Y'all know we love a road trip!
Our summer vacay this year was built around Cassidy going to camp at Galilee. She had been two years in a row, then we moved. Last year she was so sad that her school didn't get out for summer in time to attend. This year the schedule aligned! Cassidy loves sleep away camp for lots of reasons, but the main reason is being able to spend so much uninterrupted time with her Reno friends, doing nothing but playing in the woods.
To make this affordable, we took full advantage of friends and family who offered to host us for overnights and meals. Staying in a someone else's home is such a warm fuzzy, welcoming experience and we really appreciated it. Staying up late, catching up and talking, cooking meals together...could not ask for a better way to spend some time away from work! The offer is always open to stay with us too, for those brave souls who can stand the rain and come out to visit!
Our first stop was in Vancouver, WA where we had a picnic lunch. It didn't work to see Matt's sister and fam this time, but we went to a spot they introduced us too! The sun was warm, the water was clear, the food was good ;-)
We made it to Ashland in record time. Seriously. Traffic through Portland is hellish on a good day. Ashland was a welcome sight as we pulled in to Staci's! Staci knew us when we first started dating, laughing at our swooning over each other while planning WTI (lol) back in our reslife days. Her daughter Charlotte is an incredibly sweet kid who is funny! Watching the girls use their imaginations and make up dances was certainly joyful. We also went to Shakespear in the park, though instead of a play we listened to Ghanian music. Just beautiful!! We also attended a glass blowing workshop, watched Charlotte in a summer camp play, and ate at the best places.
Our next stop was in Dunsmuir, CA. Super close to Shasta. Not gonna lie, we were a little nervous. It's surrounded by the State of Jefferson folks. If you don't know who they are, and you decide to google them, be prepared to be awed and confused. Contrary to our trepidation, this stop turned out to be quite a delight! The motel was vintage in a good way, like visiting an older relative who kept their home in pristine condition while adding some 21st century updates. There was a waterfall hike within walking distance and we learned the area is famous for ultra clean natural water fountains and springs as well as Yaks on 5th, an incredible burger spot. We also hit up Lake Siskiyou and did some kayaking. We didn't stay long, just one night, but we hope to return next year! It's about 4 hours from Reno, so we got on the road and made one stop at a park in Janesville for lunch and to let the kids run.
And drove in to Reno, right to Adri and Serj's home! Seeing their girls, Sofia, Samira, and Salma, always makes me so happy and so sad.
They are growing up and just so smart and we don't get to see them like we did when we lived there. NV is home and it often feels like we are missing so much. Facebook and phone calls can only get you so far! The day to day of being entwined and involved with your friends you call family is something we really miss. Which makes these trips so fun, to meet up and it's like we're right back where we were! All of the girls immediately gravitate towards each other, non-stop giggle ensues, and they take off to create adventures. We were also excited to see Amparo and be there to celebrate her birthday! Not only did we stay a couple nights, Adri graciously hosted friends to come over and play so the girls could see their friends from their old school. And so much fun to catch up with everyone- the friendliest, group of parents around, who love on each other's kids like they were their own. In our professional worlds, we talk and talk and talk about community: what it means to be a part of one, to build one, to feel a sense of belonging, to hold each other accountable and address conflict or hurt, to uplift and love and include everyone....this group of humans is community in its purist form. Scheduling is hard, because of life!, so we didn't get to see everyone, and that's ok because we'll visit again.
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| Silly faces |
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| Happy Faces |
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| Silly Faces |
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| Sleepy faces |
The Chocolate Nugget is a family owned shop with all kinds of delicious home made goodies. And there was a great groupon for the Steamboat hot springs spa! Two very Northern NV spots not to be missed :-)
And we can't visit without seeing the campus. UNR has changed quite a bit! I'm so glad they kept Lincoln Hall, even if it is offices now instead of a residence.
Before we took the girls to camp, I took them to get their hair did. It's nice to have it braided so you don't have to do anything to it. And it was cold up at Tahoe that week, so they weren't getting in the water too much. Even if they did, it's not a chlorinated pool, it's all natural snow melt!
I have yet to find a hairstylist in Olympia. The few places I tried to step foot in claimed over the phone they did loc repair, but really what they meant was they helped white people with dreadlocs. There is such a big difference and it's not just about race or ethnicity, but the actual curl pattern and hair type. Let's save that convo for a different blog, a different day. Long story short, I trust Carla completely with my hair and no on else so I do my own until I get to see her! This is a yearly visit folks, so I book months in advance to guarantee our spot and then I check in weekly leading up to make sure we still have that spot. My scalp and hair follicles are sooooo happy after a visit with Carla! For fun, she asked the girls if I should add color we went with NV blue because, hello.... can't travel all that way and not get NV blue!
Check out these before and after pics of my own hair (sweet corn on the cob new growth aint no joke) and the beautiful cornrows she put into the girls' hair!
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| Before |
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| After |
With our hair finished, and a quick stop at REI for last minute supplies, we drove together up the mountain to camp where the girls all stayed together in a tipi outfitted with bunk beds, twinkle lights, and a ceiling fan. Not quite roughing it! Plus that view!
I do believe Savannah missed her big sister while she was at camp, but she certainly did not complain one bit and even bragged that her fave part of the week was being an only kid (LOL) the gall of this kid! For all her bravado, she really did miss Cass. But she enjoyed every minute of hanging out too.
We stayed with Aunt Kitty in Carson, got to visit with cousins Grace and Conor! We missed Uncle John this time, hopefully get to see him next time! And of course we did some hiking and beach days at Tahoe. We also visited Genoa City, one of the oldest towns in NV. It takes about 10 minutes to walk the entire downtown.
Traveling midweek is not ideal for seeing folks who work traditional business hours. We were super happy to connect with friends for breakfast or lunch! Or when they were teaching a brutal, 30 minute cardio session at the gym!
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| Tara! My fave work buddy and bestie from TMCC. |
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| Soon to be Dr. Jia! |
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| Hi Olga! Thanks for picking this great lunch spot! |
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| Easily the best huevos rancheros I have ever had. Pegs makes my favorite, hands down. Fight me. |
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| If you ever have the opportunity to take a class from this gal, do it! |
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| How lucky were we to get to see Juls?! |
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| And Jillian's beautiful family! |
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| The Jot to Joe crew! Love these people, missing a few and love them too! |
We picked up the girls from camp on Saturday and got back on the road to Washington feeling full of love for home, re-connected with our family, and looking forward to next year's trip <3 p="">
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| Circus performers in Ashland on the return trip! |
The week before this epic road trip, Matt and I went to Vegas, NV for a wedding! Dr. Sherry Early was getting married in a destination wedding and we were so happy to join the festivities to celebrate her and Terrance! We stayed at my momma's house and even ran into friends while out and about! It was a very quick, weekend trip and I'm so glad we were able to attend. My happy cup runneth over with two trips to NV in the same month!!
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