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Family Catch Up

June – July 2025
  • Simon Hillman
  • Annette Eyre
LA to Banff to Toronto Read more
  • Simon Hillman
  • Annette Eyre

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  • United States United States
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Bicycle, Couple, Family, Nature, Sightseeing, Sports
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  • Family Catch Up

    Day 28 LA

    June 27 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C

    Not much to report, lads being lads. Had a nice walk to Venice jetty and Leigh took us to lunch at a very tasty Chinese joint in Santa Monica. Then the ladies did some clothes shopping. Ubers back and forth, only $14.95 both were Teslas

    Weather ok but cooler than Canada, still in shorts and tee shirts. Annie tried for many hrs to buy tickets for ACDC but their system crashed and put us back to the end of the queue with 27000 on line. Gave up in the end, booking agencies still can't manage huge online numbers.

    Annie goes home in a few days, i have another 2 weeks here. Family taking me up to Lake Tahoe to stay with some friends up there for a week i think.    Read more

  • Family Catch Up

    Day 29

    June 27 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C

    Fri mornings there is a farmer's market near the venice library just a short walk from the house the lads love having fun there. Annie went for a run and met us there.

    We then had a shopping walk down Albert Kenny a trendy local street a few ks away. The pics of red Coco boxes on wheels are a robot food delivery company here. They have cameras and are driven by humans some distance away. When they arrive u key in your orders access code and open the lid to get your order.

    Along the way we saw an immaculate old chev and a stunning early Corvette, unfortunately i wasn't quick enough to snap it. Loved the lonely barber and i must say lazy mobile barber, check out his roof spot

    Its the lads 3rd birthday tomorrow and Leigh and Annie have done up the lounge to surprise them in the morning    Read more

  • Family Catch Up

    Day 30 birthday boys

    June 27 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C

    Leigh and Annie prepared the room the night before so when the lads woke up came into the lounge they had a huge surprise and didnt know which present to open first.

    Had a nice beach walk with the crew and had brekkie in The Great White a really nice cafe owned by an Australian who now has set up 4 other GW cafes.

    There are lots of squirrels in the area and when we home one couple was having wild sex half way up the tree near the front door.

    Went to the cinema in the arvo via another Waymo to see, F1 the film with Brad Pitt as a F1 driver, both thought it was a good film. The cinema had a huge screen really loud sound system big comfy seats, ticket prices similar to OZ.

    Quite evening with some frozen pizza's, looked after the lads so Rhys and Leigh could have a night out.    Read more

  • Family Catch Up

    Day 31 Annie flies home

    June 28 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    Forgot to mention yesterday we had an Early morning visitor, 5.32 am. One of the many homeless people came thru the back gate off the side lane and robbed an Amazon parcel off the front step which had been delivered in the night. Amazon drivers work 24/7 to make ends meet. The parcel was full of AA & AAA batteries that Leigh had ordered for the birthday toys. About $30 worth

    Amazon Prime do a same day delivery here so heaps of people do alot of online shopping.. They have a camera and got film of him, The dog wills stirred but didnt bark and Rhys got up to check but not quick enough

    Leigh had her beach bike stolen off the front veranda a few weeks early. Homeless theft here is quite an issue, basically have to bolt everything down..Cant leave u washing out overnight even.

    Annie did a 5klm early run early this morning its very quiet here in the mornings any day of the week. Walked with the crew to the local cafe then a play in a local park. Got to meet Ziggy the upstairs neighbours dog. Small dogs are very very popular here. Threw in some pics of inside the cinema from yesterday.

    Put annie in an Uber tonight 6 pm ish for the airport, her Air NZ flight leaves 10pm ish. Then i am joining the family to drive 748 klm to Lake Tahoe to spend the next week with some family friends of Rhys and Leigh. We have been sleeping on the floor at Rhys place on a foam mattress so i am looking forward as is my back and knees to having a proper bed to sleep on    Read more

  • Family Catch Up

    Day 32 Lake Tahoe

    June 30 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C

    Long drive got here 1.50am, Good road not much traffic. Tahoe is in Nevada and once u cross the border there are Casino's in every town, not to mention signs with excerpts from the bible. Went out for coffee which is about 2klm away. Super busy here at this time of the year, summer is the busiest time here. Two local sheriffs turned up for coffee and give the lads police stickers to put on their tee shirts

    The town is at 1800m so with thinner air and warm weather u get very thirsty. The lake is crystal clear and blue, lots and lots of ski boats perfect here to water ski. Its supposed to be 500m deep in the middle

    Their friends here also have a German Shepherd called Ruby, she has a lovely temperament and Rhys brought his dog Wills with us and both dogs get on really well until tonight i had to separate them as they fought.

    Rhys saw a coyote not far from the house when he went to get our mexican take away    Read more

  • Family Catch Up

    Day 33

    July 1 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 15 °C

    Did an early morning walk up Diamond Peak to Snowflake Lodge with Rhys and the hounds, certainly got me puffing. Was 6klm walk all uphill, to 2250m with Rhys saying it gets easier, what a liar, but the view was very much worth it.

