An example of family fun in a lazy river in a pool.

In a vote in January, the Truckee Donner Recreation and Park District approved the construction of a new Aquatic Center at the “new” Parks and Rec building.  The new center will have an eight-lane lap pool (25-yard competition pool) and a warm water pool with a “lazy river”, which will be great for exercise and therapy, and of course the kids will love it as a play feature. There will also be locker rooms and bathroom facilities.

It is expected that the new Aquatic Center will open by the summer of 2015. The plan is for construction to start in the spring of 2014 and is expected to take approximately a year to complete, plus or minus a few months.

The Truckee Donner Recreation and Park District had a bucket of savings money which they were hoping to combine with public investment money to build both a new pool and a performing arts center. But the Measure J proposal, which was to created for this effort, failed to win the required two-thirds voter approval (by a narrow margin) at the polls last November. Therefore, the board has had to select one option or the other. It was determined that the performing arts center was a riskier proposition  than the pool, but there was a lot of support for a performing arts center. Thus, the board allocated $200,000 toward furthering the performing arts center in downtown Truckee, as a result of a unanimous vote in the meeting in January.

Our job description includes selling the lifestyle of living in our area. And, over the years we have sold many homes to buyers and enjoy staying in touch with them over the years. We have had the pleasure of meeting young couples, selling them their dream vacation home and following their progress through life as they marry, have children, change jobs, move to other homes, buy additional properties, refer friends and family to us for assistance with real estate purchases, and so on. We are also there as many of our clients buy homes after their children are grown and are having their own children. In those cases we are fortunate to get to know generations of the same family. And, many of our clients will send us photos of the special times that they share together, which we always love seeing.

Kai and Cole Sledding in Tahoe

We assisted one special family with purchasing a home here back in 2006 and they still love coming up to their mountain home almost 7 years later.

They recently sent us a fun photo of their grandchildren having fun in the snow. Aren’t they great looking boys! I just love the expressions on their faces in this photo.

So, yes, we sell the Tahoe lifestyle, not just homes. Why does someone move up to the Truckee – Lake Tahoe area or buy a vacation home (second home)? The answer is simple . . . the mountains call to them. Maybe they are in search of a “simpler life”, or maybe just an escape from the stresses and pressure of everyday life. So many of our clients are from the Sacramento or San Francisco Bay Area, and in a short drive up to the mountains, it is like they are worlds away from their regular life.

I remember when Garrison and I lived in the Bay Area, before moving up here over 18 years ago, we would come up on the weekends and as soon as we hit the mountains on the drive up, we felt like we could breathe again. You know what I mean. We would arrive around 11:00 on Friday night, and then snuggle into our bed, and wake up the next morning in our “cabin” home. It was like we had escaped to another world . . . a world where we had fun, played like children — skiing, hiking, golfing, and just relaxed. The mountain air was so fresh (except when there were lots of people here in the wintertime and the wood smoke in the air was a bit heavy from the many cozy fires in woodstoves) and the trees so green, such a contrast from the concrete jungles of suburbia. Ahhhhhh . . . you know what I mean.

What a day to ski! Ok, this post really has nothing to do with real estate . . . but I just had to share a great tip.  The Diamond Peak Ski Resort offers a “Locals Lunch” special Monday – Friday non-holiday.  In fact, they say “Everyone’s welcome” so I don’t  even think that you have to be an actual local resident — be sure to call and check on this if you are interested.  So, for $25 you get a lift ticket and a $10 food voucher valid from 11am – 1pm.  Visit the Diamond Peak website for more information.

And, this is just what I did today!  Yes, I took a morning off from work and skied with friends and had a lovely lunch on the deck at the Snowflake Lodge.  And, I took a small video to of the view to share with you.  Take a look . . .