No Rest for the Weary (part 3)

(Jaime, Bride Susan, Future Bride Jen)

So after sis dropped us off at Enterprise, we hopped in to the Volvo, put a call in to mom in law Judy and made our first trip of the morning over to World Market to pick up some lighting for the wedding reception. After that we headed over to Costco to look for some more lighting. And after leaving disappointed, we crossed the street to Home Depot and found what we were looking for - 16 LED work lights. Hey, they were battery powered and lit up well, who cares if they were bright red! We only had one final stop at another World Market that stocked the string lights we were looking for originally.

Finally, on the road! Except for the slushbox (that's an automatic transmission, folks!) the Volvo was a blast to drive. The 2.4 liter engine made fairly good power, and we were able to cruise on up to San Bernardino in no time! The seats were SUPER plush! The Swedes certainly know how to make a good seat, even for someone with my frame. Too bad I forgot my aux. cable for the iPod, oh well.

As we climbed out of San Bernardino, the real fun began - Highway 18 climbs 4,000 feet up out of San Bernardino over a distance of about 12 miles. These are some serious corners! With two hands on the wheel and my right foot on the throttle, we began our ascent. Signs everywhere warn of the maximum speeds in corners, and unlike most everywhere else, they mean it here! Occasional glances up the hillside offered views of the highway above, and glances over the side offered views of the fate that would happen anyone who missed a left turn! At one point we slowed and looked down the side of the mountain at a helicopter hovering below us! Again, the little Volvo did an admirable job, but would have benefited greatly from a turbocharger at that elevation (note: NOT ALTITUDE!)

With the aid of our trusty Garmin (there, I said it, it's trusty!) we arrived at the Lake Arrowhead resort and checked into our room. I kept asking them where our scooter was, as our room was about a 1/2 mile from the front desk out on the end of the hotel. Come on, we're at 5600 feet, I can't handle heat (it was 90 degrees), elevation, and walking!

(the Bachelor's last day)

After some relaxation and socializing, and the rehearsal of course, we headed down to Lake Arrowhead proper and the Waffle House for the rehearsal dinner. The Forbes, they throw a great party! Yeah, dinner was good, but it was the waffles for dessert that were awesome! After much socializing, we headed up to the local outdoor stage for some rock'n'roll, some beers (there may or may not have been a chugging contest), and some serious dancing(there may or may not have been some chicken dancing!) The night ended with a beer at the local Mexican restaurant (and there may or may not have been some margarita spillage - no comment, Meg?). We were exhausted, but reluctantly headed back to the hotel for some much needed rest!

(The Graves/Forbes/Franks/Bertoli/Mchale boys)

The rest of the pictures from the rehearsal can be found here...and yes, for the record, I WAS drinking Coors Light. Beer lovers everywhere die a little inside...