Lost River: post 1 of ... many!

We went on a family vacation July 5-12 to Lost River State Park in the mountains of West Virginia. This was a rather nostalgic trip for me, since my family spent a week at Lost River regularly while I was growing up. We took nearly 300 pictures during the week, and many of them turned out well. Prepare yourselves--I think it is going to take me quite a few posts to get through all this!

Tim's parents, my parents, my sister Patty and niece Audrey shared two cabins next to each other.


Each cabin had two very small bedrooms, a living room, small kitchen, and one bathroom. We could manage the tight quarters, though--the only real downside was no air conditioning and the weather was unusually warm for the mountains, especially during the first half of the week. But we managed to survive with several fans, a few little breezes on the front porch, and some trips to the swimming pool.

Tim, Justin and I arrived Monday night later than planned, due to a traffic jam on I81, just in time for dinner with the gang. We shared all our dinners together with the big group while we were there, taking turns cooking for each other.

The morning of our first full day we went to the "meet the horses" event at the stables in the park. One of the owners told us all about the horses, both in general and in terms of the unique personalities of each horse.



Here she is demonstrating how you can tell a horse's age. This one is not very "long in the tooth." :)

While we were there some of us signed up to take a trail ride the next morning.

After returning to our cabins from the stables we still had some time before lunch, so most of us headed out for a hike.


Part way through our group separated. The others took a lower path while Tim (and Justin), Tim's Dad, and I ventured on a harder path to the top of the ridge. We found a field and a little view at the top.


After lunch we took our first of three trips to the pool. Gram and Justin played a game of towing Audrey around the big pool.


Justin also spent a lot of time in the baby pool.


Tossing a ball with Audrey and Poppy:


Justin kept wanting to go back and forth over and over again between the big pool and the baby pool, after spending only a few minutes at a time in each one. The chlorine is always bluer on the other side, I guess...

I was trying to take nice picture of Justin and my Mom, but Audrey splashed them as she was swimming away just when I snapped the picture. I think it turned out pretty funny!


Justin and his Daddy in the big pool:


And that doesn't even get us though the first full day...