Child GOes to Crater Lake National Park

After this trip we agreed we are starting to meet the spirit of our #1 on our empty nest list and until the big road trip will continue to do so by visiting at least one National Park each summer. Remember we own a pop-up trailer, so several months ago we booked our campsite with Xanterra at Crater Lake National Park for $25 a night. We would be venturing that direction for a Thursday & Friday night.

We left home at 8:30AM, but quickly had our first emergency (what is it with our summer trips this year being cursed). Our trailer had a tire issue that would force us to a Big O Tires in downtown Sacramento. What we thought would be a 45 minute job sent us for a brief walk to a Java City for a mid-morning snack. Then we walked couple of more blocks to Capitol Park where the kids enjoyed running, the rose garden, and spending a bit of time discussing war, soldiers, etc at the War Memorials. Back at Big O we would learn our troubles were worse than feared and it would be longer. Equipped with a laptop loaded with movies we would create a movie theatre in a corner of the waiting room. And after one show we would cross the street to California Pizza Kitchen and with a quick call enjoy lunch with a friend who worked downtown.

Finally on the road at 2PM we had a back-up campsite in Redding at Mountain Gate RV Park in case we didn’t think we would make it to Crater Lake by dark. A little bummed my research lunch stop at Dam Burger was early evening when we made it to Redding. But with 100+ degrees and daylight until at least 9:30pm we pressed on with Mt Shasta looming in view. Dinner was the always convenient McDonald’s with a play structure with one of the best views in the United Stated we are guessing as it sat at Shasta’s base in Weed, CA. We pulled into Crater Lake at 9:30PM. Gate house and check-in already closed our friends who were joining us had made it in time and left a note with our site# on the communication board. They had also left us with a warning the mosquitoes were bad.

Bad would turn out to be an understatement. With melting snow and 90+degree days it meant prime breeding. And the second we stepped out of the car we were attacked. Sprayed down we quickly popped up and headed to our friend’s campfire for the added protection of smoke.

Breakfast the next morning would be spent huddled inside our trailer avoiding the biting. And it was a comfort once we loaded up and started climbing towards to Ranger Station the mosquitoes lessened. The Steel Visitor's Center (aka Ranger Station) was packed with folks asking questions, etc.. We found our way to the auditorium for a 18 minute video on Crater Lake’s history and snow removal process. We also grabbed Junior Ranger paperwork for the kids to complete to earn a badge. Then we headed up to the rim.

Tempted to park immediately upon arrival we didn’t and found more parking around the Rim Visitor's Center and closer to the Rim and Lodge. We walked the edge and enjoyed the view from Sinnott Memorial Overlook, then took a snack from the rocking chairs lining the deck at Crater Lake Lodge. With raindrops starting to fall we headed back to mosquito alley aka camp. Other than the paved trails there wasn't much for a 3 & 5yo as well as our friend’s dog who was in tow.

Back at camp we lit a Off® PowerPad Lattern and we were mosquito free for the afternoon or reading and chatting tucked away under our awning while rain showers passed in and out of the area. There were bike rides around the campgrounds and stops at a very well-equipped store for cortisone for our 3yo who was being munched on more so than the rest of us. At first we thought we were quite lucky to be on the “E” loop with the amphitheater until we learned all the programs (posted on the bathroom doors) occurred at 9:30PM well after our children’s bedtimes. Disappointing… : ( Speaking of bathrooms though it did seem they sprayed there a few times a day as the mosquitoes were minimal once hidden away inside. There is 1-2 bathrooms per loop. Unfortunately on of ours was being remodeled. And showers were a coin operated and a bit further away. If we returned we liked site “F9” for its size and location to a small creek. Otherwise we would return E8 or if traveling with another group would choose E5 & E8 so the kids could venture between sites without wandering onto the road.

