Reno

Well After leaving the Warm and wonderful Cabo, we were off to Reno! We hopped on the plane which took us to L.A. and then to Reno. We got in relatively late so I had my friend Jessica pick Dennis and I up and take us to Silver Legacy. When we walked in the door of the Hotel room It was HUGE! A massive room with a flat screen tv and a bathroom that was comparable to my entire apparment! The shower could have been the entire bathroom, I was bummed that there was only one shower head. Oh well. There was a massive bathtub in the room that looked out over Reno. Jessica had to leave to go read a book for school, so we went our separate ways and Dennis and I went to go eat. We went to Brew Brothers in the Casino, it is so cool in there. It is a brewry and there are big pipes full of beer that flow over your head. Very cool. After that we decided it would be fun to gamble a little bit. I am pretty sure we had 3 dollars each. After loosing all of that money in the slots it was back to the room to watch a movie and test out the MASSIVE Bathtub! So back up to the room I started filling up the tub... After it was about half full i added all of the bubble bath that was provided. All of a sudden the next time I looked at the tub it was about to over flow with bubbles! There was so many that when I got in the tub I couldn't even see out of the tub. I had to pile bubbles in different places so that my head can stick out! It was so funny! After my bubble bath it was off to bed.

After waking up and getting doughnuts from the Eldorado (where my mom and dad had sworn they were the best doughnuts) we decided to try our hand at gambling again. I had like 5 dollars and Dennis inserted a 20! All of a sudden, after I had lost all my money, Dennis came back with a 50.00 + ticket! he had won! Yay! SO i made him cash out and keep the 20 so no matter what he wouldn't loose that money.

I called my grandparents to come and get us, and we headed up to the room to pack up and get ready. After we checked out we sat outside in a shaded area waiting for Grandma and Grandpa. All of a sudden Silky Silver came into view. (Silky Silver is my grandparents car) Dennis and I began to head for the car when all of a sudden I saw my grandma's silver hair. YAY! I am back in reno with my family was all I could think. Grandma started running towards me. I hadn't seen her run in years. I figured she was as excited as me! After introducing Dennis to my family, Dennis hopped in the drivers seat and we headed for E.C.'s house (my uncle). After a short drive we were in our swimsuits enjoying the pool that I had missed like CRAZY for almost 3 years!

After making a few calls to family there was a gaggle of Ragan family members and babies. I think it was the first day that I had Dennis holding babies for me while I chased after others! All of the girls that were barely old enough to smile are SO BIG! Most already have new baby siblings! It is crazy how fast the wee ones grow up! Soon after that the day was over and we moved into our motorhome palace! The first night was the hottest of them all. We tried to figure out how to turn on the swamp cooler but i couldn't remember for the life of me. So we just opened the windows and the whole placed cooled down quick.

The next morning I went in the house and watched everyone get ready. The schedule in the house doesn't make much sense to me. I felt like everyone was working against eachother vs. working together. It was kinda weird. But I guess each family is different. Anyways E.C. had taken the day off to spend with us but he had lots of stuff to do. So Dennis and I took the car and went to the mall. After finding the Express and spending the remainder of our money there we headed back to E.C.'s. After returning home, hopping in the pool, and spending some good quality time with my grandma we got ready to head off to Lake Tahoe.

Dennis was the driver! At first he started backing up, slowly as the motorhome wasn't really moving. Then he noticed that the EMERGENCY BREAK WAS ON!! haha So he fiddled with it for a while before i grabbed it and got the break to go back to its OFF position. We were on the road. The 2-3 lane interstate highway had a speed limit of 65. I am pretty sure we didn't ever get close to hitting it. The motorhome went about 55-60 on the flats and from 35-40 on an uphill slope. Dennis looked so cute driving. Both hands on the wheel and the pedal to the metal but still only going 50. We both laughed most of the 45 minute drive up to Lake Tahoe! After getting to lake Tahoe we went and found a campground. We drove around twice to make sure we had the nicest place we could find. We found it! Spot number 17! Had the BEST VIEW! it was amazing! you could see the peir that went deep into the lake, the mountains that were turning colors the more the sun went down. It was truely amazing. So we shut off the motorhome and opened the box in the back so that we could get the motorhome flat. Well little did we know that once we shut off the motorhome it wouldn't be starting back up for a while. So after trying to get it started, I remembered my mom telling me about how after a long drive it wouldn't start for about 20 minutes and then poof it would start back up and run fine. So during that 20 minutes we walked over to safeway and got some hotdogs and buns, charcoal, and lighter fluid. We had a little weenie roast and then noticed it was a perfect sunset. Dennis had never been atop a motorhomw and had always wanted to. So He and I went up there. I opened the chair compartment and noticed there was a big blanket up there. HOW ROMANTIC! So i got the blanket out and we sat on the roof watching the colors of the sunset change as the sun lowered over the horizon. It was one of the huge highlights of the Tahoe portion of the vacation.

