Thanksgiving in Tahoe

I don't know what to think anymore. After all the horror stories about traveling at Thanksgiving, we thought we were in for a grueling task to get through the airport on Wednesday night before Turkey day. It was the first time in years that Lenny and I would be flying with our boys, aged 22 and 24. Let's just say that although they love to travel, they didn't ever make it easy on the parents. When they were younger, they whined and complained until we just quit taking them with us. Fortunately, it coincided with the advent of jobs and girlfriends, so they had reason to stay home.

But we decided to fly to Reno, then go on to South Lake Tahoe to be with Lenny's beloved aunt and uncle, Josie and Ed, their daughter Linda, and her kids Scott, Angela and her husband Jeff. We arrived at the airport after finding the last off-site parking lot with a vacancy. Tempers were stretching a little thin, but I decided to go into my traveling mode: just shut up and go along for the ride. This works especially with three Alpha Males in the family. I know for a fact that they would be lost, literally, and probably more than a little hungry without me, so with that assurance I just let them sputter until we got through security and sat down for dinner as planned at Anthony's inside Sea-Tac.

Security. I was dreading the endless lines, but we had to fly late on Wednesday so that Joe could put in half a shift at his job. We checked my bag, and headed for the winding lines. Much to our surprise, the lines were the shortest I had ever witnessed at this airport. Soon we were all sipping a little wine and beer at the restaurant, and enjoying a meal together, just us four, no more. It was almost…pleasant!

We flew on Southwest Airlines, the one without assigned seats, and once again, I was pleasantly surprised at how smoothly we boarded. I ended up sitting next to Joe, the 22 year-old, who is a thoughtful and interesting young man. We actually talked without the interruption of cell phone calls or texting for the short hop to Reno. We picked up a rental car, drove to a hotel, at which time we bade farewell to our sons who were old enough to stay up all night if they wished. It felt weird, but after Lenny and I grabbed a snack, we retired until Thanksgiving morning.

It was a clear, cold morning as we crossed the pass and dropped into the Tahoe Basin. We surveyed the damage from this summer's Angora Ridge fire. Trees were burned just a few blocks from Auntie's home, and we realized what a close call they had. Linda had cooked a beautiful bird, and we feasted on it with all the trimmings. We watched some football, played cards, ate dessert, and gave thanks for family. It had been nine years since our kids had been with us in Tahoe, and it was a real treat to be there with grown men.

We stayed at the nearby vacant home of Lenny's late Aunt Rosie, who passed away last summer. We had seen her in June at a family reunion, and we were aware that we were saying good bye. But it was strange to be in her home without her. And it was stranger yet what we did the next day…

Next week: Lenny and Patty's Really Big Table

Our challenge? Serve dinner for 35 people in someone else's home with only 8 hours to shop and cook!

Tune in next week to see if we completed our reality task, and if it was any fun at all…