The next day we would pack up quickly to escape the biting and head for the Rim Village Cafe and Gifts and to turn in the kids’ Ranger papers. Sadly we didn’t know what a big deal it was and we have no pictures or video. But the kids stood alongside the Rangers with their little hands held high and was issued the oath “to protect Crater Lake….” Needless to say the experience was quite the grin producer. Definitely worth the 6 pages of fun learning activities. They program paperwork said 6-12 years old. But with our help they let our 3 & 5 yo old participate.

We did note there was not a single campsite reserved for more than 2 nights. With lots of snow, minimal hiking trails open, or other activities it seemed a lot of folks were just passing through. There was one activitiy I should mention that we did not do which was the boat ride. On the opposite rim (~15mi drive) you could for a fare sum of money take a boast nearly 2 hour boat ride around the lake and to Wizard Island. We opted out with our children after learning there was a steep hike down to the boat launch. So steep they said it would take 30minutes going down and an hour and a half coming out equivalent to 70+ steps and 700+ elevation gain.

Crater Lake was amazing. Definitely worth the trip.

Eating @Disney World® Without "GO"ing Broke

OK, with all these activities one has to eat. As our room had a kitchen we wanted to use it to keep costs down. Had we driven we could have loaded coolers and cars full. But we were flying.

We initially pondered checking a couple boxes and coolers of food. We were on Southwest Airlines and with free bags and 7 people we could have checked up to 14 items. But we went with Goodings. A local Orlando grocer with delivery service. If you ordered $50 dollars in food you paid $25 for delivery. And between the cost of our time and a cab ride we went for it. Because our group of 5 adults and 2 kids would easily surpass the $50 minimum.

The large resorts are ready for this service with fridges and even freezers in the bell rooms to keep your groceries until you arrive. We found most of our needs easily available on their website and then just made customer notes for the items we could not find. Everything we ordered showed up without issue. There’s only a couple of things they won’t deliver – ice cream & alcohol. One other note about the service. We had to contact bell service to see if the groceries had been delivered to the hotel and ask they be brought to our room. They did not call us and let us know when they arrived.

So most of our meals were eaten in our room. We did opt to eat “out” 4 times:

1. Breakfast at our hotel: The day we took off from the parks to enjoy our hotel we opted for the loud and rowdy, contrary to it's name, Whispering Canyon Cafe where our waitress easily managed our father-in-law's disappointment in not being able to order his eggs over-easy, potatoes thin and fried to just the slightest crunchiness, etc with her quick wit and comebacks. The kids also enjoyed running ketchup bottles to others tables when the wait staff hollered “Can we get some ketchup over here.” We were happy with the food and the value for the dollar spent.
2. Lunch at Animal Kingdom: This was a day we would not be returning to our hotel for afternoon naps. So by following the Unofficial Guide to Disney World with Kids book we were set-up to have lunch in Animal Kingdom's Dinoland at Restaurantosaurus. Salads, kids meals, etc worked out well. We did pack two sandwiches and cheese sticks to offset the purchase a bit. And thank to reusable stainless steel bottles we were able to purchase one beverage and split it between the kids.
3. Large Group Outting to the Hoop De Doo Musical Revue: With Midwest grandparents in tow we forwent the character meals and went with the Hoop De Doo Revue. A hilarious, audience participatory meal in a huge hall at Fort Wilderness, a 5min boat ride from our resort. All you can eat, family style chicken, ribs, salad, cornbread, beans, strawberry shortcakes, and beverages, including alcohol. We easily got our bang for our buck. The only shortcoming was I was concerned about my picky eaters and had read on-line I could ask the waitstaff upon arrival for something else. However, other than mac-n-cheese we were told we should have let them know 3 days in advance so they could have had it shipped over from our hotel. All they had on site were fryers and ovens.
4. Our family of four last night dinner at Tony’s Town Square in Magic Kingdom: Again not a character meal, but a restaurant we were able to secure a reservation for 7 days in advance. Tony’s was located right at the entrance to main street, so when we returned in the evening after naps we did a bit of shopping and headed for dinner. Greeted with a lobby of carpet and TV playing of course Lady and the Tramp as well as a coloring area the kids settled in. But it was brief…having a reservation we sat less than 5minutes before our name was called. We felt guilty as we passed others on the way to our table who obviously were walk-ins who had been there much longer. Kids meals and adult pasta abounded. The only downside was our table was in the wait staffs' main drag so I was constantly ducking and scooting my chair in. The food was good not great, and good for the value.

