S'mores and more...

The last weekend in June we headed for a family camping trip about 45 minutes north of Grand Rapids. Although the weather did not cooperate entirely, it was still a great trip.

We arrived early Friday evening after the long drive. As Doug and I worked on the tent and random unpacking tasks, Collin enjoyed running around in this totally secluded environment and seeing all the camping items that we don't normally use at home. He surprised me (and I think also himself) when he discovered he could climb into the back of the truck by stepping on the boat trailer and hitch. This (left) is how I found him after I had been distracted for a couple minutes with the tent.

We enjoyed the usual camping goodies: bonfires, s'mores, breakfast cooked over a fire in cast iron pans, fishing and fireflies.

It rained quite a bit at night, but the tent held up nicely and there was no reason to abandon the trip. Some mist followed us late morning on Saturday, but not enough to stop us from fishing...we just added another layer and hit the lake! Soon after, the sun came out for an enjoyable day.

Sunday was packing day, and although it was quite windy it was calm by the dock so we did fit in some swimming before we left for home.

The thing that we enjoy most about camping here compared to other sites is that you really are alone with nature. It is a campsite, not a campgrounds so there are no other campers. The "amenities" are few and far between and include an outhouse and a very old cabin that is mostly storage and a shelter in case of heavy rains. There are some private cabins surrounding the lake, but the occupants also seem interested in their own privacy and quiet fishing on the beautiful lake. There is no reason to contend with water sports enthusiasts or people on a boating joyride. Although we enjoy those things too, sometimes it is best to just enjoy being on the water in a more peaceful way.

We look forward to S'mores and more in the future!