Bear Lake Trip: Part 3 (Wed)

Wednesday morning, we went on a nice 1-hour horseback ride through the mountains. It was about a 15-minute drive from our condo. My in-laws opted out of this activity but came to see us start the ride and take some pictures and videos. I didn't take pictures on the ride because I thought we weren't allowed to get our phones out while riding. I should have done it anyway because Curtis and Laverne were getting pictures. Oh well. I did get some of their pictures they sent to me later. It was a nice ride and the weather was perfect. Our ride was at 10am so we could beat the heat, and it was cool enough to need a light long sleeve, which is what I wore and it was just right. I have to admit that I was worried about Alice doing this ride because she has never really ridden horses, except on a pony ride that goes in a circle, but she also doesn't love horses the way Charlotte does. However, Alice did great and she loved it! Charlotte loved it as well. In fact, it was her idea to do this activity again because she didn't get to do it last time since she was too young, and she really wanted the opportunity to ride a horse outside of a fenced area like she did when she did horse camp at 8 years old. 

Group picture at the end of the ride.

Alice with her horse, Cassie. Charlotte with her horse, Arthur. (so fitting as I mentioned before that my grandpa passed away that same week 8 years ago and his name was Arthur)

Feeding the horses after the ride.

Can you tell she's having fun? ha ha

I was behind Laverne and Charlotte was behind me. With one of the guides behind her.

Jack, Garrett, Alice and Dad

After our ride was over, we went back to the condo to rest, clean up, and eat lunch before heading North to the Minnetonka Caves, about an hour away. Again, our in-laws opted out on this one. After we finished the caves, my parents wished they had too! It was too much for them and said they will never do it again. But they survived it this time with us! 

Waiting for our turn to go in to the caves. It was actually warm outside, but we wore our sweatshirts to be ready for the 40 degree cave.

Beautiful scenery while waiting.

Charlotte saw several chipmunks and was able to feed one of them some nuts from someone's trailmix that was left behind by the trash can.

Alice was able to go down and join her, and she was using Charlotte's phone to take pictures.

At the mouth of the cave and ready to enter. You could feel the cool breeze coming out.

The bones of a porcupine.

We survived the cave climb, 888 stairs!

The "Stairway to Heaven". Going up these just about did in Mom and Dad and stairway to heaven wouldn't be far from correct, lol.

Mom and Dad Butterfield cooked us up some delicious hamburgers when we returned back to the condo. We rested and played games the remainder of the evening. I'd say the game we played most often was the card game, Golf. It's a favorite for the parents. Kids played videogames.

Bear Lake Trip: Part 2 (Mon & Tues)

We started Monday with a walk through downtown in the morning and out to a view of the lake before heading back to get ready to go out on the lake for the day. We rented a pontoon boat that was powerful enough to pull tubes and comfortable for space. Our friends, Monica and Seth, and their kids joined us, as we invited them since they only lived a couple hours away and we like hanging out with them. The weather was a little worrisome as it looked like there was a storm heading our way as we were taking the boat out. However, the storm stayed to the south of the lake, so we headed north. Throughout the day the storm just seemed to go around us, following the mountain line. It was such a blessing that we didn't have to cut our day short from the storm. The water may have been a little choppy, but it was a good day to be out there, and the weather cooperated for us.

Beautiful view on our morning walk. 

We saw this sign and I love that they added the "Bear Lake Monster" to it as one of the locals.

Here's our crew, ready for some fun!

I braved one ride on the tube. That was enough since my head can't take much.

Jack having some fun.

Even Dad and Mom got on the jet ski. They said it was too choppy for them when they finished but I think they still had some fun.

The perks of being a service missionary, is you get to go on trips and have fun with your family.

Charlotte and Curtis being a little silly.

Dad and Mom had left early to go start heating up dinner to try and have it ready by the time we all got back. It took longer than expected because it had been frozen. After a late dinner we played a group game on the Switch that people can join online with their phones or devices, called Quiplash. Not everyone could play but you could be an audience member, which is what I did. It was fun, but it was getting late. We hadn't planned on Seth and Monica staying overnight, so they didn't pack anything, but we didn't want them to have to travel back home when it was dark and they were tired, so we invited them to stay the night. They agreed to stay. It helped not having Curtis's parents there yet and having extra beds and couches available. They took off the next morning after eating some breakfast with us. It was great to have that time with them and be with a friend that I've had since 6th grade.

The girls. When Alice and their daughter were a lot younger, we couldn't tell them apart from the back of their heads. But now their daughter is taller and has curly hair.

Since we spent the day on the lake yesterday, we wanted a day to take it easy. Dad, Mom, Curtis and I did go for a walk around town again and looked for possible souvenirs.

My in-laws made it to town and that evening we went to the Pickleville Playhouse to watch "The Ballad of Butch and Sundance". It was a funny western musical, but Mom and I agree that we liked the last show we watched better with Juanito Bandito. Directly after the show, there was a BBQ dinner that we enjoyed right at the theater that was catered outside by another company. It was all very good and very filling. And on the way home, we stopped at a spot to get a couple of pictures

This was a cool display made out of skis.

We went back to the condo afterwards and played some games until we were ready to crash for the night.