West Coast Camping 2015

The day school let out we hitched up the trailer and headed west. WAY west. All the way to the ocean west.

First stop, Crater Lake. Still very snowy, only part of the road was open.

Dinner stop at Crater Lake Lodge. Spectacular views and stellar food.

 Camping outside Crater Lake. Not even to the really big trees yet.

Our camp host gave us a list of nearby hikes to waterfalls, we picked a couple short ones and enjoyed the views. Even after a solid month of rain Colorado just isn't green like this. On the plus side, while it dumped back in CO we didn't get rained on in OR.

Next stop, Redwoods SP and NP. More hiking and poking around nature.

After a couple days in California we headed back to the Oregon Coast. First stop, a lighthouse tour. FFM has been inside lighthouses before but was small enough he doesn't remember. This one you could get right up next to the beautiful Fresnel lens

We drove US101 right up the coast, stopping when something looked fun, tasty, interesting, cool. This included farmer's markets, funky shops, fishy places, and various beaches.

Also a stop at the Newport Aquarium where we were just in time for otter feeding time. They eat restaurant quality seafood. This crab must have looked tasty, FFM requested crab for dinner.

During our stay low tide hit about mid afternoon. It was the perfect time to trek out into the water and gently investigate anemones, limpets, mussels, crabs and starfish.

 Color on my little phone is weird,  in reality this starfish was more of a purple color.

As requested, Dungeness crab for dinner! They ate the whole thing with a side of ling cod.

After a couple more beach days we headed to Tillamook, home of Tillamook cheese. They were making pepperjack cheese the day we toured.

Camping in Oregon is pretty easy, campgrounds are often right on the beach with running hot water in the bathrooms - showers! Our campground was separated from this beach by a single dune. The night of this sunset the wet sand of the beach reflected the sunset making the beach look bright red (again, not being the owner of a fancy camera my little phone did the best it could).

Most kids in OR are still in school so we had the beaches pretty much to ourselves. When we found other families, the kids, of course, immediately formed packs and hauled FFM around to show him the local flora and fauna. They also built giant castles and dug holes deeper than they are tall.

It must be a good vacation if your kid is more sand and dirt than kid...

Backyard Campout

Emma wanted to go on a campout with us so we set one up in the backyard!

FFM got the tent ready while Emma was at Tae Kwon Do.

 I found a 'fire pit' we could us to roast marshmallows. The kids  (and Travis) loved it.

 Getting dark, time for bed. They were well equipped with at least one flashlight and one lantern each. We talked about what makes noise in the night and what they might hear. They assured us they were super brave and didn't need a grown up in the tent with them. Travis slept on the couch downstairs with the back door open just in case...

 All tucked in, books and ereaders in hand. It was a LATE night, but they both giggled and had a great time..

Grand Mesa Camping Trip

The Grand Mesa is a big, flat topped mountain in the western part of Colorado. It's a bit of a trek from Denver so while it's called to us with it's siren song for nearly 15 years now we only just this summer managed to get in a camping trip up there.

There are reported to be 1,000 lakes on the Mesa, a lot for a state that's mostly high country desert. We were warned that while lush, cool, and green there might be a few bugs to deal with. Armed with citronella candles and bug spray we hit the road and headed about 4.5 hours west and uphill to Mesa Lakes.

Pulling up to our campsite we all three declared the drive well worth it. The campground is hilly and many of the sites are very private even though they can be a little close to each other.

 Our site was surrounded by wildflowers on all sides. We walked down some steps in the hill through a field of fireweed, in the shady woods to one side were gallardia and a few columbines, on the lake side wild geranium, yarrow, and more. The hummingbirds were happy!

Fireweed

 The boys did some fishing. Just-turned-7 is the magic age for fishing for us. FFM happily baited hit own hook, cast out, and was patient enough to wait a while to see if a fish was going to bite. He tired fishing with a lure and after a while decided to switch back to bait and bobber fishing since it was "more relaxing."

