Auburn, CA

This past weekend we drove out to Placer County to visit our good friends, the Millers, who just moved to Auburn from the Bay Area.  Auburn is GORGEOUS.  Honestly, I probably told Paul 20 times over the weekend that I want to move there too.  We didn't get away until late Friday night because Paul had a project come up at work that kept him at the office until 8:00 p.m. on Veteran's Day, but it was so fun to finally arrive at almost midnight and get the tour of our friends' beautiful new home. 

Saturday morning we went for a long walk looking at trails, bridges, homes and the American River, and we even went through an open house in Jason & Ginny's neighborhood (I was pretty serious about wanting to move there - it is an awesome area).  Auburn is at the heart of gold country so there are all these little old town centers from the mid to late 1800's. 

We ate "Rat Trap" sandwiches for lunch at a place called "The Cheese Shop" in downtown Newcastle, which used to be a packing and loading station in the late 1800's and early 1900's for fruit grown in the area that was shipped back to the east coast.  Clara and Max rode in the backseat of Jason & Ginny's Flex together whenever we drove somewhere and they were so cute back there. 

Clara is looking a little uncertain about the lack of adult supervision back there.

In the afternoon Jason and Paul went shopping (at Home Depot) and did house projects while Ginny and I took care of the kids, put them down for naps, looked at photo albums and just visited. 

That evening we went to Old Town Auburn to walk around and explore the cute shops and then on to downtown Auburn to eat dinner at a mongolian barbeque place.  The Placer County Courthouse is in Old Town Auburn and it has to be one of the most picturesque places I have seen outside of Europe.

Our friends with their 3 year old Ollie.

Paul kept Clara warm near this fire pit in downtown Auburn.

This was Clara's first time riding in an umbrella stroller that we borrowed from our friends.  It was awesome and so much more convenient than her huge travel system Graco stroller.  I think she may have to get one of these for Christmas or something.

I just adore all of the leaves on the sidewalk during the fall.

There is a huge statue of a gold miner in Old Town Auburn that can be seen from I-80.  Clara posed as a little nugget of gold for this photo. 

Paul set his camera on a bush to take a couple of group photos of us in front of the miner statue.

On Sunday Ginny made us some amazing crepes with nutella and bananas for breakfast and we all went to church together.  Ginny is one of those friends who makes the most amazing food.  Seriously, I think I ask for a recipe for something she makes almost every time we are at her house.  I credit her with such favorites around the House of Nash as Chocolate Lava Cakes, Black Bean & Avocado Salsa, and my favorite cheesy potatoes ever.

It was so fun to see our friends who we miss so much even though they just moved a few weeks ago.  We're glad that at least they aren't too far away so hopefully we can visit again soon!

Clara had fun playing with the fire truck when the boys were distracted.