Thank you, Grandma!

Thanks, Grandma Ruth!

Note: Apparently I am now blogging quite retrospectively.

Thanks to some Christmas money from my Grandma Ruth last December, Matt and I were able to purchase our long-awaited, home-away-from-home, TENT!

It arrived in early 2011 - smack in the middle of the chilly season that only sometimes earns its name down here in NC. Winter. So we waited, til we could try it out during warmer temps, a no-rain forecast, and a free weekend. And June was our reward.

Our first trip in early June was to Carolina Beach State Park, which is a mere 5 minute drive from beachfront glory at said Carolina Beach. Since we had no other gear aside from our tent, sleeping bags, 2 chairs, a lantern, matches, and marshmallow roasting sticks - it was the ultimate experience in minimalist camping. But really, sometimes, isn't it enough to just have a campfire, s'mores fixin's, beer, and a place to sleep? We spent all day out at the beach, tried a few local spots, and headed back for dessert at our campsite. But of course, I forgot my camera. So all you get is text. Stay tuned, pictures will accompany the story to follow...

So that brings us to trip #2 a couple weeks later in June. Venturing all the way out to Umstead State Park (yup, 8 minutes down the road from our house), and this time we brought along some of the gear we'd manage to acquire from careful research (thank you Matt!), price comparisons, and sales. So now we can add camp cooking to our list of survival skills. To avoid turning this post into a novela, let's just say balsamic vinegar and goat cheese were involved. And french press coffee. But not all at once.

This trip, we spent our time out on long hikes, sitting by the campfire, and practicing our cooking skills. And we've gotten pretty quick at the set-up and tear-down of our sweet tent (thanks again GMa).

Unfortunately, Summer down here earns its name 10 times over. So we patiently watched for a decent forecast (hoping for some overnight lows at least down in the low 70s) and a weekend I didn't have clinical shifts at the hospital, and in mid-July, we got lucky.

Out at Jordan Lake State Park, we tried out the Crosswinds Campground and some of the hiking that this large state park has to offer. We visited the New Hope Overlook area, partly to check out the primitive, hike in-and-out sites (so far, we've only done car-camping), as well as to try the trails on that side of the lake. While most of path is within the woods, there are a few spurs that get you out to the water. Which was nice for a picture break (i.e. - water and snack break):

Little fish in a big pond.


What a Happy Camper. (hardy, har, har)

Lately, it's been waaaay too hot and humid for camping, for us at least. But we'll keep an eye on the forecast and hopefully have another trip before too long.