Family Vacation

A week without posts does not mean a week without activities. In this case, it's quite the opposite. Daddy got the week off work and so we packed our bags and headed out of town. Every family has their own idea of what relaxing is, of what it takes to unwind and recharge. For our family it's breaking out the tent and spending some time in the woods.

For this trip we decided to go somewhere we haven't been before to explore new sights. We drove up to Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Parks. It was a beautiful area with amazing and gorgeous sights everywhere we looked! We got to see the biggest and the second largest trees alive on earth. The shear size of the sequoia tree is truly amazing and a grand sight that everyone should take the opportunity to see if possible.

I adore exploring caves, and have done plenty of cave tours and recreational spelunking trips "back in the day" before the kids came along. It was a very special thing to take my kids into their first cave when we took the Crystal Cave tour. I wasn't sure how they'd handle it, esp the part when they turn out the lights to show you how dark it actually is without the sun and moon. They were troopers. Daddy and I prepped them on what to expect ahead of time and it turned out good... they adored it. The only downfall was my son had to go to the bathroom about 15 minutes before the tour ended, which meant uncomfortably holding it until after we got out... which was an eternity for him!

I was very worried about encountering a bear on our trip. Bears are very active in that area and lately there have been numerous sightings of the beautiful creatures. But as majestic as they are I really wasn't wanting to see any face to face without a zoo fence between us. I carried a whistle in my pocket and a blow horn like you take to sporting events in my backpack the entire time. Even while sleeping they were right in arms reach just in case we had a campsite visitor that needed scaring off. Thankfully our only encounter was a sighting of one walking in the woods while we were driving down a camp road. My husband and I got out to get a better look and we left the kids in the car. Unfortunately we fumbled with the camera and didn't get a shot of him.

This giant sequoia was glowing red on fire. There was a prescribed burn going on alongside one of the trails we hiked. The heat this tree was giving off was insane!

As amazing as the food eaten around the campfire was, and as refreshing as swimming in the cold mountain river felt, the best part about the trip was the time spent with the people I care about most. We left all distractions behind and got to laugh together, listen to deep thoughts, and hug. Regardless of what your family's idea of fun is and what your budget for vacation is, taking the time to do something I think is a must for all families over the summer break. It might be cliche but it's still true, the family that plays together stays together. Now, if only I can find someone else to do all of the vacation clean up....