Andy started the day by making pancakes for us and we headed off to see Craters of the Moon.  We checked out the Visitor Center so the kids could work on their Junior Ranger badges and we could get the lay of the land.  There are caves here from the lava flows, and since we’ve already been in other caves, everyone had to wear different shoes and I had to wear my flats to help avoid any possibility of spreading White Nose Syndrome to the bats.  Today I sacrificed my baby toe in the name of bats.

There was a lot of hiking, and Andy used his laser thermometer to check the ground temperature which was a whopping 138 degrees!  So, to say the least…it was hot out.  We powered through, and checked out as many of the caves as we could.  It was not easy going for me, but well worth it!  Andy and Lily ventured back into Boyscout cave.  I stayed at the opening and it felt so nice and cool underground!  I ended up with a big ol’ blister, but I dedicate it with all my love to the bats.  <3

Back at the campground, we had beers with our neighbor and the kids played mini golf.  They were riding their bikes and found an injured bird that they helped rescue with assistance from our neighbor.  We went up to enjoy the campground restaurant’s famous rib dinner.  The kids wrote “Spivey Adventure 2018” on a dollar bill and we added it to the collection on the ceiling there.

After a day in the sun, bevvies and a big meal, I crawled into Lily’s bunk and took a fantastic nap!  But, there is no rest for the weary, so I ran out for groceries.  The sunset was gorgeous, and my curiosity about the numbers painted up on the mountain was solved when I saw a postcard of it and the cashier told me it was tradition in their small town for the graduating class to sneak up and paint their year!

After grocery shopping, it was time to catch up on some laundry.  I had three loads by now already, and most of the machines were out of order so it was good I took a nap as I was up past midnight waiting on the dryer!!  Many of our clothes are stained from our dirty excursions, and I certainly have a new appreciation for my home appliances!