Each day we took drinks and snacks into the parks. It was very hot, so we would freeze our kids stainless steel bottles filled with Gatorade and Yogurt Sticks the night prior and these worked as ice packs for anything else we took in our backpack. The kids' stainless steel bottles also worked well after they emptied their initial contents we could go into any fast dining establishments and get ice water for free or a large lemonade and split it between their bottles. And backpacks on the rides were no problem. Even the Kalahari Rapids at Animal Kingdom had a dry storage in the center to place it.

No, in the end we did not do a character meal. Very popular and expensive these require reservations made months in advance. So just a heads up if that is on your Must Do list.

In the end everyone was well fed staying within a budget of about what we spend at home on a weekly basis. Which the kids' quickly took advantage of our savings for souvenirs or ice cream treats.

Walt Disney World® Tickets & Planning Their Use....

OK we have our hotel selected, but to get some of the packaging rates we would need to advance purchase our tickets.

Now what ticket levels do you buy…access to a single park each day (aka Magic Your Way Base Ticket), access to allow you to go to one park in the morning and a different one in the evening (Magic Your Way with Park Hopper Option), access to theme parks and waterparks+ (Magic Your Way with Water Fun & More Option), a ticket that never expires…meaning you decided to skip a day and that ticket will be good for life and you can return another time to visit (Magic Your Way with No Expiration Option). And the more days you purchase whatever option you choose the cheaper the rate per day calcs out to be. Again it's all a little overwhelming...

We would be staying 4 full days & 5 nights, so we opted for 3 days where we could enter one park a day. Meaning we bought 3 days worth of Magic Your Way Base Ticket. This ticket would allow us to go to the Magic Kingdom in the morning, go back to our hotel for the 3 year olds afternoon nap, and return only to Magic Kingdom in the evening. This would also allow us to take one day off and enjoy the incredible amenities our hotel offers I mentioned in my last post. Speaking of hotel...your credit card looking hotel key is imprinted with everything, including your park tickets you just purchased. Keep a close eye on these...they open your hotel door, get you in the park, get your Fast Passes, and can be your currency if you tie it off to a credit card when checking in.

OK with tickets bought and hotel booked…now the overwhelming plan of attack. I had been told horror stories about hours of waiting or failure to ride the sought after Buzz Lightyear. By gosh I was spending all this money and wanted this to be pleasureable I would make this work, so I reached out to our travel agent with my anxiety. She pointed me to “The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World with Kids” This book was full of information as evidence by its 480 pages built from comments and tips on Walt Disney World® from surveys of more than 12,500 families. And it's done annually. But there it was in the back…the Holy Grail for maneuvering around the parks. Iteneraries based on your childs age, who they were going with (parents or grandparents), how many days you were allowing per park, etc.. It told you when to see a show, when to get a fast Pass (Disney’s reservation system to ride something later in the days), when to head back to your hotel, suggestions on where to eat, etc.

My family mocked my purchase and reading of this book. But now they worship my decision. It worked like a charm. Following the steps my kids road everything they wanted, saw every show, made it back for naps, etc.. Riding back from a visit to downtown Disney on our park day off my purchase was doubly confirmed when a father of 3 who makes the visit annually said he has bought the book 4 years running and has never been let down.

So I got my family a great hotel and we got to see and do everything at the parks we wanted to...now how about energy to make all that happen. Also known as food. Next installment...how a family of four didn't go broke eating at Walt Disney World®.

