Engagement Story!

This weekend contained the anniversary of the day Luke and I got engaged! Luke and I aren’t too sentimental when it comes to anniversaries Okay, truth: I am secretly sappy. I love hearing stories of how people met and fell in love. But don’t tell anyone—it will ruin my street cred!. We really celebrate on our wedding anniversary, but still we like to take a moment to acknowledge the milestone markers in our relationship.

It was Memorial Day weekend 2010. Luke surprised me with a trip up to Nevada City, CA—a lovely town if you’ve never been. We went for a really long hike along the Yuba River (a true gem of the Sierra Nevada), past the swimming hole, and nudist beach, and long stretches of quiet nature. Honestly, it was getting to the point where the hike was feeling a little too long, and I was not looking forward to going all the way back! Luke and I decided it was time little rest and climbed out on the rocks into the middle of the river. So gorgeous! Luke said he forgot something in his bag we had left on the river bank. I figured it was his camera since he had been snapping shots the whole hike.

Luke came back without anything in his hands. He sat down next to me, whispered sweet nothings, pulled out the ring and popped the big question! I answered with a big “ARE YOU SERIOUS?!” and some hardcore making out ensued. Ooh la la!

As we sat there basking in the glory of our love, freaking out about what had just happened; some movement caught our eye. Climbing nimbly down the rocks was a man.

Our naked mountain man walked into the water a few feet from us and proceed to bathe gingerly in the river.  Not wanting to be creeps we decided to take our celebration of love elsewhere. It was a perfectly surreal and silly moment! One we will never forget. I wonder if the mountain man ever thinks about the day a young couple in love invaded his bathing area?

That weekend we stayed at The Red Castle Inn, Nevada City’s earliest surviving brick home. Sadly, since then the innkeepers have retired and the inn has closed its doors. Too bad—I had the best broiled grapefruit of my life there! I still dream about that grapefruit. Luke recreated it on Saturday and it was delicious, but not quiet the same.

How did your partner propose? Was there a naked mountain man?