Matt took Friday off so we could drive mid-day. But then he agreed to take Thursday off as well. What a treat for me and the girl! Matt went to class with Etta Thurs morning while Addie & I stocked up on food for the trip at Costco. We ate lunch at Costco then drove to school. I picked up Etta and dropped off Addie so Matt could continue his full co-op experience by being in class with her. I know the girls really enjoyed having daddy in class with them. And I really enjoyed being able to spend the day shopping and packing for the trip.
Friday we loaded up the car and headed out after lunch. It was a pleasant drive on I-90 over the pass and through fields, by lakes and scenic sights. The girls both napped but woke up only about half way through the 3 1/2 hour drive. We stopped at a rest stop where we were able to experience the first of what would be a very windy weekend. The girls did fine snacking, playing, etc the rest of the drive. They were very excited when we arrived and they were able to see the cabin where we would be sleeping and see some of the family who were starting to arrive.
We were hoping for a nice sunny weekend. The sun did not make a full strong appearance until Sunday so we were only able to experience it a bit that morning before we drove home. Most f the time it was windy. Like blow the picnic tables over windy. Like I am surprised the kids were able to get around and play despite it because I had visions of one of them being blown away. Part of the time it was also misty raining. Although it was not the weather we were hoping for, I can be grateful that we did not get sunburns and that the majority of the time the mosquitoes did not bother us because the wind kept them away. Also, the weather forced us to huddle together in groups and go from cabin to campsite visiting. If the weather had been gorgeous, we all might have been scattered off doing our own activities. And there were a lot of activities we could have done: there was a heated outdoor pool, paddle boats, mini-golf, golf, water balloon fighting stations, hikes, etc.
Cabin camping is pretty great in my opinion! The cabin had furniture, towels and bed linens but nothing more. So we had to pack all the kitchen ware we needed along with our food. So although we had a stove and fridge we could use (hooray for not cooking over a fire!) we still got to eat more basic picnic style or camp food. I am all for packing the swagger waggon to the gills with outdoor chairs, kids folding table, kids bikes, lots of food, board games, you name it versus only packing what you can carry in on your back. I used to (pre-kids) backpack with Matt some. We bought all the gear and I tried to be a trooper. But car-camping is my preference. And car camping with a cabin with a bathroom with hot water and a kitchen with a stove is better than tent camping in my mind. You lose some of the wilderness feel but the gain in convenience is worth it for me.
I liked Sun Lakes enough that I would be all for going back again next year. But this time 3 nights instead of 2. And I would special order some sunny but not over 80 degree weather. That sounds lovely!
Etta drove the entire drive back. As in the entire drive. After Addie woke up we kept our eye out for a rest stop so she and I could use the bathroom. and because I was getting a kink in my back and really wanted to stretch my legs and take over the driving. But there were no rest stops ahead. So we stopped at the North Bend outlet malls (my eyes got so excited when we saw that sign!). Matt agreed that if Etta woke I could extend my leg stretching to going in a store or two. Alas, she slept like a log and I was not cruel enough to "accidently" wake her. But it was so sad driving past the kids clothing store with the sign saying "extra 30% off clearance items". I don't make the time to go to the outlet mall often at all (like less than once a year) but I do love shopping the clearance racks and stocking up on clothes for the girls to grow into.
Instead of going straight home once we hit Seattle we went to a park where the girls co-op was having an end-of-year potluck party. The weather was nice. There was yummy food and friends all around. Worth the stop, but the weekend full of socializing and snacky foods did seem to catch up with the girls. Addie especially had a rough time re-entering our home and a rough time this morning. I am sure the cold we are all fighting did not help any :(
And to end, here are a few pictures of the gaggle of girls who Addie & Etta had a blast spending the weekend with:
Sad we missed it! The cabin looks pretty nice - my kind of camping for sure! :)
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