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.