Vacation, Week 1

I'm currently in the middle of a two-week vacation from church work. I'll be home for much of this time, although certain periods I will definitely be going away. There's only so much "vacationing" a pastor can do when he lives across the street from the church.

On Tuesday, my wife and I spent the night at Lake Tahoe. We stayed at the Horizon hotel (no complaints --- we paid $49 for our room, and got what we paid for). At dinner time, we went walking. We walked through the hotel lobby, past the casino and its three restaurants, out onto the street. We passed by other casinos, with their fancy buffets and well-known restaurants, like Hard Rock Cafe. It was tempting to stop there; we were hungry, yet we pressed on.

We crossed the street (as well as the state line) and came to the Heavenly Resort. It had lots of food options, including a steak place, Wolfgang Pucks, and an Asian place that we almost ate at, with bright lights and padded seats and pulsating techno music and an all-you-can-eat dinner for eighteen dollars.

Then we looked across the street, and saw a tiny little place nestled between some of the only remaining pine trees on this stretch of road. It was two stories, made of wood, and compared to the fancy resorts and casinos that surrounded it, looked like not much more than a shack. It was called McP's Pub & Grill. We headed over, and after reading the sign that said "full service upstairs," made our way around to the side, and climbed the stairs and waited for a seat on the deck, where the pine trees grow up right through holes in the floor and ceiling. They have the usual pub grub, but my wife and I both ordered the teriyaki chicken salad, which came with pineapples and a mango dressing and was just wonderful. She got a Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, and I had a few sips of it, and we enjoyed the classic rock music coming over the speakers and the wonderful Sierra air and the rare opportunity to enjoy dinner, just the two of us. All I can say is, if you're ever in South Lake Tahoe and you're looking for a good place to eat, skip the casinos and the resorts, and head to McP's. You won't be disappointed!

I'm back home now, trying to continue with the vacation. A church member is in the hospital and is not doing well, so I will probably go visit him again. We need to continue working out the details in regards becoming Chris' legal guardians. And tomorrow, we just might go buy a new car. (Shudder...)