Early to rise, we prepared for our jet ski adventure with uncle E.C. Well needless to say he was running a little late due to the fact that Mindy's dad had to go to the Hospital and mindy had to run to work and such. Something always makes that family late for something. Anyways I am glad that he wasn't on time. 10:00 at the lake still didn't give the water enough time to warm up and it was COLD! It was so cold I didn't want to get in! I wanted nothing to do with that cold, bone chilling water. But still I waded into the water and hopped on the jet ski. After riding on the back for what felt like an eternity I got to drive. I was so scared that I was going to be thrown off into the icey waters of lake tahoe that when ever a big wave was coming up I slowed down so that I wouldn't get wet. Then Dennis wanted to drive again. So NOT FAIR! haha But I ducked and he jumped over me and began to drive. After having some chafage left over from the Cabo Jet skis it began to return. The chafage hurt SO BAD!! I couldn't ride anymore. But we didn't want to waste the time that we paid for so I made Dennis not hit bumps and just go in circles. It was very fun.

After that we went and had lunch and E.C. Offered to drive us around the lake. I knew dennis would like the drive so we began our journey around the lake. About 15 minutes into the trip I was ready for a nap. I jumped into the back seat and layed down. I was out. Next thing I knew Dennis was saying I missed the Castle and some other stuff. E.C. dropped us off at the motorhome and we decided to stay another night at Lake Tahoe. The sad part was that our perfect campspot was taken and so were all of the others in the campground! How disappointing! So we were off to find a different campground. We drove all the way to an overlook and got out to take some pictures and walk around. Little did we know that after a walk down to the boulder beach and back wasn't long enough for our little motorhome to start back up! So we played some cards until the motorhome started back up. So we decided to turn around and go stay at a campground along the Truckee River. On the way back around the lake Dennis spotted a miniture golf place and so we minature golfed for about an hour! I totally kicked his BUTT! He was not to happy about that. Well we drove and drove and drove and every campground was full. Arg, it wasn't looking good. Finally there was a campground. We pulled in and I made Dennis a sandwich and we went to bed. In the morning at about 8:30 there was a knock at the door, waking both of us up. It was the park ranger coming to collect our money for the campground. We paid him and got ready for the day. We needed to be back to reno by 11:00 because my uncle had wanted to take us to Hot August Nights. So we walked along the Truckee for a little ways and headed back to the motorhome.

We were on the road again! After about a 30 minute drive we were back at E.C.'s house. Another day spent in the pool and all the family came over. I had a couple friends come over that I used to be really close with in College. But it was just completely different. They were the same people but we just didn't have that bond that we used to have. Don't get me wrong it was nice to see my boys but they just weren't the same. I was kinda bummed. So around dinner time when everyone in my family started to eat, Dennis and I left and went to JJ's Pie Co. To get some yummy pizza with a really good friend of mine and her boyfriend. So after enjoying a great 4 hours with Lindsay, Ryan and their friend. we were too worn out to do anything else. We headed back to the motorhome where we slept.

Our last day. i had really wanted to just lay low and chill with my grandparents. I barely ever get to see them and they never come up to Alaska anymore which is really depressing. Anyways so we had planned to go to Hot August Nights in the 1949 Willy's Jeepster! I wanted my Grandpa to drive and grandma to ride in the Front and Dennis and I in the back. And then E.C. could have drove the 2 kids in his truck. Well Things didn't work out as I was hoping they would. The two people that I really wanted to spend the day with were left behind and E.C. drove, Dennis sat in the front and I in the back with my god daughter/cousin Michaela. When we went downtown they let us drive right in. We got to park in line with all of the registered hot rods. and then we walked up and down the road looking at all the cool cars. i really would like to make it down again maybe next year and just check out the cars and maybe take my mom and dad and sister and Dennis's family. i think it would be really fun! From what I overheard Dennis saying his dad likes old cars. So, it might be the perfect place to have our families meet.. HINT HINT!!!! (Rose! Dennis! Joy! Drew!) Anyways so we went to the car show.. it was SO MUCH FUN!!! OMG! and then we went back home where I got to spend time with the grandparents. then off to the airport for Dennis and I. Our trip was over! I was very bummed. After a long flight we were home. Sierra picked us up and it was back to the real world. MAN Returning to real life REALLY SUCKS!!!!!