DisneyWORLD here we come! - Lodging

Ok, this is a bit of a departure from my traditional truly active travel vacations, but think about it...Disney is definitely it's own classification of active only it can be.

We live in California where families take trips to DisneyLAND sometimes once a year. We have not been yet. But as we would be spending the entire month of June basing out of Indiana we decided this was our chance and probably our only one to visit DisneyWORLD. It also needs to be said our children’s paternal Grandfather who is a big kid himself has always said when we go he wants to go.

So who’s the leader of the club….???

That would be me as far as this trip was concerned. Now I plan multiple trips a year, write this blog, but Disneyworld scared me to death. I mean the complex has grown so much since I went in 8th grade a few years ago and Epcot was new. For perspective the cast members (Disney’s name for their employees) shared the following facts during our visit:

• Disneyland can fit in DisneyWorlds Magic Kingdom’s parking lot and there would still be 2000 parking spaces available
• Disneyworld is as big as San Francisco or 2X the size of Manhattan
• Only 30+% of the Disneyworld-owned property is developed, another 30+% is for future projects and the remaining 30+% is protected.

Are you breathing hard yet? For me who likes trips to be well researched and go off with minimal issues I was near anxiety attack stage.

First I turned to my friends who had been there before, perhaps even multiple times. They gave me many websites for my reading/panicking pleasure such as: mousesavers.com, disneyonadime.com, a complete guide to disneyworld

After reading several I found myself circling back to Small World Vacations, Inc as booking time neared.

The travel agent assigned to me helped me maneuver booking the right package for our group which would include 3 grandparents and our family of 4. She would also help me manage 2 hotel changes…1 on paper…and another mentally. I also price checked her quotes against Disneyworld's own on-line booking system and she definitely saved me some money.

So where to start with lodging...If you can afford it, and you should be able to as there are all levels of pricing, stay INSIDE the Disneyworld property. Some of the amenities this affords you are:

• Extra Magic Hours: Early or Later access to the parks versus the general public that comes in from outside.
• Transportation: To & From the Airport, Parks, etc...so nix the rental car and all the headaches of getting it and returning it
• Luggage Transfers: With special tags we checked our bags at our home airport and didn't see them again until they were delivered to our room at our hotel. And on the return we checked them in at our hotel and didn't see them until we got to our home airport.
• Access to Concierges: who know all the ins, outs, tips, etc to everything…from getting from point A to B to dinner reservations, etc..
• And my kids favorite…a message from the big cheese himself, Mickey Mouse, welcoming you on your vacation. This was probably played on speaker at least 50 times during our stay
• And much, much more including the incredible hospotality every cast member has down pat including the daily "Have a Magical Day" from our maid staff and hotel maintenance.

Speaking of hotels. Just inside of the Disneyworld massive property your selection is endless, from value resorts to the deluxe ones. We decided with our party of 7 it would be better to try to get us all into one room versus 3 separate rooms, so our selection was narrowed to properties that would have accommodations with 2+ bedrooms. We initially looked at the Tree Houses at the Saratoga, but eventually ruled it out due to the amount of walking required to get anywhere for the youngest and oldest in our party. Then we briefly entertained a 2 bedroom at the Saratoga, but opted out for its distance from the Magic Kingdom (as we have a 5yo & 3yo this would be our most visited theme park) and eventually landed at The Villas at Disney's Wilderness Lodge.

Excellent decision! Magic Kingdom was a 5min boat ride away with boats every 20-30min. And a little insider tip here...if you have already seen the parade...head for the boat back to the hotel just before the fireworks. We were out in the harbor just as the fireworks started booming over the castle and our captain informed us with a sheepish grin "Folks we will have to hold here for oncoming traffic." And we enjoyed the entire display from a amazing vantage point. We would apply this same tactic just before the electric boat parade and again we would get to see the entire thing from the water almost right next to it. The farthest bus ride to anywhere was 30minutes more because we shared the buses with the Grand Floridian and Polynesian resorts not because of distance.

