Theme Weekends
Search by region to find a complete schedule of events at
your next Thousand Trails or Outdoor World destination.

Lake Minden
March 28-30: Go Green
Spring is here and Lake Minden is really greening up. It’s time to polish up your golf skills for a few rounds of mini golf. Make a spring craft and join us for salad and baked potato potluck. Don’t forget our weekly crafters’ socials.

April 4: Spring Planting
Garden plots are available behind the barn from April through November. Raining? Join us in the lodge for games, spring crafts and a presentation of the many points of interest in the surrounding area.

April 11-13: Flowers Everywhere
It’s not too late to plant that garden or share patio gardening tips. We’ll also craft a miniature herb garden. Don’t have a green thumb? Join us for a basic computer class.

April 18-20: Fun with Food
Let’s share some fun spring recipes and make some easy dessert treats. Share a crafting skill at our Crafter’s Social. Don’t forget, bingo every Friday night.

April 25-27: Spring into Action
Join us for some stretching exercises and a walk around the lake. Bring your favorite ingredients to add to our super salad potluck social. Find healthy living clues for the prize in a fit for life scavenger hunt, then relax and watch the radio controlled boat races.

May 2-4: Hola, Amigos!
Come celebrate Cinco de Mayo with lots of Latin-theme activities, food and crafts. Join us on the patio for the grand reopening of “Friday Nights at the Lake Side Cafe.” Enjoy a south of the border meal and virgin margaritas while you catch up with old friends. Adults will enjoy beading, sharing Mexican recipes and painting peppered t-shirts. Kids, join us for a Mexican folklore story hour and traditional crafts. Field Trip: “Feats of Clay,” Gladding McBean, Lincoln, California.

May 9-11: Eastern Sunrise
Come join us as we continue on our world tour. Sample exotic Asian cuisine, learn Chinese knotted jewelry techniques or join in a hanetsuki (badminton) tournament. Children will enjoy hearing Japanese folklore during story hour, making dragon puppets, Mother’s Day gifts, learning how to play “Chinese jump rope” and fukuwarai. Don’t forget to take Mom to breakfast at the Lake Side Cafe for Mother’s Day, May 11.

May 16-18: Northern Lights
Scandinavia is our next stop. Come sample Scandinavian cuisine, learn how to make Liebes-Kroten cookies and do traditional Swedish crafts. Try your skill at the traditional Viking game of “riddling.” Kids will learn about Scandinavian customs and folklore during story hour and paint Swedish Dala Horses. Spring craft sale and hydro-plane boat races are back May 17 and 18.

May 23-25: Discover Hawaii
Celebrate Memorial Weekend with us, Aloha style. Don your grass skirt or Hawaiian shirt and join us for great food and a variety of Hawaiian activities. Make traditional leis and participate in a Hula-Hoop competition. Sunday, bring your favorite fruit to add to a giant potluck fruit salad. Kids can make animal masks, run relay races and play with fruit-scented play dough. Saturday night dance to the sound of Jimmy & the Jets.

May 6-8: Space Invasion
Join us for an evening of Star Trek and stargazing. Make a “star light, star bright” bracelet or earrings. Later share your favorite UFO tales around the campfire while enjoying hot dogs and s’mores. Kids can participate in a coloring contest, bead a space alien and build spaceships. Families join us for a night of miniature golf under the stars. Was that a four-legged Martian or a pet participating in the pet space-alien costume contest? Pet photos taken and pet prizes awarded.

June 13-15 Superheroes
Are you a superhero? Test your super reasoning powers by solving riddles for clues to our super scavenger hunt. Show off your physical powers at the family obstacle course challenge. Bring your scrapbooking supplies and trade your extra stickers and paper at the white elephant scrapbook exchange while you enjoy an afternoon of scrapbooking. Kids can make Flag Day and Father’s Day crafts. Craft sale.

June 20-22 Get a Clue
Blue’s missing! Turn on your super sleuthing skills to solve riddles and follow the clues to help us find Blue. Not enough sleuthing? Join us in the adult lodge for a game of Clue or to puzzle a picture frame. Later, clown around with face painting and an appearance by a clown who will perform tricks and make balloons!

June 27-29 Picture This
Bring or mail your favorite photos for our July photo gallery and contest and then vote for your favorites. Too many photos for your scrapbook? Learn how to craft them into greeting cards. Kids, don’t forget to join us for fun crafts, story hour and jump rope. We’ll wrap up June with a Saturday night dance with a DJ.

July 4-6: Wild West
Howdy folks. See ya’ll at the barbeque rib lunch. Watch out for that sheriff or we’ll see ya’ll at the jailhouse bailout. Try your luck at the Horseshoe tournament, seed spitting contests and some good old-fashioned card games. Make a cornhusk doll and learn to basket weave with pine needles. Enjoy safe & sane Fourth of July fireworks. How about a little boot scooting boogie at our Saturday night barn dance?

