The rumors are true; I actually went camping for almost a week. Granted there were cabins with bunk beds (that closely resembled 6th grade outdoor school), toilets (that had bugs around, but were definitely squattable and beat the hole in the ground any day), showers (that required sandals, but were spacious and provided extremely warm water), and a full size kitchen for gourmet meals every night (which I mostly did not have to cook or clean up); despite all the luxuries I am stamping my passport for putting up with the dirt, bugs, spiders and walking 100 feet in the cold to go to the bathroom.
We got to Thousand Oaks mid day on the Fourth of July and got to spend the next few days eating Mama's delicious cooking, sleeping in and relaxing (which I guess is not too abnormal in my lazy life), and hanging out with the family (and the most recent addition, my first nephew on the Galeria side: Rex).
Then the luxury of clean bathrooms and dirt-less days disappeared as we made the four hour drive up the mountains in central California towards Dinkey Creek. We passed the Lancaster turn out and thought of Quinn (and were especially sad because it was our first trip back to Cali that we didn't pay our favorite Elder a visit).
As soon as we got out of the desert and up to the mountains we started driving up the windiest roads ever. I was trying my best to not get snappy at Sam or Craig in the car because they kept talking to me while nausea city was brewing in my stomach; luckily Rachel was the weakest in the bunch and we were forced to pull the caravan over so she did not barf in the car. Unfortunately for me she chose my pillow and seat to lay down on as a retreat from all the taunts she got from us while standing on the side of the road to get some fresh air.
If you think her face looks green you would be right. Just like the idea of slipping on banana peel, a green face when you are feeling sick was one of those things I thought only happened in cartoons, but here is proof that it can actually be a reality as well.
When we were about to pull into camp, the first thing that came out of Sam's mouth in a somewhat whiny voice was that he really just wanted to watch some tv (which is kind of ironic since he usually gets mad at me for watching too much television). But seconds later he was over it as he and my little brother started to spot all the sites in the camp; like for instance "the dinkey dumpster" or "the dinkey basketball hoop" and "the dinkey bridge." Unfortunately for me this went on way too long, especially since it got old about the third time something "dinkey" was reported.
Here are my Dad and I checking out Dinkey Creek, which according to Sam and Craig was really funny because it was in fact a "dinkey creek."
We were trying to search for fish swimming around with no luck. We did however see a dead one that a few kids were playing with.
Our nights were spent around this campfire (and one morning while I spent a few minutes waiting for the shower to open up.)
It was funny to watch all the kids talk to each other and us. Unfortunately the benches were a little painful on the behind.
This is what our sleeping arrangements looked like. I will be honest, I was not thrilled when I first saw them, and by the last night I was ready for my soft comfy bed at home, but that little bottom bunk definitely served its purpose of keeping me warm, somewhat comfortable, and bug-free; all necessary components of keeping me happy.
It may have been from the fact that Sam lined our beds with bug spray every night, or that we were just lucky, but we had no problems with our little dormitory; and it wasn't because they did not exist. The other cabin had a rodent problem which we consistently got the daily play by play on how the mice catching was going from the scared little kids that got their candy eaten. We also saw the biggest spider in the world in the cabin next door. (So large that there may have been a discussion on catching it and sending it to Quinn, but both of us were way to scared to go near it; lucky Quinn)
Dinkey Creek also offered plenty of things to do and a beautiful scenery.
My Mom, Dad, and Rachel climbed the rocks right outside our cabin.
These folks (minus my Mom) also braved the horses and rode them for an hour along a trail by Shaver Lake.
I don't like to ride on animals that could potentially throw me off and step on me so I didn't want to go. We had 45 minutes for these guys to wait their turn so walked around the trail and right as Sam was trying to convince me to go with them we heard a guy screaming so we ran towards it. About ten seconds later, when we got to him he was on the ground (obviously in a lot of pain) and his large horse was just staring at him (facing the opposite direction from what it should have been). I decided to not go.
This was probably the horse that bucked that other guy off, and ironically the horse they let my Dad ride.
It was not impressed with people. As soon as the cow girl tied him up to the post he used his teeth to untie the rope and started walking off. Luckily Sam was there to save the day and capture him before he trotted off into the sunset.
