Grover Hot Springs...

Every time the kids asked us where we were heading next we’d say something like “Big Bird hot springs” or “Elmo hot springs”… they thought that was funny and corrected us. We got here in time for us to set up the tent in the daylight!!! Then they explored around a bit. They found lots of rocks to climb and they even found some friends to play with for the evening while we set up camp and fixed dinner. Here are a couple of shots of volcanos from our drive.

Volcano shots

Camp breakfast

Noah and our tent

Hannah in our tent

We have spent a good amount of time while camping playing cards. The kids are really into it. We have played lots of go fish, war, and old maid, but I introduced them to a new game called I Spy snap and Noah LOVES this game. We came up with a game just for him because he doesn’t like how everyone else wins and he doesn’t. But in his game he wins all the time. They usually play pretty nicely but when Ben decides to make up his own rules to the games then they get frustrated with each other.

Ben and Noah playing cards together
We decided to go to the hot springs this morning. It was fascinating and so hot! I couldn’t get in all the way but it was fine because it was hot enough with just my legs in. I spent most of my time swimming in the cold pool while the kids and Daddy went from hot to cold most of the time. I am pretty sure it was a little treated but they didn’t heat it up. We found the source of the spring above the pool and checked it all out, read the billboards and the kids were really impressed. After seeing the cold spring water pouring from Burney Falls this was a trickle but hot. And both were underground water. It also tied into the learning the kids were doing about volcanoes over the past few months.

The hot spring bubbler

Ben in the hot pool

Hannah in the hot pool

Noah in the hot pool

Going into the cold pool

The source of the hot spring

Daddy got out his fly tying stuff to tie some flies and the kids were into that. They both made a couple of flies that turned out pretty neat. Ben made a bee and Hannah just created a big fly. Afterwards we went to find a part of the river to fish in. We found a quiet area off the side of the road where the kids would be able to cast in and it was calm enough to watch a bobber. Daddy took off and went up stream to try to catch a big one. The kids lost interest because the fish kept rising and we could see them, but they weren’t nibbling on our bait. So we’ll try again some other time…

Ben's bee fly

Hannah busy on her fly

Done!

Noah fishing

Hannah waiting

Ben and Daddy fishing

Nothing caught...better luck next time...