July 11-13: Medieval Madness
Hear ye, hear ye! The Kingdom of Lake Minden requests your presence at, and participation in, a jousting tournament. Choose your kingdom’s colors and make a crown or tiara fit for your royal status. Join us for a medieval feast fit for a king, and then catch that big one at the royal fishing derby; you might just walk away with a prize. Craft sale.

July 18-20: Living it up, Country Style
You might be a redneck if you join us for a good ole potluck barbecue or share the oddest recycled craft idea. Kids take a turn down the water slide to cool off. We’ll toss in apple pie and country western dance lessons for a really good time.

July 25-27: Caribbean Crossbones
Arrrr, matey! We must keep the lake safe from pirates. Let’s get their goodies at a treasure hunt and outwit them at liar’s dice. Prepare for a voyage in a paddleboat race followed by root beer floats, barbecue salmon and cole slaw lunch. Share your tall tales at the campfire with s’mores and hot dogs.

August 1-3: Fun with ’40s:
Hey you hip cats, learn some hip moves from our swing dance instructor. Make faux-stained-glass butterflies. Join us for a family potluck picnic. Show off at the sack races and egg dash, then place your bid for the goodie basket auction. 

August 8-10: Fabulous ’50s
All the flat-top cats and dungaree dolls will party at the sock hop and greaser costume contest. We’ll have bubble gum blowing and Hula Hoop contests, ’50s karaoke and a “Back to the Future” movie marathon

August 15-17: Psychedelic ’60s
Put a flower in your hair and let’s have a groovy time making tie dye t-shirts and stringing love beads. Kids can cool off on the water slide. Trip out at the watermelon-eating contest, and twist the night away and join the karaoke contest. Craft sale. Saturday, swing dance lessons.

August 22-24: Sock it to Me ’70s
Boogie to disco dancing, karaoke and try your luck at Name That Song, ’70s style. Make time for pingpong and painting pet rocks, then join us for a pizza lunch. How about a walk around the lake and some birdwatching?

August 29-31: Awesome ’80s
Have a totally good time with our Rubik’s cube and air-guitar contests. Learn some awesome new jewelry-making techniques and join us for a salad potluck social. Rock the ’80s, disc jockey style.

September 5-7: Block Party
Let’s have a good time at a chili cookoff and card social. Share your vacation memories and photographs as we have a scrapbooking marathon with all those summer photos. Kids, do a back-to-school pencil craft. Late Saturday: Campfire s’mores and hot dogs, white elephant sale.

September 12-14: Americana
Can you win the sack and egg/spoon races? Can you walk the walk at the cakewalk or pass a greased watermelon in a relay race? If not, maybe you’ll have better luck at the fishing derby. Don’t forget to join us for our weekly crafters social; bring your current project or do one of ours.

September 19-21: County Fair Fun
Step right up for carnival games, face painting, hamburgers, hot dogs, cotton candy and popcorn. Make a mini memory-album. Kids, enter a farm animal coloring contest.

September 26-28: Craft Extravaganza
Enjoy doing fall-themed crafts and making jewelry to match the fall colors. Find out how to recycle old jewelry into new. Share your favorite crafting patterns and ideas as we craft the day away.

October 3-5: Fantastic Fall
Play miniature golf in our Guys & Doll golf tournament, make great fall crafts and then share your favorite homemade soup recipe. October 4: radio controlled boat races

October 10-12 Oktoberfest
Dig in to sausage and sauerkraut, root beer floats and a German dessert. Play carnival games, make a traditional German craft and join us for a Volksmarch around the lake.

October 17-19: Boat Races
Bring your friends and family for a weekend of “funtastic” food, fast boats and great music. Craft sale, hydroplane boat races, dance to Jimmy & the Jets

October 24-26: Getting Ready for Ghouls
Exchange recipes for ghoulishly fun foods; make masks, ghosts and other Halloween crafts just in time to decorate. Share your favorite “not too” scary ghost story at a baked potato, chili and hot chocolate social. And if you’re not afraid of things that go bump in the night, take a twilight walk around the lake.

October 31: Halloween Festival
Get ghoulish with our carnival games, cakewalk, costume contest, trick or treat, and pumpkin carving. Radio controlled boat races, costume party and dance to the music of a DJ

November 7-9: Honoring Our Veterans
Join us in sharing our good fortune as we make Christmas cards and goodie boxes for our troops overseas. Send or bring a photo of your veteran for our bulletin board as we honor our veterans with a dessert social.

November 14-16: Cornucopia
Let’s share holiday recipes over coffee and cookies. We’ll start crafting for Christmas. Test your memory playing a movie trivia game and show off your moves at the pool tournament.

November 21-23: Pilgrim’s Feast
Bring your appetite for our annual Thanksgiving potluck turkey dinner. Catch up with old friends and make some new ones. Weather permitting, we can walk off lunch around the lake.