The accommodations were wonderful 2 huge bedrooms, 2 full bathrooms, kitchen, living room, 2 decks, and laundry. The hotel amenities were wonderful as well. 1 large pool with a waterslide where every afternoon a cast members led fun games, crafts, etc for the kids. There was another smaller pool with bubblers located through out which was a bit quieter for the adults enjoyment. The Cubs Den provided free crafts every afternoon from 2-4PM. And you could book them as well for evening childcare for ~$10 an hour with dinner included. We also enjoyed free cookie decorating each afternoon at the Roaring Fork, the quick service, ala carter restaurant. Also on site was a arcade, bike & boat rental. Free nightly movies on the beach. The Sturdy Branches Health Club to work off the treats consumed at the parks. And if you ventured out to the boat dock at about 9:30PM you could catch the electrical light pageant. Forget something … on site was the Mercantile which had of course your Disney souvenirs, but also some food and toiletry items, which were not marked up too horribly.

We were very, very happy with this hotel. And if we ever did decide to return with our family of four we would certainly entertain staying at Fort Wilderness Lodge in their standard hotel rooms located in the building right next door.

OK, shew anxiety level coming down as room reservations were made...stay tuned my next installment will be tickets & dining/food

When Parent GOes without Child

We have left our children for 24-48hours before. And in preparation for this summer my husband talked me into going to Jackson Hole, WY for a 3 day ski trip without the munchkins this past February. So I would be emotionally ready with our 9 days away from them this summer.

Last year we started researching a trip to get away during his 8 week sabbatical which only comes every 7 years. During the last one, prechildren, we had done 3+weeks away on a multi-sport in Australia & Fiji. But now we have two little persons that not only carry half of each of us in their genes, but in their hearts. So even though we knew it would not only be good for us, but good for them and the grandparents with whom they would be staying 2 questions loomed large before me…how long can I leave them and how far away can I go?

Luckily I had an alter ego…a good girlfriend who did the trial run for me. She is a good friend, one of the inspirations behind this blog, mother, traveler, and basically a “me” with blond hair and a few less inches of height. In fact the alternate me even swapped due dates with me on our first children. She had her boy on my due date and I my girl on hers…10 days apart. She embarked on an adult only trip for 15 days to France last year leaving her boy with the grandparents. Now one other difference between us is she works every day and travels even ever so often for work, so when she said “15 was too long and France was too far.” I knew my destination needed to be a bit closer and my stay shorter. So with that we decided on Costa Rica for 9 days, including travel to & from.

Next decision…do the grandparents come to our home or take the kids to theirs? Our children only see their grandparents, who live half way across the country, every 3-4 months and their home once a year. So we decided to go with the grandparent’s home. The novelty of their home would buy them a couple of days of interest. The biggie for the decision though was having he grandparents on their turf. Where they were comfortable to drive, not only to places of pleasure, but to a hospital in case of an emergency.

So for 3 months we counted down the days till we would go to Grandma and Grandpa’s. Behind the scenes we were mapping out adventures for the kids while there once the house novelty wore off. The grandparents also hit the yard sales for 2 bikes and borrowed DVDs, toys, etc from other local grandparent friends whose grandchildren visit more frequently than us. And on our end at 2weeks out we packed a box of favorite toys, stuffed animals, etc and took advantage of parcel post and sent them ahead of us…so a bit of home could be waiting when we got there. In fact it arrived early enough Grandma took a picture of the stuffed animals awaiting their arrival on their beds and sent it over email. Now the excitement was at fever pitch.

We arrived in town 2 days before we were to depart again and spent time settling the kids in and shopping for their favorite snacks, foods, toothpaste, etc.. We also made a countdown calendar for our trip and hence our return to them. Each day showed what we would be doing or where we were so we would have a discussion topic when we spoke to them. Speaking of which…the Internet age has made that piece so much easier. Thanks to VOIP (Voice Over Internet Phone), Email, Text Messages, Cell Phones, and Skype we were able to communicate almost (exception when we were in the rain forest) using one method or another.

