
This weekend was the first of three girlfriend weekends for me this winter. THREE!! I am jealous of myself.
Each year, my friend Shelly gathers about 20 of her friends to spend a couple nights at Homestake Lodge. It’s a Nordic center about 5 miles east of Butte, on the Continental Divide. The boys and I (and sometimes Henry) go every year, too, but I’ve never spent the night. (Here are photos from last year, and 2008. Apparently I didn’t take photos the other years.)
People arrived and departed throughout the weekend. There was skiing, eating and drinking. The food was amazing (and I was only responsible for part of one meal!), the drinks were interesting…and the skiing was so much fun. I opted to ski alone so I could enjoy my own pace and the gorgeousness of the surroundings.
It was the perfect Saturday: sleep in until 8:00, eat a super breakfast prepared by other people, ski, nap, work, ski, dinner, drinks and games.

When I got back from my afternoon ski tour, everyone was coalescing in the lodge. I only knew a few people, and only Shelly well, so it was so great getting to know all these really cool women. Everyone was interesting, welcoming and so much fun.

I got home with 1.5 hours to spare before throwing Anders’ birthday party. Luckily, I had gotten most of it ready before I left, and Henry handled the rest of it. The scramble was worth the trip. Looking forward to next year.
Here’s an update to a previous post about a campground comparison site.
The FindTheBest campgrounds comparison now has over 16,000 campgrounds across the US, making finding the perfect campground for your family quick and easy. If you’re looking for other great activities to do with your kids, FindTheBest also has comparisons to help you find the best zoos, best art museums, and aquariums.
I have thought of doing this very thing at Homestake good for Shelly for actually DOING it. And good for you for making time for this. Do you feel my jealousy coming through your computer? (Actually, it’s happy-for-you jealousy 🙂