Mid June hit and an email came out from Gregg's work reminding everyone that they had credits to use with certain resorts that were going to expire by the end of the month and would any employees like to use them? Um, sign us up! We loved when the same thing happened last year, and the kids were even asking if we were going back this year. Luckily it worked out that we could repeat the fun, and we made the most of it! We booked a two bedroom condo from Wednesday, 22 June through Saturday, 25 June at Solitude Mountain Resort. In the two and a half days available to us to swim in the super fun pool (because we had to check out before the pool opened on Saturday morning) the kids were in the pool five times!(!!) We also rode the lift (twice), played disc golf, hiked to a couple different lakes, found a geocache, mountain biked, ate pizza and ice cream from the village, shopped for t-shirts, played pool, read on the porch, learned how to play chinese checkers, wandered through the next-door campground and just thoroughly loved our (cushy) time in the mountains.
We arrived Wednesday afternoon and immediately jumped in the pool. When we were done swimming we headed back up to the condo, ate dinner (gromlets) and settled into bed.
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| We love this pool because it has such a fun little slide! By the end of our stay, Cal was doing it without a tube OR a life jacket. Mastered! |
On Thursday morning, we took things easy with breakfast and enjoying the games in the condo while we waited for the lift to start turning. We rode up, played disc golf down, grabbed Gregg's bike at the condo, rode back up, stashed Gregg's bike along the trail, hiked to Lake Solitude, ate lunch, and found a geocache. Then Gregg rode his bike back down while the kids and I rode the lift back down. Gregg's parents arrived to spend the afternoon with us and we all hopped in the pool. We paused for a taco dinner back in the condo, and Gregg snuck in one more mountain bike ride off the lift before it closed, and then the kids were back at it in the pool till bedtime or till the rain threatened (I can't remember which). (They were SO tired!)
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| I spy Gregg's bike riding up the lift. |
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| Lake Solitude is gorgeous. |
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| I walked up the road above the lake a little ways looking for another geocache (which I never found). But the view was lovely! |
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| We found this one . . . it was a tricky little container! |
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| This is where we parted ways. Off he goes down the trail while we head back to the lift for the easy way down. |
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| Rain!! |
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| This one was different, but good. I think? I had to remind myself I wasn’t reading a memoir, since it was written as a memoir, only from a fictional author. This is actually part of a series, but I haven’t read any of the others and it seemed to work out okay. I’m sort of on a kick of reading books with main characters in their 60s or 70s lately, which is unique, but I have enjoyed a more mature experience and point of view. This one also (actually, kind of like Bright Creatures, which you'll hear about below) had the theme of finding an unknown family member through ancestry websites, which reminded me of the true memoir I read and loved a few years ago called Inheritance: A Memoir of Genealogy, Paternity and Love. |
On Friday morning, we drove up to the top of Guardsman Pass to hike the Bloods Lake trail that we weren't able to hike last year because it was too busy. It was still quite busy, but luckily we got a parking spot and enjoyed a lovely hike. Back at the condo, the kids wanted to swim (again) (of course), which we did after a few rounds of pool in the game room and lunch. The pool was a busy place, and the sun was pretty hot, so we came back to the condo to chill for a while. Gregg and I walked around Redman Campground, we ordered pizza and ice cream for dinner, and then we went back to the pool for one last swim before bed.
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| We got SO many comments on the return trip about being from Vermont . . . nope, just big fans and all wearing our Jay Peak and Killington gear at the same time. haha |
bonus video!
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| This was delightful! I heard about it first from the Read With Jenna book club and then read a bit of chatter about it from What Should I Read Next followers... but Anne Bogel never said anything about it and I just wasn’t sure what I was getting into. But I ended up loving it! Some chapters are narrated by an octopus, which in an of itself is unique, but the friendship that forms between Marcellus and the aquarium cleaner lady, Tova, is quite touching. A lot of healing happening in the broken/sad/confusing lives of the other characters, too. Really different and lovely and perfect for a summer read! My five word review would be: Octopus helps heal human hearts. 💗 |
bonus videos!
(he was nailing this trick over and over and over until I tried to catch it on
video, and then I took a ridiculous amount of time to get a good shot. the last clip
is worth it though for that smile and thumbs up)
On Saturday we packed up and headed back home. But first Gregg and Sam cruised around on their bikes on the lower part of the mountain/village while Cal and I walked through Redman Campground.
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| You know it's been a good trip when Sam does this! |
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| A while later Gregg needed to get up and Sam slept on. |
So fun! This seems to be turning into a tradition! Let's hope those credits keep nearly expiring with only us to claim and use them! (Fingers crossed!)