Our last step before departing which wound up being a massive one…that would work, but we would also learn from would be to prepare for an emergency. We left copies of our insurance cards as well as a letter stating the grandparents were given the right to make health care decisions in our absence. And here’s where I must take a deep breath.

Our trip and preparation was perfect. The first 7 days were wonderful for all. The kids enjoyed all their adventures and we ours. And via our modes of communication we shared pictures, video conferences, etc and discussed them all. Until Day 8. We had been in the jungle for 2 days and returned to hear our daughter was ill. Day 9 our last day we called to check in to find she had been taken to an emergency room. And within 2 hours we would learn she was being ambulanced to a children’s hospital for an emergency appendectomy. And here we are in Central America.

The grandparents were armed with the insurance cards and thanks again the modern age we were in constant contact to help make decisions regarding hospital choice, etc.. We even gave our verbal consent for the surgery over cell phone to the surgeon in Louisville, KY while awaiting our flight in San Jose. We had been 99% diligent in our preparation. The 1% miss was that last statement. Now as her condition was life threatening they would have performed the surgery without our consent. HOWEVER, in a less life threatening event had they not been able to reach us it may have been delayed. But you say you left a letter giving the grandparents rights. Well, to make the letter fully legal and actionable we should have had it witnessed and notarized.

I don't mean for this story to scare you or discourage you from GOing without your child. I believe it is healthy for all involved for these parent-only trips. My story is to only help ultimately put your mind at ease for the longer, farther trips. By sharing my 1% miss you can now be 100% prepared when you as a parent GO without your child.

We're Back!

Wow, how life flies when the "Child On The Go" becomes a "Child On The Go" to school.

Going became very limited to weekends and school breaks. So packing, planning, and preparation took on even more meaning, so we could optimize our time.

So first I will play a little catch up and tell you what we crammed into those those brief moments between academic learning, then we will move on...

...to the piece de resistance to make up for majorily decreased going during the school year....a 9 week vacation for my family this summer. No this is no normal summer vacation...see Daddy and Mommy both are off work for 9 weeks. Daddy has sabbatical and Mommy has break from her teaching job. So our "Children On The Go" will be embarking to:

• America's Midwest


• Disney World


• Crater Lake National Park


• Bend, Oregon


• Camp Sacramento


• Fallen Leaf Lake


• ...and lots of local adventures including lots of time on our 25foot sailboat

So stay tuned.

Child goes to Hope Valley

It's been a very rocky month emotionally and travel-wise as some trips have been canceled or postponed due to the death of my Grandmother. A women who never step foot on an airplane after inspecting them during WWII, but a women who still instilled in me the wonders of nature and the outdoors through staycations and walks in her own backyard.

But we have returned west and are finishing out the summer with a couple more camping trip notches on our belt. This past weekend we loaded up the pop-up and headed almost exactly two hours east and south a bit to Hope Valley, California & the Hope Valley Resort. It lays 1/4mile east on Highway 88/89 of it's sister resort Sorenson's.


We drove in past the cafe to site#10 where our host, Eric Gunnison, greeted us. He is not only the host, but the reservations specialist and cleaning crew. He took one look at our rig and gave us advice on getting it into our site and pointed us down the hill. We proceeded down the rather steep hill to site #16 and our friends would be in #17 (a little trail between the two sites let the kids roam freely between the two). Nestled in the lower campground we had tall aspens all around us and to the north the west fork of the Carson River splashed over rocks making for wonderful music (and nearly drowning out the traffic from the highway above) and pretty small waterfalls. To our south was a massive granite wall. At only 25 sites this was a small campground, but it was nice as the kids quickly made friends with neighbors and the bathrooms/showers were all clean and complimentary. Including having a child potty seat hanging on the back of a door for the little ones in training. That night we dined on the usual night one meal of pasta (I had already cooked al dente at home), salad, veggies, bread, and topped it off with samores.


