Camp Connection

One of my favorite parts of travel is searching for the perfect spot and planning the trip.  For our mini fall break getaway, I had a wish list in finding our home away from home.  We wanted to camp but indoor plumbing was a must.  Since we had a small window of days, it needed to be realitively close so we didn't spend all our time driving.  Something near the water and promising views, since we enjoy being outdoors.  And my hope was to be tech free, though being more than a request to my guys was an added bonus.

In the end, we chose to rent a camper in Cumberland Falls, Kentucky.  It was a state park we haven't visited, even though I'd traveled near there for work a few years ago.  I knew from driving it before, the scenery would be amazing this time of year.

It did not disappoint.

We purposefully set the GPS to take us there via back roads and avoided the interstate as much as possible.  For me, in a road trip, getting there is half the fun.  I love spontaneous stops and finds along the way.  The photo above was actually called Haunted Cave Road, as peaceful as it seems.  Noah noticed it, and much to his surprise, I said, "Let's go down it!"

Through the curves and winding roads, we talked and laughed, while Noah took turns between being DJ and helping me drive.  Tim, ever the trooper, worked the night before we left so he napped in between raising up to view the scenery or see why we stopped.

Noah realized, as we entered Daniel Boone forest, the cell service became sketchy.  Luckily, his phone was pre-programmed with our route.  Truly, that and taking photos were the only thing we really used our phones for the entire trip.  I knew the camper didn't have a tv, which was fine by me, and my plan was to invoke our "no tech" rule we have on similar vacations.  Much to my delight, the area took care of that for me, as the only way you could get a signal was to turn your head just so and point your arm at an angle while walking uphill.  

Being disconnected from the world allowed us to connect more deeply with each other.  

In fact, apart from the scenery, my favorite memories of the trip are of the time we spent playing games, cooking over an open fire, and sitting around talking/laughing/telling stories.  When I replay this trip over in my mind, I smile over scenes of us at the table playing cards, singing along to classics on the camper radio, and enjoying amazing meals together with no outside distractions.  

We had so much fun in the camper, we plan to extend our next camping trip - wherever that may be.  Even my techy-phone always in his hand-teen enjoyed the time being unavailable and not receiving constant notifications.  All three of us decided we could easily handle a week of nothing but togetherness.  Not being instantly available is a peaceful freedom, circa 1996.

Of course, one of the special moments of our trip was our day spent visiting Cumberland Falls.  I've had this place in my "go to" folder for years, always trying to coordinate our breaks with the moonbow that happens there.  Even though we missed the moonbow by a matter of days, it did not diminish the astounding beauty of the place.

I could've stood for hours marveling at this landscape.

To get to this particular spot, took walking down several sections of steps, something I might have opted out of even a year ago.  With my knee injury, steps are not my friend, but I decided the memory worth any temporary pain that might come.  

Life is too short to sit on the sidelines.

Although I wasn't as adventurous as this duo, who had me randomly stopping at any rocky spot that seemed interesting throughout our trip.  Besides, somebody had to stay with the car and drive to a signal, provided a bear jump out - or an ankle twist!

However, they were pretty proud of how well ol' mom hung on the trip.  

I'm pretty proud too...

even if my hamstrings still feel those hills!

We packed a picnic for our visit to the falls but just happened upon our spot.  It was just up the road, nestled by the river that fed the waterfall.  With only one other family there, it made for a quiet and beautiful place to dine outdoors.  

As do all vacations, the end came before we were really ready.  But this area and the memories made will always hold a special place in my blessed and joyful heart.

Egg in a Bag

We have a favorite meal whenever we camp.  Noah actually taught it to us, after learning the recipe at a 4H camp.  I think that's one of the reasons we enjoy it.  The meal is so interactive, from start to finish, and is perfect for camping. 

Before we left for our trip, I spent an afternoon prepping our meals.  This made whatever meal we were having so much simpler, allowing me to truly relax and be on vacation.  For our "Egg in a Bag" breakfast, I chopped and bagged all the omelet choices, knowing we'd have additional leftovers from other meals. 

The morning we had this, all I needed to do was heat up a pot of water and lay out the assembly line.

