F-F-F-all Camping

We have been planning one last camping trip of the summer for a few weeks now. After loading up we headed out Saturday morning. Destination? Unknown. That is the beauty of camping a little later in the year. Reservations are usually not necessary.

On the road . . . please ignore the antenna.

A little way into our trip we had our state park chosen and van headed accordingly. After a stop for lunch and drive through the campground we settled in at our site and set up camp. Next up was a hike around the lake a mere stone's throw from our site. That night we enjoyed a dinner of hamburgers cooked over the fire in addition to the left over pizza we had from lunch. As soon as night fell, we jumped into our sleeping bags and hunkered down for the night. (According to a woman I spoke with in the restrooms, it was already 46 degrees out.) 

Peachy settled down on her sleeping mat in her very own sleeping bag fairly well. Then, it was time for us to settle in as well. Only, I couldn't seem to get warm. Peachy must have been having a tough time of it as well, as she kept scooting around on her mat. Soon, I had her in the sleeping bag with me. After smashing my nose in with her head several times she fell back to sleep. Me? Not so much. Then Mr. Cherry and I heard the distinct sound of critters outside the tent. Mr. Cherry, being the man, went to investigate. The raccoons were getting into the garbage we had tied to the tree. (We know better than leaving garbage out overnight and learned our lesson yet again.) 

Peachy blissfully slept through Mr. Cherry getting out of the tent and securing the garbage in the van only to awaken when Mr. Cherry opened his sleeping bag. She was ready to call it a night although the night was still young. She did eventually settle down and we all slept until we heard the pitter-patter of rain on our tent in the morning. Thankfully it was only a quick shower and Mr. Cherry was able to go out and start a rip-roaring fire to warm us all up. After a hearty breakfast from the cast iron dutch oven, it was off for a long hike. Peachy settled right in to Mr. Cherry's shoulders and napped for close to the first hour. (Good for Peachy, not so comfy for Mr. Cherry.) 

Upon returning to the site, we decided to pack up and head home to enjoy the luxury of our own beds and the modern convenience of gas heat. We finished out the day with one more hike around yet another lake and started the trek home. While it may not seem like it, we really did have fun and enjoyed the trip. It is always good to get out in nature and play around and always good to get back home and enjoy the blessings we have in our everyday lives.