Tag: 2013

Logan Canyon, Utah, National Scenic Byway, Guinavah-Malibu Campground

In the heat of the summer, I love heading up in the mountains to enjoy the cooler temperatures. My most recent excursion was a camp out with the tots and their cousins in Utah’s beautiful to Logan Canyon. 

Logan Canyon has been designated a National Scenic Byway and as such as many interesting sections. The winding Logan river has some beautiful sections that are perfect for floating. The geological features, such as Wind caves and Logan cave, provide refuge for wildlife, including sensitive Townsend big eared bats. 


Big E’s cousin Tyler

This National Scenic Byway winds through the mountains between the city of Logan, Utah and Bear Lake, which is situated on the border of Utah and Idaho. Just driving through the canyon is a great activity, but stopping along the way for camping, hiking or boating is what makes Logan Canyon truly fun.

The tots and I spent the night at Guinavah-Malibu Campground, which is situated directly on the Logan river. It was fun to play in the water, then head back to camp for a homemade dutch oven dinner.  Logan Canyon visitors buereu describes this campground as a “soothing landscape of willows, big-tooth maples, and grassy meadows.” I have to agree, the place was beautiful and the campsite spacious.

We spent the evening around the campfire, telling stories, making s’mores and enjoying one anothers’ company. The tots enjoyed the multicolored glow sticks their uncle gave them, and I enjoyed being able to see exactly where they were at all times thanks to their florescent beacons. It was a great addition to our camp evening, and I plan on bringing glow sticks again in the future.

The campground was great, with flush toilets and easily accessible water. My only complaint was hearing the noise from passing cars on the highway. 

Over all, our stay at the Guinavah-Malibu Campground in Logan Canyon, Utah was a great adventure.

30 for my 30th Update

The fourth of July is not just a great day to celebrate our nations independence. It also happens to be my half birthday. And this year I turned 30.5.

When I turned thirty, I made a list of goals to accomplish this year. I figured it was time for an update to you readers, letting you know what I’ve done.

Here’s my updated list, plus some additions at the bottom.

1. 360 on my snowboard I accomplished this in the sloppiest way possible.
2. Front side board slide on a box This wasn’t pretty either.
3. Teach Big E downhill skiing He did great!
4. Try cross country skiing with the tots Thanks Sundance Nordic Center.
5. Snowshoe excursion up Provo Canyon
6. Snowmobiling trip to Island Park, Idaho Unfortunately this trip ended with sickness and broken ribs.
7. Hike to Stewart Falls with Big E walking the whole time (2 miles round trip, do you think he can make it?)
8. Visit a National Park I’m planning to do this in August.
9. Have a neighborhood bonfire where we burn our dry Christmas tree (Fire = Awesome)
10. Try canoeing with the tots CLAS Ropes Course is awesome.
11. Bike ride road trip
12. Hike to a mountain top
13. Explore something new The tidepools at Carpinteria were awesome.
14. Go to the beach I miss this already.
15. Go camping I’ll be doing this a lot.
16. Watch a caterpillar change
17. Mountain bike down a mountain…without the tots
18. Grow a garden This is quite a feat in my shady, mountain area frequented by deer.
19. Teach Big E to swim
20. Hike to a waterfall Battlecreek Falls, Baby!
21. Go fishing
22. Visit Italy with Mountain Dad (This has always been on my bucket list and since I turned 30 this year it seems like the right time to plan it.  Plus we have over 200,000 frequent flyer miles built up thanks to spending too much money with our Delta Skymiles card.  Curse you Home Depot!)
23. Explore Portland, Oregon
24. Go boating
25. Swim 200 meter freestyle without stopping I’m not sure why I wrote this goal, I’m not a big swimming fan.
26. Yet to be determined Try outdoor cooking with a reflector oven
27. Um… Kayak the Provo river with Mountain Dad
28. I’m not sure yet Hike to a great swim spot
29. Stop pressuring me people! See a moose or bear in the wild
30. (sigh) Go mountain biking in Moab

Wish me luck on these new adventures, and if you have any suggestions for a great adventure with the tots, please let me know.

If you’d like to see the original post here it is:

30 Adventures for my 30th Birthday

Yesterday I turned thirty.  I know, I’m old.  (This is the point when everyone younger than thirty nods in agreement while everyone older than thirty rolls their eyes.)

I don’t feel like I’ve passed some great milestone, I feel basically the same way I did the day before, only sleepier.  It could be that thirty makes you more slumberous but my guess is that I’m sleepier because little g consistently screams for me in the middle of the night while Big E weasels his way into my bed.  Seriously, the one request I had for them was for them to sleep all night in their own beds.  Did this happen?  NO. Instead Big E and I got so mad at each other it ended in tears…for both of us.

I don’t think it’s unreasonable to expect a good day for your birthday.  In general people treat you kindly and you get a free pass on chores you hate (no dishes for me, YES!).  Apparently that concept does not matter to a three year old, however because when I asked Big E to stop playing on the computer and come eat lunch he screamed, yelled, cried, pushed his plate across the table, pouted and ended up in a 20 minute time out in his room.  I know it’s bad when I’m holding grudges against a 3 year old child.

An actual quote by me, “No, I will not make you nachos because you’re being so mean!”

While he was crying, yelling and pouting I put little g down for her nap and in the process she hit my face with a book breaking my glasses and once again making me cry.  Less from the emotional drama and more from the pain in my eyeball region.

