Bear Hole

Chico is only about an hour away from us (like most everything).  One afternoon before school got started we were able to take the big kids over there to explore Upper Bidwell Park.  Earlier this summer we had a fun family day in Lower Bidwell.  This day was hot so we went looking for water.  We quickly settled on the Yahi Trail which follows the creek for several miles.

It was so nice to take a hike without the little boys.  I mean, we love going out as a family but when everyone has generally the same stride you don't have to worry about telling this one to slow down and this one to hurry up.  It was really peaceful.

So, we walked.

Took in the scenery.

Jumped in the creek if we got hot.  Walked some more.

 We made our way to Bear Hole, one of several swimming holes along the trail.

Those black rocks were hot enough to fry eggs but the water felt amazing!

 

And it felt good to make some special memories with Abs and Joe.

We topped the afternoon off with take out from Tong Fong Low-the best Chinese food around!

 

If you are local,

what's your favorite afternoon getaway?

Summer Days (lower bidwell)

What makes a great summer day?

Running in the sun, getting hot and sweaty, cooling off with a swim, and repeat.

Sound good?

This was a great summer day.

We drove into Chico to lower Bidwell Park.

Checked off running and sweating at Caper Acres.

(Being with the ones you love makes any summer day great!)

Cooled off at Sycamore Pool.

It is seriously cool--fed by Big Chico Creek, it stays cool all summer.

(It's similar to the pool my sis took me to in Austin.)

 What more could you ask for, right?

 How about a nap.

I hope all your summer days are great!

Best Dives of the Summer

We had such a blast this summer! 

I hope to be able to share some of the best parts here in the near future: 

our travels, camp adventures, art and craft projects, fun with visitors. 

I felt like the pool was a good place to start. 

We spent a lot of time swimming and jumping and splashing. 

So, without further ado, here are the nominees for

Best Dive Summer 2011

Abs:  "shot through the heart", "noodle jumping", and "the classic"

Joe:  "karate kid", "my dad can still throw me", "walking off a cliff"

Trek:  "I just started swimming by myself 3 days ago and now I want to give my mother a real heart attack", "cannonball", and "ninja kick"

Dylan:  (there were fewer pictures to choose from for this one.  probably because i was in serious lifeguard mode whenever Kamikazi here decided to get in the water.  however, i feel this one jump is worthy of a nomination)

"white dolphin"

Please leave your vote for Best Dive Summer 2011 in the comment section below.