Hard Core Tradition

Every year since my mom was 11 years old, my family has been camping at Whiskeytown Lake just north of Redding California. We would go every memorial day without fail, rain or shine. It actually rained almost every year and we eventually decided to try to go during the summer instead. But we could never stop going on Memorial day, it felt wrong to be somewhere else on that weekend. So for most of my childhood we went twice a year. I remember before I started school and I was too young to know the months of the year, I could FEEL when it was time to go to Whiskeytown. I knew we would be going soon and I was so excited that I got to go to my lake and explore and pretend with my cousins and smell pine trees and manzanita trees mixed with pancakes, eggs and bacon cooking every morning for breakfast. Eventually as all of the grandkids(me and my siblings) grew up and started getting married and having kids of their own several people started going only once a year. I think this was the first year that we didn't have at least part of my extended family camping in the Oak Bottom campsites at Whiskeytown Lake on Memorial Day weekend.

Since we have moved to Utah we have still gone to Whiskeytown every year. This year was a little tricky getting there but it was worth it. We had reservations from Sunday to Sunday and since Peter couldn't take a full week off of work, we planned on leaving Tuesday right after he finished work and driving as far as we could and getting there on Wednesday mid morning and then staying through Saturday. So Peter arranged all of his client calls and project deadlines and everything for Monday and Tuesday. The Saturday before we were going to leave, Peter's Grandfather passed away and on Sunday morning the funeral plans were finalized for the following Thursday. We could either not go at all, or go early and be home by Thursday, and not going wasn't really an option in my book! There was no way that Peter was going to be able to go since he had arranged his work schedule and several really important client calls for Monday and Tuesday, so it was going to have to be just me and the kids. We talked about the option of me driving as far as I could on Sunday after church but I didn't have anything packed since we weren't planning on leaving until Tuesday evening. So I spent Sunday afternoon packing and then I went to bed early while Peter kept kids up late so they'd be tired in the car for the 12 hour drive ahead of us! I got up just after 3am and showered and loaded the sleeping kids in the car and woke Peter to say a prayer with us before we left. We were on the road by 4am. Some of the kids woke up when we transfered them from their bed to the car and stayed up for almost an hour because they were so excited to go to Whiskeytown. But by 5am everyone was asleep again. I listened to general conference talks and the scriptures as the sun rose behind me and it was actually a REALLY nice morning! The drive went surprisingly smooth and we actually only had to turn on 2 DVD's the whole drive. We usually get at least 5 in on a regular drive to California. Emily throws up on almost every road trip that we take and it had never occurred to me that she might be car sick or have motion sickness. I was updating my road trip on facebook so that my family and husband would know where I was and that I was still alive and after posting that Emily had just thrown up my friend Autumn said that she gives her kids motion sickness medicine before long car rides. DUH! I'm SURE that would totally solve the traditional puke problems that we have but it had never occurred to me until she said that! Luckily though, since we are so used to puke in the cars, we are always ready with gallon ziplock bags and wet wipes and trash bags. Emily is used to it to and has good aim and didn't make a mess at all. We got her the bag in time and then zipped it shut and then tied it up in a trash bag and kept on moving! Anyone who has ever driven along I-80 from Utah to California through Nevada knows that there is basically NOTHING out there!! You have to gas up way before you think you need to because otherwise you will be stuck in the middle of nowhere! And it is almost inevitable that someone with absolutely HAVE to go to the bathroom when there is nowhere to stop. So of course, we all took our turns peeing behind the tumbleweeds, but don't worry, not a soul drove by to see us! Lol! Eventually we made it to the lake just after 3 in the afternoon California time. We MADE it!!

The kids wasted no time in getting into their swimming suits and jumping into the lake. I quickly unloaded the car and luckily didn't have to set up a tent. My sister and her family sent most of their gear up with my parents but weren't going to be there until Wednesday evening, so my parents set her tent up and me and the kids crashed in it while we were there that way we didn't have to waste any of our valuable time there setting up and taking down! It was perfect! We had almost half the day Monday to swim and play with cousins and visit and play games and go out on the boat and then all day Tuesday plus Wednesday morning before we had to head home. Yes that's a pretty short trip, especially alone with 5 small kids, but like I said, SO worth it!

