We've moved...

blog.bunsterphotography.com

Check it out!

Reno

So we took this weekend to travel to Reno since we heard from the local Quinconians that it was well worth the trip. It was just a short drive down and over to Western Nevada. Thankfully it was all interstate driving which we aren't exposed to much. Upon arrival, we took our time shopping through some of our favorite stores which have gone unvisited since moving to the mountains. It had a similar Las Vegas feel, but the surrounding mountains had much more character. The city is filled with unique restaurants and boutique shopping.

We headed further south to Lake Washoe State Park to camp for the evening. Sure enough, we still haven't learned our lesson about camping in cold weather and spent the night shivering. There wasn't much to the park except an amazing view of the Sierra Nevadas. What a refreshing awakening after a sleepless night. We took advantage of being near the casinos to satisfy Sebastian's craving for a breakfast buffet. We hit Atlantis and promptly attacked the never ending supply of omlettes, mini waffles, bacon and every other breakfast food lacking nutrition.

We rolled out of our table and took a brief tour of downtown Reno. The city has spent a lot of money in refurbishing its river district. They did a great job on all the parks and other public spaces put it. Our only regret is not being able to spend an evening to experience the nightlife...we just couldn't deal with another icy overnight stay.

Tahoeshoeing

This week's adventure may have been the most amazing yet. The day started with a gorgeous sunrise in the mountains, we've learned to expect nothing less. After we picked up some goodies from a local bakery, we headed to Lake Tahoe. We got some insider tips from a park ranger who sent us on some trails in the state park. 3.2 miles is otherwise a walk in the park, but strap on a pair of snowshoes, 3 feet of snow and some good ol' wind from the lake and you've got yourself a great workout! Lunch has never tasted better! We rested on some rocks at the lake shore and tried to soak in our surroundings...the super white snow on the mountains....the Caribbean colored water...the crashing of the waves on the rocks. We both described it as surreal, it felt like we were living in a movie or fantasy land.

Exploring our backyard

In typical Bunster fashion, we decided to embark on a leisurely hike that runs parallel to a local river. At the end of the "one mile" hike we thought we were getting into, we navigated away from the main trail (aparently) and found ourselves atop a mountain. It was a beautiful weekend for hikes, and we completed a shorter one on Saturday. This area is filled with small rivers and we were amazed at how loud they are as they crash on the boulders on the river. We were surprised to find some hiking that doesn't have the 2 feet of snow that we still have at the cabin. The days are getting longer, and the blue skies are a great backdrop for the snow covered peaks. There is a chill in the air lately, that feels more appropriate with so much snow on the ground! This week we find ourselves planning a trip to Lake Tahoe which should include show chains, show shoeing, and good coffee!

Quaint Quincy

We've made it to our next assignment! A few feet of snow welcomed us to our little mountain cabin, so we of course had to make a snowman. The town of Quincy, CA is a town of 5,000 with two stoplights, and the biggest news of last year was the oppening of a Subway sandwhich shop. It's a small village tucked into the mountains, and was founded as a gold town. We are conviently close to Lake Tahoe and Reno which we hope to visit on a future weekend. The vistas are gorgeous with snow capped peaks and dense forest, just what you would expect at 4,000 feet. On our wish list of things to do include hiking, hot springs, snowshoeing and kayaking in the spring on one of the many surrounding lakes. We'll be here for 3 months until moving north to the pacific northwest.

Clovis, a way of life

We thought we would produce some pictures of our backyard before we left. Clear days are few and far between here in the valley. We can maybe see the mountains once a week, but when we can, what a sight! The snow caps shine brightly in the sun. The mountains are a couple of hundred miles away and rise to an altitude of roughly 8000, with peaks upwards of 12,000 feet. We've enjoyed our time here, but we are eagerly awaiting our next chapter which should hopefully land us somewhere in the Sierra Nevada's. They tried to get us to stay longer, but the need to explore is too great. The threat of summer temperatures in the triple digits is enough to get us out! So we're moving next to a place where the 10 day forecast includes a few inches of snow. I guess we aren't sending our winter coats to storage just yet! Clovis is a cute and friendly town. When the fog and smog rolls in, you can't see the mountains and we might as well be anywhere else in the country. We also don't like having to watch the news to see whether we can burn wood or not.

What an 'Extreme' week

Ty Pennington and his small army of 5,000 workers and countless semi-trucks were in Fresno this week to build a new house for a lucky family. They shut down most of the neighboring streets and fans were bussed in from the nearby civic center parking garage. The start of construction was delayed earlier in the week due to a cold and wet morning. However, we hope all went well as today is the day when the family returns and sees the transformation. We don't know anything about the story, since the show will air in March. Our guess is the mom lost her kids to a dinosaur that stomped around the city. We unfortunately could not see nor hear Ty, we think he was hooked up to a coffee IV at the local starbucks. We did get to catch a glimpse of Michael, shown in the picture below. It was a sight to see so many people working in such a small area. They truly must have some good neighbors because people were walking through yards all week. The noisy generators must keep some of them awake as well because they were loud! They apparently didn't mind because some across the street put up lawn chairs on their roof.

Trip to the coast!

Two months after leaving Florida, we finally made it back to the coast.  However, this one is a little colder, but worth the sacrifice of our fingertips.  We camped in a state park in Big Sur, a little bit south of Monterey.  It was incredible to see how the land stops suddenly, and gives way to giant cliffs of rock and sand as it meets the Pacific.  The sound of the waves crashing against the earth were thunderous, even at a distance of several hundred feet!  We could only tolerate watching the surfers for a couple of minutes before having to head back to camp and make some hot cocoa.  The wildlife was out in full force, as we awoke both mornings to a pack of deer outside our tent, and large groups of otters right below us in the top picture.  We also hit up Monterey, and check out the famous aquarium and Cannery Row, which has turned into shopping/dining/nightlife area.  The sun was out all day, and literally a warm welcome to below freezing temperatures.  The sun disappears two hours from the coast, and we returned back to our dreary skies and cloudy weather.  Yes, that is our tent and humongous fire we created from two sticks in the picture below.