Started the day playing pickleball.
Then most of us went off to have an adventure. Haley and Maverick stayed back at the house, and Abe also chose to decline having his body be beaten to death. Smart choice. Those of us who went all got a good (or bad!!) body beating!
Look at this carload of boys anxious to ride UTVs (Utility Terrain Vehicles) for two hours. Each of us had a bandana to tie onto our face like a bandit to keep the dust out of our mouth and nose.
The guys are looking at a map on the computer screen. They had one destination in mind and no turning back.
We all picked out our tight-fitting, claustrophobic-inducing, heavy helmet and safety goggles. Our attempt to wear the goggles over our glasses was futile. Good thing I have recently had cataract surgery and now have excellent distance vision without my glasses.
Everyone, climb into a vehicle (with sasquatch looking on)!!
Don't let this fake you out. I only sat behind the wheel for a photo. I did have to give our daughters credit for being willing to be drivers for the whole excursion.
Sarah with her Jonah companion.
Rebecca driving her 6-passenger vehicle.
We spent the afternoon at Ideal Beach. We had gotten a boat rental once again as everyone really seemed to enjoy tubing or riding in the boat.
Jonah is one who loves to get into a character and fully take on the part. Sarah said he was in his element putting on the big helmet and goggles and embracing the experience.
Dallas with Madison (I think). Hard to tell with helmets on.
Spencer somehow got his glasses to work with goggles.
Off we went on our bumpy, rocky ride. We were warned the first 20 minutes would be EXTREMELY rough terrain as we climbed over boulders and bounced over huge rocks and big ruts on the dirt road. I wish we had photos of that first part. It was brutal on the body!!
We got to a place where we could keep going or get on the freeway and go back.
I was hoping someone wanted to go back because I wasn't sure I could take another hour and forty minutes of rough riding.
Klarissa assured us she and Monty were willing to go on. Monty had not been enjoying himself thus far, but she loosened his bandana and fed him a little while we were stopped.
Glen got out to check with every vehicle to see if everyone was okay and ready to continue. He was one dusty guy!!
Fortunately, after that the road was a bit less bouldery and was a little more enjoyable. All the drivers later reported they had a great time traversing the boulders and rough roads.
Oh, if only I had consented to be a driver, then I might have enjoyed taking a beating...???!!!???
Our destination was a place called Peter Sinks. Another year when we had a reunion at Bear Lake, Dallas mentioned Peter Sinks and was going to go there and invited the siblings to join their family in that extra excursion.
Thankfully, we chose not to join them and just came on home. We later learned they had tried to traverse this rough terrain in their regular vehicles and hadn't been able to make it very far. One vehicle got a flat tire.
It then became the talk and the goal of the family to one day visit Peter Sinks.
Well--this was the day!!!
For any who don't know what and where Peter Sinks is, this is what Google says about it:
Peter Sinks is a natural sinkhole in northern Utah. It is located 8,100 feet above sea level, in the Bear River Mountains about 20 miles northeast of Logan within the Wasatch-Cache National Forest.
Due to the temperature inversions that trap cold nighttime air, it routinely produces the lowest temperatures in the contiguous United States. Even in the summer, the bottom of the sinkhole rarely goes four consecutive days without freezing. It is so cold near the bottom of the hole that trees are unable to grow.
Peter Sinks is a natural limestone sinkhole approximately one-half mile wide and has no valley outlet to drain water or air. During calm, cloudless nights, this high-elevation basin dissipates daytime heat rapidly into the atmosphere. Cool, dense air can then slide downwards towards the basin floor in a process known as cold-air pooling.
Consequently, extremely low temperatures can occur, particularly in the wake of arctic fronts in winter. On February 1, 1985, a temperature of -69.3 degrees Fahrenheit was recorded there as recorded by measuring instruments that were placed in the valley.
Here we are driving down into Peter Sinks. Interesting to note the tree line all around the rim of the valley.
And there it is!! The temperature measuring instruments off to the side of the road in the middle of the valley.
Oh, happy day!! We got to see for ourselves what Peter Sinks is all about.
Interestingly enough, after all the hype of how cold it is in that sinkhole, we did not feel any difference in temperature. Just thankful we weren't there in the nighttime, I guess.
Got to get some photos of us at Peter Sinks.
Sarah and Glen were comparing which one of them had the dirtiest noses and faces. It is quite evident they did not choose to wear their bandanas over their nose and mouth. At least their teeth are still white.
Some of us did not want to take our helmets off for photos. They were hard enough to get on and once I took it off, I didn't think I would want to put it back on ever again.
Those wearing helmets are me, Lincoln, Laurie, and Luke. Great photo Dallas was able to take of all of us.
I must say my favorite part of the ride was the last 20 minutes when we bypassed the first bouldery part and got on the real, paved, smooth road with the beautiful view of Bear Lake leading back to the rental company.
It appears everyone pronounced it a wonderful, successful excursion.
Time for another milk shake treat. This time Zipz was our location.
Abe, Haley, and Maverick joined the group for this treat. The ambience was adorable, but some of us agreed the milk shakes did not compare at all to the deliciousness of the Chevron milk shakes.
Dallas flew his drone over the boat and then we watched him try many times to catch the drone on the moving boat with the waves rocking the boat. It was crazy, but he finally managed to grab it out of the air. Good catch!! Here are some of his drone photos.
When people weren't in the boat, they were busy swimming in the swimming pool or playing in the sand.
This was a game Abe could play.
Back home for dinner, games and bedtime so we could be ready for the next day of play.
Had to get in the evening pickleball games. Poor Abe was having a hard time regulating his body temperature. Usually he enjoys cooler weather, but here he is wearing his sweatshirt, long pants, and all wrapped up in a blanket.
We bid Abe, Klarissa, and Monty farewell early. They needed to get to an afternoon cardiology appointment who gave Abe the all clear to fly home to South Carolina the following day.
Abe was told he should continue to take it easy, take all his medications, and that it will take lots of time for him to recover from pericarditis.
Ben, Haley, and their three boys left the reunion early as well. They were flying out the next day to spend two weeks with Haley's family in New York.
After they left, the remainder of us headed off to Bear Lake North Beach for play time at the beach that goes forever out before the water gets deep. It was very crowded, but we found a spot to set up the shade tents.
What a fun time at the beach that day! We had kept Abe's three oldest children so they could enjoy another beach day with their cousins while their parents left early for the doctor appointment.
We had them shower, fed them, loaded the car, we randomly saw our across-the-street neighbors, the Cowleys, out for an evening Bear Lake walk and stopped to chat for a minute, and then we were on our way home.
It was a late arrival home, but we were glad we had kept the three with us.
Saturday morning, Glen was up early going to his sealing assignment at the temple. He had not been able to get a substitute for that day.
A little later Abe's family got the car loaded with all their luggage to catch their flights back home. Unfortunately, an airplane in front of them had a major problem causing a delay for their plane and they missed their connecting flight in Texas.
They had to spend the night in a hotel there. Poor Abe!! He wasn't much help as the only thing he could lift was his computer case. What a hassle for their family, and especially for him when he wasn't feeling all that great.
They took Wynne and Newland straight to their YMCA camp in Greenville. Abe needed some elevated leg time after their two travel days.
Jacob, Luke, and Logan left Laurie and Claire behind so they could catch a flight to Oregon to see Laurie's family.
This is the remainder of the family left for Sunday dinner. Wish we had all had as much gumption as Rebecca and had gotten our family reunion shirts laundered so we were all matching this day as well.
Fun reunion. Fun time with family. Fun activities. Fun food. Fun everything!! Looking forward to another reunion in two years!!
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