Heyburn State Park

Last month we went for a 5 day trip to Heyburn State Park with our "summer friends" Jen, Rene and their boys Ethan and Ryan.  One of their favorite activities this trip was to play cards!  The played Uno, Old Maid, and Go fish.

 We also set up scavenger hunts, one for each day. At the end of their hunt they got a treasure.

 Four of the five hunts were clue based.  Each clue told them a hint of where to find the following clue.  We learned after the first hunt that we needed to hide each clue for a specific person.  If we didn't than the older kids always got to them first.

 We discovered that the campground having swimming meant we had to drive down the road to another part of the VERY large state park.  Despite that the kids had a great time splashing around and climbing all over floating logs.

 Another scavenger hunt!

 Their favorite place to play was a field with a volleyball net and a picnic table which happened to be just below the back of our campsite.  There was a special trail they used and they had a fantastic time going down there to run around!

 There was a beach games activity that we were able to go to on Monday.  We played a new version of dodgeball.  All but one team mate was in the closer section.  Across the other team one member waited.  You had to get the ball back and forth 3 times without it hitting the ground or being taken by the other team.  After that you could throw the ball at someone to try to get them moved to the other outer side of their team until you ran out of people in the middle. Our little ones were up against a much older group so Daddy, Rene, and I took turns playing with the kids.

 One of their treasures were glow sticks.  The kids had a great time building with them and making different decorations before we took a night time walk.  On the walk we had several people stop to say hello and even a group that cheered and clapped for the kids.

 There was supposed to be a bike ride to Plummer Point which is another swimming area.  So we all got on our bikes and headed down to the meeting place.  Not only was it a bike ride, it was also a scavenger hunt.  We didn't realize that the bike ride required all the kids to ride on the road with no shoulder.  It was not a very smooth road so Carson, Ethan (with their training wheels), Rene and I went back to camp.  It started to rain shortly after.  Dillon, Kayda, Daddy, Ryan and Jen made it most of the way just to find that the final stretch was a windy, steep gravel road so they decided to turn around.  Meanwhile we were driving around trying to find them!  We happened to pass each other while they were riding out on the board walk.

 The last full day of our trip we headed to Silverwood.  The water park was open this year so we got to spend some time there as well.

 The very first ride was the log ride.  The kids did great the entire day with waiting in lines!  There were a couple of times they got a little rowdy but they listened very well and stayed close!

 A favorite ride was, once again, the planes. Carson always wanted to go back to it!

 We thought Carson would enjoy this ride because it is like a giant swing.  We were SO wrong!  He cried the whole time and clung on for dear life!

 Last year Kayda rode this ride twice and wasn't fan.  Her memory altered somehow and she said it was her favorite.  So this year it was the first ride she wanted to go on!  It is called corkscrew and takes you upside down twice.  She and Dillon both rode it and loved it!

 After lunch we headed to the water park.  Unfortunately the day wasn't very warm and Carson was about 1/2 an inch short of the required height for many of the slides.  He could do the lazy river, the wave pool and the small slides and splash area.  It was too cold for the splash area and the wave pool.  We rode the lazy river all snuggled together once, and they wouldn't let me take him down the slides so he was freezing and bored.  We ended up leaving the water park while everyone else continued to ride most of the water slides.  It gave him the chance to have fun while they played in the water.

 Of course we get everybody dry and ready to head back over to the amusement rides and the first thing they want to do is the bumper boats which have squirt guns.  Needless to say they all go soaked again!

 Every one else headed over to the line for Tremors the rollercoaster.  So Carson and I went back to the kid rides.  He got to ride many rides while they waited.  We were able to finish and get over there before they got on the rollercoaster so we could watch.

Dillon loved it, Kayda hated it.  After she got off she told me she needed to ride a gentle ride to get it out of her head.  She said that she felt like her lungs were going to fall out! 

We ended up being at the park for 9 of the 10 hours the park was open. They had a fantastic time and I got a lot of quality time just with Carson.  Daddy got to ride TONS of fun rides with Kayda and Dillon!