Red Fish Lake

We went camping this past weekend to Red Fish Lake.

One of our last summer hurrah's!

It is a truly beautiful, amazing place to see.

Impossible to really photograph as you see it in real life.

The boys loved having/making/playing with the campfire.

We made a lot of fires for dinners and breakfast.

When the meal was over, the boys would pronounce they were hungry

and ask "Could we please make another fire?"

The boys also LOVE camping; running, exploring the campsite,

campfires, getting dirty, riding bikes, using walkie talkies, the tent,

campfires, living outdoors, hiking, swimming, and campfires.

It seems to be a good thing for them. Good for being boys, good for their souls.

I think we will continue camping as a family.

Lindy & Sadie enjoy it too.

I don't mind so much.

We've gotten some nice padding for a softer night's sleep.

1 or 2 nights is about all I'm good for.

I try to bring good food, that makes camping more fun.

Foil dinners work great. Fairly easy to do.

Camping is not that great when you're pregnant and have to use the bathroom.

But, the kids being entertained by the outdoors all day, makes that not seem as big a deal.

Besides I don't sleep any better at home when I'm pg anyway.

Since we were up in the mountains with higher elevation, it can get down to the 30's at night.

I was worried about being really cold, esp. with kids.

We over prepared. Million of blankets, lots of layers, special sleeping bags for low temps.

We were HOT!  Everyone slept fine, with no complaints of being cold.

Even in the am, getting out of the tent, we were all fine.

Phew! We really know how to rough it now!

But, I am starting to envy everyone at the other campsites with their trailers, pop-ups, campers, RV's, etc.

We just have a tent.

No one else seems to rough it anymore.

I look super excited in this photo.

At least I'm not concerned that Tate is about to fall in the fire. 

Sadie says, "Ta Da!"

The children also toasted, burned, experimented & ate loads of marshmallows.

(They would not have passed the patience test this camping trip.)

Then were too full to eat the good food I brought.

We went on a little hike, and saw the red fish "Kokanee" fish that the lake is famous for.

Some of the different fish that are born here in these mountains,

make the amazing long journey to the Pacific ocean.

After being in the ocean for a couple years,

the fish; then make the long swim back to their birthplace, these Idaho mountains,

to spawn and die.

I'm not much of a fish person, but find this particular story quite interesting.

Red Fish Lake offers lots to do.

Biking, hiking, good places to eat, cabins, boating, kayaking, canoeing,

water skiing, music concerts, fishing, horseback riding, and I'm sure even more.

We just did a couple of things.

I think it is a fun place to visit.
The bathrooms were clean & nice. They were stocked with air fresheners!
There were hardly any bugs, we didn't have to bother with insect repellant.

We will have to go back someday.

We rented a paddle boat that the whole family could ride on.

It was fun. The kids loved it.

They each got a turn paddling or steering.

Tate was by far our best paddler. He was a motoring machine.

Tate's favorite method for paddling, was to lay all the way down.

His legs worked the fastest this way.

We had a beautiful drive home through Sun Valley.

Often I am amazed at how beautiful Idaho truly is.

I admit there are dry, dessert parts, but there are other parts that are so beautiful, truly beautiful.