For a few months now, my mom and dad, brother and sister-in-law, and husband, daughter and I, had planned a trip north to Sundance for Memorial Day weekend. My family started this end-of-May tradition two years ago – a day of four-wheeling along the many trails around Cook Lake, followed by a campfire, food, conversation and zipping up our tents for a night of restless sleep.

While we participated in the inaugural event, my husband and I thought our daughter was a bit too young – just a few months old – for us to go last year. This year, in anticipation of a potentially chilly night, we booked a hotel room for the three of us more than a month in advance.

Everything was going as planned – in fact, my mom and dad came into possession of an old camper – until just about a week before the trip was to take place. A brief hospital stay, home and work responsibilities piled up and caused my parents and siblings to forego the journey.

Because our hotel room was non-refundable, and we had our hearts set on taking our toddler to the lake, our party of three loaded up Saturday morning to make the three-hour trek north.

We made it to Lusk before we needed to stop and stretch our legs at a local park, where we played on the swings, slides, and hesitantly, but gleefully, touched trees. A nap was then in order for at least one of us, which made the remaining miles to Sundance a breeze.

Once there, we had about 20 miles of rocky, winding roads to navigate before we reached the lake. Although it was one of the more tedious parts of the trip due to the slow pace, it offered the most scenic views: a plummeting hillside covered in yellow wildflowers, a towering aspen forest, and finally, a shimmering lake crested with pine trees and picnickers.

We soon found an empty, shady table and grill, and my husband got to work unpacking the cooler and roasting hot dogs, while I slathered my daughter in sunscreen and changed her into her swimming suit. We ate, and it was finally time to hit the water. Earlier in the year, I had researched and purchased a fun floatie for my daughter to use, complete with a sun shade and steering wheel – but she took one look at the water toy and decided it was, at best, a form of punishment.

So, I waded in knee-deep and repeatedly dunked her little legs in the water while she screamed with joy. Meanwhile, my husband fought off attention from a plethora of small bass as they nibbled at his lure and legs in some nearby cattails.

A few hours in the sun, and we were ready to head back to town for ice cream, a bath and a nap.

The next day began with a cold muffin and cereal, and we were on our way home again.

I’ll admit, in the days leading up to the mini vacation, I began to look for excuses not to go. I worried my daughter wouldn’t travel well, or we’d be putting her in danger by leaving the comfort of our home, but the amount of laughter, adventure and relaxation we squeezed into a 24-hour timeframe made it all well worth it.

I’m already looking forward to our next escape.