Because of this I have declared BIRTHDAY WEEK! for the next seven days. Instead of doing all the celebrating on one day I’m spreading it out over a week.  This way I get all the things I want – a night out with Mountain Dad, a Ladies night with friends, a pampering pedicure, a nap – and I don’t have to try to squeeze it in to one day. As part of my BIRTHDAY WEEK! I am also giving you a gift, blog readers.  I have decided to list 30 adventures I’m planning to have in the coming year.  Thirty things to try with and without the tots in an effort of getting outdoors more.  Are you ready?  Here goes:

1. 360 on my snowboard
2. Front side board slide on a box
3. Teach Big E downhill skiing
4. Try cross country skiing with the tots
5. Snowshoe excursion up Provo Canyon
6. Snowmobiling trip to Island Park, Idaho
7. Hike to Stewart Falls with Big E walking the whole time (2 miles round trip, do you think he can make it?)
8. Visit a National Park
9. Have a neighborhood bonfire where we burn our dry Christmas tree (Fire = Awesome)
10. Try canoeing with the tots
11. Bike ride road trip
12. Hike to a mountain top
13. Explore something new
14. Go to the beach
15. Go camping
16. Watch a caterpillar change
17. Mountain bike down a mountain…without the tots
18. Grow a garden
19. Teach Big E to swim
20. Hike to a waterfall
21. Go fishing
22. Visit Italy with Mountain Dad (This has always been on my bucket list and since I turned 30 this year it seems like the right time to plan it.  Plus we have over 200,000 frequent flyer miles built up thanks to spending too much money with our Delta Skymiles card.  Curse you Home Depot!)
23. Explore Portland, Oregon
24. Go boating
25. Swim 200 meter freestyle without stopping
26. Yet to be determined
27. Um…
28. I’m not sure yet
29. Stop pressuring me people!
30. (sigh)

So maybe 30 is an ambitious goal, whatever.  If you have suggestions for a possible adventure that would be appropriate for Me, Mountain Dad or Big E and little g by all means let me know.  If not I hope you enjoy reading about the adventures we do plan on having.  Happy reading!

Happy Independence Day!

In honor of Independence Day I’d like to share a post I made just two months ago about visiting Independence Hall and the birthplace of the nation. I feel honored just to have visited there and I have been thinking about that trip all week. If you have a chance, I hope you have a chance to visit there as well. There’s no better way to be celebrate America than remembering what it took to become a nation.

Independence Hall: National Historical Park

Independence Hall, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
The highlight of taking the tots back east, aside from visiting family, was touring the Independence National Historical Park.  This National Park is unlike any other in that its purpose is to preserve the birthplace of our nation. The biggest draw for me was a tour of Independence Hall, the location of the signing of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution.

Now, I’m no historian but I did have a great US history teacher in high school. I know the founding fathers met here in the Pennsylvania state house to discuss the radical ideas of representative government. It was heart warming to tour the building where this great nation began and to consider the cost the founding fathers were willing to pay for their their idealistic democracy. 
I mean, if King George had come out on top in the revolutionary war there would’ve been a lot of smart guys killed for treason. Luckily for the USA, the crazy democratic experiment continued against the odds.

Independence Hall has two main meeting rooms, both set up in the way it would’ve been in 1776 when the Declaration of Independence was signed. In order to tour Independence Hall you must pick up tickets at the visitors center on the day of your visit.  Tickets are free and are available starting at 8:30 in the morning. On busy days they suggest having someone in your group pick up tickets for whatever tour is available and planning your visit from there.

Being in the same room where our nation began gave me a powerful feeling of national pride. I couldn’t help but feel grateful for the sacrifices of those founding families and I was awed by their courage to try such a bold endeavor. 
Unfortunately little g was more concerned with pushing her stroller around than staying quiet for the tour. Whenever I tried to park the stroller to the side she went over to it and cried until I undid the brake. 
Big E was also upset with life and wanted to be held by me constantly, making the stroller controlling even more difficult. Thankfully my brother and his family were there to help and thankfully the tour was only about twenty minutes.

After the tour we had snacks outside, which was probably the tots favorite part of the experience. They ran around the garden area watching birds sneak in to steal our spilled food. It was a great tour and I was glad to have gone there, but next time I’ll make sure to have snack time BEFORE the tour.

Battlecreek Falls, Pleasant Grove, Utah

Water is one thing I always look for when hiking with my tots. I don’t know if the rushing sound is calming to their nerves, or exciting for their senses but one thing’s for sure, my tots LOVE the water. That’s why Battlecreek Falls hike was such fun.
Not only did this short hike follow a meandering stream most of the way, but the end result was the playful Battlecreek Falls. The tots and I joined our friends from Rocky Mountain Mammas on the wide, rocky trail. We gained elevation gradually, walking through dense foliage in some parts, and over running water in others. Near the falls, a small cave appeared in the wall of the mountain, which my tots were a little too timid to explore. 

The main attraction of the hike is Battlecreek Falls, a waterfall approximately forty feet high. Big E was happy running around and throwing rocks, like always. Little g, on the other hand, only wanted to be in my arms when we were at the falls. Perhaps the pounding sounds of water, or the cool spray on her face scared her. To me, the refreshing spray felt great after the uphill hike.
   

Hiking down from Battlecreek Falls, we got a great view of Utah Valley. Following the water, we ended up at a large pool near the beginning of the trail, where Big E and little g would’ve been content to stay all day, throwing in rocks and watching them splash.


Over all this was a great hike for kids. It was short, fun and had a great waterfall to enjoy. 

Battlecreek Falls
Rating: 4 stars
Difficulty: Moderate
Length: Approximately 1 mile
Tips: Put your toddler in a baby carrier. Why did I think she would walk the whole way?