Day 248: Pontoons Part 2

 We didn't have enough fun with the pontoon last week at Billy's house, so we rented a pontoon for the next two days. 

Just kidding, it had nothing to do with last week, we had it planned anyways. 

Either way, this pontoon has a whole new adventure, having a second story sun deck with an attached slide. 

Brad and Dad picked the pontoon up at 9am and brought it to our dock, and we all were loaded up and off for the day by 9:30. 

Cam took us out to sea. Out to lake? Out to wherever 

We found a quiet cove on the far end of the lake called Beauty Bay, which is secluded and hidden from the wind. This was a great place to "anchor" (even though we didn't have an anchor), blast some summer music and jump off the second story slide. 

And when sliding wasn't enough, they just plain leaped off the second story. 

We've waited all summer for an actual summer. 

My favorite part of the day: sunset tubing

Day 247: Couer D'Alene Vacation Destination

 We had a great first full day on Lake Coeur d'Alene. 

The boys started the day off with some pool (in pajamas and cowboy hats, as most boys do). 

Good morning from the kids' room!

The vast majority of the day was spent on the water, naturally. The front of the lake house has a little private cove which is perfect to jump off the docks and float around on floaties. 

And, of course, ending the day in the hot tub! Which will probably be a nightly occurrence, naturally!

It's been a great day. 

Day 246: Road Trippin To Idaho

 Today was the day to leave Leavenworth and take off on the next leg of our vacation. Brad flew in and picked us up today, and we took off on a road trip!

I'm a big fan of road trips. It means adventure is on the way, and we're going to find it!

Destination? Couer D'Alene, Idaho, for a week on the lake with Brad's family. 

After about 2.5 hours in the car, watching dust devils and identifying ten thousand cars (thanks Calen), we took a pit stop in Spokane, Washington to this spectacularly rad epically huge playground. 

Why can't we have one of these in Kodiak. 

Check out this double story play structure. You can see Camden on the top

After 3 hours on the road, we finally pulled into our home for the next week, a 4500 square foot lake house RIGHT on Lake Coeur d'Alene. 

The view from the second floor (main floor) deck

The boys and their cousins wasted no time hopping on the kayaks and paddleboards and taking a sunset cruise on the lake, and "founding" their own little tiny island. 

Cam on the paddleboard

View from the deck. Cam is on the paddleboard

The boys on their own little island 

It's going to be a good week. 

Day 245: Rally The World Pit Stop

 Sometimes you run into things on accident and it turns into the best things. Serendipity and all that. 

Walking home from the river last night, we literally bumped into a parking lot full of old antique roadsters. 

If you've been around Calen for more than 5 minutes, you know this is a HUGE deal. He's a car guy to the max, a gearhead, a Hoonigan, absolutely positively obsessed with cars. 

He was in Heaven. 

Upon closer inspection, each car had a racing number on the side and huge labels above their license plates that said "Alaska to Mexico rally race."

Well, what is this magic that we just stumbled into?

Out of curiosity, the boys and I walked into the hotel lobby to see if we could find some answers. Right in the middle of the lobby was a huge billboard with "Race Results" and a route. 

This is a race!

Google tells us that this is a "Classic car rally race from Anchorage AK to Los Cabos, Mexico." The rules are that the cars have to be "pre-1977 era" and they are timed by "class". As they travel, if there is a dirt track or circuit on the route, they'll detour to take that circuit. Today's pit stop is Day 11 of the 23 day race, and tomorrow (which is actually today) morning they are taking off for the next leg, to Walla Walla. 

Well, we'll just have to make sure to be there for the restart of the race!

And that's just what we did. We got up early and headed to the sidewalk across the street from the Enzian (hotel) to watch the restart. And how exciting is it to see these cars take off down the highway to start the next leg of the race?!

Giving them the send off

We gave them a proper sendoff by shouting and waving and received lots of honks and waves in return. 

Calen's favorite. Please note he's literally jumping for joy.

