Our Day in the Snow

Being from Southern California and now living in the desert, snow is definitely a novelty. Yes, we occasionally get some snow and even more rare, sometimes it actually sticks but it is not the norm. Last Wednesday we got some snow flurries. I didn't say anything to the kids at the time but I was secretly hoping that our long 4 day weekend for President's Day might get extended by an extra day but by morning any snow that had stuck in the yard was already melted.

Talk about novelty though - it figures that we actually had somewhere to go Wednesday night. We went to Back to the Ballpark night to meet the kids' baseball coaches for the season and then to the school's science fair to support the participants and look at all the cool entries. Some flurries were coming down when we left and I kid you not, I had never driven in falling snow before. And at night, it is actually quite a pretty sight. Jake said it was like we were in hyperdrive from a Star Wars movie and you know what? It was a pretty accurate description. So here are the hills above our house the day after it snowed as I sadly took the kids to school, my hopes for a snow day dashed:

So we didn't get any snow. Bummer. But I really like for the kids to get to play in the snow at least once every year. Last year we took the Palm Springs Ariel Tramway up into the San Jacinto Mountains for some snow play. This year we took advantage of our Friday off and went up to Big Bear. We stopped at a snow play area and spent almost 3 hours tubing. It was a blast! I am sure for those who get snow regularly during the winter, driving to and paying money to play in the snow probably seems ridiculous but again, for us it is quite the novelty. Jadyn throwing snow while waiting for Jake and I to come down the tubing hillAnd now it is her and Daddy's turn:

Here the kids both stylin as they go down the "bunny slope" for tubing:

Jadyn and I demonstrating our favorite tubing position:

Our little tube train - Jadyn on my back and Jake in a second tube holding onto my feet. Super fun!:

Another advantage of going somewhere to play in the snow? The convenience of not having to climb the hill before tubing down it. This snow play area had a covered moving walkway. We rode up in style!:

The kids and I:

Another advantage of driving to the snow is coming back down the mountain to do some shopping and have an early dinner before heading home and finding the temps hovering in the 70's. Gotta love So Cal winters!