Cooling off at Cold Creek

The heat has been rising this week, and we are not used to temperatures in the 90s. With the heat, in addition to being alone with the kids for over a week, I really felt like I was beginning to suffocate. You know that feeling where you just need to get out into wide open spaces, with fresh air, natural sounds, and most importantly, water? We drove up the curvy roads, stopped at the friendly ranger station, and got some excellent advice for a place to go to cool our toes: Cold Creek. It's a bit off the beaten path, and I never would have gone there myself, but the ranger's advice was spot-on. A wide spot off the quiet forest road, a few renegade campsites, and a cool, shallow, well-behaved stream with tall, shady trees all around. Easy access to the creek meant that we could drag our stuff down and stay awhile.

Oh, how lovely! I truly appreciate these kinds of spots, where I can take the kids, hang out, and breathe for awhile, escaping the heat and pressures of the city and the crowds at local swimming holes. And I didn't even need a NWForest Pass! Score!

We came home as the sunset was fading, and Daddy got back home just after we did. We laid out on the lawn and watched for shooting stars until the kids got too tired to keep their eyes open. It was a good day.