November 28-30: Baby, it’s Cold Outside!
Sounds like a good time for card games and hot chocolate. Don’t forget to join us for coffee, cookies, crafts and conversation at our weekly crafters’ social. Bring your current project or do one of ours.

December 5-7: Festival of Trees
Let’s get ready for the season by decorating the trees in the family and adult lodges. Bring your favorite Christmas cookie and recipe for a Christmas cookie exchange. Only 18 crafting days till Christmas, we’re up to the challenge, are you?

December 12-14: Christmas Countdown
Still crafting for Christmas. Keep warm and cozy watching a Christmas movie marathon and drinking hot chocolate. Learn some creative gift-wrapping ideas.

December 19-21: Carriage Ride
’Tis the season for some caroling and cocoa. Make a last-minute Christmas gift, then join us for our annual holiday potluck.

December 26-28: Wrapping it Up
Relax with friends and share your holiday photos. Work on your scrapbook or ours. Show us your biggest white elephant gift at our year’s end potluck social.

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Lake of the Springs
May 24-25: Memorial Weekend
It’s the big kickoff of the season! Take a walk through the craft and variety fair; that special gift is waiting for you to find it. Friday the 23rd starts the season with adult bingo. Check out the RV Show. Kids will enjoy the fishing derby and water slides, teens will meet new friends on the patio boat for a pizza party and at the teen dance. The family will like the campfire singalong and marshmallow roast with John Carter. Or, take the whole family to the family dance and boogie away with Joanie Lee and the Branding Iron.

June 14: Blast From the Past Weekend
Step back in time to when family picnics were a time of fun and games. Pack a lunch and join us for some good old-fashioned fun with sack races, three-legged races and more. Later, come on down for some good old tie-dyeing fun. Bring your own shirt or buy one from us. Sit around the campfire with John Carter for a good old-fashioned singalong. Still know how to do the jitterbug? Then come on over to the family dance and try it out to the good old ’50s ’60s and ’70s sounds of Jimmy & the Jets.

June 28: Wild West Weekend
The Law Dawgs and Pistoleros return to perform. Watch Old West reenactments, true history of the old outlaws, a gunfight and a stagecoach robbery. We will serve an old-fashioned barbecue dinner. Put on your best western wear and show yourself off at the family dance. Maybe you can be the best-looking cowboy!

July 4 5: Independence Day Family Fun Weekend
The fun starts Friday with a barbecue in the park. A free watermelon feed will be followed by a family parade down lodge hill. The whole family can join in decorating themselves, pets, bikes or anything you like. Then sit back and enjoy our spectacular fireworks display. Saturday is filled with games, water, fun and a kids’ fishing derby. Then enjoy the family campfire with John Carter and a family dance and a teen dance

July 19: Water Mania Wet and Wild Weekend
Not just for kids but for all young at heart. Summer is here and it’s time to have some water fun—from water balloons to super soakers, how wet can you get? We will put up our water slides for the kids, and for anyone who would like to join we’ll play water volleyball in the lake. Or you can just relax in our beautiful pool. So bring your toys and your suits and look out—you might just get wet!

August 2: Carnival Weekend
For all ages, young and old. Lots of fun and games—test your skills and win some prizes. Kids can bounce, bounce, bounce in the bounce house, and we’ll also have cotton candy and snow cones

August 16: Wacky Weekend
Join us for some silly fun, everything from wacky relays and wacky games. How silly can you be? Do you own some kind of crazy and wacky clothes? If so, wear them and you just might win our wacky contest.

August 30-31: Labor Day Weekend
Join us for end of the season fun! The kids will fish at the derby and there will be lots of water fun for the whole family. Teens will dance the night away at the teen dance, and the family will enjoy lots of fun at the family dance (not just dancing). We will have an end of the season barbecue in the park and lots of fun and games, too. Don’t forget the craft and variety fair and RV show

October 31-November 1: Celebrate Halloween
Ghosts and goblins of all ages will not want to miss our Halloween bash! It will be a day filled with fun. Kids will have a fishing derby, we’ll have a pumpkin carving contest and site-decorating contest. The kids can roast weenies at the campfire before going on the trick-or-treat hayride. Then everyone will have a “goblin” good time at the Monster Mash dance and costume contest.

November 27-29: Happy Thanksgiving!
Join us for one big family celebration as we have our traditional potluck dinner. There will be plenty of room for everyone. Adult bingo on Friday and a craft and variety fair all weekend.

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Morgan Hill
April 26: Space, the Final Frontier Weekend
Learn what it takes to become an astronaut, make a model spacecraft, and join us for a late night stargazing session. The Dancing DJ will bring his flavored bubbles and music, and of course we’ll have the campfire burning, the hayride running, and our not-quite s’mores toasting.