Saturday morning we topped off our tanks with pancakes and fruit. While clean-up and packing happened for the day's adventures the kids headed off to the end of the campground & a bridge (careful gap between bottom and top rail is quite large and small children should be watched over)that overlooked the river. They also tried making it down the California Trail which was clearly marked and crossed the property. Unfortunately we quickly learned this must not be a popular trail as overgrowth met us rather quickly and we had to turn back. It was kind of a bummer since the trail holds so much historical value.


So we loaded up and headed about 20minutes up the road to Grover Hot Springs State Park. It's very well marked turn in the little town of Markleeville. We were excited as this is another historic spot having been documented in writings back to the mid 1800's. Our first destination was the pools, so rather than turning towards the gate house entrance we kept going straight. We had warned the kids upfront as this was fed by natural hot springs the water may not be clear and it may be yellow or green. The kids jumped for joy and we did too after shelling out $5 per adult & $3 per child to find a "cold" pool (which was still 90degrees) that was fed from the mineral springs, but was treated and cold water added and looked like your garden variety backyard rectangle clean, clear pool. Starting at one end at 2&1/2ft deep and dropping to 6ft on the far end. After using the very clean changing rooms, complete with single shower, and single bathroom we jumped in. After a while their curiosity got the better of them and we ventured over to the hot pool (102-104degrees). Even though yellow in color it was clear and the large number of people enjoying it drew the kids' interest. They loved sitting on the benches that nearly went all the way around the oval pool. So we spent the next hour and a half going back and forth between the two.

In complete sun though...the heat and the activity soon got the better of us and we went to the actual State Park to seek shade and lunch. Immediately past the gate house was a wonderful day use picnic area which ran along a stream and had a wonderfully clean bathroom. We enjoyed lunch and built stick doll houses out of the items we found on the forest floor. If we were not so exhausted after all that we might have tried the Nature Trail which is just a little loop with lots of signs describing the flora. And definitely when the kids get older we would like to return to do the Burnside trail which is 3miles round trip and rises 2K ft passing a waterfall and swtichbacking up to Burnside Lake. This is a rather small State Park with only the picnic area, a campground and a parking lot for the trail head. But it seemed wonderfully kept, had lots of visitors, so we made our way through the campgrounds and marked a few sites intending to return next year.


Back to Sorensons we enjoyed snacks at the cafe. It's very quaint with a few staples, souvenirs, and a bar serving beer and coffee drinks. We were a little disappointed as they advertised ice cream, so we had to quickly dodge angry toddlers/preschoolers with other alternatives when the lady tending the store told us they were all out. Shew...organic gummy treats at $5.50 a container, a beer, cookie, brownie...and we sat out on the front porch and watched the traffic roll by. One other cafe heads up...no credit cards, but there is a ATM outside. Back down to camp for coloring while dinner was prepared. Tonight kabobs, hot dogs, veggies, fruit...and again samores. Bedtime came on time as everyone was tuckered out from the day.


The next morning we packed it up and made one last stop before driving home. The sister resort, Sorensons, boasted free hot chocolate, coffee, etc for Hope Valley Resort vacationers. Unfortunately no good place to park the pop-up we literally pulled it off the side of the road and walked across. We were met with beautiful gardens in full bloom. Wine Barrels and tubs of every kind overflowing. But the kids enjoyed the numerous bears composed of wire and moss scattered around the property. One rather large guy lay on his belly reading a book, a father & son fished, and a family played in the trees. The staff was very welcoming to us campers and the hot chocolates loaded with cinnamon and whip cream were delightful.

A gorgeous weekend in gorgeous country. We will return as a family to this as well as Grover Hot Springs we have vowed. And Mommy and Daddy have agreed a overnight retreat to Sorensons may be in our plans quite soon.


NOTE: There is no cell phone service in this area. Sorensons has WiFi, but still no cell coverage. Bothe Hope Vally & Sorensons has pay phones.