Maine

"In Spring 2016, Singapore area Navy-affiliated teens participated in a video competition and placed 2nd Navy wide. By placing 2nd, 12 teens and 2 staff went on a 4-H and CNIC-sponsored all-expenses-paid trip to Tanglewood, Maine from July 9 through July 17. Tanglewood had an ecology-based program where youth hiked, built sea perches, canoed, explored the local town of Camden, enjoyed natural waterslides, and much, much more."

Allison was blessed to participate in this competition and travel on this trip again this year.  Another base from California, that had one another one of the first ten spots, was also there.

SG to CA

Said good-bye to church friends, work friends, and the community:

We left Navy Gateway Inn and Suites where we had taken residence in the bottom half of this building.  It had three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a huge family room, dining room and full kitchen.  It was also nice as it was across the street from Sarah's work:

 We worked off some energy a one of the local trampoline parks:

We sqooshed our stuff into 11 suitcases (Allison had left a few days earlier with one on her way to Maine) and took off for the airport at 2 a.m.:

After 19-ish hours of travel, we arrived and drove 3 hours from LAX to China Lake/Ridgecrest, stopping at In-n-Out on the way.  We were welcomed with 107 degree temperatures and found the wrapped storefront handles amusing:

Allison arrived three days after us, and by the end of the week, she and Madison were at a church youth activity at the Ventura beach (and saw a wildfire on the way back:

We rented a small, three bedroom, one bathroom NGIS house on the right side of a military house on base (for just a week--as the one-bathroom and no wi-fi situation was not fun) before we switched and rented into a four-bedroom, two-bathroom furnished house until ours is ready.

Finalized SG pictures

Our finalized SG pictures arrived just in time for our departure: