Fourth of July Weekend at the Property

My family owns property near Tabiona in Duchesne county and it is one of my favorite places on Earth.  I hadn't been up there in well over a year so I was really happy to go back over the long holiday weekend with Kristine and Trent.  I had the best time!

We drove up early Friday morning and it was so beautiful there with cool temperatures.  Kristine immediately built a fire and I spent most of the afternoon reading.  In the early evening it rained a bit so I moved to the trailer to continue reading (I loved listening to the rain hit the roof of the trailer and I loved the smell of the trees after the rain).  In the evening we had dinner and then I made my traditional flag cake.  Trent doesn't like sweets, especially cake, but he really likes this and even asks for seconds every time I make it!

We spent the rest of the evening sitting by the fire and then I went to bed in the trailer and slept better than I have in a long time!  Saturday morning Kristine and Trent made breakfast on the grill and it was delicious (one of my favorite things about camping is breakfast because I almost never eat it at home and everything tastes better outside).  Afterwards we went on a drive for most of the day and ended up in nearby Yellowstone Canyon with beautiful views of the rivers and reservoir.

On the way back we saw a large plume of smoke that looked really close to the property.  We eventually learned that there was a large fire on Tabby Mountain less than half a mile from us.  We were a bit nervous so we evacuated to a safer spot and watched about six fire trucks go by to fight it.  We also saw a small plane fly overhead and then a helicopter started dropping water on it (which was seriously cool to see).  After about two hours the fire was pretty much contained so we felt safe enough to go back to the property.  We had dinner and then built a fire (which we monitored carefully after all of the excitement!).

  When it got dark we were able to watch the Tabiona city fireworks.  We sat on the tailgate of the truck at the edge of the property and we had a great view.  It was a much more elaborate show than I was expecting!  Sunday morning, after another great breakfast cooked outside, we completed some projects around the property (when I say "we" I mean that I tried to stay out of the way while Trent and Kristine completed some projects) and then packed up to go.  It was a wonderful long weekend (even with the fire) and I hope it was for you, too!

Memorial Day Weekend at Lava Hot Springs

Marilyn and I decided to spend the long Memorial Day weekend in Lava Hot Springs, Idaho (a two hour drive north from where I live) at a KOA campground.  We stayed in a cabin located near the bank of the Portneuf River (a tributary of the Snake River) with trees and mountains all around us and it was beautiful.  The cabin was very comfortable with two beds, a table and chairs, a kitchen (with a mini fridge, microwave, and a sink with running water) and a full bathroom.  We spent the majority of our time outside on our patio which had a fire pit, two Adirondack chairs, a metal table and chairs, and a barbecue.  The weather was absolutely perfect so I really enjoyed reading outside during the day and sitting by the fire in the evening (my favorite part of camping).  We made tin foil dinners in the fire on Saturday night and burgers on the barbecue on Sunday night and we ate outside (everything tastes so much better outside).  Marilyn's dog Reese loved it because everyone (in the other cabins next to us and the RVs across from us) was so friendly and would talk to us and pet her.

This quick trip was so relaxing and we had a great time!  We were sad to leave yesterday but we have decided that we want to come back (we have even scoped out a cabin in another area of the campground that we want to reserve next time).  I highly recommend this KOA (go here to reserve RV hookups, cabins, and tent sites) because there are a lot of different activities available and the staff is extremely helpful and friendly.

Washington Road Trip

Tashena's wedding was in Washington last weekend and, of course, we all wanted to be there to support her!  Most people would fly and stay at a nice hotel but not us!  We decided to make a road trip of it (the trip took eleven hours to drive each way) and stay in a deluxe cabin at a KOA. It was a long day driving to get there (and it felt even longer driving home) but we actually had so much fun and there were many times when we were laughing so hard we couldn't breathe.  The cabin was really nice with a full kitchen, a full bathroom with a shower, a seating area, and enough bedrooms to sleep eight (with lots of amenities provided such as dishes and linens).  There was also a patio outside with a table and chairs, benches, a fire pit, and a barbecue.  Marilyn and I spent a lot of time out there relaxing and reading while Trent, Kristine, and Sean helped with wedding preparations and it was lovely.

The part of Washington where Tashena lives is incredibly beautiful, especially the Wenatchee National Forest.  We all really enjoyed staying at this KOA and would definitely recommend the deluxe cabins.

Spring Camping Trip at Palisade State Park

Both of my sisters and I went on a quick camping trip last weekend (along with everyone else on spring break) at Palisade State Park.  We have stayed here before in my sister's trailer but this time we stayed in a cabin which was really nice.  It included sleeping for eight, a nice bathroom with a shower, a kitchen with a fridge and a microwave (no stove), and a seating area.  We had so much fun!  We got there Friday afternoon and found a great diner near us with the best burgers and fries for dinner.  We made a fire for s'mores (even though it was a bit cold) and we watched lots of movies late into the night.  We had plans on Saturday (including dinner with our aunt) and then made another fire and watched more movies.  We slept in late Sunday morning and then packed up to come home in the afternoon.  We liked staying in the cabin so much we are planning to come back this summer!

I am so happy that my sisters and I are close and that we enjoy spending time with each other!

Antelope Island Camping Trip

Kristine, Trent, Marilyn, and I went on a winter camping trip to Antelope Island State Park for the past few days and we stayed in one of their new cabins.  They were really nice with a living room area, kitchen area, two bedrooms, a bathroom, and a large loft area.  There was a large porch, a covered picnic table with a fire pit, and views of the Great Salt Lake.

The sunsets were spectacular!

We explored the island during the day and, because it has been so mild, the bison were roaming instead of being corralled like they usually are in the winter.  I got really close to a group of them (which made my sister mad).

More views of the lake.

My family spent lots of time by the fire pit, which is usually my favorite part of camping, but I didn't last very long because I didn't bring a warm enough coat and it got really cold.  I went inside and read my book during the afternoon.

Every night we stayed up late playing Shanghai Rummy!

It was a fun and relaxing trip!