August 8-17, 2013
Yup, we went to Herald two times this summer. We knew we were going back so we left our trailer in Salmon Arm for the month at a storage unit. It was only $40 to store it for a month and we would spend way more than that on gas hauling it to and from Salmon Arm so it was a no brainer to leave it there especially since we didn't have any camping trips booked between the two trips. The only tricky part was that we didn't actually have a site booked at Herald so we went hoping that we would be able to land a site when we got there. Lucky for us Evan & Sharon Allison were there and had us put onto the first come/first serve list. Now, when we arrived in Salmon Arm we didn't actually have a site for the first night there. What were we going to do? Dave sweet talked the owner of the storage unit to allow us to sleep in the trailer in the grounds for the night. So, our first night accommodations were pretty top notch....locked up in the storage unit grounds. It was very, very hot out so we slept with all the windows and the door open for the night. No one was going to bother us, we were locked in!
Sharon did manage to get us a site for the second night. This wasn't the most ideal site as it was a bit of a hike to and from each others sites as ours was a the top of the hill and theirs was at the bottom but beggars can't be choosers. Sharon was not only on the lookout for a site for us but for Rob and Marnie as well. We did get a double site for the 2 nights that Rob & Marnie would be camping at Herald.
The big kid of the family! Looking and acting like a teenager!
Matthew off on his bike, enjoying the freedom he has while camping. It feels so safe in the park, especially since we know it so well.
Since he had opened his birthday gift a few days ago before we left to go camping he only got a couple of little things today. This is an iPod case. It didn't actually fit, and we knew that, but we didn't have time before hand to get one that did work so we wrapped it up and let him open it up anyway with the promise that as soon as we got back home we would get him one that worked. (We found a turtle case and bought that one once we were home again!)
Jake and Nicole went shopping for their brother before we left and found him some Mecanno. He was very happy to get that.
It was something to make and that's Matthew's style. He got to work right away. 
The kids played cards on the beach a lot! It was fun to camp with kids the same ages as our kids. Never did we hear, "We don't know what to do!"
Once again Matthew celebrates his birthday at Herald Park. I think he has had more birthday celebrations camping than at home! Before we left home we ordered a cake to be made at Save-On-Foods in Salmon Arm. Once again we picked it up and asked if we could use the fridge in the park's front office to store it until we could eat it. There isn't enough room in the trailer fridge to fit it as well as the rest of the stuff I have crammed in it.
Nicole had plenty of friends to play with. Esther, Rebekkah and Jordyn kept her busy!
Our first site was right by the park entrance booth and there is a grass field that they keep green with sprinklers. The sprinklers were great entertainment for these three!
Matthew, Brooklyn and Dylan spent a lot of time cooling down. It was super hot so it felt pretty good!
Matthew and Brooklyn always goofing around together! I love this picture!
Ahhh! Finally we got a site to stay in! This was the last move of the week. It was a few sites down and around the corner from the Allisons' site. Just close enough. We got a new tent this year. Jake and Nicole are loving it and I am loving all the space in the trailer. The couch doesn't need to go down every night either. The site looks all cramped but it wasn't. There was plenty of room.
One night as Dave and I were going to bed Dave noticed a funny glow on the mountains nearby. We watched it for a short while and realized it was a forest fire! We had had quite the thunderstorm that evening, with crashing thunder and crazy close lightning! We got Evan and then Dave and Even tried to find a ranger to report the fire. They finally found the camp host and called it in.
It was pretty close to the park. We think maybe somewhere around 5km away. Jake and Josh biked to just below it on the road and it took them about 15-20 minutes on the winding hilly road to get there.
One day on the beach we had a little entertainment. Salmon Arm was going to be having a Rhythm and Blues Festival the following weekend and I guess they were advertising at the park for it. There were 2 bands playing for 2 hours on this house boat. While it was good entertainment for a while it did get to be a bit long. Maybe this was a time that it's good to be a bit deaf and not be able to hear everything very well....
Jake looks so bit to us at home but put him with some of his friends and he is dwarfed by them!
Dave and Tanya Pruim came to join us for a few days at the campground too. They come with lots of girls!
For the days following the siting of the forest fire we got to watch the water bombers and helicopters fighting the fire.
It was super hot out again this week so I spent a considerable amount of time in the water. Grace and Natalie were in my Gr 2 class this past year at Credo. We had a LOT of fun playing in the water with the tube.
Matthew, getting more and more comfortable in the water.
I'm going to get you anyway Nicole so you might as well give up trying to hide from me and my camera!
Dave went golfing with Evan and Dave. Sharon, Tanya and I went for a walk with some of the kids to the waterfall. Our kids really know this park and look forward to doing all the stuff there. Like climbing up this slanted tree and sliding down.
The waterfall was rushing pretty good again this time but that wasn't going to stop Jake and Nicole from going into the cave behind the falls. It was a bit tricky, the rocks were slippery and the rushing water pounded down on their backs but they made it in.
Nicole really wanted to do it too but was a bit scared and not all the way sure of herself.
These pipes run under the road and the kids spent hours of fun in here. They would start at the top end and float down through the pipe.
More tube fun. This time we were trying to get Grace and Natalie standing on the tube at the same time!
This is on our drive home....
Our trailer looks so small parked beside these massive units!
I just wanna go back!
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