Anniversary Camping Trip you say? My rebuttal, don't knock it until you try it, but beware!
We spent our 11 year Anniversary this year camping at Bear Canyon Lake which was quite relaxing and tons of fun...until the trip home! It all started as we arrived at our campsite at 8:30PM at Bear Canyon Lake and began the process of setting up camp. It's become a lot easier to do so in the dark due to Bob's new truck with it's Off Road package. We had plenty of light, got the fire going right away, and settled in.
Now, for those of you who think, you are nuts driving up there in the dark and setting up, it's only taken us 8 years to perfect the art of getting the tent constructed, blow up our beds, unroll our sleeping bags, and layout our area for cooking and washing. Yep, by now we really should have invested in an off-road pop-up tent. It's a dream that may one day become our reality. Wheel it up and pop it open all done! What a vision!
We woke early Saturday morning, 6:30 AM, got coffee and breakfast on, then jumped in the car with the dogs and drove down to the lake. The parking lot was a bit full but we were sure that after the 250 foot climb down to the lake we would find a spot to call our own. We sure did! It had a little sandy beach for Cooper to wade in as well! Armed with his net he dove in to catch 48 cray fish in all and a few baby trout with his net! Bob was unsuccessful with his rod and reel as others around us pulled in Rainbow trout he came up with BUNK! He must have his Dad's fishing genes! They don't catch a thing!
We spent most of the day at the lake and night by the fire reading a book out loud for Cooper to enjoy and early to bed early to rise again! Breakfast, pack up, and then back on the road...where the true fun began!
So we decided to take a few side stops on the way back to the Rim and the Tonto Creek Fish Hatchery. I had a heart attack while snapping a picture of the boys on the ledge. I was so terrified they were going to go over! Cooper had a blast feeding the fish and looking at all the different sizes at the Hatchery. We even ventured into the visitor's center to see the sights there.
This trip, I actually pulled out the camera and I was snapping pictures the whole time, Cooper's catch, Bob fishing, the lake, Bob and Cooper taking a nap, the Rim, our trip to the Hatchery and the beautiful scenery and flowers. We get back in the car after the Hatchery and I decide to view my pictures. UGH....yep, you guessed they were ALL GONE!!! Every one of them but the last few of the Tonto creek I took on the drive out. I was so angry and saddened by the loss of all those great moments I captured! It's God's sign we'll have to repeat the trip again I guess!
Ok. To make matters worse, our dogs took our trip to a new level of 'rock bottom' after the loss of all those pictures on the way home! They began tag team vomiting all over Bob's new truck and Raven even took a poo while sick. GROSS...this episode left me feeling queasy the rest of the ride home only to recover this morning!
Ah...the adventures of camping!
We spent our 11 year Anniversary this year camping at Bear Canyon Lake which was quite relaxing and tons of fun...until the trip home! It all started as we arrived at our campsite at 8:30PM at Bear Canyon Lake and began the process of setting up camp. It's become a lot easier to do so in the dark due to Bob's new truck with it's Off Road package. We had plenty of light, got the fire going right away, and settled in.
Now, for those of you who think, you are nuts driving up there in the dark and setting up, it's only taken us 8 years to perfect the art of getting the tent constructed, blow up our beds, unroll our sleeping bags, and layout our area for cooking and washing. Yep, by now we really should have invested in an off-road pop-up tent. It's a dream that may one day become our reality. Wheel it up and pop it open all done! What a vision!
We woke early Saturday morning, 6:30 AM, got coffee and breakfast on, then jumped in the car with the dogs and drove down to the lake. The parking lot was a bit full but we were sure that after the 250 foot climb down to the lake we would find a spot to call our own. We sure did! It had a little sandy beach for Cooper to wade in as well! Armed with his net he dove in to catch 48 cray fish in all and a few baby trout with his net! Bob was unsuccessful with his rod and reel as others around us pulled in Rainbow trout he came up with BUNK! He must have his Dad's fishing genes! They don't catch a thing!
We spent most of the day at the lake and night by the fire reading a book out loud for Cooper to enjoy and early to bed early to rise again! Breakfast, pack up, and then back on the road...where the true fun began!
So we decided to take a few side stops on the way back to the Rim and the Tonto Creek Fish Hatchery. I had a heart attack while snapping a picture of the boys on the ledge. I was so terrified they were going to go over! Cooper had a blast feeding the fish and looking at all the different sizes at the Hatchery. We even ventured into the visitor's center to see the sights there.
This trip, I actually pulled out the camera and I was snapping pictures the whole time, Cooper's catch, Bob fishing, the lake, Bob and Cooper taking a nap, the Rim, our trip to the Hatchery and the beautiful scenery and flowers. We get back in the car after the Hatchery and I decide to view my pictures. UGH....yep, you guessed they were ALL GONE!!! Every one of them but the last few of the Tonto creek I took on the drive out. I was so angry and saddened by the loss of all those great moments I captured! It's God's sign we'll have to repeat the trip again I guess!
Ok. To make matters worse, our dogs took our trip to a new level of 'rock bottom' after the loss of all those pictures on the way home! They began tag team vomiting all over Bob's new truck and Raven even took a poo while sick. GROSS...this episode left me feeling queasy the rest of the ride home only to recover this morning!
Ah...the adventures of camping!
janet,
ReplyDeletewow, you said it, the adventures of camping!!!! i can't believe the ride home ... did you cry??? i think i totally would have out of frustration ... then afterwards, i would feel so much better having it all out in the open and would probably start laughing our heads off at the crazy stories we'll get to tell. tell bob, we have the same fishing genes as he, as brett and the boys' deep sea fishing trip was a bust! with the full moon and all ... there were only a handful of small ones among the boatload that day... caleb was disappointed ... but no greater teacher than reality, than that moment for the opportunity to practice good sportsmanship and all that jazz! way to go cooper, with all that cray fish. i've got to remember to arm the boys ready with nets the next time we do the lake.