Camping

My parents are experienced campers, having returned from a cross country adventure which took them over 11,000 miles in 9 weeks through 27 States the Spring of '07. Being a life-long dream of my mothers, a retirement gift to each other, they made the trek in their truck and trailer from the West to the East and back again. This time, however, they included us on a four day adventure where we drove only 2.5 hours for our little get away. And it was perfect!

The weather was warm, but not the scorching hot kind where you feel the skin sizzling under the sun. Just the warm kind that heats up the bones and makes you feel refreshed. The kids enjoyed their bunk time with my parents in their trailer, while my husband and I pitched the tent and enjoyed the sounds of the wild against the wind.

Every night was a new adventure for me, not critter related, but noise related. Whether it was a neighboring tent with a crying baby, dogs barking, car alarm sounding at 2am, chipmunks chasing and singing at the crack of dawn (deemed the Rooster of the Forest by my husband), or the wind blowing the high cedar trees making it sound like we were on the depths of an ocean beach; I slept sporadically and felt it every morning. But I really did not mind the tent like I had thought I would have, lack of sleep - ehh - but my biggest concern did not come true; I was able to stay very warm and no bugs were witnessed.

My family learned the ropes of camping. My son thoroughly enjoyed washing the dishes with my mom at the trailer's outside hose, and he loved getting up early with the men to go fishing. My daughter enjoyed playing creative imagination story stuff with my mom, and singing to my dad's guitar around the campfire. My husband enjoyed rafting with my dad and fishing along the beach; just chilling out. I enjoyed taking it all in and watching our family interact with all our fun against the gorgeous backdrop of nature.

We took showers. We got filthy as if we did not take showers. We roasted apples over the camp fire and made "apple pie." The kids spontaneously made crafts from collected wood and moss. We compared mosquito bite stories and passed around the Lanacane. We ate great food, creatively inspired by my mom (I was in charge of the picnic Lunches, not much fancy to that). We laughed at things that you had to be there to enjoy. The kids swam in the lake. The men paddled the two rafts against the current and the wind on the river to help get us across the river (change of plans, don't even try to go that way to connect into the lake) to our own cove of beach ... which we stayed all afternoon and lounged, fished, picnicked, told stories, under the summer sun.

It was so relaxing, we all agreed we could have continued .... thanks for a great vacation, Mom and Dad!!

Specific pictures will be posted at a later time.