snapshots of summer

Before going through all of my Summer photos, I would have said that we had a pretty laid back lazy summer.  I guess these pictures tell otherwise, although I suppose compared to hectic Summers from our former lives, this was a pretty easy-going one. A good mixture of drinking coffee on our deck, playing with the kitties and exploring new (and familiar) places.

Some new places/things discovered this Summer:
– the best pie crust recipe ever (shared with us by our friends)
– the coolest mini golf place — “The Perils of the Lost Jungle” complete with 1960s animantronics that would have been amazing if slightly inebriated
– JIMCHOS (they also have a pretty legit looking prime rib night)
– Asia after Dark nights at Freer Sackler Gallery
– we found XIAO LONG BAO (aka soup dumplings)!!
– my two new favorite pairs of shoes (1 / 2) , worn nonstop all Summer
– Claymore manga/graphic novels
– waffles on a stick (their hot dogs are really tasty too)
– REI garage sales (be prepared to wait in line)
– The Signature Theater (so so cute)
– molcajete guacamole — ok, so it’s not really new, but I just learned this summer that you have to properly season the molcajete
– tubing down the Shenandoah made even better/worse with a cooler full of cold chicken from Bon Chon and a jug of watermelon Mexican Martini (recipe to come in another post)
– Inspiring + tasty vegan food. If only there was a place like this here.
– new favorite hiking trails to Bearfence and Doyles Falls in Shenandoah NP. Both easy, both with a big reward at the end. And of course the ultimate hiking trail — Panorama Trail in Yosemite.
– boutique camping at Basecamp in Tahoe — we are going to rip off everything and apply it to our house
– cold pressed ice coffee
– cement block raised garden beds (still a work in progress…)
– we finally found and signed up for a CSA!
– free summer movies at Mosaic
– District Taco— finally a Mexican restaurant that understands the meaning of the word “spicy”
– This Map — how is it only $2? I could stare at it forever.
– REAL Late night eats (why is this so hard to find)
– Awesome bike shop (one day I’ll get my Brompton)
– A new hippiemart opened in Reno complete with veggie garden growing in front of the store! We are totally sold on living there now (15 yr plan)
– Hand-poured Ritual Coffee for when we are missing SF. (I want to try all the gelato flavors! Everything there is so tiny and a bit $$, but delish).
– “Diane’s Dad’s Sandwich“– We were totally addicted to these for a couple weeks. They are surprisingly very filling
– The Wool Series, by Hugh Howey. (You can download part 1 for free on Amazon!)
– The TripIt App — why didn’t we know about this sooner?

I love how most of our discoveries are centered around food, which makes sense. We are pigs.

Some old favorites:
– Camp Curry — there will always be a special place in my heart for this place
– The Awful Awful Burger. Even better when eaten in the wee hours of the morning. Tip: enter through the alley entrance
– Silver Diner – they use local/organic ingredients and even have a healthy menu!
– Big Meadows Lodge — totally like staying at Grandma’s cabin. Charming, not very modern, and probably not for everyone.
– Sweetgreen – still my fave of the tart fro-yos, although why do they close so early on weekends?

I have a few real summer photos to post, which I’m sure I’ll drag out for week after painful week. I still refuse to believe it’s September. Even though I usually dread being hot and sticky during the Summer months it was a good Summer. And I’m gonna hold on to it as long as I can.