    The highest peak walk is 2850m and I won't be hanging out to do that. Its a very popular skiing area in the winter months with many ski lift runs including 2 for children/beginners. The snowflake lodge is a great cafe & bar in the ski season, so u can have some bravery refreshments then tackle the last very steep ski run.

    Rhys has got altitude sickness went straight to bed when we returned. He rode yesterday and wasn't the best after. Apparently its a very common event here and not pleasant hard to breath, nausea tiredness    Read more

  • Family Catch Up

    Day 34

    July 1 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C

    Boat trip planned today in a very nice large ski boat. After some wake boarding we are motoring to a restaurant on the other side of the lake for an early lunch. The restaurant has a Jetty where we will tie up. The boat is owned by a mate of rhys family friend Neal.

    Weather has been very nice here 25 to 28 clear skies hardly any wind. Met the boat owner (Bill) and his wife Dianne at the launching car park across the road from the ramp. The boat is kept at a storage yard and their staff tow the boat there and bring a ladder so the boat can be loaded and people get on. He then tows it across to the ramp and launches it and agrees what time hes to come back and pick it up. A great system but NOT CHEAP.

    The boat was drop dead a lovely 24ft beautifully built and has a computer system to manage the ballast loading and stabilisers that generate the wave type and height to surf the wake. We motored along the shore line for Bill to show us all the mega homes. One sold the other week for $63m . Mark Zuckerberg and Larry Ellison the 2nd and 4th richest men in the world both have homes here and many others no doubt.

    We motored to Gar Wood a nice restaurant right on the lake with its own private jetty for dinners. We had booked lunch so that got us spot to moor. Had Teriyaki Salmon Salad, plus 2 x Wet Woody's a strong rum concoction in a flavoured slushie. Bill then took us to a tiny private beach and we had a swim off the boat reckon it was 20c water temp.

    Rhys wanted to wake board so we spent the next hour or so doing that. Rhys has done a lot of wake boarding off Bills boat so hes pretty good at it. The boat has heaps of grunt so it pops Rhys up in seconds. Check out the pics with residents jetties having hydraulic cradles to lift their boats out of the lake for storage. Amazing what money can buy u.

    Headed back to the boat ramp to be met with the launching business to pull the boat out and take it to the storage yard. Spent the rest of the arvo on the beach next to the ramp. Hows this all the beaches on the lake are private for residents use only with a swipe card and security on the gates. We got in as Neal gets some additional passes for the family.

    Retired back to the house and after shopping as it was my turn to cook dinner for 6, made my favourite shepherds pie, they must have liked it as it all got eaten    Read more

  • Family Catch Up

    Day 35 Independence Day tomorrow

    July 3 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C

    Went down to a community fair being held in town lots of give aways for kids and full equipment display by the Washoe Sheriff's Looked a bit out of place, bomb disposal truck a robotic dog, riot truck, horses, motor bikes with all the officers packing side arms, tasers, bullet proof jackets with even the horse sheriffs were dressed like that.

    The bomb disposal robotic dog was a real hit with the kids, they must cost a fortune. Pretty lazy day after that, reading on the back veranda soaking up the lovely weather. Rhys is still suffering from altitude sickness, been 4 days now. He had brought his Canyon and was looking forward to doing the lake circuit It's a 116klm loop with a few hilly sections. Anyway unless he gets a lot better he won't be doing it this trip.    Read more

  • Family Catch Up

    Day 36... Its July 4th...

    July 4 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 12 °C

    Very very patriotic, US flags and banners streamers everywhere, fire works display on a pontoon in the bay at 10pm. I think we are going to a family friend that lives up the hill a bit and has a good view to the lake for a BBQ and watch the fireworks.

    Well that was the plan but during the night a storm came up the barge started to sink and with it all the 0,000s of dollars worth of fireworks. So no display and they closed the boat ramp and main beach area as there were explosives getting washed in. Normally 000s of people arrive early to stake their beach spot for the day and night.

    So there they were dragging all the day's gear food booze for the day to find the gates to the ramp and the beach closed with security guards turning people away. People's planned day ruined, Apparently the area will be closed for days.

    However i did get a nice bush walk in with Neal and his dog Ruby, lovely quiet walk only saw 4 other people. Then come 6pm we headed to Neals friend's place (Bill) for a July 4th bbq, had some delicious home made burgers and salads. Bill got hold of a blue laser torch to entertain us instead of the fireworks    Read more

  • Family Catch Up
    1

    Day 37

    July 5 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C

    Took a nice walk into town on my own about 7klms and then met Rhys to do some shopping. Nana nap again, getting quiet regular then some reading.

    In the arvo we went to a dog refuge fund raiser in town. On of the fund raisers was $5 to kiss a nice old pit ball on a table, there were lots of gift baskets u had to bid for but each had a minimum first bid then all the next bids had to be in $5 or $10 steps.

    Lots of wealthy residents hence why it was being run here, bids quickly jumped into the $300 & $400 bids. Had a few beers in a local brewery with a great beer garden and the lads played some games.

    Finished the off with a BBQ night to Neals with his friends from the the other night    Read more

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