May 3: Cinco de Mayo
Take a whack at a piñata, and decorate your own wooden maraca to use during the hayride! We’ll convince Mike Noonan to play the Macarena, but we won’t put jalapenos in the not quite s’mores!

May 10-11: Mother’s Day Weekend
We’ll honor moms and grandmas with a special Mother’s Day tea, breakfast specials, and lovely handmade cards and gifts. The Dancing DJ will be here, and we’ll have real s’mores and hayrides.

May 17: Under the Big Top
It’s a circus in here! Paint on a clown face, make an elephant puppet, and watch that classic circus movie “Dumbo.” The hayride can be a circus wagon, and Mike Noonan will be in the center ring. Enjoy our not-quite s’mores around the campfire as well.

May 24-25: Let’s Go to the Races
While the Indy 500 is running on TV, we’ll have our own slot-car races, craft our own wooden race cars, and watch that wonderful movie, “Cars.” The Corvairs will entertain us on Saturday, and on Sunday night we’ll have the campfire burning. Hayrides and real s’mores on both nights!

May 31: Talk Like a Pirate Weekend
Practice your “arghs” and “ahoys” as we set sail on the high seas. We’ll make pirate hats, hunt for buried treasure and enjoy the Dancing DJ, hayrides and our not-quite s’mores.

June 7: Life in a Covered Wagon
Was a Conestoga wagon the first RV? Find out how hard it was to settle our country. Make a covered wagon in crafts, and learn how the pioneers cooked. Mike Noonan will entertain us as we pretend to be crossing the prairie on a hayride, and then top it all off with s’mores (not quite).

June 14-15: Father’s Day Weekend
Calling all dads and grandpas! Come out for our dads-and-kids badminton game. The kids can make Dad a cool gift then treat him to a special dinner. Top it off on Sunday with a sundae at our ice cream social. We will have entertainment on Saturday night: the campfire will be burning, the not-quite s’mores will be roasting and the hayride will be rolling.

June 21: Take Me Out to the Ball Game
America’s favorite pastime! Let’s choose up sides, paint our own ball caps, learn the words to “Casey at the Bat” and sing “Take me out to the ball game” before we watch the game. The Dancing DJ will keep things hopping, and when you need a rest, take a hayride with your not-quite s’mores.

June 28: Hot Fun in the Summertime!
Decorate a sun visor for lazing by the pool, use the summer sun to make sun prints, and enjoy Mike Noonan’s music. Hayrides and not-quite s’mores, as usual!

July 4-6: Independence Day Weekend
Celebrate the Red White and Blue with patriotic crafts, our annual bike and pet aarade, and an all-American watermelon-eating contest. The Corvairs will perform on the Fourth, and we will have entertainment on Saturday night as well. We’ll have real s’mores both nights, plus our popular hayrides.

July 12: Wet and Wild Weekend
It will be water, water, everywhere as we play water games, make souvenir water globes and study evaporation. After getting soaked, we’ll warm up at the campfire, dance to the Dancing DJ, and enjoy not-quite s’mores and hayrides.

July 19: Christmas In July
We are bringing back the popular “gingerbread” houses. We’ll also have a snowman building contest, sing Christmas carols and pretend the campfire is a yule log. Mike Noonan will be crooning and we’ll have our not-quite s’mores and hayrides

July 26: Hawaiian Holiday
Let’s get in the island mood, with lei making, hula dancing, and tropical treats! The campfire will be burning, the not-quite s’mores will be meltingly sweet, the hayrides bumpy and the entertainment will be entertaining!

August 2: International Friendship Day
It really is a small world! Japanese origami, Canadian Mounties and Italian architecture are some of the topics we’ll investigate. The Corvairs will sing, the hayride will roll, and the faux (that’s French!) s’mores will be “delicious.”

August 8-10: The Olympic Games
If you can’t get to Beijing this month, come to Morgan Hill. We’ll be holding our own Olympic events, creating our own Olympic rings, and having a Parade of Nations. The campfire will stand in for the Olympic torch, while entertainment, hayrides and not-quite s’mores will round out the weekend.

August 16: Dog Days of Summer
Wonder why they’re called the Dog Days? Find out this weekend, and while we’re at it, we’ll have a people and pets lookalike contest, make puppy crafts, and maybe take our pooches on the hayride. The Dancing DJ will be here, and the not-quite s’mores will be melting.

August 23: Prehistoric Ages
The dinosaur bones only look old! Have fun during our dinosaur dig, paint your own dino and enjoy Mike Noonan’s music. By this point in the summer, the hay might be a little prehistoric, but the marshmallows in our not-quite s’mores aren’t!

August 30-31: Labor Day, Back to School
It’s that time of year again! Kids can decorate a picture frame for their school photo, play old-fashioned recess games, and join their parents at the campfire for real s’mores and hayrides. We will have entertainment on Saturday night, and the Corvairs will be crooning on Sunday evening.

