Pioneering Adventures in Paris, ID

 

 

Mom and Dad had the great idea to go camping as a family. My Uncle Dave works with Doug & Diane who own Pioneering Adventures, an outfitting and reenactment business. They operate from their gorgeous property in Paris, ID. Dave helps them conduct family tours and such. Our drive up to Bear Lake area was, well...so fun that I will never forget it. Dad drove with me to help out with the kids and spend time with us mono e mono. I think he had flashbacks to those crazy days with four kids under the age of four. We stopped numerous times to adjust this, burp that, nurse here, and eat there. At one time all kids were crying for some reason or another. Dad and I looked at each other and said, "This is FUN?!" The drive through Logan is an all-time favorite. It was gorgeous! Last time I saw Bear Lake the water was at an all-time low, it is now very full. The location was so verdant and peaceful. The owners kept chickens, goats, peacocks, horses, cats, a dog, and a donkey. The kids were highly amused by the goats and chickens. The kids also really enjoyed the tire swings. Jeremy and Jared helped put up Dad's fancy new tent (a Spring bar), then took a plunge in the pool. Jana helped dunk the boys into the pool at the dunk bench. Mom and Dave cooked up a delicious stew and fry bread for dinner. I decided before dinner to try camping in tents for the evening. Diane offered to let the kids and I sleep in their attic room. John and Dave let me borrow their pup tents, one for Amelia and Phillip and one for me and Everett. Jeremy played some guitar tunes while the kids burned marshmallows over the fire. Phillip was a fine example of true boyhood, dirty from head to toes. We all crashed into our tents totally exhausted.

I made the mistake of stuffing our full size air mattress into the tent. It filled the entire tent plus some. That also meant that the mattress was not fully inflated. Everett and I ended up wallowing around for half the night. I sort of felt like we were walking on a huge jello mound, jiggly. Phillip developed a croup cough around 2 am. He was so miserable by 3 am that I took him, Everett, and I to the attic room. We all slept cuddled together on a small foam mat.