A few weeks ago, we loaded up and headed south with my parents and about half of my siblings. Destination? Lake Powell.
Growing up, Lake Powell was my favorite place in the whole wide world (granted, my sphere wasn't all that large). My family would go there often for family vacations. Each time, without fail, it was an undertaking of epic proportions. We would spend days and days packing what seemed like the bulk of our earthly belongings for a week long (sometimes two weeks!) camping trip. You can imagine the tents, sleeping bags, clothing, food and water necessary to sustain nine people. I always hated getting ready but loved the vacations. Now that us kids are parents, we are amazed that mom and dad pulled it off. We laugh now (although I think as teenagers were a little embarrassed) at what we must have looked like. A rag tag group to be sure, usually in an old beat up suburban or van loaded to the gills with gear, and kids hanging from every window.
I'm sure we looked like a vision of The Grapes of Wrath.
Good times.
Twenty plus years later, we didn't look all that different. Our equipment was a bit more updated, to be sure, and our mode of travel a bit nicer. But loaded to the hilt, all the same. For all of the kids, it would be their very first trip to Lake Powell and we wanted them to love it as much as we had.
This time, Grandma and Grandpa had a houseboat for us to use, but it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that twenty people can fill up a houseboat pretty quickly. The plan was that the Stosich clan and our bunch would bring tents and camp out on the beach to help alleviate some of the squishiness.
Oh, how I loooooove tent camping.
Our plans, however, were changed a little bit when we found ourselves in the middle of a big 'ol storm system that delivered a record amount of rain, ping pong size hail, and a tornado 30 miles to the south.
We know how to pick 'em.
My husband, being the enterprising guy that he is, figured out that we could set up our tent right on top of the houseboat. You know what? It turned out marvelously. In fact, if you happen to be in the market for a new tent? May I suggest the Cabela's Alaskan Expedition Guide Series tent? That thing earned it's stripes, man.
Pretty soon, Ronnie and Nan caught the vision and set their tent on top too. (Jodi and AJ's needed to be staked down, and so they were limited to mattresses on the floor downstairs. Can I just say that there were bodies everywhere?)
True to form, we headed down the channel in style- two tents on top, wet towels hanging from every surface, and kids dangling out every window. "Here come the Clampetts," we proudly announced!
Our week was full of adventures. We made it through record breaking rainfall (which produced hundreds of beautiful waterfalls). Nearly missed a tornado. We were clobbered with hail the size of which none of us had ever seen. ("Oh hail," Jodi and I said!) Around the edges, we fit in several hikes (adventures in their own right), indian ruins, cliff jumping, fish and lizard catching, water skiing, and a few minor collisions.
You know what?
We had the time of our lives.
Stay tuned for more Lake Powell adventures (Clampett style). . .
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