We also found a lot of very large pine cones around Shaver Lake and Dinkey Creek.
Sam wanted to take a picture of one so he could remember how big they were/are.
This is the end of the hour long ride. Don't they all look so happy they went?
They wanted to take a smiling one to prove they had fun :)
And call me a party pooper, but here I am smiling because I did not ride a horse.
I spent the hour reading my book, not getting a sore bum and legs and not being scared I was going to get bucked off like that other guy I saw.
After the horses and before dinner on Wednesday Sam and I decided to try our own little adventure and went for a little walk. We ended up on the opposite side of the creek from camp, and instead of walking back the way we had come Sam decided it would save time and be fun to just cross the creek.
Now from the picture you make think "oh, there are plenty of rocks so he was probably right about it being easy to cross." Well you are wrong. It took us probably three times as long to cross the creek as it would have to just walk back around. But I guess all that needs to be remembered was that we eventually crossed it; I was completely dry and Sam just a little wet when he stepped in to help me make a big jump (don't worry he had his hippie shoes on that he retrieved from California hidden in the same spot he had left them the last time we were there).
This is a small glimpse of what our dinners looked like each night (and I guess breakfast each morning).
Deliciously made by one or two of the families at camp.
Thursday we spent the day at Shaver Lake. Sam woke up at 6:30 so he could try his luck at wake boarding. I passed because it was a little too early and cold for me.
The rest of us headed over to the lake around 10:00. We spent the afternoon boating, jet skiing, sun bathing.
And by sun bathing I mean this is how white I looked when I started. I look like I am glowing because I am. Even kids were asking how I was related to the Galeria's because I did not fit in with my little brother and sister's super tan skin. In my defense, when I was their age I was also that tan.
And if you would like to know the color of mine and Sam's skin now I will tell you. Imagine a pink/red firetruck, tomato, or cherry. We got fried. The drive home yesterday was full of two whiny adults fighting over who was in more pain. And I am sure that those people in Nephi thought I was the weirdest person on the planet as they watched me hobble run to the bathroom as quickly as my burned stiff legs could go.
We also got to ride these for awhile. This one went super fast (60 mph) and was a ton of fun.
This one and the one just like it were not our friends. After we rode the red one we had fun and wanted to ride again an hour or so later. The only one available was the yellow seat which everyone said was really temper mental. Thinking nothing of it we were off riding around and as soon as we started going faster, I was panicking. Every time we moved I felt like we were going to flip over and every time we stopped it felt like we were sinking. I begged to go back so as Sam started turning around we leaned wrong and next thing I know I hear the "scared Sam voice" yelling at me to jump off because we are tipping and then he flies into the water. Alarmed I jump ship as well and land in the freezing cold water, half laughing half irritated.
We slowly ride back to camp and I decided right then I am not going on that one again for sure. We explain what happened and are told that only one person should really ride that one at a time. Great. That would have been nice to know about ten minutes before I got soaked. A few hours later, after we are dried and happy again cute little Jacob wanted to go for a ride. We decide this one above is the jet ski to go on. We start going out to sea, only to start feeling the same way we felt on the yellow one; only this time we have a three year old that we can't replace accompanying us. We test the water for a little while, decide its not worth it, and then I beg to be taken back to shore because I don't want the ulcer I would get if I stayed out. After the jet ski fiasco I decide I have had enough sun (and my skin was pretty sure of this too) so we packed up, dried off...
said goodbye to our thousands of friends still hanging out at Shaver Lake...
and headed back to Dinkey Creek so we could shower and start making dinner (not at the same time)...
We cut some fruits and veggies, BBQ'ed the hamburgers and hot dogs...
and then hung out at campfire for the evening, trying not to cry as the fire inflamed our red skin and little kids sat on our laps and irritated our awful burns. Then before we knew it we were packing up that next morning and heading out on the longest drive ever, twelve stinking hours.
I would not have called it from the beginning, but we had so much fun and were a little sad to leave. Thanks Mom and Dad for inviting us. Even though our invitation got lost in the mail for that Hawaii trip we are grateful you let us come on the camping one :)
