At 5400 foot elevation in the Laguna Mountains overlooking Anza Borrego, we could see across the Colorado desert plateau and out to the Salton Sea. Epic Labor Day weekend adventure.

Cruising through the Laguna Mountains on Sunrise Highway.

And please don't be mistaken, this is Mount Laguna. If you're looking for Apple Pie and crowds, you'll want to move on to the town of Julian

The sun seemed to rise fast in the morning, or maybe we were just sleeping in. As we prepared breakfast, the suns rays found its way through the tall pines, shining across our camp, and into our outdoor kitchen.

While it was a pleasure to see the sun weaving its way through the shield of pines, as soon as the sun peaked over the top each day, we knew the temperature would rise quickly to more than 90 degrees, even in the altitude of the mountains.
And off we would go exploring in the Jeep.
And off we would go exploring in the Jeep.

Back at camp, and heading off on a late afternoon hike out to Laguna Meadow.

Leaves of three,
leave them be!
Leaves of four,
let's pick some more!
leave them be!
Leaves of four,
let's pick some more!
The kids powered on throughout our hike, marching to the opposite edge of the meadow for a water break from their camelbaks. And once they spotted the cluster of boulders in the middle of the meadow, it was an instant attraction for rock scrambling. And our four legged friend was happy finding a path to a higher perch on some boulders for a better view of the golden meadow.
We had a very large space to spread out at camp and the kids had a great time running around. Here is our son and his unintentional "photo bomb" while pretending to be a cowboy.
We experimented with some new recipes for s'mores. And I think we have a delicious set of new ingredients that make this s'more a winner.
The dark night sky was nearly absent of our moon, which provided excellent viewing of the million star night sky. Meanwhile, our 5-Star tent accommodations waited nearby for our tired bodies to fall into bed.
The kids took advantage of the cot to look up at the stars and wave their arms in the air as if they were their own astronauts flying around in outer space.
The kids took advantage of the cot to look up at the stars and wave their arms in the air as if they were their own astronauts flying around in outer space.

We also had an opportunity to meet up with the famous Smokey the Bear during the annual Mount Laguna Living History days event.
We also met real cowboys and learned all about how they lived in the wild with their horses while driving cattle across the range.

And that s'mores recipe...
-Graham Crackers
-Marshmallows (roasted over the fire)
-Chocolate squares
-Peanut Butter
-Nutella
-Whip cream (yes, our cooler kept our homemade whip cream solid for two days of heat)
Having a second person to help assemble is recommended. These are absolutely delicious!
-Graham Crackers
-Marshmallows (roasted over the fire)
-Chocolate squares
-Peanut Butter
-Nutella
-Whip cream (yes, our cooler kept our homemade whip cream solid for two days of heat)
Having a second person to help assemble is recommended. These are absolutely delicious!