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Publisher's Note - August 17th - Camp/Vail Recap and End of Summer Fun

August 17, 2023

Hello Macaronians!

It feels like it has finally settled down around here, and I'm loving it!

We're in that lull where the kids are starting their one-day-a-week homeschool program, but the other activities don't start for a couple of weeks, which is great.

My daughter is signed up for Elf Jr. with The Arts HUB this fall and she is so excited. We picked up the script this week and she's working her way through it and trying to decide which parts she'd like to audition for. The Arts HUB has lots of fantastic programs, we absolutely love them, so check it out if you're looking for arts-based after school activities.

Yesterday I finally sat down to figure out the kids schedule at The Giggling Life Care Farm this fall too. They're offering more horse programs this fall and the kids are really excited to participate in those. My daughter is going to plan to spend two days every week on the farm this fall too, it's really her happy place!

I think we've finally recovered and unpacked from our adventures last week, and I promised to share more with you this week. The kids were at overnight camp at Keystone Science School, and we highly recommend that camp. It's the kids' third visit and they will absolutely be going back again next summer. This time it was only 4 nights, and they still crammed in all the activities, which was a little much for my kids. We'll be avoiding the 4-night offerings next year! Registration is in November, so if it interests you, mark your calendars, it fills up quickly!

While the kids were at camp we took our trailer to Peak One campsite outside of Frisco. We love that it's really close to both Frisco and Breck, has great cell phone service, and is right on Lake Dillon. We couldn't see the lake from our spot, but we could walk down to it easily. I walked along the perimeter trail every morning, and there was a nice little beachy area where we could sit with a drink in the afternoon and let the dog play in the water. (We snagged our spot at the last minute with CampNab, if you're a camper, check that site out!) 

We took a quick break during the week to head over to Vail for a couple of nights. We found a fantastic little condo right outside of Vail Village last year, and it's super affordable. Vail is my favorite mountain town and I LOVE being able to get out in the mornings for a walk through the village. The flowers are always gorgeous and the crisp mountain air feels so good. One morning we walked over to Lionshead Village for breakfast, and it was a great way to spend the morning. We didn't make any dinner reservations this time and planned to mostly eat at the condo. But we did stop into Alpenrose one night for large German beers and winerscnitzel. On both nights we grabbed a seat at Mountain Standard's bar for delicious drinks (although the red wine is improperly stored, stick with whites) and had a few appetizers one night. We also stopped by 10th Mountain Whiskey and Spirits, and the drinks were okay, but the view overlooking the creek was great. It looked like later that night they offered live music, which would have been fun. Overall it was another fantastic visit to Vail!

We had our monthly visit with Dr. Courtney at Kindred Family Chiropractic this week. I love how I feel after we visit, she takes great care of us! And she takes great care of families, your kiddos of all ages are welcome there whether they're being treated or you're being treated!

My daughter and I are heading to see Jagged Little Pill at the DCPA this afternoon. The more I read about this show the more excited I am to see it! It has some adult themes, but we talk about everything in this house, and it's a good opportunity to revisit some of them as my daughter gets closer and closer to her teenage years. I'll let you know what I think next week.

We have a fairly quiet weekend (yay!) but I'm looking forward to my Supper Club gathering on Sunday. Our theme is farmer's market and peaches, and the recipes look delicious. Should be a fun night!

Next week I also want to try to get the kids put out to Dickens Farm, somehow we haven't gone at all this summer! I really wanted to go in the Spring when the water would have been high (the rapids are pretty little so it would have been fun for me and my big kids to try that out), but all the rain kept us away, and then summer flew by! But the good news it doesn't close after Labor Day like the other water play areas, so if we get a beautiful day we'll try to sneak that in!

We're getting ready to head out to the Minnesota State Fair soon too, which is one of my favorite things to do! I grew up in Minnesota, so it was a family tradition, and the kids absolutely love it. We love to wander the barns (which will be even more interesting this year after showing their own animals), check out the midway, and eat all the fantastic things there is to offer! I'll probably be posting more on my travel Instagram, so stay tuned there to follow along!

That's it for me this week! For those of you who sent kiddos back to school in the last few weeks, I hope everyone is adjusting well and getting lots of rest. Those of you with younger kids, you've got the world back to yourselves! I remember how good that felt, to not have to worry about the big kids trampling your little ones, it makes a difference, so enjoy it!

I'll see you in your inboxes next week!

Peace, love, and macaroni,

Susan