The kids were in heaven playing with cousins and getting dirty and exploring and making hideouts and forts just like I did when I was a kid. That first night that we were there we went on the traditional midnight boat ride. It's never really midnight when we go, but we always wait until it's dark and drive super slow around the lake in silence looking for turtles on logs or just feeling the breeze on our faces and listening to the hum of the boat engine while all of the little kids fall asleep and that is the whole point. Of course the little kids think that it's a special chance for them to get to go out on the boat when the big kids aren't being pulled on the tube or the skis or the wakeboard or something fun like that. This ride is just for them, and it conks them out so that the rest of the night can be just for us!

After we put the kids to bed we always stay up a little too late eating a little too much trail mix or licorice or rice krispie treats and playing games. We play Progressive Rumi, Canasta, Rich Man Poor Man, Hand and Foot, Mexican Train, Speed Rumicube, Nines, Things, and the list goes on and on! My family is pretty loud and a little crazy and we tend to get a little slap happy and kind of silly after the kids go to bed! Good times, good times!

I woke up on Tuesday morning and snuggled with little Logan on the hammock who had started in with a fever during the night. The traditional pancakes, eggs and bacon cooked behind me in the "kitchen" where we have our camp stoves set up as well as our folding table that holds the pots and pans and kitchen utensils. It's quite a set up!

After lunch we decided to head over to Brandy Creek Beach and go for a little walk along the creek and listen to little falls just off the trail.

After our nice walk we went down to the beach and played in the water until dinner.

I forgot to mention that that morning the kids made an interesting discovery that attracted quite a bit of attention!

They found a King Snake and managed to catch him in a mesh bag. After spending some time trying to remember the rhyme that we'd all learned long ago that would determine whether or not our new slithering friend was poisonous we finally decided that it was indeed, "Red on Black friend of Jack, Red on White - take flight". We had a Red on Black snake and so we felt a little more comfortable letting the kids hold him.

Tuesday night after dinner we had s'mores - another tradition. It's always sticky and messy and oh so fun!

That night after the kids were in bed we set in to play some traditional late night games! Tyler stayed up with us because I didn't plan on staying up too late since I was going to be driving all day the next day. When we came into the tent to go to bed I couldn't find Nathan. He'd been sharing a queen blow up mattress with me and he was no where to be found! Finally I turned on a flashlight and noticed that his sleeping bag was missing and his pillow was starting to fall off of the mattress and I realized that he must have fallen off! The blow up mattress that we were using had a stand and he must have rolled over in his sleeping bag and slipped right off of the bed next to the tent wall and was now sleeping quite peacefully in his sleeping bag still under the bed instead of on it! Funny boy!

We woke up Wednesday morning and packed our bags and ate breakfast and took one last dip in the lake and headed out by around 11 am. It was a short trip and a little crazy at times but so worth it.

I loved being surrounded by familiar trees and smells and family and loved ones and being a part of the tradition that I'd known and loved since I was born. I had to be there. I couldn't not go. It is a tradition and it's a tradition that I love so much and that my kids have already fallen in love with. It might be the beautiful lake and perfect campsites and wonderful day hikes and fabulous temperatures that have me hooked or it might be the time with family and cousins and nurturing those friendships and relationships or it could be the laughs and smiles and crazy games and silly inside jokes that keep me coming back all these years. But whatever the reason, it's a tradition that I don't think I'll ever be able to let go of. Not even now that I have to drive 12 hours to get there. It's a place that is a part of me, where I feel as at home as I do sitting in my own living room. I have as many meaningful memories that were created there at Whiskeytown Lake as I do anywhere else. It's one of those things that I can always depend on and I know it will always be there year after year, unchanged and as wonderful as ever. So until next year... Goodbye Whiskeytown, see you soon!