Day 8--Boulder City, Nv.: Pirates Cove!

Ok, there are a ton of pictures today, but it's all worth it. We made it to our friend's vacation place late last night, so it was already dark when we got there. When we finally got up this morning and looked out from our casita, this is what we saw--Pirate's Cove.

It's an unbelieveably amazing place. Every where you turn and everything you look at is pirate stuff. Pirate skeletons, swashbuckling swords, treasure chests, pirate pistols, and a huge real-looking pirate ship, which incorporates part of the biggest waterslide there. In their defense, this place was started quite a few years ago, before pirate stuff was hip, so they are hoping that the pirate craze will die down a little so they won't look like they are trying to be so trendy. It's way cool, though, and believe me, they thought of everything.

These are our friends, Jed and Alisha Knight, and thier two boys, River and Diesel. River and Ben go to the same school, and although they have never had a class together, they have become good friends because they ride the bus together everyday. Diesel is the same age as the twins, so it all works out real well--it's fun to hang out with these guys because all our boys are the same age, and we all have a lot of fun together.

This is the main enterance to Pirates Cove, with a huge waterfall and plenty of palm trees and pirate skeletons to welcome everyone who enters.

Pirate's Cove is a beautiful place which also overlooks Lake Mead.

Our casita where we stayed

From the time we got up at 7:30 this morning, it was on with the swimsuits and sun screen, and then outside all day long to play in the water--and the swimsuits didn't come off until they all fell into bed tonight. I should have been a little bit more diligent with the sun screen, though, because there are a few red shoulders around. Photo 1: a choice between jumping off a rock cliff or from a tall pirate ship mast. Photo 2: Ben trying to decide whether or not to jump from the mast (it was a not, but he was very brave today with all the jumping he did--all the boys were!). Photo 3: Jake going down the pirate ship waterslide the pokey way--if you go down on a blue mat you just fly! Photo 4: Jake, Daren, and Ben all jumping from the rocky cliff.

Will sang the Indiana Jone's song every time he went out on the rope swing out over the water!

In the middle of the day it was so hot and kids were getting sunburned, so most went to watch the movie "Night at the Museum," but Will snuck away to check out the old cars in the garage, including this '59 Cadillac, I think is what it is. He still loves old cars so much!

boys having a great time!

For dinner Jed made many delicious pizza's in the new pizza oven there, and photo 2 shows the place where we ate dinner--on a deck next to the water (with hammocks over the water), while watching Sponge Bob Square Pants. Could life get any better?!!

This is the room Ben, River and Diesel slept in last night. It had lots of great stuff to look at around the room, including the huge snake skin at the top of the wall!! Yuck!

Pirate's Cove is absolutely gorgeous at night! We had such a blast today, but tomorrow, after a short time swimming in the morning, we have to be on our way. Thank you so much to Jed and Alisha for inviting us to come!! We are so glad it worked out for all of us to be there at the same time, and we had so much fun. Too bad they are leaving the blasting heat here for the cool, wet weather of Utah! (I'm showing 38 degrees on my Riverton temperature reading on the computer from weather.com! The first thing I thought of is "that's winter running clothes weather!!)

Total gas mileage to date: 1,464.5

Weather: HOT--102 degrees and sunny (it was at least already 80 degrees when we got up this morning!)