Last weekend we went on a road trip to Lake Tahoe for some hiking and summer fun. There’s just something about summer road trips that are so refreshing. There’s music and laughter, adventure and the joy that longer days bring. The dogs were psyched to hop into the truck and after a few minutes of hanging their heads out the window in unbridled happiness, they settled in for the 3.5 hour trip ahead and fell asleep across the bench seat in the back.
We made it to the lake a little after mid-day and decided to drive a bit further to stay along the Truckee River since we could practically back our truck in next to the water. It was more secluded than the campgrounds on the lake given the summer traffic, and it really gave us the feeling of being “out there”. Here we spent time looking for fish and throwing sticks down the river for the dogs to chase after. Jack and Keeper would both bring back whatever stick we had thrown…as a joint effort… it was really entertaining. They make a good team. Keep even surprised us by swimming in a deep part of the river…her first time swimming! When the sun started to set we made our way back to the campsite and started a fire. We made a margherita pizza in the cast iron, while the dogs ate their fill of Merrick’s Backcountry protein-rich kibble.
Then it was time to towel off paws, brush teeth and get settled in for the night. Our truck bed is the best, it’s so cozy yet there’s plenty of room for all of us. Keeper rarely cuddles… she often gets too hot and does this zombie-walk to the end of the bed once she’s decided she’s had enough. Jack on the other hand is a professional snuggler. Anytime, anywhere…boy loves some snugs. This particular night Keeper decided she wanted to sleep between us for the first time. Trey managed to take a grainy iphone photo to document it without scaring her off. It’s my new favorite.
In the morning we took a stroll down by the river, picking wildflowers and letting the dogs explore before packing up. Then we moved on and went for a hike around Emerald Bay to take in the views. It’s just the most gorgeous place.
Once we had taken in the scenery, we headed down into South Lake Tahoe for some food. We fed the pups some of Merrick’s Backcountry wet food for lunch in the truck while we dangled our feet off the back tailgate eating sandwiches from Sprouts, a popular deli in town. We headed home shortly after, narrowly escaping some afternoon rain showers. On the way home, I turned back to see Keep asleep in the backseat with her tongue out (like always), and Jack with his head out the window clearly just loving life. We’re loving summer and I can’t wait for our next adventure!
This trip was sponsored by Merrick Pet Food- thank you Merrick! We only promote brands we’ve tried and recommend.