We arrived at the campsite just after 1 pm. Dh and Tim had the tents up in less than 20 minutes. We had two campsites so that Tim could have his own space and have a solo adventure with the support of his family within earshot. He spent a lot of time with us but also was able to get away and study his nature books and stay up as late as he wanted without disturbing little sleepers.
Several times the park rangers came around to warn us that a black bear kept visiting the campsite. The black bears in our area are quite aggressive and usually kill at least one person or family pet every year. So we kept a close eye out for a bear. Also, while Tim and I were on our way to the restroom, I was leading in the path. I heard a rattle and told Tim I thought there was a rattlesnake (timber rattlesnakes are in our area) on the path. Tim, in his cool man, macho manner (he works with all the reptiles at the nature center), pooh-poohed me and took the lead. Suddenly, he ran back, ran into me, and screamed, "Run, there's a rattlesnake up there!" We both kept bumping into each other as we got away and took a different path to get to the restroom. LOLOL
There was lots of fun to be had, such as:
Bubble blowing
S'more eating
Stick fighting
Rock collecting
Ghost story telling
Fire tending
Nature walking
Wood collecting
Hot dog roasting
Wildlife watching
Nature journaling
and campfire singing
Then came the part I was dreading, sleeping in the tent! Well, it wasn't too bad after all. The air mattress really did not stay very inflated and it was a noisy campsite. The campers around us did not settle down until long past 11pm. The kids woke up pretty cold at 5:40 am. I got up and with Tim's help got a fire going.
Good morning, Family, and Happy Father's Day! We had muffins and grapes for breakfast and broke camp pretty early. We were on the road to our hiking destination by 8:15 am.
Here is our little trail blazer. You can almost always find Little Red Riding Hood at the front on a hike.
We took a 2 mile round trip hike to a fire tower. As we got closer, the fog got thicker. It was neat being inside the clouds.
Things I learned ... for next time.
- Take more padding and bedding
- Take long sleeve clothes even if it is 90 degrees when you leave home
- Take rope and duct tape for emergencies
- They played so nice with the rocks and sticks ~ everything was more peaceful without toys.
Oh how fun! I really want to try camping with our family, but the tent has me scared, lol!
ReplyDeleteBTW, your header picture is gorgeous! It makes me want to move back "home". I sure miss the mountains.
Looks like you all had a wonderful time despite the deflated air mattress and the noise. Did you stay in a state park? Most have quiet hours from 10:00. We love to camp, but our tent days are done. We purchased a pop up 12 years ago. So much more bearable off the ground. :)
ReplyDeleteLove the pictures of your adventure. Hope you are able to do it again another time.
I just love the photo of David sound asleep with all the children obviously already awake lying next to him. He can sleep through almost anything. LOL
ReplyDeleteGlad it turned out to be a good time. Sorry about the lack of sleep, though. It's always a pain when there are noisy neighbors at campgrounds. So when's the next trip? :-)
ReplyDeleteSo glad y'all had a fun time! I loved reading about it. Love the picture from behind too - those are some of my favorites. We need to go camping again ... sometime.
ReplyDeleteHugs to you,
Leslie
I am so glad y'all had a good time.
ReplyDeleteWe've only had noisy camping neighbors twice in twelve years, sorry you had that experience.
I forgot to add rope and duct tape to my list. I should make an amendment. Rope is a definite must.
Love the idea of a separate tent for the older boy. We may have to do that soon.
My kids sleep so hard that even when it is in the 40s and 50s at night they don't wake up while camping. Of course, if it is forecast that low I layer them up at bedtime, but I have woken up cold when they slept like logs.
Overall it looks like a good first trip. I'm so happy for you all.
I really enjoyed seeing pics of your camping trip. I am glad to hear it went so well. ((hugs)) I would love to hear more about Tim's nature journal. Could you share some sometime ? [0=
ReplyDeleteYou post got me thinking about a funny Canadian comedy show. I had to share it with you.
A funny Canadian Show that is big on duct tape. [0=
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5QFRSjWVTmY
Plus here is how duct tape is made hosted by Red Green.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KhSqvycZZ0c&feature=related
Blessings and ((HUGS))
How scary about the snake. I'm glad it all worked out. We did our time with a tent. The kids always do better without toys. They love to collect plants, rocks, etc when outdoors, camping, etc.
ReplyDeleteBlessings,
Laurie