The Big RV Trip With Our 12 Year Olds

We have such a gaggle of grandchildren that, as was demonstrated in the last couple of posts, we need to divide them into smaller groups of similar ages. When the oldest child in each group turns 12, Grandfather and I take off that summer somewhere around the reunion time for an RV road trip.

We got the idea from our beloved George and Lenore Romney who did the same thing. We laugh when we remember that they told us that when those Grandchildren arrived home from their trip together, they knew two things: that God was real and that the Republican Party was true!

Our first trip was three years ago with our three oldest grandchildren. A great adventure in my sister’s massive motor home which we took to Yellowstone ensued. On the trip, they give themselves a group name which they keep throughout our family history. These three (since their trip was to Yellowstone) is now called “The Old Faithfuls”.

What a time we had with these three GRAND children which included not only a tour of Yellowstone National Park but also a midnight showing of the then newest release of the Harry Potter saga. We had FUN! 

This year, we found a fun RV right in Dingle, Idaho where we go to church which we used for a much needed extra bedroom until the reunion was over. Within hours of our last reunion event we piled into the truck, hooked to our fun motor home and headed for a truly splendid location…..Lagoon.

Having sworn that we would never go to Lagoon again on one sweltering hot day many years ago when all of our little kids were fighting about which ride should be next, Rick/Dad and I hadn’t been there with kids for about thirty years. BUT our oldest of the three 12 yearolds convinced her Grandfather on a visit to her home in AZ last year that it would be a splendid adventure and so, the minute the reunion was over, we were off!

This second group of RV travelers, who are only three months apart in age, considered naming themselves “The Goonies” which would have been quite appropriate but decided on The Three Amigos which we agreed was even better.

Our first stop was for the most important thing…food. The Beehive Grill in Logan fit the bill and for a family that almost never drinks soda, these kids thought they’d died and gone to Root Beer heaven!

One of the major parts of our trip s is about family history so we stopped to see our beloved Grandma Ruthie, who has totally lost her memory and has no idea who any of us are, but boy howdy does she ever light up when she sees children!  These three amigos were totally engaging, taught her how to do “high fives” and “knuckles” and even though she asked them who they were about every two minutes, this wonderful 90 year old smiled more than we had seen her smile for a long time! (Ana is NOT texting. She’s looking at a picture that she just took of Grandma, right Ana?) 

When she asked Grace how many children she had Grace laughed lovingly and reminded Grandma that she was only twelve. When Grace said that, Grandma agreed that she should wait for a long time to have children!  After telling Grandma their names: Isaac, Grace and Ana over and over again, she delighted them by bidding them farewell by saying, “Good Bye, Isaac, Jake and Adam!”  She responded so delightfully to their hugs and genuine love for her!

That night we “camped out” in the Motor Home in Logan Canyon. The sign posted at the entrance of the campground that said “Beware of Bears and Rattlesnakes” made for a lively trip to the “outhouse” although none of those varmints were spotted.

So the next morning, it was on to Utah’s fun spot: LAGOON! 

The RV camping area is actually a delightful place at Lagoon with lovely old shade trees and water and electricity hook-ups galore. It was perfect! We arrived just as it opened at 11 a.m. and the party was ON!

It was exactly 100 degrees, eve though you wouldn’t know it as these three scampered from ride to ride like little bunnies!

I have to say that I had quite a lot of fun myself as I remembered my childhood as I stuck my hands up on the ancient roller coaster and had a barrel of fun on Colossus. The Wild Mouse…not so much. I screamed bloody murder the whole time! After a few rides, I have to say that I was happy to take pictures. Here those three are on Collossus. Pretty cool ride!

I have to say though that the favorite ride was Wicked, which you see here in the background above: straight up and straight down!  Crazy!

There they go…..

Totally wicked!!!

Luckily, we also knew there was some family history, even at Lagoon. Grandfather’s great great grandfather Erastus Bingham built a log cabin many years ago which was relocated to Lagoon to preserve Utah history. As the story goes, he found copper near the Bingham Copper mine (now named for him) and took it to Brigham Young to ask what he should do with it. Brother Brigham suggested that it might be a cause for the demise of his family so he buried it and didn’t look back. Rick has written a story in our kids’ family history book entitled “Why We’re Not Millionaires”. He was the reason….for sure! 

It was great to see the old restored cabin though and tell the kids that the Bingham blood runs in their veins!

We learned a lot of things about the kids including that Isaac has a very interesting way of eating corn-on-the-cob: 

We spent the morning before Lagoon opened on our second day there having our last official Grammie Camp with these kids. When they become teenagers, we do something a little different because I can’t keep up with the amazing numbers coming up on the other end. We reviewed the scriptures they learned this year and we sang the Grammie Camp song. They had been listening to The Planets by Gustov Holst while they were in the car with their parents which I had sent them. I brought my water colors and they painted what they imagined while they listened to that wonderful piece of music.

Ana got away with her beautiful painting before I got a picture of it (Ana send me a picture so I can insert it) but here are Grace’s and Isaac’s creations. Pretty awesome I have to say!  (I think Grace was a little too excited about getting to Lagoon on time to add the E in planet).

What a great time we had with these stellar kids! We loved having them turn off all their “stuff” and just have long talks with us in the trucks about some very interesting subjects as we were traveling back and forth.We learned so much from them and I think they learned a thing or two from us too! It was great bonding time that none of us will ever forget! Those darling Three Amigos are some of our best amigos too!