Hiking, Fishing, and Kayaking

Last summer my husband and I talked about wanting to camp and never made it a priority.  This year has been different.  I have a planner in which I write down all our activities and therefore, we plan camping trips.  The kids will only be little for a short time and family time is important to us.  So here is a little rundown on this 2-night camping adventure.  Enjoy!

 

It all started on a Friday morning.  We drove to a nearby state park and found a nice shady campsite to set up our tent…it was the only shady site that was near the water.  We wanted to be by the lake so we could easily carry our kayaks and/or fishing gear to the water’s edge.  The bathrooms were also nearby which is always a plus with kids. 

 

We hiked and found some natural springs fully equipped with water falls and one in particular had thousands upon thousands of shells for the kids to dig through.  They found the biggest shells and brought them back to camp. 

We swam in the clear spring water which was very refreshing to say the least.  The water was very cold but made it all the more fun to see who could brave the water.  The kids squealed with joy as my husband and I took the plunge.  We try to be fun parents and if that means swimming with the kids in the freezing cold water then that’s what we do!

This was the first time the kids went fishing.  They enjoyed the experience even though only the youngest caught anything (3 perch).  My husband did a great job keeping everyone going with worms and bobbers.  By the end of the 3 days they were casting by themselves and then reeling in so they could do it all again.  Watching the bobbers was not exactly fun to them…they wanted action!

Kayaking proved to be an adventure as we tried taking our dog out on the water for the first time.  My husband took both boys on his kayak (one in front and the other behind him).  Our daughter sat behind me in my kayak and our dog (a Border Collie/Jack Russell mix named Pepper) stood at the front.  All was well until she shifted to the right, moving her feet to the side of the kayak.  Over she went.  I pulled her up by the leash and thought for sure we were going to end up in the water with her.  She managed to get back on the kayak without turning us over and proceeded to do the exact same thing again.  This time I made her sit between my legs so I could help her balance.  I don’t think she minded though.  She was pretty shaken up by the ordeal.  

These are the best pictures I could get given the situation.

Everyone slept as good as can be expected in a tent on the first night.  Our dog, however, kept us up the second night.  (By “us” I meant my husband and I…The kids slept through everything!)  Pepper wasn’t feeling too well and I ended up sitting outside the tent with her for a while at 2:30 AM.  The park ranger even spot-lighted me as I walked around the campsite and we had a nice little chat about what I was doing roaming the park in the middle of the night.  Thankfully, Pepper threw up as I stood there talking to him which validated my story.  So I ended up leaving her out on the chain and going back to bed.  Despite the lack of sleep we woke up the next morning refreshed and ready to go!

To add to the fun we also had some friends meet us there on Saturday.  One couple stayed and played until well after dark.  The other family stayed overnight.  We had a campfire and roasted marshmallows while the kids played with glow sticks.  Over all we had a great trip and would do it all again in a heartbeat.  In fact we already have our next camping trip written in the planner.  We love it!

My Take-Aways:

1. Camping provides time spent in the great outdoors with the people that mean the most to you.  It’s a win-win situation.
2. Every adventure gives opportunity for the kids to learn something new.  Whether about nature or learning a new skill, it’s important to teach them and help them become well rounded individuals.
3. Building relationships with friends is rewarding.  Find people that share the same interests and do life together!