September 6-7: Football Fever
Nothing says fall like football! We’ll make a miniature football game, play flag football, and maybe even have a tailgate party. The Dancing DJ will be cranking up the tunes, the hayride will be making its rounds, and the not-quite s’mores will be as sweet as ever.

September 13: County Fair
All the fun of a real county fair, carnival games, cotton candy, an art show, and of course, the all-important hayrides and not-quite s’mores. Mike Noonan will be here to entertain.

September 20: Fall Festival
Join the Corvairs Saturday night at our last campfire of the season. We’ll be making leaf paintings, having a fall scavenger hunt, and chowing down on chili. The hayrides will be running for the last time and we’ll try to use up all our marshmallows and graham crackers on our not-quite s’mores.

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Ponderosa
May 3: Cinco de Mayo Party
Hola amigos! Today’s bingo is only cinco centavos (5 cents). And don’t miss the surprises inside the piñata! Later, join Estella Medina as she teaches her secret salsa recipe. Later that evening, join us in the family lodge for an authentic Mexican meal.

May 10-11: Mother’s Day Weekend
This weekend it’s all about Mom! Moms, sign up for a relaxing massage from Christie, our resident certified massage therapist, at no charge (space is limited). Kids, customize your very own gift bag for Mom, and then help design special surprises to put inside. On Saturday, moms can enjoy a free scoop of ice cream at our social, and on Sunday morning, mothers receive a complimentary continental breakfast in our deli.

May 23-25: Memorial Day Weekend
The official start of the season kicks off Friday night with karaoke and ends on Sunday night with our most popular entertainer—DJ Vern! Do not miss Vern’s interactive music and fun. In between, join us for family crafts, Frisbee golf, live music, a barbecue dinner, the Indy 500 and more!

May 31: Tootie Fruitti
The nearby Venezio Vineyard and Winery will be offering an exclusive wine tour and tasting. Kids can check out the latest “Veggie Tales” movie. Then everyone is invited to our fruit-juice tie-dye, caramel-apple making and a watermelon seed-spitting contests. For the tootie part, we will be making kidney bean rain sticks.

June 7: Cosmic Carnival
Ponderosa...the Final Frontier. Join us for an out-of-this-world movie in our family lodge. Play flying-saucer golf. Design your own alien to take home with you, then prepare for the universe’s greatest attraction: the Cosmic Carnival. Booths will include: Laser shot, spaceballs, intergalactic shooting range, smear the alien, rings of Saturn toss and more!

June 14: Father’s Day Weekend
Hey Pop, this one’s for you! Sign up for a complimentary massage from a certified massage therapist. Space is limited. All of you kids can develop a personalized gift specially made for Dad. How does a free scoop of ice cream at our weekly social sound? Then spend your evening listening to the “feel good” sound of Uncommon Ground. On Sunday morning, fathers receive a continental breakfast in our deli at no charge.

June 21: Summer Solstice
Celebrate Mother Earth and the longest day of the year by participating in traditional Solstice activities. Make a natural sun compass or join us for our plant identification scavenger hunt and seed-planting party. Today’s craft will be glow-in-the-dark paint art. And, when the sun finally goes down, finish your day gazing at the stars with your very own constellation chart.

June 28: ‘60s Day
Peace, man. Hey, cruise on into the funkadelic sights and sounds of our second annual ‘60s party. Enjoy music from that eclectic decade as you indulge in tie-dye cake and far-out ice cream. Speaking of tie-dye, we’ll be creating our own groovy t-shirts.

July 4-5: Independence Day Celebration
We’ll celebrate the country’s 231st birthday in style with DJ Vern. Bring the whole family and be ready to dance, sing and listen with Vern on Friday night. Show your national pride by participating in our site-decorating contest. The kids will love our Fourth of July activity books and family games. Hungry? We’ll be having an all-American barbecue. Then get ready to rock out Saturday night with a Ponderosa favorite, Jelly Side Down.

July 12: Wet and Wild
Take aim at the squirt gun range or shimmy on down the slip ’n’ slide. You can also cool down with pool games, discounted raft trips on the American River (details available at the preserve), ice cream social and straw paint art.

July 19: Ponderosa Paradise
Gather at the family lodge for a shuttle to Coloma, our historic Gold Rush town. Tour the Marshall State Park visitors center and museum. See a historic Sutter’s Mill presentation and a short film about Coloma. Back at the park, we’ll have gold panning, live local music and the movie “RV.”

July 26: Thar be Pirates Here!
The “Pirates of the Caribbean” trilogy will be shown this weekend, mateys! If that’s not enough entertainment, then join us for our buccaneer singalong. Wanna’ look like a swashbuckler? How about a pirate makeover? Then you’ll be ready to claim your gold in the pillage-the-park treasure hunt. Aarrgghh!

