Snow in June?! Yes, indeed, there is LOTS of snow in Squaw Valley, elevation 8,200 feet. So much snow that we even went ice skating! We rode the gondola up to the top and went for a fun walk across the snow fields. We even saw the famous Devil�s Peak from the top. Actually, it�s infamous in my family. My dad and Jim Harvey once climbed Devil�s Peak, known for sharp rocks and vertical ascents/descents. The Sierra Nevada Mountains are known for large outcroppings of granitic rock. The mountains were formed by intrusive lava formations called plutons approximately 90 million years ago. Uplift occurred 25 million years ago and tilted the entire area towards the west. An ice age 2.5 million years ago created glaciers that slowly carved away at the rock (and created present day Lake Tahoe). The combination of river and glacier erosioin exposed the granitic plutons that were previously buried. Remnants of earlier metamorphic rock can still be seen at the top of some sierra peaks.

We visited the famous Emerald Bay, home to Vikingsholm Castle. The castle was built in the 1920�s by a (very wealthy) lady who designed the building using traditional Scandinavian architecture and furniture designs.

Unfortunately, Lake Tahoe is usually freezing cold-even in the summer. The lake is fed by snowmelt from the surrounding Sierra Nevadas all year long. Additionally, Lake Tahoe is the second deepest lake in the United States (behind Crater Lake in Oregon) with an average depth of 1,000 feet so it�s difficult for the sun to warm the lake during the summer months. I wasn�t brave enough to go swimming but Chris and Greg proved that they are able to withstand freezing cold temperatures and have fun at the same time.

Megan and Alex enjoying the sun. What a couple of cuties!

This weekend Chris and I traveled to Lake Tahoe to spend some time with Chris' family. We had a great time! We spent some quality time in the pool, went on some great hikes and even rented a boat for a tour of the lake.

I forgot to include this picture with the other New York City photos. It was a bit cloudy out so it's not the best picture. We also walked by the (former) world trade center (but didn't take any pictures).

Sonja and Nonie (grandmother)

We traveled up to Darien (CT) to visit my grandmothers. This is the house where my dad grew up. It's called windy fields. (I think the Hummer is a newer addition).

Princeton University! Chris and I walked around campus for a bit and then headed down to the river to check out the boathouse. It's a very nice boathouse-the US Rowing elite teams sometimes practice there.

My parents were married here 25 years ago. The structure was built in 1726. Someone that signed the Declaration of Independence is buried in the cemetery about twenty feet away. (It's in Princeton, NJ)

I don't know the name or the species of this bird but I think it's beautiful.

Hello!

Monarchs and Julia Butterflies: Danaus plexippus and Dryas julia. For all the Science Center people, here is the question of the day: is that a Danaus gillippus on the far left-hand side of the photo? It's the one with the dark brown wings and the white spots on the outside. Also, I'm not positive, but I think that's a red admiral (Vanessa atalanta) or a Buckeye (Junonia coenia) on the orange. Any suggestions?

They have a butterfly house at the zoo. It's ok. Our butterfly house at the Pacific Science Center is much better. I think Chris looks better as a person rather than a butterfly.

We went to the Bronx Zoo... It was AMAZING!!! I've been to many zoos around the world and this one was very good. I think the Berlin Zoo and perhaps a zoo in Austria are the only ones that I liked better than the Bronx Zoo.

Yep, we got lost (but only briefly).

New York City!! Chris and I were in NYC last weekend for a wedding. We had the opportunity to spend a day in New York and we had a wonderful time. I'm glad I don't live there though; there were way too many people! This is Chris in Central Park.

Happy Birthday Chris!