Our Great Camping Adventure

After the success of last year's experiment, we knew we wanted to do a family camping trip this summer.  Delia is potty trained and in a bed, both girls are flexible with naps and at an age where running around outside would be super fun.  Everyone told us we had to go to Pinecrest, so we reserved one of the last remaining sites at Pinecrest, a sparkling mountain lake.  A pre-camping stop at Bass Pro was required since the last time Dave and I camped, we were just a party of two and had supplies for just the two of us.  We got the gear together, watched Ella and Delia befriend and name the lures in the tackle box, reprioritized what really needed to go when we had a "Ricardos and Mertzes go to California" moment with our car and took off for the cooler, pine-scented air of Pinecrest.

 

While we set up camp, the girls loved scrambling around on the numerous boulders that made their own playground on our site.















Even though Pinecrest is so ideal for campers that sites start filling up in November and we made our reservation just weeks ago, we got a perfect site, only a short walk from the lake.  When we got our first look at it, it was so blue and inviting!
















We headed straight for the marina, where we rented a paddle boat.  This let us explore the whole lake and map out where we wanted to fish and hike in the following days.




















Paddling and not falling off the back of the paddle boat took perseverance!  An ice cream reward from the busy lakeside snack shop was a must!










We loved Pinecrest for having no shortage of outdoor activity options.  But some of the best time was just spent playing cards at camp, roasting marshmallows, telling stories around the fire, reading by lantern-light and making/cleaning up meals together.





















We also took advantage of a great little sandy beach.  The girls had tons of fun digging in the sand and filling up their buckets.











The lake water was a bit chilly, so they created their own hot tub.  Heated by the sun, this shallow mud bath was much more comfortable to splash in!















We took a fantastic hike around a good portion of the lake.  On the far side, the lake is dammed and we climbed up and over tree roots and big rocks to get a look at the waterfall.









The girls took turns riding on Dave's shoulders since the terrain was moderately difficult to hike.  (Our beloved hiking backpack would not fit in the so-stuffed-we-barely-had-room-for-the-kids car.)









A really cool footbridge let us walk over the pounding water.  We saw a big rainbow and where the river rapids are redirected into the forest below-- some sites that were totally worth the hike!

Ella was just dying to try fishing for the first time.  At Bass Pro we picked up a pink fishing pole for her.  She was quickly disappointed when she dropped her line in the water and a fish did not immediately bite.  Since fishing is a lesson in patience, the girls didn't end up doing too much of it, but Dave got up early to try.  We never did catch any fish.

Ella and I made some great memories when we went on a date at the "Movies Under the Stars" Pinecrest Amplitheatre.  We laughed and cried together as we cuddled in the camping chair and watched Toy Story 3 on an outdoor big screen.  With the lake behind the screen, bats fluttering above us and the full moon guiding us back to camp in the dark, this was an experience neither of us will ever forget! 

Over the past few days, the girls have never been dirtier and no one slept great, but we all had a load of fun and were even scolded by Ella as we packed up camp-- "Why didn't you bring a hammer and boards?  Then we could build our own house and live here I love it so much!"  For our first time camping with kids, I'm gonna go ahead and call this positive experience a tradition-in-the-making.