So after softball and school got done for the summer and life got a little less stressful we took a camping trip up to Lehman Caves, in the Great Basin National Park! Just our family, May 26-28! We like to go to new places and this was a first for the kids and I! We headed out Thursday and got there around 3ish! Luckily found a nice campground and perfect campsite right next to the bathrooms so we could just send the kids over on their own!
We got set up quick because it looked like we might get some rain!
Our campsite!
My camping buddies!
Dad headed out to get some firewood and buy a tarp because we left ours at home!
In the meantime the kids and I enjoyed some cheetos under the awning to stay out of the rain!
Owen was obsessed with the fire pit! He kept trying to climb in it and if he succeeded before we caught him he would just sit there and play with the old wood! Luckily once we got a fire started the heat kept him away!
When Dad got back the rain had stopped and we did a little exploring of the campground and then came back to cook dinner!
The kids watching the coals get hot!
Cooking our tin foil dinners!
Kids playing on the rocks while they wait!
They each took turns singing or telling jokes on top of the rock!
Baylee sang!
Checking on dinner!
Needed a few more minutes!
Carter had a great audience!
Carter telling jokes!
Trying to act innocent!
Our view from the campsite!
Well dinner turned out perfect and tasted amazing! I love a good tin foil dinner though!
After dinner we took a little hike to burn some energy!
We followed a path along the stream!
Love these kiddos!
When we got back it was time to build a fire! It was getting a bit chilly!
Kids are always amazed of the fire!
Owen couldn't quite staring and pointing!
Campfire stories!
Owen just loved the fire!
Bedtime! The kids were thrilled to be sleeping in a tent and sleeping bags! Yes we have camped before but every time they are just excited as the first!
Carter trying to get situated!
We brought lots of warm blankets!
The next morning we did some more exploring by the stream!
The water was freezing!
Then we went and got our tickets for Lehman Caves but had some time to kill so we headed up the mountain towards Wheeler Peak! We drove as far as they let us and then had to stop! The road to Wheeler hadn't opened up for the summer yet, still too much snow! So we stopped at the lookout right before the road closure and got some good views of the Peak!
We also spotted some turkeys in that green patchy area!
Owen was asleep in the car! Which was literally right behind the lady taking the picture, we didn't just abandon him!
Wheeler Peak is the snow covered mountain in the background!
So this is Mather Overlook at about 9,000 ft. and Wheeler Peak is the snow covered mountain behind us at 10,000 ft.
Such beautiful views all around us!
Headed back for lunch! Their chairs were the perfect size for the bench seats!
Sucking on rocks! He had a rock in his mouth all the time! He never would swallow just suck and then when it lost its flavor he would find a new one!
We also visited the visitor center and let the kids pick out an animal! Owen got a coyote, Baylee got a Cougar, the one in the pink chair above and Carter got a rattlesnake!
Went walking around trying to find sticks for roasting marshmallows!
Then it was time to take a tour of the cave! We signed up for only the hour tour but they had a mix up and we ended up going on the hour and a half tour! Which technically kids under 5 can't go, plus I didn't know if Owen would even make it through an hour tour! The tour guide said though if we needed or wanted to go back to let him know and they would send someone to get us!
I'll let the pictures do the talking, these formations are amazing and so beautiful!
The kids thought it was awesome! Being in the cave, in the dark with all the cool rocks!
These kids did so awesome! I was so impressed with how well they did!
McKay telling them about the story the guide had just told us!
Love this family of mine!
The tour was awesome and we had a great tourist! The kids thought it was the coolest thing ever! Also the lights turned off on us with about 10 minutes left of the walk back outside and the kids loved being able to use our phones for flashlights as we climbed back out!
Taking a rest!
King of the mountain!
Finding more rocks!
Getting out of the cold wind!
They were super silly in the tent! It was like a big bounce house!
For dinner we did dutch oven pizza which turned out great! Big hit with the kids! After dinner we built a fire and roasted marshmallows!
They were a little excited!
Baylee just ended up eating them plain because she didn't have much patience!
The next morning we packed up and headed home!
Showing their excited faces for all the fun times we had!
Stopped in Panaca, Nevada to eat some lunch and stretch the legs before the final ride home!
Owen loved getting pushed around!
Definitely a nice relaxing family trip! I love spending my time with this bunch and I couldn't have picked a better place to have some fun!
1 comment:
This is the best thing ever! It had been 16 years since I last went and I was just talking about it the other day and needing to go back! It truly is amazing I am so glad you and your cute family went, I am going back soon!
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