Legacy of the Dreams

Chapter 2 - A Winter Holiday

A winter road trip to a place that has snow for a family of six plus Mr. Simms had the potential of being very long. The Abernathys stopped often enough to keep old Mr. Simms from getting too stiff, but not so often it added unnecessary time to their journey. Greg took the most direct route possible from their home near Los Angeles area north to Lake Tahoe, through the center of the state. Consequently, it wasn't until their last hour on the road that they actually saw snow.

"Wow! It there's so much of it here!" Zack exclaimed as they entered the Lake Tahoe basin and turned north to go around the lake.

The trees were heavy with snow and although the roadway had been plowed, it was piled high on both sides of the highway.

"I think it snowed here yesterday," Susan said as she consulted her phone.

"How far is it to the house?" Matt asked.

"Not too far, although we do need to check in at the rental office to pick up the keys," Greg said.

They stopped briefly in front of a small structure to the side of the road. Greg parked the car and Susan went inside to take care of the paperwork, returning with a map and several sets of keys. Greg consulted the map then restarting the car, he took a side road, bringing them closer to the lake and away from the highway. A number on one of two enormous stone pillars flanking a driveway identified the house they were looking for. Between the pillars was a gate, separating the home and its grounds from the road. Susan triggered the remote control she'd been given and the gate in front of them swung open.

"I'm surprised that works in the snow," Matt said.

"The lady in the office warned me it doesn't always. You have to be sure there isn't too much snow piled up around the hinges," Susan said.

"I guess," Matt said.

Greg pulled up in front of a classic Tahoe-style house, featuring steep pitched roofs, wood beam columns, rock, and glass. Gabled windows looked out from above the three-car garage, suggesting much of the house was two stories. With the living space extending above the garage and spacious entry, from the front, the house looked very large. However, it wasn't until they stepped inside that they could appreciate how large it truly was.

"This place is enormous," Matt remarked as they walked across stone-floor of entry hall into an open beam, vaulted ceiling room with peaks in two directions. In the corner between the two was an oversized fireplace, reminiscent of a ski lodge. "Is this the living room?"

"If it is, it's a strange room," Zack said.

"Why is that, Zack?" Susan asked.

"It's bent," Zack told her.

"It is an L-shaped room," Greg agreed, "with the fireplace occupying the inside corner and open on two sides. I believe an argument could be made that it is actually two rooms that are open to one another: a smaller sitting room off the kitchen and a great room extending towards the back. It looks like one room because of the way the space is furnished."

"Well whatever it is, it is wonderful," Susan told them as she looked about.

The space was arranged with multiple seating areas, one on each side of the fireplace and another closer to the tall windows overlooking the lake, with plenty of space in between. All were furnished with large inviting sofas and deep, comfortable chairs in a casual style.

"This house has a footprint similar to an 'x' or a cross," Greg observed. "This room occupies two of the arms and the center section where the arms meet."