I grew up in a little mountain town about an hour south of Sacramento in Northern California, and even though I go to school in Pennsylvania I still get to spend my summers in the beautiful golden state. My family loves being outdoors in the summer and my father has what he calls a “boat addiction”. So, when you put Northern California with my family who loves boating you get a jam-packed summer on a few of the numerous lakes in California. Here’s a look at a couple different lakes I was fortunate enough to spend my summer on.
Lake Don Pedro
Lake Don Pedro holds a special place in my family’s heart. It’s the lake my grandparents brought my dad and siblings when they were growing up. It’s where my dad and his siblings learned to ski and now all the grandkids have learned to ski as well. It’s the lake my grandpa use to drag my dad 15 miles between marines and where for the first time this summer my dad dragged me the same 15 miles. And most of all, it’s the place where my family spread my grandpa’s ashes in his favorite fishing spot.
Sly Park/Jenkinson Lake
Sly Park also known as Jenkinson Lake is another beautiful lake that is about 2 miles from my house. It’s a small lake that my family loves to go to for a couple hours if we don’t want to drive too far. It’s also a perfect spot for my friends and I when we want something to do for a couple hours after work like a quick swim or some evening fishing.
Lake Shasta
Lake Shasta is the biggest man-made lake in California. My parents have been going to this lake since they were dating. Since I can remember I’ve spent one week every summer with my family on a houseboat here. We spend the week skiing, swimming, eating ice cream, and frying our skin in the 105 degree weather. This year’s trip was especially fun because we had family from North Carolina come visit for a couple days that we hadn’t seen in a couple years!
Union Valley
Union Valley is a hidden gem. It’s only about 45 minutes from my house and it’s perfect for the weekends that Sly Park is packed. Growing up my family use to do big camp trips with a couple families before school started again. We haven’t done the camp trip since the summer I was entering high school, but this summer my family went up for Father’s Day and another random Sunday day trip. We skied and even visited our old jumping rocks.
Lake Tahoe
The Tahoe area is known for the beautiful lake, beautiful ski resorts, and great night life. Tahoe is beyond gorgeous and one of my favorite spots. Unfortunately, my family didn’t make it up this year on the boat. However, I was fortunate enough to make a beach trip up there with my best friend in July.
I love the area I grew up because of the natural beautiful and fun adventures it presents. If you ever find yourself out in Northern California give me a call and I’ll be your personal tour guide.