Tahoe June 2025

Bears, Blackjack & Backhands in Tahoe

Our Tahoe trip could not have been more fun! We played endless pickleball on brand new courts tucked among towering redwoods—and if you looked up, you could even spot a zip line stretching across the forest.

We had two very different homes for the group: one super-duper fancy, the other more rustic with tacky furniture and thin walls—each adding its own flavor to the adventure. Both houses went all-out hosting dinners:

🍝 Rigatoni, salad, garlic bread, and homemade pies at one house🐟 Salmon, steak, gourmet salads, and lentils at the other

On top of the food and play, we built in some serious learning. We filmed our matches early in the week, set individual goals for improvement, and then filmed again at the end of camp. Watching side-by-side on the big screen made the growth clear—and gave us plenty to celebrate.

But Tahoe wasn’t just about pickleball. We biked around the lake, kayaked across glassy water, and even spotted two bears on our bike ride—a reminder that we were sharing this playground with some very wild locals.

And then there was the casino night. A personal highlight for me came at the blackjack table with Deb. On the very last hand, I pushed out all my chips… and drew a blackjack. The crowd went wild—honestly louder than anyone has ever cheered for me on a pickleball court!

It was the perfect mix of great pickleball, beautiful surroundings, shared meals, and unforgettable memories. Tahoe, we’ll be back!