Labor Day Weekend 2014

Labor Day Weekend is billed as summer's last hurrah so my family took the motor home to our favorite KOA in Fillmore for some fun and relaxation.  I had such a great time!  While we were there we took a day trip to Capitol Reef National Park (which was a bit farther than we anticipated but definitely worth the drive).  I had never been there before and I loved all of the red rock formations (they reminded me of Zion National Park).  We were able to go four-wheeling through the gorge and that was pretty spectacular!

It was a great way to end the summer!  Now I am looking forward to fall which is my favorite season!

Yellowstone 2014

When I got home from Jordanelle, I had just enough time to do laundry and shop for provisions before I headed out again for a week at Yellowstone National Park (about a five hour drive north from Salt Lake).  I love Yellowstone and I have been planning and looking forward to this trip since April.  Since I am pretty familiar with the park, I had a plan for my time there.  On my first day I visited all of the geysers and hot springs.

Lower Geyser Basin

Midway Geyser Basin (my favorite feature in the park is the Grand Prismatic Spring)

Lower Geyser Basin (I really love the Sapphire Pool)

Old Faithful

West Thumb Geyser Basin (I liked the Blue Bell Pool)

Norris Geyser Basin (I hiked all around the Porcelain Basin which was about two miles)

On my second day in the park I went on several scenic drives.  It was so beautiful!

The Yellowstone River

The Lower Falls

Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone.  So Spectacular!

I was able to see lots of wildlife!  You're not really supposed to get this close to the buffalo but I just kept walking towards them!  On a Yellowstone trip when I was ten, I walked right up to a buffalo to get a close-up picture and it freaked my Dad out.  He couldn't yell at me to stop because he was afraid of spooking the buffalo.  If I recall correctly, the picture I got was blurry...

I stayed in a cabin at the West Yellowstone KOA and it was so much fun!  The people in the cabins were outdoorsy, adventurous, and very friendly with lots of stories to tell around the campfire.  I enjoyed sitting on my porch reading.

I thoroughly enjoyed my time in Yellowstone.  Next time I visit I want to go fishing!

Note:  For two nights I drove into West Yellowstone to see productions at the Playmill Theatre.  On Monday night I saw Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, which was fun as always, and on Tuesday night I saw Les Miserables, which was absolutely amazing!  It is a small and intimate theatre and the performers lead you to your seats and chat with you for a few minutes.  They all recognized me when I returned on Tuesday (I sat in the same seat both nights); one of them kissed me on the cheek and another one hugged me.  I really enjoyed both shows and I highly recommend them if you are in the area this summer.

Go here for more information and to purchase tickets.

Memorial Day Weekend 2014

Memorial Day weekend is the official start to summer so, of course, my family went on a camping trip.  This year we took the motor home to the KOA campground in Fillmore and it was absolutely wonderful!  The weather was simply gorgeous (sunny with a little bit of a breeze) and I especially loved the smell of the Russian olive trees (Marilyn, who suffers from allergies, did not) and the sound of birds chirping.  So relaxing!  We spent most of our time sitting in our camp chairs reading and talking in front of the fire.  We spent the rest of our time eating!  We had quite a few dutch oven meals and we also made tin foil dinners.  Everything was delicious.  I always think food tastes so much better outside.  I have really come to enjoy the RV lifestyle because the people that we meet are always so friendly and laid back.  It is always nice to get away from the stress of daily life to relax and appreciate nature.  I am definitely looking forward to more camping trips this summer.  I hope everyone had a enjoyable long weekend with friends and family!

Lava Hot Springs

Last weekend KOA sponsored their eleventh annual Care Camps Big Weekend: if you stayed at any participating KOA as a paying guest on Friday, May 9 you got a free night on Saturday, May 10.  All proceeds go towards sending children with cancer to a KOA Care Camp!  Win-win!  We chose to stay at the KOA in Lava Hot Springs (About 2 1/2 hours north from Salt Lake in Idaho).  It has been a rough couple of weeks at school so I was really looking forward to this camping trip!

Marilyn, Sean, and I stayed in a cabin (it's funny how each campsite has slightly different cabins) while my parents had an RV hook-up.  This was a really nice campground and I enjoyed exploring it Friday night.  Then things deteriorated rapidly for me.  I had nausea, muscle aches, a fever, chills, congestion, and a severe headache for the rest of the trip.  Basically, the flu.  I didn't get to go to the hot springs, sit on the porch and read, sit by the fire, or eat anything.  But I did have a sweet little nephew to take care of me.  He made sure I was covered by a blanket at all times (he even carefully covered me with his blanket while I was asleep) and he gave me some of his gum after I threw up!  He is so tender-hearted!

By Sunday morning I had had enough and decided to leave early with Marilyn (I had planned to stay all day and come back with my parents in the motor home).  My first camping trip of the year was rainy and this trip I was sick!  Luckily I have another trip booked very soon.  Maybe the third time's the charm!

Note:  This KOA had the best bathrooms of any KOA I've ever stayed at.  I know because I spent some quality time there!