Putting a super giant night crawler on his hook.

 FFM found a flat rock to stand/sit on and we spent hours by the lakes. For the first time in years we actually did some catching! The boys ate fresh trout for dinner.

On the way home we decided to take a scenic route. On our way over the back side of the mesa FFM hollered from the back seat that there was a deer in the field. I looked over and hollered right back that it was a moose, not a deer! Our moose population is growing, but they are still rare enough that it's exciting to see one (we don't get as worked up about deer and elk anymore).

A special side note for all who have joined us camping in the past, there was NO RAIN! It was just breezy enough to keep the bugs at bay, comfortable in short sleeves or long, and did I mention it didn't rain?

Summer Science -- Elephant Toothpaste!

It's our almost-weekly summer science day! Today we talked chemistry and reactions. What happens when you mix things together? We did some basic balancing of our chemical reaction (lots of sketching of what atoms go where) and figured out we'd end up with some water and some O2 gas at the end. The water got foamy with the help of some added dish soap and the released O2. We had enough supplies to run the experiment several times and both kiddos had a blast dumping in the catalyst and playing with the foam. The kids thought the name "Elephant Toothpaste" wasn't the best fit, it's not minty or pasty, but if you're looking for this experiment that's how to find it online.

After their ceramics class at the local rec center the kids were on a crafty kick so we FINALLY got around to making the jet packs they've been wishing for all summer. Jet packs have been a crucial part of outdoor play ever since Emma showed up years ago with a jet pack made of a pizza box with duct tape straps. The official jetpacks are much, much cooler! There were a fair number of steps I had to do for them, like the spray painting and measuring the straps, but they worked hard on the flames and helping to put it all together.

2L pop bottles, silver spray paint, felt, cardboard, and straps. 

 They are already negotiating on whether they are space cadets or space explorers. The space explorer is going to teach the space cadet at space school until they are ready to become a full fledged explorer.

Putting Off the Birds and the Bees

FFM is in camp this week at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science. It's his favorite camp over the years and this year he selected Museum Investigators. Each day of the camp they learn about a different part of the museum. Today was Expedition Health Day and they learned all about DNA and how their DNA is a map of themselves. On the way home FFM was explaining all this to me and asked where his DNA came from (for rolling tongue and bendy hitchhiker thumb). I told him some from Dad, some from me. There was a pause in the backseat while the brain cogs turned and he asked "If I grew inside of you that's how I got your DNA in me. How did I get Daddy's DNA?" Scrambling rapidly and wholly unprepared to discuss exactly where babies come from ( all while navigating early downtown rush hour), I told him that DNA can move in all kids of ways. Like the DNA in your hair, your skin, and your spit. He chewed on that for a minute and remarked that spit stays in your mouth. I blew him a big, juicy raspberry and now I'm pretty sure he thinks Travis and I spit on each other to make him. We'll sort him out in a couple years or so.

First Triathalon

With all the swimming and biking that our family has been doing this summer FFM decided that doing a triathalon sounded like something fun to try. We found ourselves with an adjusted weekend schedule that freed up a morning that worked.

I'm pretty sure it took us longer to pile all his stuff together than for him to complete the event. He said it was the "best day ever!" and before we left the parking lot he had me looking up information on other/longer triathalons. Unfortunately a lot of them conflict with summer swim season, but I bet we'll be able to squeeze in one or two next summer.

Almost Weekly Science and Crafts

Before the holiday weekend the kiddos opted to do some crafts and activities instead of a new science project. First up, Sharpie Tie Dye.

We used several patriotic colors and the kiddos drew "fireworks" on the front of their shirts. We stuck a piece of cardboard inside so the colors wouldn't run through. We quickly learned that lots of small dots work better than large colors splotches. I sprayed/dropped rubbing alcohol on them to make them bleed, and then ironed over with a cloth to help set the colors. F had so much blue on his that it did bleed a little, but not enough to blur the designs. I washed them once in warm water with vinegar to make sure they wouldn't bleed too much and the kids wore them almost immediately.

