Heading North!

Just a quick update to let everyone know we are doing well. After so many great guest blogs, I feel like it has been ages since I last sat down to write and am enjoying the chance to recall our latest adventures! Since we left the bigger group, we have been travelling consistently North and West making a gigantic diagonal line from Moab back toward the Western Coast. Although Braedon and Riley have continued to struggle to get over their long-lasting colds, both seem to be feeling much better and are on the road to recovery. Despite being surrounded by coughing children, Shawn has managed to fight off the germs, but unfortunately, I have not been as lucky and spent today curled up in the trailer with my book. Fortunately for me, my family took great care of me and after lots of rest, I am feeling much better this evening!

After more than three months across the border, we are certainly enjoying our last few days in the US. From Saturday until Monday, we spent a few days at Willard Bay State Park – a reservoir on the Great Salt Lake. The weather was beautiful and the scenery spectacular. Our campsite was just steps from the beach and behind us were some of the loveliest green mountains we have seen so far. To Braedon’s chagrin, the water in the reservoir was fresh and clean, rather than the salt water he was hoping for, but we all enjoyed a lazy day at the beach. To everyone’s excitement and since there was a rental outlet right on the shore, we all decided to rent a Sea doo and water skis for a couple hours. Riley was the only one little enough to be pulled up on the skis, but we all enjoyed the chance to ride the Sea doo and to be dumped off by Shawn as he took corners a little too sharply!

On Monday morning, we backtracked a little to Antelope Island State Park and had a swim in the Salt Lake. In our original plan, we were to have spent two days at this park, but when we arrived, a posted sign indicated that there were large numbers of biting gnats in the park and we decided a shorter visit would be best! Our swim was incredible and just like Shawn remembered from his childhood, due to the fact that the salt content in the water is five times that of the ocean, we were all able to float with our hands and feet in the air. To add to the excitement, after our swim, the salt quickly dried on our skin and left us all sparkling like characters from Twilight!

Today, we are in Seattle. We are staying at a lovely RV park just on a little lake just south of the city. The area is lovely and lush with lots of green trees and grass. Unfortunately, it is also the wettest place we have seen in a very long time and it has rained continuously since we got here! To dry off, yesterday, we headed to the Pacific Science Centre and saw Shrek in 3D at a humongous IMAX theatre. Today, we just had a mellow day with the kids playing at the park and enjoying a swim. We will be here until Saturday morning when we move to Deception Pass State Park for a couple of nights before taking the Ferry to Vancouver Island on Monday. It has been 19 years since Shawn and I spent a summer on Pender Island and we are very excited to share our love of BC and some of our favourite places with the kids!

Tammy