There are some crazy things on my Bucket List. Some items are once‑in‑a‑lifetime events, and some have been available to me my entire life, yet I’ve never made the point of participating. And every time I finally do one of those “always meant to” things, I wonder why on earth I didn’t do it sooner.

You can’t be a lover of stories and not know Mark Twain. And you can’t love Mark Twain without knowing his hilarious tale The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County, written in 1865. After visiting Calaveras County he wrote the story that launched his career. The first modern frog jump was held in 1928 in Angels Camp to celebrate the paving of Main Street, and it’s been held every year since (except during World War II).

I’ve always wanted to see it for myself. And as I’ve said before, nothing happens until it’s on the calendar — so that’s exactly how this trip came to be. Leroy made the reservations, put it on the calendar, and off we went. We stayed in Angels Camp, just a few miles from the Calaveras County Fairgrounds. We arrived Friday morning, and at long last, I got to see the famous Jumping Frog Jubilee.

There were two different contests happening. For $5, you can “rent a frog” and become a “frog jockey.” You get to name your frog and take one shot at the world record.

But the real competition comes from the professionals who return year after year, sometimes in teams. It’s not unusual for teams to travel from out of state or even internationally. Each frog gets three jumps to go as far as possible. The top 50 frogs from the weekend qualify for the International Frog Jump Grand Finals on Sunday. The last world record was set in 1986 — 21 feet, 5¾ inches by Rosie the Ribeter. Break that record and you win $20,000.

We had a great time. The “Frog Spa” was probably my favorite part. We got an up‑close look at the frogs, and the kind volunteers were incredibly helpful and informative, answering all my questions and even posing for photos. And the rest of the county fair is pretty great too.

In the end, the Jumping Frog Jubilee was exactly the kind of quirky, joyful adventure that makes a Bucket List worth having. It reminded me that sometimes the best stories aren’t the big, dramatic ones — they’re the ones involving a rented frog, a sun‑soaked fairground, and a community that’s been celebrating the same silly, wonderful tradition for nearly a century.

And honestly, if chasing frogs across a tiny stage isn’t a perfect snapshot of the delight hiding in everyday life, I don’t know what is.