We started this month with a camping trip with my dad and his wife Susan in their RV to see how the kids would adapt to the great outdoors. We've had grand plans since Koen was born to take him camping but the summers got busy and we never made it so this month was it! They had a blast fishing at Granite Lake, riding in the ranger and looking for bugs. Kenn and Koen slept in a tent and the rest of us enjoyed the air conditioned camper :) An A experience overall.
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| Enjoying the tent - what cheap entertainment! ;) |
Since the first camping trip was such a success we decided to try again a few weekends later, but "roughing it" this time. No AC, refrigerator, comfy beds, etc - just good old fashioned tent camping. Unfortunately we got a few things wrong so this experience wasn't quite the success the first camping trip was. A C- experience overall this go round.
First mistake: leaving Boise Friday night when the kids were tired but not quite ready for sleep. The result = whiny, crying kids for most of the road trip. 2nd mistake: not checking what was happening at our destination for the weekend. Result = annual Arts and Crafts fair in Stanley which meant that when we arrived at 930 pm ready to just set up tent and get to bed there were no camping spots to be found and we didn't get set up till very late. And the last and most fatal mistake = bringing a queen sized mattress for Kenn, Koen and I to share. Result = a rested Koen in the morning but exhausted parents from being pushed off the mattress to the lumpy tent floor all night.
But it wasn't all gloom and doom :) Saturday was my 35th birthday and we spent the day enjoying the beauty of Redfish Lake with a speedboat ride across the lake to go on a hike and then time spent playing on the beach. Overall the kids had a great time and we learned a few valuable lessons that will make the next trip much easier on all. No. 1 is find a more comfortable sleeping situation and I've already got that taken care of - I ordered a full air mattress for Koen so we don't have to share ;). No. 2 is travel when the kids are exhausted so they sleep. Now that we're so much wiser we'll try again soon with our revised camping plan and cross our fingers for a better experience!
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| Waiting for the shuttle across Redfish Lake |
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| Hiking to Lily Pond |
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| Lunch at Lily Pond |
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| Koen was trooper and hiked most of the way but here his "legs were telling him to take a little break for some resting" ;) |
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| On the way back across the lake - the boat crew didn't bring life jackets this time :( |
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| Breakfast Sat morning - Happy 35th birthday to me! |
