Camping 101

WARNING!

This blog post contains loads of pictures of fun. If you never want to go camping, don't look below...you might have to change your mind!

Here's a little Camping 101 for ya. You might as well practice putting your camper/tent/lean-to/whateva, up in the rain.....because you will have to, at some point. It's a rule I think. I can count on one finger the number of times we've gotten to put ours up without getting rained on!

And this camping trip was not the exception, apparently! It was just drizzling when we started out, but by the time we were finishing up, we were in torrential-down-pour-flood mode!

We weathered the rising waters in the relative dryness of our pop-up, had some dinner, watched a movie via my laptop and went to bed where we got a few drips on us, but otherwise stayed dry. That is more than I can say for the tent campers in our group!

Now I guess you are wondering why in the world I thought this post would lead to you wanting to head out on your very own camping excursion!

Well.....

There's this for one reason! Yes, that would be my boys, all three, enjoying a canoe trip on the most beautiful lake in SC.


See the crystal clear waters?


See the happy boy faces?

Beautiful scenery that makes for great pictures!

The rocky shores of this lake are surprisingly beautiful too! Oh, and so is this little sweetie! She is one of the Seven Wonders of the World, I think!

Doesn't this look like the most fun?

It is if you stay in the boat! Right Tori? Right Stephanie?

Funny story.....on the last day, we decided to take the canoe out for a few more rows around the cove. Well, it was a tensy bit rougher than it had been on the other days and we didn't really notice until after we'd launched away from shore. So.....we were bobbing up and down and started to realize that we weren't really able to steer the canoe any ole direction we wanted to go. We were actually only able to go with the current. A strong current. That was taking us across the cove. At this point we decided to heck with it, we'd just go with the current and walk back, because it was looking more and more like this was a bad idea! Unfortunately, we couldn't get the current to take us up on a sandy area, on no! We landed on a huge rock curving into the water.....and well, the canoe tipped over. Don't worry, I was fine! I jumped out and only my shoes got wet! Oh yeah. Tori (10 year old daughter of a friend), Stephanie (7 year old sister of Tori) and Paul.....well, they went for a swim! Thank goodness they thought it was funny! Cold, but funny! I can just imagine what their Daddy was thinking on the other end of the cove watching it all unfold!!!! Eh.

This was Claire's first and last ride. She braved it and ended up thinking it was fun. She was supposed to be in Stephanie's seat when the canoe capsized. She baled out at the last minute....I wonder if she had an inkling of what was about to happen...hmmmmm.

Another Camping 101 tip for ya. Take Vanna White with you for all your photo display needs! Here she shows off the majestic foothills for us, as only Vanna can!

We took lots of pictures, as you can see. We don't get to do this enough and I want to remember it all, it was such fun!

Amazing!

If that lake doesn't make you want to go camping right this minute, how 'bout this waterfall? Huh? How 'bout this?

We were right there!

So close we could feel the spray!

Camping 101 tip- go with other camping buddies, it really does make the trip even better! These are some of Isabel's friends, Abby and Stephanie.

Really close!

Camping 101 tip-don't fall in!
I know that seems like a no brainer, but you never know....do you,Timothy?

Camping 101 tip- hurry ahead of your husband and beat him to the top of the waterfall....that way his friends will tease him and it will be a hoot I tell you!

Camping 101 or should I say Hiking 101- don't try to carry a 35lb child in a very used backpack with a slightly injured back. You will pay for it later. Trust me!

But, she will have a blast, and that will count for something!

Camping 101 tip- take a screenwriter or a good skit book and a director with you, because campfire skits are the best! It's the most fun you can have with 16 kids and 8 adults in the dark! No, really!

This is Claire with her new camping buddy, Natalie. Natalie really does like Claire, she even shared her animal crackers, she just doesn't look like it here!

Or here!

The fishing was great!

They didn't actually catch anything. But, is that really important?

This is picturesque Autumn in SC. And this is a great reason to go camping in the fall. Because around here in the lowcountry, Autumn just looks like summer burned everything up, 'cause it's all brownish now.

Camping pictures 101-

have someone funny take the family portrait,

clearly Isabel is not feeling it!

Hiking was great!

We didn't loose anyone!

Well, unless you count Claire deciding to slip way down in her pack and take a little snooze. This hike was a little more jostle than she likes and so she handled it the way she handles things that make her nervous. She went to sleep and woke up when it was over. Based on the picture above, that was probably a really good thing!

Camping photography 101- tell your kids that it is not necessary to zoom in on all your gray hairs!

Yes, it was this gorgeous up there!

Claire didn't make it up for this picture. Poor baby. She was still in hibernation.

But, campfires don't seem to bother her in the slightest!

Camping 101- where there are boys, there will be FIRE!

Parker and Noah with their buddy, Timothy.

Camping 101- Enjoy yourself! We did! Clearly!

Now admit it! Don't you want to go camping?

As soon as we got in the door from our trip, Claire declared that she wanted to go back. Who would've thunk that our princess would love camping so!