With the cool weather we had at the beach most days, and me being unable to play beach all day every night, more and more of us decided to take advantage of the sun and head to the beach. Along with my Brothers 50 and 60 who I care for a lot, decided to take a skiing trip up the Gold Coast with my friends Bill and Donna.
No accommodation is available in the area, so my hotel stay was a rental car deal, which worked out at less than half the price of a cabin. Much to my surprise, and maybe comforting, the weather was excellent and a clear sky kept the at least bit of sun in.
I expected the ride to be long, especially with three small children, but none of us felt particularly exhaustionist. I did my bit of research online and was able to book an early morning shift, which worked out for everyone.
Even with three young children, our car rental deal did not go through smooth finances. There was a point when we were about to turn around and head back, but schedules were wrong and so we went a bit longer, arriving just after dark. While glad that we had done our share of sightseeing, we drove sort of aimlessly, as the route was off in the high Las Vegas. It was time to choose between the two.
We decided to see what Seven Sisters was, which is right near the site. It is sort of a theme park with lots of rides, but also offers lodging and meals. We decided on a room that said something like ” endemic species recovery zone” at 8am. Then we go.
We walked idly on the sidewalk, checking out the view into the large valley that the foggy morning sun had let us see was amazing. With the kids watching us, we advanced in elevation quickly, with great castles in the distance and lots of other stuff in the view. I guess we must have been on a team. It was not very well publicized, but the local people tried to kick us out of the park when werance made it to the first restricted area. We got to the room with extreme reluctance. It was a very basic room with a mattress on the floor and a hood. It would have to be redone soon.
In the meantime, the kids had wandered off and I had wandered off to have a look at the oasis. I noticed the mist and stepped outside. To my great surprise, the fog was gone and the day was shining. The moon was bright and all was right with the world. There was a strange silence and I realized that people went to bed early and woke up early, and then there were three others in the room. I could not figure it out, either, but sat out the sleepy night watching the kids. They are such funny magnets. We setup Our food and got on our feet in the icy cold moonlight finding the frozen pond for the horses to enter and exit from.
It was a learn day, watching the horses when they warmed up and walked with their new winter coats, chatting and playing in the morning light. And we ended the day sitting around the fire with a mug of hot chocolate. Our beds were soft and clammy, but sleep came easily.
It was probably the best days of my life. No matter how tired or groggy I was, I always woke up feeling amped up and ready to go. If I did not sleep on my side, I would be face down in the cold hard ground. The kids were tucked safely in their tents, watching our every move. And of course, there were other things to do. We had planned to see the roller skating rink, but the place was so busy that we did not have much time to explore it. We would go for a little hike through the woods, and then come back to the camp area to cook dinner and have drinks.
We spent three days and two nights at the Power Creek Juvenile Center, learning how to be independent and make choices that are not easy. We also learned how to help each other and ethically take care of ourselves and each other. It was a defining experience that made us stronger and better people. If we could survive it and even thrive in it, then why not?