10-8-2024
H: 82ºF L: 47ºF
Carson Valley RV Resort, Minden, Nevada
We drove around Lake Tahoe today. On the California side, even though a lot of the land is owned by the National Forest Service, the various parks (and home owners) lease the land from the government and charge a parking fee and did not accept our America the Beautiful pass. There is free parking on the roadside in some areas. We learned that the Nevada side of the lake is much more friendly to visitors.
We stopped at Tallac Historic Site that used to be a glamorous resort in the early 1900s. We saw the cutest chipmunks who looked like half chipmunk and half squirrel because they were so big. We also found a beach dedicated to Thomas Regan (Regan is my maiden name) who was instrumental in protecting the southern portion of the lake. We found a paved walking/biking trail at Dollar Creek Trailhead and took the boys for a walk.
10-9-2024
H: 81°F L: 45°F
Carson Valley RV Resort, Minden, Nevada
We took the boys for a walk on a paved trail that goes past our campground. We saw a beautiful barn set in a field of golden grass.
We spent another afternoon with Aunt Darlene. The boys loved running in her backyard. Marcel would frequently go to Aunt Darlene for pets and snuggles.
10-10-2024
H: 81ºF L: 44ºF
Carson Valley RV Resort, Minden, Nevada
We started the day with a walk during coffee time. We saw a beautiful sunrise as we were making coffee. The boys loved all the fall smells in the air during our walk.
We drove to Reno, NV to explore. We stopped at Circus Circus Reno Casino and walked around. We met a Vietnam veteran who had just gotten out of the hospital after an unfortunate series of health issues. He was in the Air Force and was responsible for saving the lives of two downed soldiers. Thank you for your service, sir.
Then we drove to Crystal Mine outside of Verdi, NV in the California hills. The road was a rough forest service road so we parked the car as we know first hand how much it sucks to break down on a back country road with no cell service. We walked 4.3 miles uphill to the mine area. We didn’t find any clear quartz in crystal formation but we did find some pretty rocks. And we got more exercise than we bargained for.
After walking a total of 14 miles today, we were so sore we could barely walk. We definitely enjoyed the hot tub at the casino.
10-11-2024
H: 81ºF L: 57ºF
Family, Greenwood, California
It’s a travel day! We are going back to California to spend some time with my sister, Kim, and her family, Ben and Kavelia. They took us to the local reservoir lake which was so peaceful and quiet.
10-12-2024
H: 75ºF L: 53ºF
Family, Greenwood, California
We had an eventful morning to say the least. We turned on the propane for the water heater and it caught on fire. We don’t use propane too often. Daniel thinks bugs may have plugged the line or the valve may have been reduced by an obstruction. The good thing about living in such a small space is that you can hear and smell disfunction right away. Daniel ordered a new water heater on Amazon.
We also found out that a bear came in the middle of the night and took some of Kim’s chickens. Four chickens are missing but we are hopeful that some got away from the bear and are hiding.
We went to the library in Georgetown, CA which has two free EV chargers. We both had some work to do so it was nice to sit in the library and focus on our projects.
When we got home, Ben took us down to the Middle Fork American River on his side-by-side. It was a bumpy, dusty ride but we really enjoyed the views and the area history Ben shared with us. This area is gold mining country and old trails and artifacts are everywhere.
Apparently, the Cybertruck has caused quite a commotion in Kim’s small town. A picture of the truck was posted on the local Facebook page which received 50+ comments. While we found this post funny and have experienced positive reactions from people, Tesla hate is real and we have experienced a lot of “rolling coal”, obscene gestures, and more recently, bold people telling us how ugly they think our new car is. I may have occasionally thought that a man’s really large diesel truck with giant tires is to make up for a small physique or particular body part but I have never outwardly berated or road raged someone for their choice in transportation. I fear that mature adults are going to be put on the endangered list.
10-13-2024
H: 78°F L: 53°F
Family, Greenwood, California
Kim took us to Coloma Gold Rush Live at a local state park where reinactors set up a 1850s camp. Our niece, Kavelia, arrested Daniel and put him in an 1860s jail.
Then we went over the tallest bridge in California at 730 feet. Foresthill Bridge was originally built for a proposed dam and reservoir but the project never came to fruition.
10-14-2024
H: 78ºF L: 54ºF
Family, Greenwood, California
We went for a morning walk with Kim at Cronan Ranch Regional Trails Park. The weather was great and the trail led us on the ridge of a hill so we had great views for at least half the hike.
Our brother-in-law’s sister, Ramsey, visited today. She lives in Texas but was in Reno, NV for a bachelorette party. We drove her to Sacramento so she could fly home tomorrow. Then we had dinner at Pho Vegan Asian Cuisine. You could order food oil-free which Daniel and I really appreciate. It was so good!!
Stats
Expenses:
- Tesla Cybertruck fuel: $0
- Tesla Model X fuel: $0
- Campsite: $162.72
- Camping memberships: $26.11
- Food: $120.49
Tesla Cybertruck miles driven: 177 (87 kWh)
Tesla Model X miles driven: 580.5 (149.6 kWh)
Number of people asking about the Tesla pulling the camper: 0
Contact Happy Vegan Campers!
Happy Vegan Campers are traveling the country and building a passive house! Any suggestions on places we should visit or questions about our house? Love our recipes? We’d love to hear from you. Leave a comment at the bottom of the page or send us an email: happyvegancampers@gmail.com