One of the things I loved as a kid was building forts out of blankets, sheets, and couch cushions. My mother frowned upon this practice, I think because we tore apart beds and couches to make the forts. FFM hasn't really gotten into the whole fort thing yet, so to spur his creative juices T and I put together a fort kit and gave it to him for his birthday. I made a medium sized drawstring fabric bag and put: 2 full + sheets, small clamps, clothespins, rope, stretchy rope, flashlights, and a string of LED lights. It took about 7.2 seconds for the kids to figure out what I was doing before they took over and I was relegated to reaching things too high for them.

View from outside, the light blue thing on the lower right is tunnel fort access.

 FFM hauled floor pillows from his bedroom and they read by flashlight and twinkly star light.

Birthday Week 2014

FFM and I have birthdays just a few days apart. They coincide with a big national holiday so at our house we have declared an entire week off of work, etc and have cleverly dubbed it "Birthday Week."

This year marked an, ahem, significant birthday for me. Travis and I talked about what sounded good and quickly landed on a plan to retreat to a famous resort here in Colorado as a special treat. FFM, however, had plans for a huge bash with every single person he knows. We did throw a big (not birthday) bash, nearly 70 people in our backyard and greenbelt, and had a great time. Took ZERO pictures, but we played in the water, ate and drank well, and enjoyed the company.

Right after cleaning up the party we headed south to Colorado Springs. We stayed through the holiday weekend and enjoyed relaxation and pampering and amazing food. The boys had never been to Cave of the Winds, so we spent half a day exploring the cave and riding the new rides that have appeared. FFM surprised us all by being an expert on the ropes course, he even ventured out onto the top most level that juts out over the canyon. The ropes are far enough apart there that it's not really meant for someone his size, even Travis had to stretch a few times, but by being creative and swinging his little body around (my mom senses tingled mightily and I mumbled over and over that the safety equipment really was safe) he tackled every single run on the course. I enjoyed the lowest section, managed the upper section, and quit when it got time to go over the canyon.  FFM loved the cave AND ropes and we're already making plans to see some bigger and better caves in the west and hit the ropes course in Vail.

Ready for spelunking!

View from the ground of the ropes course. F in center, waving

The section over the canyon. F reached by swinging to the next rope loop.

STRECTCHING to reach the platform.
It took 4 tries but he made it on his own.

I do believe this is where his aspiration to become a tight rope walker comes from.

The section that sticks out over the canyon.
It's further down than it looks! 

The resort figured out it was my birthday and I had little treats left for me in the room and a lovely Baked Alaska birthday cake with dinner.

We stuck around the resort on the 4th and partook of the various resort activities that were available (it's a bit like a cruise, you can hop from one thing to the next all day if you like). The pool was packed so after a short swim in the morning we played all afternoon and enjoyed the family carnival. We finally got to eat at the traditional (not quite) English pub and enjoyed a rowdy lunch. While the menu wasn't anything like any English/Scottish/Irish pub I've ever been in, the decor came straight from an old English pub that had been dismantled and shipped over.

4th of July family carnival. All you can eat cotton candy and sno-cones!

Finally getting to have some Irish lager at the Golden Bee

We discussed where to watch the fireworks from, and after deciding we were one of a few rooms that would have a good view we stayed upstairs and watched out our window. We could also see fireworks in nearby Colorado Springs, we think maybe from Fort Carson.

Fireworks from our window, a lucky treat!
 They opened so we got all the noise, too.

Our hands down favorite activity (tied with the cave) was the new bowling alley. T and I loved the adult beverage milkshakes (s'mores milkshake with Frangelico and whiskey anyone?) and FFM enjoyed the "bar" foods (waffle batter dipped buffalo corn dog)  and his kid friendly black and white milkshake. We ate, drank, bowled, boogied and had an all around fabulous time.

 After a leisurely Sunday brunch buffet this morning we headed back well rested, well fed, and happy to be headed home.