to do.  I loved how all the overpasses and highway barriers had these western themed embellishments.

We also drove around Lake Tahoe which was some seriously beautiful scenery but the roads were a bit treacherous in places.  Dave had to concentrate on the road and didn't get to enjoy the view.  Note the absence of guard rail in this photo.  There was mountain on one side and CLIFF on the other.  The roads were quite windy with a maximum speed limit of 45 mph and then you had to share the road with all the mountain bikers.  Did I mention that it started SNOWING and RAINING halfway through?  The temperature also dropped from 45 to 32 degrees and poor Dave did nothing but ride the brake down the mountain for the second half of the drive.  We were just sure we'd go right off the edge!  Turns out we drove through winter storm Zephyr and lived to tell the tale.  I felt so bad because I'd made Dave stop twice so I could pick up giant pine cones when the weather was still nice.  We had no idea that yucky weather was coming.  The pine cones were worth it though.  I grabbed a sack full of them and they're bigger than softballs. 

I got to go back to Jimmy Beans Wool.  They had opened up this whole other back room since the last time I was there.  We visited a little with the owner and she let us go back into the warehouse to look around!  I jokingly asked if we could roll around in the yarn and she told us that at one time, they'd had an empty jacuzzi back there full of yarn!

The warehouse was HUGE.  I had no idea that space was even back there but it made sense because they do so much internet and mail order business.  You can see the ladies on the computers taking and picking the orders.  This store was a real treat yet again.

I came away with a lot of Madelinetosh and some Lorna's Laces.  I also got the Beekeeper's Quilt pattern and the object of every traveler's desire--a patch!

We got kind of sick of buffets if you can believe that so we went and had breakfast at Bavarian World one morning.  I'd found it online and wanted to check it out for their deli and bakery.  We had a great breakfast and I got some teas and hornsalt in their deli.  This was my favorite goodie from the bakery.  It was horseshoe shaped and rolled in crushed slivered almonds and dipped in chocolate on the ends.  The woman behind the counter warned me that it was made of marzipan which was fine with me.  It seems people either love almond or they hate it and I definitely fall into the former group.  I took one bite...and it was the same flavor and texture of kransekake!  I had to quick take a picture of it before I ate it all!

And of course Dave had his bowling time and I watched and knitted.  This year's trip was much better than last year's.  Next year the tournament is in El Paso so I will have to start looking for extra curricular activities to check out there.  Do they have yarn in Texas?