S. Lake Tahoe Weekend of Firsts

So, this feels a bit like showing off.  But it was a memorable weekend for the family as a whole and I wanted to share a bit of it with the world.  The Lake Tahoe trip was mostly a weekend of "firsts" for my 4 year old:

First time riding a bike without training wheels.  A pretty emotional time for me, as a dad.  And I know that sounds cheesy, but hell, it's one of my son's first steps towards freedom.  Is there anything more freeing than riding a bike?  Your world has expanded by miles (potentially) from your front yard out to the local elementary school, park, or shopping center.  I mean, I'm not sending my son off into traffic to fetch some milk and eggs from the supermarket, but it's a first step.

First time fishing.  The Tahoe Trout Farm  rocks.  It's ideal for kids form 4 to 7-ish.  It's something that harkens back to the old days of Lake Tahoe.  One caveat: you have to like cooking and eating trout.  :)  They will clean the fish for you, though.

First canoe ride.  We borrowed my parents canoe for a little jaunt up and down the shore.

First time bowling.  I think the bumpers are a great invention.  Definitely makes things more fun for kids and helps improve the parents' scores as well.  I like the Tahoe Bowl.  They've just redone their pizza counter and have a nice bar with a pool table.

First time miniature golfing.  The Tahoe Mini Golf  place has very cool "obstacles."  Though, I think the appropriate word is "features."  Great fun with the kids

First real roller coaster.  The little amusement park  (it's very small scale) has a little roller coaster and one of those huge metal slides where you sit on a burlap sack to go down.  Very old school...and good fun for the kiddies.

For the wife and I, we did our usual thing at Tahoe: reading lots, walks to the lake, napping, and a quick trip to the casinos/gondola area.  My 1 year old had a good time too...mostly playing in the sand on the beach or at the local playgrounds.