Day 26: Rest day – rundown of a typical day of touring

Rested all day with a constant drizzle outside. Kept the kids entertained with the playground and other random things to explore at the campsite. We did our own little church service and played some games afterwards. Lazy day thus far as I write this sitting at the playground with the kids.

The logistics in dealing with kids and gear can be challenging. Here’s a glimpse of what a perfectly executed day would look like for us:

Morning Routine:

7:00 am wake up to be ready to roll out by 8:30.

Steps:

Get kids out of sleeping bags, dressed and out of the tent.
Dad rollup sleeping pads, and stuff sleeping bags.
Feed kids, read scriptures and prayer for the day.
Brush teeth.
Top off water bottles.
Bennett helps dad take down tent.
Wash dishes, and pack food Pannier.
Distribute snacks for the first few hours of riding.
Ada puts away chair.
Pack remaining panniers, and get them ready to put on bike.
Load panniers on bike, bungee sleeping pads, sleeping bags, and other items onto the bike to be ready to ride.
Be rolling, meet with the group to say a prayer for the day, and roll out.

When this doesn’t go well Brittany and I do most everything. Whether it’s because the kids are hard to wake up or we’re stressed out, it makes it so things get missed. No scriptures, teeth brushing is missed, eating while I put items away. Not good. It’s nice to stay on the routine.

Evening Routine:

Roll into campsite and register.
Find campsite, identify best place to set up tent. Look for table nearby and relocate it to your site if it’s available:)
Set up tent
Remove panniers from bike
Set up sleeping bags, blow up pads.
Fill up water bottles and reserve bottles.
Get dinner started
Eat dinner, get kids in the tent
Take showers
Do dishes
Put kids in tent to wind down, watch Cars 2, Hercules or Percy Jackson for the 50th time.
Prepare kids clothes for the next day, place in upper tent pocket.
Re pack panniers as needed and make sure items are all under the rain fly.
Lock up bikes, secure rain covers on kid trailers. (Chariot and Weehoo)
Go to sleep!