We spent the weekend with my family in Stanley. I always enjoy having both my brothers around and, as you can see by the pictures, we had lots of family fun on Saturday.

We started Saturday morning with a hike around the cabin. The boys wanted to show us the blood rock they found a day earlier while exploring with TomTom. It was a great morning adventure, although Blood Rock failed to live up to all the hype.








(Jack took this one, not me. Happy, Jack?)















Back at the cabin Jack and I hooked up killer sandwiches, made-to-order, and we all headed out to find some hot springs. I had wanted to take the boys hot springing back in July while we were in Condo Town for our stay-cation but it didn't work out. This is something my family did throughout my childhood and I can't believe the boys didn't experience a hot spring until now.

Extra info: the first time Stephen and I kissed was in a hot spring way back in 1997. Wait--it was actually 1996!

This particular hot spring had a big, gross tub that I wouldn't allow the boys to get in. I doubted that the tub had been drained and refilled within the last year--there was a scummy film lining the water. However, other people thoroughly enjoyed the scummy tub.

























After our soak it was time for those killer sandwiches. There are no picnic tables on the side of the road, so we decided to drive to Custer, an old abandoned mining town. A ghost town. It's actually pretty cool. The town is closed for the season but there is a walking tour with lots of old rusted things to see. This was also a first for the boys.


(The picnic table was in the shade so we still ended up sitting on the ground to eat)





















We spent the rest of the afternoon riding bikes, building puzzles, and doing a lot of nothing. On a whim, we decided to forgo a sit-down dinner for what we likened to a more European experience of standing around a table outside eating small bites of bread, cheese, salmon, and fresh garden vegetables. Jack actually prepared some tasty salads and the supplied the cheese, which came from a sheep he milked outside of Prague this summer.








(Dylan took this photo, although I don't think he cares whether he gets credit. It's just a picture of my head.)















And there you have it, our family fun weekend getaway. I have to admit that I am tired of summer. I am tired of long days, traveling each weekend, and social gatherings. Of course, I enjoy all these things immensely and wait for them each spring but I am always ready to change course with the arrival of fall. Now I am looking forward to chilly nights, soups on the stove, sweaters, and leaf piles. It felt a little like fall up in Stanley and with my family there it was a good farewell to summer.