Each camper then brought their Ziploc bag (slider type, sprayed with Pam), inserted into a solo cup, just to keep the cracked the eggs from slipping across the table. 

We dropped two eggs in each bag and then the fun begins.....squish, squash, squish!

Once mixed, everyone gets to add their favorite ingredients to the bag......ham, cheese, onion, green pepper, mushroom, the options are endless.  And because each bag is as individual as the owner, everyone is happy.

Another squish or two and then we're ready for the pot. 

The water needs to be boiling before dropping in. 

(Be careful not to let the edges touch the sides of the pan or burner or you'll have a gooey mess.)  Cooking time will vary based on how full you packed your bag - around 3-5 minutes.  You'll know it's done by checking for any liquid goo.

When ready, just open bag and roll out onto a plate. 

Because of the cooking process, it's not a meal that everyone can sit down to eat at once.  But, because others are busy mixing, adding, squishing or boiling,

everyone has something to do. 

And all that's left to do in the end is enJOY!

Whether camping in your backyard or a woodland retreat, try Egg in Bag with your family.  I hope it fills your belly and creates fond memories for years to come!

Camp Rules

We take our maiden pop-up camper voyage in a few days.  With two teenagers traveling on a road trip, I've decided to enact Camp Rules.  I know, rules and vacation don't exactly go together but I believe it will make everyone happier in the end.  At least it'll make Mom happy and you know the saying....

Even though they're teenagers, we're going back to Kindergarten for lessons in how to behave.  And yes, even adults have to follow them.  My rules are simple - just remember your face.

1. Mouth - If using it, SMILE.  Simply put, no whining allowed.  The words, "I'm bored" are illegal.  Complaints are only allowed on comment cards, which will not be read.  Attitude is everything so make yours fabulous!
2. Eyes - LOOK....What's that?!  We are on vacation.  Soak up what is around you.  Take in the world.  If we're in the truck, look out the window.  Behold: scenery.  If we're outdoors, enjoy nature.  Interact with humans, not technology.
3. Ears - Have ear buds, will travel.  If you don't like what we're listening to, insert ear buds.  Remember rule #1?  No complaining or whining about whatever old, outdated song these old parents might be reminiscing to on the radio.
4. Feet - Everybody JUMP, JUMP!  (Ok, now you're laughing because you're envisioning me rapping.)  Anyway, back to topic - Get up on them.  Explore!  But don't get lost. 
5. Nose - Do you smell that?!.  If it smells then I don't want it in our tiny space.  Pretend like you're on a date and take all the proper hygiene precautions.  Your family will love you for it.
6. Hands - Lend one...or two. Help out. Yes, vacations are meant for relaxing but that also requires a little work when we arrive. Camping means everyone pitches in.  Insert ear buds, remember #1, use #4 and #6 simultaneously and see what can be accomplished.

(Ok, I realize hands aren't ON your face but I'm the mom and I make the rules.  Plus, I talk with my hands so they truly are an extension of it.)

Failure to follow rules 1-6 (and any random rules said parents wishes to add during said trip) could be detrimental to your health, or at the very least, your happiness.  Acts of embarrassment will ensue at a surprise public location near you.  When you least expect it punishment for broken rules may lead to parental PDAs, pop-up karaoke, or becoming the designated puppy pooper scooper for the trip.

Your expectations - do something besides stare at four walls for spring break.  Ours - follow the rules and have a fun, memorable family trip.  Consent to this binding and legal contract is assumed by the mere fact you actually took the time to read it. 

Signed,

Your loving parental units

Culdesac Camping

We popped out our camper yesterday trying to prepare for our upcoming journeys this spring.  As I shared in an earlier post, this camper is "new to us" and we have many trips dreamed up to enjoy.  Our first will be an excursion to Kentucky Lake.  It will truly be a first for us to visit one of our favorite vacation spots - without the boat.  I'm hoping the water doesn't call to us too much and we stay busy as happy campers!

Yesterday we practiced bedding and I quickly remembered how difficult it is to make a bed that you can't get all the way around.  For a momma with an old broken knee, this wasn't an easy task.  Thankfully I have a sweet hubby and son who helped out.  As a team, we got the camper aired out for our mock trial.

