Camp Sherman 2017

No sooner had Audrey and Kate unpacked their suitcases from their Alaskan adventure then it was time to repack them for a trip to Camp Sherman for the annual Gutzler family gathering. After soaking up plenty of screen time on the car ride down, they got settled into their Lake Creek Lodge cabin (#13 again this year), met up with the full complement of Gutzler/Taylor/Williamson cousins, then headed over to the "food house" for a delicious dinner prepared by Mark and Sharon (one of their last, as Mark and Sharon later announced they would be hanging up their Camp Sherman chef hats).

This year's camp theme was "Harry Potter." Sharon secured some Harry Potter robes, wands, necklaces, and glasses for the kids, and mixed up some butterbeer and provided a pinata in the form of a Golden Snitch. Audrey worked with Dad to prepare a series of Harry Potter-themed activities the kids participated in over several days: a Sorting Hat ceremony; a game of Quidditch utilizing pool-noodle "brooms;" a "torchlight" march to "Lake Hogwarts" (the fishing pond); a taste-testing of gillywater (mint water), butterbear, and pumkin juice; and a potions class in which they made Felix Felicis (glitter slime) and Tiger's Eye (a customized potion created with random ingredients harvested by the kids). Audrey served as "Head Girl," explaining Harry Potter to those who hadn't read the books. Aunt Marcia added to the fun with rock-coloring, shirt-making, and rootbeer-tasting activities.

Aquatics featured prominently this trip. The kids spent a good portion of each day in the swimming pool. They also hiked along the Metolius River to check out the old family cabin and the nearby swimming hole, stopping for ice cream at the Camp Sherman store on the way back. They made good use of Lake Creek, catching fish, crawdads, and insect nymphs; taking a short creek walk; and floating down the creek on pool floaties. Audrey and Mom went to Suttle Lake one morning so that Audrey could try stand-up paddle-boarding (she enjoyed it, despite the windy conditions).

On the last night, the kids enjoyed s'mores and sprinting. On Friday Audrey and Kate said their goodbyes and headed home, dropping Kate off at a friend's bounce-house birthday party in Beaverton on the way.

Kate is eight!

Kate got to celebrate her eight years of life in Alaska on her actual birthday and back home in Portland the following weekend. Family and friends joined her at Grant Pool for swimming, aquatic games, and birthday doughnuts.

North to Alaska

Audrey and Kate headed north for a 10-day "cousin camp" with the Taylors in Skagway on June 23rd. On the way up, they stopped in Bellingham for a night, then traveled to Vancouver, BC the following day. There they checked out Granville Island and took a sightseeing tour on a water taxi with Elsa and Liam. They tried to check out the Richmond Night Market, but decided to pass after seeing the long line. They settled instead for a refreshment at Starbucks and a dinner of exotic Asian foods at the Yaohan Centre shopping mall next to their hotel.

The next day, after enjoying some Timbits from Tim Horton's, they flew by themselves on Air North from Vancouver to Whitehorse, Yukon, where Lily and Cora greeted them and a series of fun activities orchestrated by Aunt Jill commenced (many thanks!). These included a couple of stays at the family "cabin" in Carcross in the Yukon; a couple of trips on Uncle Mark's White Pass & Yukon Route trains (the "donut train" and a night ride that featured a dance party in a tunnel in a passenger car they had to themselves); basketball camp for Kate and Lily; becoming Park Service Junior Rangers; running a lemonade stand that grossed $156; participating in a ducky derby; and shopping. They got to meet many of Lily and Cora's family members and friends, and experience the extended Alaskan daylight hours.

Mom and Dad joined them the following weekend in Carcross, after some travel glitches that nonetheless gave them a chance to spend a few hours in Vancouver celebrating Canada's 150th birthday on Canada Day (July 1). After re-uniting with their parents, Audrey and Kate and their cousins took another (steam-powered) train excursion along Bennett Lake that featured a stop for Canada Day cake and a hike around the Bennett Klondike Gold Rush historic site. After the train ride, the families headed to Skagway.

In Skagway, the girls celebrated Kate's birthday, took a hike to Smuggler's Cove, and showed their parents the town. They also panned for gold and got to see and pet some cute sled dog puppies. The cousins braved some rain to lead the children's parade kicking off the Skagway Fourth of July festivities (they won a prize for their "float" design). They also got to ride on and toss candy from the White Pass float in the main parade, and tried their hand at the egg toss. While Dad took a train ride in the locomotive with "Uncle Jim" courtesy of Uncle Mark, the girls had a Fourth of July barbecue with the Taylor family.

It was with much sadness that the girls said goodbye to Alaska and their cousins and headed back to Portland on July 5. A weather delay threw off their flight schedule, but Audrey got to be copilot for the trip from Skagway to Juneau, and the girls got to stretch their legs and check out Juneau. They caught the last Alaska flight from Seattle to Portland, and finally stumbled into their beds around 12:30 am the morning of July 6.