August 2: Hot August Nights
Find your own oasis and sunbathe under the hot glow of an early August sun. Then cool off at the pool with a game of Marco Polo. Take a ride on the slip ’n’ slide and play other water games. Or, come inside for bingo. Ask us about exclusive discounted rafting trips on the American River. Then when the evening arrives, listen to the “feel good band,” Uncommon Ground.

August 9: Salute to the Olympics
Why should Beijing have all the fun? We’ve got Olympic fever, too. Play in our Olympic Ring games, or create in our Olympic Ring craft. Wanna compete? Try our first annual Ponderosa decathlon. Or, try baseball, tennis, boxing, bowling and golf on Thousand Trails’ first Nintendo Wii system.

August 16: The King Lives
Rumor has it, Elvis himself will be here today. Before he shows up, why not show your knowledge of the King in our Elvis trivia contest? After that, enter your pooch in the “You Ain’t Nothin’ but a Hound Dog” dog show! Every dog wins if you come decorate your own Frisbee. Then, the moment of truth arrives when Elvis shows up to lead the Ponderosa Preserve in karaoke!

August 23: Western Days/Chili Cookoff
Yee haw! Saddle up for a day of country and western fun. We’ll be calf- and steer ropin’ and gunny-sack racin’. Why, we’ll even help you remember the whole shindig with a western photo craft. Then get your tins ready for one of Ponderosa’s favorite events—our annual chili cookoff and barbecue. Whether you’re competing or just participating, we reckon you’ll be leaving with a belly full of hearty fixins. And you can bet your bottom dollar there’ll be country music to boot.

August 29-31: Luau
Our most popular weekend ends our summer season. And do we know how to go out with a bang! We’ll start the weekend with karaoke on Friday night. The next morning thrill to the sights, sounds and smells of our Hawaiian carnival. Activities include a bounce house, balloon animals, game booths, lei making and face painting. Then build up your appetite for our spectacular pig roast and Hawaiian feast. Saturday night concludes with an unprecedented entertainment extravaganza, featuring the dancing of Faces of Polynesia and the classic rock sound of Ponderosa favorites, Jelly Side Down. The summer season comes to an end Sunday night with DJ Vern spinning tunes and showing everybody a good time.

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San Benito
May 3: South of the Border
Put on your sombreros and learn some of the colorful history of the property San Benito now occupies, then join us for a walk on the trail and learn about the plant life. Kids, be sure to eat all your vegetables so you’ll have enough strength to break the piñata. Enjoy authentic Mexican cuisine at our Quail Run Cafe.

May 10: ‘M’ is for the Many Things She Gave Me
Where would you be without your mom? This weekend is all about pampering her. Kids make a special gift for Mom, and we’ll serve a special dinner tonight with saxophone music by Dr A. Sunday morning all moms and grandmothers are invited to be our guest for a complimentary French toast breakfast at our Quail Run Cafe.

May 16-18: Watch the ‘Horse Fly’
It’s Spring Horseshoe Tournament time at San Benito! The tournament kicks off on Friday with the singles competition and continues on Saturday. Sunday morning is time for the junior tournament, and we’ll finish up with the doubles tournament. Barbecue  lunch will be offered all three days at the Country Store. Saturday night all the horseshoe pitchers and their spouses will enjoy a potluck dinner in our Overlook Lodge. Everyone is encouraged to take part in the tournament, either as a participant or spectator. Always a fun event for everyone.

May 24-25 Happy Days
Remember sock hops, drive-in movies and roller skate keys? Take a little trip down Memory Lane this weekend. Play a game of ”horse“ while the kids make “autograph books” for all their friends to sign before school is out. How about an old-fashioned ice cream sundae while we watch some classic cartoons? We will have a barbecue dinner tonight over an old-fashioned oak fire, then after dinner it’s time to dance to the ’50s and ’60s music of the Corvairs. Sunday afternoon we will be having a cakewalk, so bake your favorite cake or cookies recipe and join in the fun. End the day with more family fun playing  family bingo for prizes.

June 14: Life with Father
Hey kids, surprise Dad or Grandpa with a gift your made especially for him! Then bring him down to the family lodge for some family challenge fun; we will have games to challenge your mind and body. Tonight’s dinner has been planned with dads in mind. After dinner be sure to have your camera with you when Dad and Grandpa can’t stop from getting up to dance to music by Mike Noonan. Sunday morning Dad and Grandpa are invited to a complimentary “all you can eat” French toast breakfast at our Quail Run Café. After breakfast dads can just relax and watch TV in our fireplace room or play bingo. It’s all up to Dad, because this day is all about fathers!

