Antelope Island

I've been in the mood to go camping all spring, but haven't been able to talk Benjamin into taking the kids since all reports from friends camping with toddlers include "don't plan to sleep." In lieu of camping, we decided to take the kids for an outdoor adventure to Antelope Island State Park, an island in the middle of the Great Salt Lake.

We enjoyed a picnic.

We provided a picnic to the brine flies that came in droves. Benjamin is doing his best to look enthusiastic here in spite of the fact we just were each bit about a billion times during lunch.

They particularly seemed to have a taste for Tommy, who remained happy in spite of it.

 We checked out the Visitor's Center. Great views and interesting artifacts.

It was a warm, beautiful day so we took a hike out to one of the beaches. Near the parking lot the sand was amazingly soft, like you'd expect near the ocean.

Further out near the water's edge it was packed hard and dry with rough chunks of rock in it.

The boys did not mind in the slightest. They dug away like it was their own personal beach paradise.

In spite of the water being down right disgusting, we could not talk Miles out of getting in. It looked so nasty I was tempted to tell him he couldn't, but then I thought, ah, what the heck. Enjoy, buddy.

 The Island was surprisingly strikingly beautiful, in spite of the roughness up close. Totally worth the trip (and the biting flies).

The boys played so hard that Tommy couldn't even stay awake on the drive to finish his cookie, and Miles, who doesn't usually nap anymore, passed out on the couch the minute we got home. 

If they napped like this after just an afternoon out, I'm starting to think sleep while camping might be a possibility after all...