Home away from home for 10 days...and we are back!

We went for 10 days, we stayed, we played, we fished, we hiked, we swam, we boated, we built amazing Lego displays, and created yet another year of memories of our summers at Buck's Lake. We are back!

Where in the world is Buck's Lake you ask? Well it is about a 20 minute drive from Quincy, CA and about 1 1/2 hours drive northeast from Chico, ca and about an hour south of Lake Almanor. Still don't get it? Here is a map...

My parents bought a cabin at Buck's Lake about 13 years ago after years of camping there. It is a little slice of heaven tucked in the forest with great fishing, wildlife, and very minimal amounts of people, like you might get in Almanor or Tahoe. Our cabin is a small 2 bedroom 1 bath, A-framed place with only the essentials, which excludes phones, internet, cable and a dishwasher!

isn't it cute!

What it does have, is a ton of fun things to do, very comfortable accommodations, and the perfect setting for extreme relaxation. Here is a little glimpse of the inside.

the cool dinning table that seats 10 with the giant Lazy Susan is my favorite part.

Only downside of this place is that we have to get our fill during the summer and early fall because about 6-8 months out of the year there is snow. Nobody plows the roads up here so if we plan to come for a visit during the snowy season, we need to figure out how to get 2 dogs, 2 kids, 2 adults and all of our stuff up on snow mobiles for a 10 mile drive. At this point of our lives, it isn't very doable.  There is a great snowmobile park there for anyone who is willing to take on the challenge.

Ahh, i love it there. I miss it already. It has so many great things about it and I can almost smell the fresh mountain air all the way from here at my little computer desk.  Here are some of the little things about it that has left my heart aching to go back .

1. The endless amount of floor space for lego building.
2. The wood burning stove that sits smack dab in the center of the room, which used to scare me to death when my kids were little but now, provides endless warmth on the cold evenings.
3. A large deck for long days of reading, sunning, BBQing and just relaxing.
4. Fresh wildflowers always adorning the table.
5. A full sized shuffleboard table that is better suited for a dirty college bar
6. A bottle open and old tin can to catch your caps, on the deck right next to a full cooler.
7. Last but not least, my parents awesome decorating. 

But, it is really about what is outside the cabin that draws us to this place every year. My kids spend all day outside doing things I could only dream of during regular days at home, when I am fighting them to go outside and play!

He got his first Bow. Its not just fishing anymore folks! Yes, there was still snow on the ground behind him!

Oh and the dogs, they love us for these trips too!

 It seems as though we won't make it back up this summer, prior to school starting. The kids go back to school August 11Th!!! I know, its crazy! Who do I talk to about this? When is this decision made and why wasn't I asked for my opinion?

I hope all of your vacations are as great as ours was. We are back to the reality of the non-simple life. The phones are ringing off the hook and my kids have been asking for the iPad again. But, we still don't have cable (insert evil cackling laugh)! 

Love,