Before Jason, I had never gone camping before. In fact, camping was something that seemed fun...for other people. Well, now I can honestly say, that camping is one of my favorite things to do with my family. Each time we go, I fall in love with it a little more. What is definitely an adventure for our kids, is one for us as well. No two camping trips are the same...and the more nature throws at you, the more memorable these trips are.
This past weekend we drove into the Pisgah National Forest and camped along side a river- only a foot deep where we were, which was perfect for our girls.
We were not there fifteen minutes before water shoes were on, fishing rods were out and exploration had begun.
Some of the most fun for me is setting up our camp- it's feels almost like I am building a temporary home for my family. I believe it can attributed to my very anal personality, but I love for everything to have a specific place.
...a tarp tent to shield us from the sporadic downpours,
...a fire pit for roasting of marshmallows and good story-telling,
...Jason is "the fire-starter" in our group. I have never known a man who loves to babysit a fire more. Lucky for us : )
...a clothesline for the constant wardrobe changes.
One of the hardest things to plan out is food that is healthy, but is still camping appropriate. I want the girls to have fun cooking on the fire, but I don't want them to gorge themselves on hot dogs, s'mores and chips all weekend.
This year, we grilled marinated chicken with zucchini, squash and onions and then roasted marshmallows for s'mores. Paul, Jason's best friend, is the resident chef- no one handles a miniature grill better : )
In between fishing and exploration, our group followed our hiking guide, aka Jason, on what I thought was a fruitless walk until we came upon this trail...
"What trail?" you say. Exactly...
In spite of my reservations, we all walked/slid/crawled down this trail and suddenly we came upon this-
This was definitely the highlight of our trip...and would not have happened if it wasn't for my husband who knows me better than anyone else. Calmly disregarding my complaining and irrational fear of sliding of this cliff..I mean trail...to my death, he forged ahead and led us to this untouched piece of nature. I am so glad he challenges me to do what at first is uncomfortable, but always ends in inspiration : )
On the second evening we had hot dogs, baked beans, and grilled fresh corn, asparagus, and mushrooms which had been tossed in a little olive oil and Greek seasoning.
The weekend was full of adventure for the kids- fishing, hiking, story-telling, with stormy nights to lull them to sleep. They can't wait for the next camping trip...and neither can I : )
No comments:
Post a Comment