Even though it was a Sunday, we decided we needed a practice night before we were miles away without the comforts of home literally in our backyard.  (We'd hoped to practice throughout the weekend but the weather was uncooperative)  Noah was thrilled and joked how funny it'd be if we overslept to see the bus coming around the curb.

Supper kept with the camping theme, as we grilled out turkey burgers.  Instead of getting lost in a tv program afterwards, we donned PJs and headed for our second home.  For the next couple of hours, we played cards, giggled, and excitedly discussed ideas for the camping season.  Perhaps the sweetest moments of  our adventure was when Noah read his nightly devotion to all of us.  It was touching to share this and see him growing in his faith.  And I was thankful for the dim lighting in the camper, as admittedly I shed a few tears.

Goodnight hugs and kisses later, we were tucked into our new beds and ready for the night.  I managed to stay awake long enough to take in the twinkling sky and hear my little guy softly snoring.  And although I did get a few good hours in, the unpadded bed soon had me tossing and turning.  It didn't help that the neighbors dogs were serenading us with howls and a stray cat joined in the chorus.  That mixed with the headlights from the ridiculous amount of night traffic our little cul-de-sac gets, plus the glaring glow from the street light, created a somewhat sleepless night for Tim and me.  Noah, on the other hand, never slept better!

Some lessons learned.  Egg crates are a necessary addition to our packing list.  Our neighborhood, though it includes the word "meadows" does not a good camping spot make.  And finally, if last night's family time is any indication of our upcoming camping season - I'm already filled with JOY and anticipation!

Small Packages

We surprised the kiddos this weekend with the news that we'd purchased a camper.  Although we didn't go into much detail, looking back, I'm sure the lack of explanation left it to their imaginations.  As with all kids, bigger is better and they were already dreaming of a house on wheels, complete with flat screens and bathrooms.  You can imagine their shock when Tim backed in the compact little white box that is our "new to us" pop-up camper.

"Is this a joke?" was basically the expression they both gave us and pint-size Tina even said, "There is no way we're fitting in that!"  Tim chuckled and set to unhooking and opening it to it's full capacity.  Even expanded, it wasn't quite what they expected, although upon further inspection they did show a little excitement.  In fact, Noah wanted to sleep in it that evening.  Thankfully, it hadn't went through our cleaning detail and we didn't allow it because a huge storm passed through that night.  Having left it open to air out, we felt if it survived that storm, we'd made a good purchase!

Tim and I were truly like little children on Christmas morning though, as our evening pillow talk was of plans and trips to be.  We had already been discussing our spring break options when we happened upon this camper deal.  Plans to visit the mountains were tossed out the window in favor of breaking in the camper by the lake.  After many suggestions and ideas from friends, we opted for familiar territory semi-close to home for our first outing.  I made the reservations last night, though I felt like a newbie not yet understanding all the camper terminology.  Hopefully it meets our expectations when we get there and we don't reenact one of the kids favorite funny movies, "RV"!

It's not that we're new to camping.  We own tents and try to squeeze in a camping trip at least once a year.  It's harder with tents though.  It seems there's more to pack, more to plan, and the weather is the predictor of the trip.  I'm somewhat finicky and don't enjoy being too hot or too cold, so in Kentucky this leaves me with few weekends to camp.  This past season, because of Tim's back we missed out entirely.  I just couldn't ask him to sleep on the ground, on an air mattress, while visiting the chiropractor 2-3x a week!

Labor Day weekend 2010 Tim, Noah, and I loved our Camping/Boating Trip to Livermore.  It was the perfect weather weekend with sunshine in the day for boating and cool evenings so we could snuggle under the stars.  The year before, Tim surprised us with a trip, as we were Shipwrecked-on-a-private-island.  He took us by boat to a remote location that we'll always fond memories of, even if I had to pee on a log.  You can read about either or both trips by clicking on the links above.

Even though our pop-up is really nothing more than a portable tent on wheels, with the addition of tiny kitchen, I have grand plans for it.  Because I know good things really do come in small packages and I can't wait to open ours to enjoy every moment and memory!