A company holiday landed on Friday, so we strung it into a full long weekend up north — trading 100°+ valley heat for cool pine air and the kind of small-town 4th of July you can’t get in the city. Five of us in one truck: me and Charlotte, GiGi, and cousins Sam and Nate. (Steven, Rachael, and Ryha couldn’t make the drive this year — missed them.)

🚗 Day One — The Drive Up

Loaded and rolling from GiGi’s right on schedule — five of us in the truck, walkie-talkie on the console, spirits high.

The crew loaded up in the truck Wheels-up from GiGi's — the whole crew in one truck.

The Payson pizza shortlist never stood a chance: the vote from the back seat was Arby’s, and Arby’s it was.

Lunch stop at Arby’s in Payson The Payson lunch stop — the pizza plan lost to curly fries.

Then the day’s best audible: instead of saving the lake for later, we pulled off at Sardine Point on Willow Springs Lake right on the way up 260 — unloaded the board, staked out shade, and made an afternoon of it.

Unloading at Sardine Point Sardine Point, Willow Springs Lake — board off the truck, e-bikes still on the rack.

The girls took the paddleboard out and owned it, and the shore crew held down the Chillbo Shwaggins in the shade.

Sam and Charlotte out on the paddleboard The girls, well offshore and completely unbothered.

Feet up on the paddleboard, pines all around The view from the board. No notes.

One last stop at The Market in Heber for the things we forgot we forgot, and then the cabin — 20 degrees cooler than home and smelling like pine.

The Market in Heber The Market in Heber — last stop before the cabin.

🏕️ Cabin Time

Here’s the thing about a cabin full of cousins: the plan said swing, hammock, axe target, horseshoes — and the weekend said nah. We ended up spending less time out in the yard than planned and more time just being in the cabin together, and honestly, no complaints. Board games hit the table — Connect 4, Taco vs. Cat, GiGi’s Monopoly card games — the girls ran their toy grocery store, and the A-frame did what A-frames do.

Charlotte and Sam playing in the cabin The cabin grocery store, open for business under the A-frame.

The deck had its regulars, too.

A lizard sunning on the cabin deck Deck security, on duty.

🎆 The 4th — Pines and the Big Show

Saturday afternoon we got out under the ponderosas with the whole crew before the main event.

TJ and Nate in the pines, girls in the background Out in the pines with Nate — the girls off doing their own thing behind us.

Then the night we came for: Arizona’s largest hand-lit fireworks show at the Mogollon High field. We rolled in early enough to walk the gravel lot like we owned it.

The kids and GiGi walking in from the fireworks parking The walk in — Charlotte, Sam, Nate, and GiGi, hand in hand.

The field filled up under a big storm-blue sky — bounce houses, food trucks, and the flag holding court over all of it.

The flag over the fireworks field, storm-dark sky behind The field at Mogollon High before dark — flag up, bounce houses inflated, sky putting on its own show.

By 8:30 the glow sticks came out (packing list: vindicated) and the wait began.

The girls on the blankets as the field goes dark Blankets down, glow sticks cracking all over the field.

Then the sky went to work. Best seat in the house: flat on your back on a blanket next to your kid.

TJ and Charlotte lying on the blanket during the fireworks The show, from the correct viewing position.

Panorama of the field after the show The field after the finale — lights up, blankets folding, one very satisfied crowd heading home.

🥪 Day Three — The Long Way Home

Sunday we packed up slow, said goodbye to the pines, and pointed the truck south. And because this trip had a bit, lunch on the way home was — you already know — Arby’s again. Two for two. The pizza never had a shot this weekend.

Arby’s round two on the drive home Arby's, the sequel — same crew, same order, zero regrets.

Dropped GiGi off after, hauled the bags in, and called it a weekend.

✅ How It Actually Went

  • One truck, five people — simpler than the old caravan, and the walkie-talkie still got used
  • Pizza in Payson → Arby’s. Twice. It’s canon now.
  • Lake day — moved up to Friday on the way in; Sardine Point at Willow Springs was the right call
  • Fireworks at Mogollon HS — hand-lit, huge, worth every year we keep coming back
  • Glow sticks, games, cooler, drone — packed and used (Connect 4 and Taco vs. Cat got the most table time)
  • Yard setup (swing, hammock, axe target, horseshoes) — mostly stayed packed; the cabin won
  • Sunday lake morning — skipped for a slow pack-up and the drive

Less time outside than the plan called for, more time around the table — and that turned out to be the trip.

Somebody had to be the party pooper and call bedtime after the finale.