We just returned from a one-night camping trip at Fontainebleau State Park in Mandeville. We’ve camped out three times in the past four years and it has rained 3 out of 3 times.
We still had a great trip. We got there early, pitched the tent in a shaded spot near the playground, grilled some hot dogs, and just let the boys run loud and wild for a couple of hours. The place was empty and I was really happy I decided to take off work to go (Henry is out of school for a few days for fall break and Matthew’s wedding schedule makes going on a weekend impossible). We brought our bikes so in the late afternoon we went for a nice ride around the park and checked out the new cabins. I’d like to say they are decrepit and horrible so they won’t stay booked, but candidly they seem even better than the pics online suggest. We’re thinking of renting with some friends for one weekend.
On our way back to camp we stopped at the little beach on the lake and put the boys in the their swim trunks. They played in the splash fountain, built some sandcastles, and Matthew got some lovely sunset pictures of them in the lake as clouds began to roll in. Wait, clouds? The front wasn’t supposed to move in until the next day, but there they were, ominous rain clouds slowly crossing the lake and darkening the Causeway. We made it back to the tent just as the first drops began to fall. We thought it would pass quickly and we’d be able to build a fire and cook our own supper, but it didn’t let up and finally Matthew had to make a run to Mickey D’s. That’s roughing it for you. Dean was so worn out from all his running around all day that he conked out before supper arrived, but after Henry and M and I ate, the rain finally stopped and we did build a small fire and sat around it, just the three of us, as the clouds vanished and the stars poked delicately through the sky. Henry says it was our best camping trip ever -- not sure he can really remember the others, but we were happy to have his endorsement. He kept saying, are we EVER going to go to sleep (but you could tell he was thrilled to be up with Mommy and Daddy, stoking the fire and talking about important things like what makes embers move and how come the flame dies when you remove a stick from the fire)? Finally he decided that instead of a "sleepover" we should call it a "stayawakeover."
Unfortunately, the rain returned during the night and it was hard to sleep worrying about water incursions into the tent. We ended up pretty dry but it was not a peaceful rest. Luckily, the boys slept until 8 -- unheard of, maybe we should sleep in a tent every night -- so we were less exhausted than I thought we would be as I lay awake at 3 a.m.
Henry spent the morning riding his bike -- look, Ma, no helmet! -- around and around the campground and found and caught a tree frog in the bathroom. Dean stuffed himself full of powdered donuts and promptly fell asleep on the car ride home.
Now we are back, settling in, cleaning the house and the camping gear, and getting ready for real life again tomorrow. Well, at least for me. Henry -- he of the now TWO missing teeth - gets another day off before school reclaims him.
We still had a great trip. We got there early, pitched the tent in a shaded spot near the playground, grilled some hot dogs, and just let the boys run loud and wild for a couple of hours. The place was empty and I was really happy I decided to take off work to go (Henry is out of school for a few days for fall break and Matthew’s wedding schedule makes going on a weekend impossible). We brought our bikes so in the late afternoon we went for a nice ride around the park and checked out the new cabins. I’d like to say they are decrepit and horrible so they won’t stay booked, but candidly they seem even better than the pics online suggest. We’re thinking of renting with some friends for one weekend.
On our way back to camp we stopped at the little beach on the lake and put the boys in the their swim trunks. They played in the splash fountain, built some sandcastles, and Matthew got some lovely sunset pictures of them in the lake as clouds began to roll in. Wait, clouds? The front wasn’t supposed to move in until the next day, but there they were, ominous rain clouds slowly crossing the lake and darkening the Causeway. We made it back to the tent just as the first drops began to fall. We thought it would pass quickly and we’d be able to build a fire and cook our own supper, but it didn’t let up and finally Matthew had to make a run to Mickey D’s. That’s roughing it for you. Dean was so worn out from all his running around all day that he conked out before supper arrived, but after Henry and M and I ate, the rain finally stopped and we did build a small fire and sat around it, just the three of us, as the clouds vanished and the stars poked delicately through the sky. Henry says it was our best camping trip ever -- not sure he can really remember the others, but we were happy to have his endorsement. He kept saying, are we EVER going to go to sleep (but you could tell he was thrilled to be up with Mommy and Daddy, stoking the fire and talking about important things like what makes embers move and how come the flame dies when you remove a stick from the fire)? Finally he decided that instead of a "sleepover" we should call it a "stayawakeover."
Unfortunately, the rain returned during the night and it was hard to sleep worrying about water incursions into the tent. We ended up pretty dry but it was not a peaceful rest. Luckily, the boys slept until 8 -- unheard of, maybe we should sleep in a tent every night -- so we were less exhausted than I thought we would be as I lay awake at 3 a.m.
Henry spent the morning riding his bike -- look, Ma, no helmet! -- around and around the campground and found and caught a tree frog in the bathroom. Dean stuffed himself full of powdered donuts and promptly fell asleep on the car ride home.
Now we are back, settling in, cleaning the house and the camping gear, and getting ready for real life again tomorrow. Well, at least for me. Henry -- he of the now TWO missing teeth - gets another day off before school reclaims him.
1 comments:
We just camped last night w/ the kids in the fall show. Perfect weather - sorry about your rain! Reading this made me want to go camping with all of you right away!
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