Pt. 2 Seasons Past and Present

So about 2 and a half weeks after Keith and I got home from Hawaii, we packed up again for a fun family vacation to Utah at the Aspen Grove Family Camp.  This is like EFY for families except this is way funner!  The grounds are up the Provo Canyon, just behind Mt. Timpinogas so it's surrounded with beautiful scenery and even more beautiful weather!  There's usually still some snow on the mountain when we go in July.  We split the drive up to Utah into 2 days; leaving on Friday July 3 and arriving Saturday July 4th.  We got there just in time to eat at yummy Brick Oven and to watch the Stadium of Fire, Fireworks show just behind Cougar Stadium!  Me and Keith carpooled with Jennie and Jordan and the nieces, so it was fun to watch the fireworks with them! After the show we drove up the canyon and got checked in and settled into our hotel room for the week.  There are a couple of different types of places to stay in at Aspen Grove.  There's the hotel in the middle, some A frame cabins on the south side (for those that want to rough it a little bit), 4 big family lodges where 3 or 4 families can stay in one and each get a little section, and there is the new family reunion lodge which is a combination of the hotel and the big lodges with common rooms on every floor.  So here's how the camp works.  It's all about activities and Sports but everything is optional so you can go hit it hard or just sit back and enjoy the landscape.  Provided on the grounds is every type of court, field, ball and racquet that one could dream of.  So you just grab it and go play!  You can get a family game going or sign up for the week's tournaments of each sport and go play and get to know another family or guest.  There are also planned groups and endless activities for children of all ages so they get entertained (and babysat) all day while the parents have fun!  Everyone gathers in a big Cafeteria for all meals and it is pretty good food- which is nice because you are burning off everything from all the activity so you get really hungry.  Then, there is always a family program in the evening- ranging from games and kiddie rides to a talent show.  Are you beginning to see how fun this place is??

So here's a typical day from the week.  Wake up at 7:30 or 8 for breakfast at 8:30.  Then either a friendly family game of Wallyball (yes wally, not volley- a combo of racquetball and volleyball) or Keiths tournament appointment for Tennis or Basketball or Racquetball or Ping Pong (that boy can do it all!) Then dink around a birdie on the badminton court until lunch at 12:30.  After that is the family's tournament appointment for Sand Volleyball, followed by some time in the pool. A round of minigolf  is always fun just before dinner at 5:30. It is then, back to the room to grab a sweater for the Wild West carnival set up on the big baseball field with games and all kinds of fun.  When the sun sets at about 8:30 pm it is time to get ice cream and go relax in a common room after taking a shower not only to be clean, but to also help the sore muscles from your daily competitions.

One of my favorite parts of camp is the Aspen Grove Follies; a series of games that puts family against family.  The games are all about working together as a team and they are all timed.   I think we got 3rd place in all, it was so much fun! The week ends with a program where the awards for the tournaments are handed out.  Keith dominated a couple of sports and my family won Wallyball!  The kids then sing some songs they learned in the week.  This is followed by a family dance!  It was so fun to get down with Keith and Brigham and Afton and Sadie as well as Mom and Dad and all the sisters!  It was such great summery time to just be outside every day and work and play together as families! 

Friday morning we packed up and hit the road for another 2 day split drive home.  This was another vacation in itself because we stopped for the night in Vegas Baby!  We had planned this a few weeks before and found a reasonably priced hotel just a mile or so away from the strip!  Me and Keith were with the Palmers again and we were all pretty hungry by the time we got there so we decided to eat at one of the famous buffets!  We went to Belagio and were a little shocked at how expensive it was... until we saw THE FOOD!  There was so much variety and it was all excellent quality that it was totally worth it!  Buffets are a good thing for Keith, haha, and lets just say he got his money's worth.  He and Jordan even admitted to almost being brought to tears by the sight of it all.  After that incredible dining experience, Keith and I went to an incredible entertainment experience- the Cirque du Soleil show LOVE.  Cirque du Soleil is one of my favorite things and I had seen a few other amazing ones in Vegas, so I couldn't pass up the opportunity while we were there!  This show was an interpretation of the Beatles Era and music.  There were incredible visual effects and talent and it was just so cool!

The next morning, before going home we packed in some more fun at the Stratosphere Hotel!  This is the tallest building west of the Mississippi and high atop it are some great thrill rides.  Keith and I did the big shot- where you get rocketed up to the top of the spire and free fall in the open air, looking down on all the strip.  It was so fun!  Then we ate at the quite reasonably priced Stratosphere buffet before meeting up with Jennie and Jordan to finally head home.  

That is a whole lot of fun in 1 month people! And summer is only half way through by this point!  There are more great experiences to be blogged and believe you me, I will. and soon. (To be continued again!)