A Piece Of Heaven: Donner Lake

Song:  Gift Of Life

Artist:  Thomas Bergersen

Yesterday...

I went to my mother's at about 5 PM and suggested we go to Donner Lake 

for a pleasurable short mountain drive and viewing of the lake.

Donner Lake is at an elevation of 5,935 ft...

and so...it is an Alpine Lake.

There is nothing more beautiful as an alpine lake which has mountain cabins nearby...

which, because of their wood burning stoves and fireplaces...

infuse the air with a light aroma of burning wood...

and which automatically triggers beautiful memories of camping in the wilderness

with campfires scenting the air.

The crystal clarity of the alpine air is cool...

and a light breeze is almost always blowing.

The ambiance is enchanting...

with the forest's leading edges kissing the water...

and the shadows lending a mystery to the air.

It is a fantasy setting right out of the fairy tales.

Every time I go to Donner Lake...

I feel recharged, and motivated to do more in life.

I wish to buy my final property in such a place.

By far...

my favorite lake...

 one of my favorite places to go...

and one of the most beautiful places I have ever experienced...

is Donner Lake.

It is but a short and beautiful drive from home (45 minutes).

It is also in close proximity to Lake Tahoe, and Boca and Stampede Reservoirs.

However...

by far...

this is my favorite.

Even when not here...

just by reliving the perfect experience of this alpine lake...

I am at peace...everything is right with the world...

if only for those moments.

But, once experienced...

I know the experience is mine forever...

and it is always just a thought away.

This lake is the closest to perfection of any place I have ever been.

It is a genuine piece of heaven.

We are at the western end of the lake here.

They rent canoes, kayaks, and other water craft at the lake.

It is also a good place to catch trout and other fish.

My mother had seen a boat way before I could...

and she is 78 years old!

There it is.

My mother waving to the occupants of the boat.

My mother loved the views of the mountains...

and of this beautiful alpine lake.

We stayed for a while to soak in the magnificence of the lake and the views of both...

the distant, and the nearby, mountains.

We then drove East...

towards Truckee.

We were in search of a restaurant with which to finish the day.

We are nearing downtown Truckee (an alpine town just minutes from Donner Lake).

To the right of us is the Truckee River.

Its waters come directly from Lake Tahoe...

and it gives Reno much of its water.

I hadn't known that there was a festival at that time in town.

Nearby parking was impossible...

and so...

we drove back to Reno to eat.

We were leaving Truckee to get back on the highway to Reno.

We are less than half an hour away from Reno here.

My mother loved looking at the mountain views.

It had been a while since we had a good hamburger.

Our favorite burger place is Red Robin.

They have this great Whiskey Barbecue Burger that we always get there.

Each burger comes with unlimited amounts of steak fries.

Even though my mother often looks at the menus...

she almost always just says that she will have what ever I am having  :)

Our burgers arrived...

and we always order an ice cold non-alcohol beer to accompany our meals.

My mother was hungry.

She had been looking forwards to eating 

since I had picked her up from her home.

But that is part of the experience.

Hunger stimulates our other senses...

and you hunger for stimulation...

and so, you greatly enjoy beautiful experiences.

This, along with the anticipation which accompanies it...

heightens the tension...

a crescendo which leads to the climax that a good meal provides...

and so, gives a great ending to a great day.

My mother was so happy to finally sate her hunger.

My mother had finished off everything with great delight.

-------------

We had such a magical time at Donner Lake...

we are going back this evening...

only this time...

we are going to make a picnic out of our lake viewing.

I will pick my mother up at about the same time in the evening today...

whereupon we will pick up some fire grilled chicken to enjoy lakeside.

Donner Lake is not well known to many people...

and that is a good thing.

Part of its charm is that it is not crowded...

on the weekdays.

It is the rustic charm of the forested village homes along the lake... 

with their wood burning stoves scenting the air

 that gives it that magical and mystical fantasy setting.

The crystal clear air and water...

coupled with the cool breezes and the near and distant mountain views...

makes this THE lake to experience.

If only people knew

(Whoops...I guess they do now  :)