Second Camping Trip

Last year we took Abby on her first camping trip, and she has been asking to go again ever since. We weren't sure we were going to be able to go this year for various reasons, but we did manage to squeeze in a quick trip last weekend. Usually we like to go in the off season, but it didn't work this year. The campground was nice. Though it was packed (three large family reunions going on), our campsite was in a good spot where I didn't feel like I had people right on top of us. Since we went in the middle of summer instead of off season, this was the first time we've been camping in Oregon that I wasn't freezing all night long! We even were able to keep the tent "door" partially unzipped (screen still zipped!) to see the stars and trees and let in a breeze at night.


Abby was so excited the first night that it took quite a bit of talking to her and some firm discipline to get her to stay in her sleeping bag and go to sleep. But she eventually did go to sleep and slept well all through the night, sounding like a baby bear with her cute little snore.


Abby was raring to go the next morning. We ate breakfast, cleaned up, and headed out to see the area. We had printed out some geocaches in the area, and we hunted those as we explored the lakes and rivers and hiking trails. There were several neat old covered bridges. Most of them were too old and narrow for modern cars to cross and are just for historical enjoyment, but we got to drive across one of them, and Abby thought that was pretty fun.


She is normally a daredevil, taking little or no thought of the danger in a situation, but she was uncharacteristically afraid of this bridge. It had wide gaps (probably about three inches) between the boards, and she was afraid of falling through them into the river. I finally convinced her that there was no way she could possibly fit between the boards, and then she was off and running again. I am wondering if it contributed to a nightmare she had the night we got home from camping. She dreamed that her and Rosie (her pink bear) fell from a bridge into a river.


The second night of camping is always the best for the kids, and it was this time too. They both fell right to sleep since the initial excitement is gone and they are plumb worn out! The next day Daddy took off early to go fishing, so we had an easy breakfast of cereal and milk and then headed to the campground playground for a while. The kids had fun making some new friends, and one little boy became quite a good playmate.


Hunter is exactly seven months older than Abby and seven months younger than Ryan, and they all played very well together. We discovered that Hunter was in the campsite right next to ours with his grandparents (I told you I didn't feel cramped...I didn't even realize they had a young child at their site!), so they we went back to our campsites and they played there for a while rescuing princesses and saving the campground from the forces of evil! Very cute to watch them.



In the afternoon we took the kids to one of the nearby lakes and let them splash and play. Abby can't seem to get enough of water, and she did not want to get out and leave, but I coaxed her out with some shells I found on the beach. After drying off and eating a snack, we decided to take one last walk and picked a gorgeous bike path that runs around Dorena Lake.



Abby is such a flexible easy-going little girl. She loves adventure and is always ready to go somewhere and do something, or she's content to play at home also. Though Ryan was a bit grumpy on this walk, Abby thoroughly enjoyed it. In fact, she had a hard time obeying us because she can't resist any neat rock or feather or stick or flower she sees and just charges ahead to go get them. We headed back to the campsite, had dinner and put both kids to bed earlier than they liked because they were starting to be a bit cranky!


The next day after breakfast, Daddy took the kids to the playground for a bit while I started cleaning up and packing up the campsite. Ryan was having a rough day (over-tired, I think), so we just packed up and decided to head for home. We had fun and look forward to our next camping trip, whenever that may be.