Tamarack 2011

After missing last year, this year Julie and I headed to Tamarack again for a Girls L O N G weekend away. And we convinced Wanda to come with us. I'm pretty sure she's glad she did! :) Minus all her mosquito bites! We left home just after noon on Wednesday. It took awhile to get up there with the road construction delays along hwy 55, but we made it. We got our stuff unloaded and just relaxed Wednesday evening AND all day Thursday! :) We mostly read our books, Julie did a little knitting. I was really wanting to enjoy that gigantic hot tub outside our window, but by later in the evening when it would have been nice to go down it was thundering and pouring rain. Thursday morning Wanda & I took a walk on one of the many trails. It was very nice and relaxing to hear the birds and the babbling brooks and just enjoy the fresh air. 

The Lodge

Beautiful flower arrangements all around.

The hot tub from our deck.

Wednesday night when we got there, already a bit overcast.

Couple hours later you could see the storm moving in.

Not a blurry picture... It was raining that hard!!

Our living area. Wanda & Julie putting away our food we brought & I'm snapping pictures!

This was Friday after we got back from shopping. Wanda has a worse fear of heights then I do I think and it took us two days to finally get her to come enjoy the view (& get picture proof that she was out there for a few minutes). 

  

Wildflowers from our morning walk.

One of the little streams we crossed. 

Loved the moon rise. :)

Snow on the distant mountains still.

Friday we went shopping. We drove down to Cascade to the Flea Market and wondered around and then there was suppose to be one in Donnelly that we were going to hit on our way back to the condo. We never did see it and just kept on going to McCall. Not a big deal only 11 miles more... So we went to the yarn shop and quilt shop there and then we went to the Pancake House for lunch/dinner. And of course had to peruse the Christmas Store. It's been a long time since I've been there - it used to be a part of the restaurant, but that has all been remodeled and there is coffee shop in the front, the restaurant in the middle and the Christmas Store in the back. And it's huge! Of course my weakness in there is always snowmen! Somehow I walked out with 2 (ONLY 2!). Two years ago we went to a home decor store in McCall the had a Christmas Room and I bought 5 boxes and a bucket all with snowmen on it. :) Wanda & I ventured out on another path when we got back, but make a quick retreat back to the condo because the mosquitoes were SO bad. Thankfully I had none, unfortunately she was covered! :/

This adult sized teeter totter was at the flea market. Only $450! Julie thought we (Les & I) needed it in our backyard...

The entire front and side of The Pancake House has a covered porch and flowers line the entire length of it and the very full baskets hang at every corner. Absolutely gorgeous!

My newest snowmen :)

Saturday it was already time to come home... We could have stayed at the condo until 11, but I think we were packed up and out just after nine. We had a delicious breakfast to go to. Our first weekend away, we went to the Shore Lodge for breakfast in McCall as a recommendation from the gal in the yarn shop. It was so good then, that we knew we'd do the same thing the next time. So we did and we all enjoyed our breakfast and then went home via hwy 95 mostly to stop at the second hand stores/flea markets along the way but it was also a great way to avoid hwy 55! By the time I dropped the girls off and got home it was after 5. It was a wonderful weekend and we've already started plans for next summer. Not that it takes much planning - books, needles, yarn, food, shopping, breakfast at Shore Lodge on the way home.... The only difference is the Tea & Pastry Shop in Donnelly we've wanted to try - it was closed the first year and this year we stopped and it was SO very busy we've put that on our list for next time!