June 21: This Magic Moment
As fast as time goes, every moment feels like magic, so we want this weekend to be magical for you. Kids will begin by pulling a rabbit out of a hat using beads. After dinner spend the evening being amazed by Magic with the Great Jonathan

July 5: Born in the USA
We’ll be celebrating from morning until night as kids and adults are invited to make a craft created with the Fourth of July in mind. Join in some friendly family competitions with water balloon launching, tire rolling relays, water volleyball and more. Be sure to get your dinner tickets for our Annual Fourth of July barbecue, and after dinner play family bingo for prizes. We will take an intermission for our spectacular fireworks display poolside. Sorry, no personal fireworks are permitted on the preserve!

July 12: Summer Carnival
Join in the fun for our Second Annual Carnival celebration! The entire day will be filled with activities, including crafts, games of chance for prizes, face painting, a cakewalk and more. Carnival food will be available at the Quail Run Cafe (hamburgers, hot dogs, funnel cakes and more). When the carnival is over, the fun doesn’t stop—stay around and dance to the music of Old Habits.

July 19: Wild Wild West
Hey pardner, it’s fun-time here in the West! Kids, stop by the family lodge to pick up your Club Blazer Nature Trail hunt list. Test your skills to see just how much you know about plants and animal-tracking. Don’t be surprised if you look up and see a cowboy riding by your campsite strumming a guitar and singing a song. Tonight we’ll be lighting the campfire, roasting hot dogs and marshmallows for s’mores while we listen to music and storytelling with Cisco Jim, our singing cowboy.

August 9: Adventures in Paradise
If you have never been to San Benito for our luau, don’t let another one go by. Pack your favorite Polynesian outfit and come on down. Don’t have a lei? No problem! We’ll be offering a class to make your own. Grab your favorite chair and head down to the family lodge, have lunch on the patio while being serenaded by the music of the islands. Then enjoy an authentic luau feast. Be sure to pre-order your luau dinner tickets (we sell 200, but we do sell out). Then as dusk sets in, the tiki torches are lit and our family pool desk is transformed into a Polynesian paradise. Enjoy a spectacular Polynesian show by Ho’Omana, featuring music and dancing representing the many cultures that make up the islands. But wait—the fun doesn’t stop here! The band will be moving into the family lodge, where they will be playing dance music.

August 23: Blast From The Past
There is nothing quite like rock ’n’ roll, so this weekend we will be turning back the clock. Everyone is invited to join our craft class to make your own tie-dyed shirt. Turn on your laptop and “Google it” for our trivia contest Dance music provided by the Dancing DJ.

August 30: See You in September
Summer is coming to an end and school is back in session, but the fun continues! Labor Day weekend is a great way to bring in September. Make some cool “Beadie Buddies” to put on your backpacks, and after lunch be sure to save room for our watermelon eating contest. This is one time having a big mouth is a good thing. Buy your dinner ticket for tonight’s barbecue dinner. Stay for our dance with music of the ’50s and ’60s by the Corvairs. The fun continues on Sunday, with more crafts and fun family games and challenges. Don’t forget to come down to the family lodge Sunday evening for family bingo, with prizes for the entire family. We want to make sure your entire family has enough fun to come back so we can “see you in September” and many more times after that!

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Snowflower
April 19-20: Culture Shock
Come and show off your artistic side. Both William Shakespeare and Leonardo da Vinci celebrated their birthdays in the month of April, so let their works be your inspiration as you create spin art, write your own poems, and even invent your own mini flying-machine. Did you know that the first showing of a motion picture in America was in April? Celebrate the anniversary by attending a screening of The da Vinci Code in the Snowflower Lodge.

May 10-11: Mother’s Day Away
Mom shouldn’t have to work and Dad shouldn’t have to worry, so let us take care of your accommodations this Mother’s Day. Come and enjoy a free continental breakfast in the lodge. Relax with your thoughts in the beautiful Sierra Mountains. What about the kids? Not to worry, our recreation staff will keep them entertained.

June 7-8: Snowflower Fishing Championship
In the spirit of Great Outdoors Month and National Fishing and Boating Week, Snowflower proudly presents our annual fishing derby. With a lake full of trout, catching a fish seems easy, so toss that line in the water! Anglers lucky enough to win the derby will receive prizes. Don’t have a pole? No worries, our recreation staff will be giving instructions on how to make your own.

June 21-22: Great Outdoor Weekend
June is National Great Outdoors Month, and what better place to enjoy the outdoors and to find adventure than the top of the Sierra Mountains? Come and join us as we test your bravery and challenge your wits in a variety of outdoor activities. Let our staff take you on a ride down the zip line, on a hike across meadows and over boulders; duck, weave and shoot your way through our paintball course; or geo-cache across the preserve with our GPS units. Take a slow row around the lake in a canoe, haul in some fish, or just relax and enjoy nature. What-ever you do, do it outdoors!

