Hecla 2011

This is kind of a random thoughts post after our annual trip to Hecla Island. Usually we go with Marc's Mom and Dad and sister and family, but this year it was just us.

I discovered that I actually like our minivan. It only needed accessories, a cartop carrier and a bike rack.

Quote of week from Hanaa (while chasing a butterfly), "Butterfly sister, where are you going? Come baaaaaaaaaaaaack!"

Since there wasn`t room to pack a stroller, I packed the baby carrier for Hanaa`s bedtime walks. It worked really well. She was generally asleep within 10 minutes. Here`s my guilty secret though, I didn`t walk very far from the cabin on those walks. There was a turn-around in the bike path beside our cabin, so I walked in circles a lot. I was freaked out about meeting a bear. Turns out, I was not being silly. There have been lots of bears approaching campsites this year because of the scarcity of food due to dry weather.

Always pack at least 3 towels and 2 sunhats per person.

Bike trails are difficult for 5-year-olds on tiny bikes. We should have packed the tandem instead. The last two days, we didn't even attempt to bike to the beach, to Molly's great relief. There was considerably less whining. (I loved biking to the beach. I would have loved to leave the van in parking lot the whole time.)

Pizza night at Integrity Foods outside of Riverton is lots of fun and may become a yearly tradition. Go for the pizza. Stay for the torpedo ball. Noah was a particular fan of this outing. Molly and Hanaa liked the bunnies (but not the chickens).

I'm very relieved that no one peed the bed. I'm looking forward to travelling without a potty next year. By the end of the week Hanaa was asking to be taken to the bathrooms instead of using the little potty in the cabin. I`m hoping this is the end of her fear of strange toilets (especially on road trips).

Sunset beach is really very lovely in the evening. Pack water shoes.

Riding home in the tow-truck was not planned, but not particularly unpleasant. Maybe those new accessories were too much for the van after all.

Noah invented a new superhero persona on the trip: Canadian Noah. Sadly, I was cast as the villain: Evil Mom Lady.