As Calen said: "This is something I'll literally only see once in my life." And you know what? He's probably right. A once in a lifetime experience and I'm so glad that we got to be a part of it!

Ten times better than an actual car show. 

Day 244: One More River Run

We only have a couple days left in Leavenworth, and we had to make sure to go out with a bang. 

We took the tubes down to the river for one last time to float around and play. 

It was short lived, as the weather is changing and it's just starting to get cool(er), but the boys had a great time finding sticks to use as oars to run up and down the river.

Also, a Camden quote for the day:

A chip fell on the floor and Cam was quick to snatch it. 

Grandpa Hank: "Five second rule!"

Camden: "It's fine. I eat lots of FLOOR FOOD."

Floor food! Whatever THAT means. 

Day 243: Walking Downtown

 It's Wednesday, and on Wednesdays my mom has housekeepers come to the house in the morning, so the boys and I made sure to skedattle out of the house before they showed up. 

Luckily, downtown Leavenworth is pretty much the coolest place in the world to walk around at. 

The boys made a bee line to the downtown gazebo because, according to them, it suits as the best place for a matchbox car rally race. 

Or something. 

Gazebo rally races

Also, Little Stitch came with and had to pose for a photo opportunity in downtown Leavenworth, checking off yet another spot on his map. 

After an hour or so we walked over to Grandpa Hank's, completing the downtown circuit. 

I mean really, there's no better place to walk around at. 

Day 242: Costco Runs

 It wouldn't be a trip to the lower 48 without an obligatory Costco run, of course. 

I mean, twist my arm, gee darn I have to go to Costco and find all the amazing gigantic food things and all their comfy clothes and all their awesomeness. The boys found some demo armchairs and spent an hour sitting there while Grandma and I shopped for all. The. Things. 

I may or may not have walked away with an entire Mickey Mouse Christmas village. 

We're going to have to buy another tote for this trip. 

Day 241: Whatever Floats Your River Float

 You can't be in Leavenworth in the summer without doing a float on the Wenatchee River! Even though it wasn't terribly hot and the water level was VERY low (being the end of an exceptionally dry season and all), we decided we had to do it! 

We start up on Icicle Creek Road and go all the way down to downtown, about 2.5 miles in total. The water actually pretty warm, and we only had a few butt scraping areas. We even saw a buck deer up close!

The best part of this float is the ducks. Being that floating the river is a huge vacation attraction in the summer, the local ducks have gotten accustomed to the people, and know that they're carrying snacks. So, they follow the tubes extra close to see if they can score anything to eat. 

We ended up naming one group Fred, George, Ron, Hermione and Harry. I mean, honestly. How can you not. 

The best part is, when we ended in town, we just got out, and walked the five blocks to my mom's house! Perfect!

Except, this pitstop....

As we were walking we stumbled upon a new restaurant called "Coned Bros", a novelty pizza place that serves pizza in a "dough cone". 

Tada! Dinner!

Pizza might actually taste better in cone shape. 

And now, for something totally different

Day 240: Storytelling

 We kept it kind of low key today, Cam wasn't feeling super well so we just let them lay around and watch TV most of the day, while we listened to Grandpa Hank tell stories of his childhood. 

There's no storyteller like Grandpa Hank. 

My (possibly wild) ambition is to create a memoir of his stories one day. 

Until then, I just listen and record on the phone. 

Day 239: On The Pontoon

 You know, I've always wanted a pontoon. 

I don't know why, but they've always appealed to me. Who wants to skip around in a speed boat all day when you can sit there and sun bathe, jump off the back, AND skip around towing tubes?

It's the best of both worlds. 

My cousin and his family invited us to their summer house on the Columbia river to spend the day on their pontoon. You now, 85 degrees, sunshine and tubing?

Uhh, heck yes!

We had the BEST day in the boat. I mean seriously. Perfect weather, perfect company, music blaring and cousins galore. One of those "core memory" days. 

In blazing yellow. 

Photo dump!