July 4-6: Red White and Blue Weekend
Join us for an amazing celebration of the birth of America. Enjoy our Fourth of July pool party complete with musical entertainment. Lounging at the pool can be strenuous, so once you’re good and hungry, stop by for dinner at the lodge. We’ll take care of the cooking! Eat, drink, and take in the live entertainment as the day turns to night. Not enough excitement for you? Not to worry. We will be holding our annual summer carnival, so hone your skills and be prepared to win some prizes. While you’re enjoying our incredible Fourth of July celebration, don’t forget to try the zip-line, paintball, and other unique activities that make Snowflower one of a kind!

July 12-13: The Lost Weekend
If you were lost in the mountains, could you survive? Being near the top of the Sierras, Snowflower is the perfect place to see if you are a true survivor. Throw on your camouflage and participate in our first-ever Survivor Challenge. The more you rough it, the better your chances are to win. Learn to spot edible plants, build makeshift shelters, eat foods you wouldn’t normally eat, and get some true instruction on mountain survival.

July 19-20: Gold Rush Days
If you were here last year, you know there’s gold in them thar hills! Come and see if you can hit the motherlode while panning for gold. No, it’s not fools gold, it’s the real thing! Break out your cowboy boots, hats, spurs if you like, and take yourself back to the Gold Rush era. Show off your skills with a sidearm on our paintball course, and try not to lose your shirt playing cards with the other mean hombres.

August 2-3: Sasquatch Search
Snowflower starts the search for the elusive Bigfoot. No, not the monster truck, we’re talking Sasquatch, the Yeti, and at this altitude, you might even find the Abominable Snowman, too. Join our recreation staff as we track the big guy across our preserve. Use our clues to find Bigfoot and win a prize. Perhaps one of our GPS units can help you track down his favorite hangouts. Once the search has been exhausted, bring the family to a showing of “Harry and the Hendersons” at the Snowflower Lodge.

August 16-17: Adventure Days
Our third annual Adventure Race will challenge you yet again. Expect to have a great time as you navigate around the preserve racing kayaks, shooting paintballs, and using teamwork to solve challenging tasks. Join the fun and excitement of our adventure course but keep in mind, the better the teamwork, the greater the success.

August 30-September 1: Member Appreciation Days
Join us for the last long weekend of the summer. Each year, Snowflower pulls out all the stops to show how much we appreciate our members. Once again we will try to outdo ourselves with food service, entertainment, and all the extras you have come to expect from our beautiful preserve. If you have been “chickening out” all summer, now is the time to work up the nerve to try the zip-line. Member Appreciation Days is our way of saying thank you to all who make Snowflower the great place that it is. Thanks, members!

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Yosemite Lakes
May 24: Memorial Weekend
We’ll be showing our patriotism to the old Red White and Blue, and we’ll launch the Club Blazer program for the kids. Then the whole family can enjoy music of Stan Wayne as we dance and sing the night away with sounds from the ’50s and ’60s, with a little country mixed in.

June 15: Father’s Day
This special day for dads includes a fishing contest, complete with prizes, and a barbecue at the lodge. Hey kids (and kids at heart), come to our family craft and make a present for your pop. And don’t forget to shoot a round of mini-golf with dear old Dad.

June 21: Mountain Adventure
This weekend will feature games and adventures for the whole family. Why not take a walk on one of our beautiful hiking trails, or rent a bike? For our art project you’ll  draw your favorite spot here at the preserve, then groove to the music of the Mountain Fever Band.

July 4-6 Independence Day Weekend
Activities include games at our playground and a Fourth of July coloring and activity book for the kids at the family center. Why not decorate your site to show off your national pride? Our festivities conclude with a barbecue lunch on Sunday.

July 12: Carnival Time
Decorate your bikes for our annual parade and carnival. We’ll have lots of games and prizes, then get ready to laugh with the weekend’s entertainment: Fratello’s Marionettes

July 26: Fire Prevention Weekend
All of our friends on the Club Blazer Trail Team know how important fire safety is, so be sure to get your 2008 Club Blazer activity book and help team leader Walker Wolf on his quest to protect the environment and make safe choices. Fireman Jim will be here and the Mountain Fever Band will provide entertainment.

August 9: Wet and Wild
Cool down with water fun and join us beachside for a whole lot of splashin’, then take a ride in one of our kayaks or paddleboats. Fratello’s Marionettes will entertain and delight you!

August 16: Fun in the Sun
Pick up some sunblock from our Country Store and spend the day outside. Shoot some hoops at the basketball court or spike the ball on our volleyball court. Then try your luck “pitchin’ the shoes” at our horseshoe pits. Need to get out of the sun at some point? Well, come inside for billiards and pingpong. Or maybe a family craft is more to your liking. Then, wrap up your summer night with the Dancing DJ.

August 30-September 1: Labor Day Weekend
Let’s finish the season with loads of fun. Our hiking trails beckon you for family fun, along with our family craft and shuffleboard. The kids will love the games at the lodge, and everyone can compete on our mini-golf course. Don’t miss our ice cream social at the pavilion and our end-of-season campfire.