Camping or Bust!

Literally, if I did not go camping like I've been wanting to do for the past 3 years, I would probably bust! On Friday evening, we headed down to Port Townsend, to camp at Fort Worden State Park. It is an area very high in demand for camping so we were lucky (blessed!) to actually get a spot. Someone had cancelled their reservations the morning just before I called.

We arrived later than we would have liked, but...we did arrive with still some sun left to put our tent up. And quite honestly, we did a bang up job of it. Pretty good for not having set it up before. Brilla thought it was all a wonderful game! Sleeping in the tent, sleeping with Mommy and Daddy, staying up late - she loved every bit. And surprisingly, she stayed dry for the two nights we were there, saving it for the big potty once we woke up the next morning. Such a big girl :)

However, we forgot about 3 huge things: our camping stove, Kitty (Brilla's beloved stuffed animal), and sleeping bags. It's not that we didn't have any bedding. I brought our flannel sheets, quilt and extra blanket to put on the queen air mattress. But it was freezing still. Sleeping bags would have kept our tootsies much warmer. As for the stove, that was a bummer. I was looking forward to cooking cheeseburgers and mouth-watering breakfasts. Fortunately, Port Townsend has a downtown area, and we were able to eat out for those meals we had planned to cook for. Yes, it were camping like a couple of preppies! Lunch was nice since I had brought the fixings. But next time we will double-check for the stove. And I don't know how Kitty did not make the boat. Brilla did pretty well without him (not a single tear). We kept telling her that Kitty was watching the house while we were gone. She liked that :)

The actual camping experience was wonderful. Sitting inside the tent with our lantern on, telling stories. Roasting marshmallows and making s'mores. Yum. During one afternoon, Bri and I went to the beach while Daddy napped. It was a beautiful day for the shore! B was in her element, scooping sand up and making "houses". Running around in her swimsuit, taking occasional dips in the salty water; she was extremely busy ;) I, on the other hand, was perfecting the art of relaxation. I had my sunscreen slathered on and laid out on my towel to do some serious magazine reading. It was great...even when B thought it would be fun to pour a shovel-full of sand over said magazine. I buried her feet in return so then we were even. Though somehow I think she liked me burying her feet more than I liked her pouring sand on my stuff.

Later during the night, we drove into town and got B a big ice cream cone. It was the custard-like, thick, homemade type of ice cream and it was good. We walked around and window-shopped. Fortunately for Mike, most of the shops were closed ;) It rained that night, and my wisdomly intuition ;) had thought to put the rain slip up over the tent. So we arrived back at the site to dry things. I tried to boil water in the kettle, by placing in on our cast iron skillet, over the fire, but to no avail. Hot cocoa, coffee and tea were a no-go, except that I eventually bought some in town the next day. There's something about being able to boil your own water and make hot drinks around the campfire that I very much missed.

The next morning, we went for breakfast at McD's. Then we packed our stuff up. When I was young and at home, my parents used to go for day trips in Port Townsend and other peninsulas in that area. Chetzemoka Park was an old haunt. It's a sweet little park with a gazebo, play area, flower garden, and access to the beach. So after we had everything packed into the car, we found the park. It was soggy but just as I remembered it. I would have loved for B to play on the toys, but a wet bottom is not something you can afford on a long trip home. We opted for a little walk.

Unfortunately, my camera is something else I forgot! I had a detailed checklist, but in the rush to get out, we left it behind. Super sad. So I have only camera phone shots of the trips, and not that many. Once I find out how to upload them onto cd, I will have them on here. Any tips, Brian or someone else? And if anyone wants camping information on Fort Worden, just ask.

Now it is Monday morning. I am looking at the aftermath of the camping trip all over our living room. It will be an interesting day, as I also see B left things out on the deck while we were gone that shouldn't have been left out. Honestly, though, I am SO glad to be home! Amazing how being gone for only a weekend helps you appreciate being back.