Camping - Eisenhower State Park: October 21-23, 2016

Camping - Eisenhower State Park

October 21-23, 2016

Friday:

Jeff and I decided to go camping the same weekend while Jakob attended a camp out with the other youth at Cross Way UMC.  It was my first time at Eisenhower State Park.  We arrived on Friday, October 21, 2016, in the evening.  We decided to purchase annual state park passes.  After dropping Jakob off with Cross Way UMC youth at Deer Haven.

Jeff and I decided on Armadillo #50 which was farther away from Jakob's group.  A closer site, Fossil Ridge, was closer but had a Boy Scout troop next open campsite.  We decided against it.

It was my first time to set up a tent in the dark!  Jeff was able to get the lantern hooked up which helped dramatically.  Ashlyn fell asleep around 9pm while Jeff and I read prior to going to bed.  We did not make a fire this first night.

Saturday:

We all woke up around 7am.  Jeff mixed up the pancakes and heated up the bacon.  Jeff heated hot water and we also made hot chocolate.  We realized we forgot syrup for the pancakes, which ended up making it easier to clean up the dishes!  Ashlyn and I also had a banana with our breakfast.

After cleaning up the dishes, we headed off to the trail to head over to Deer Haven.  We hiked on Armadillo Hill and Ike's Hike and Bike Trail.  We visited with our Cross Way UMC family.  While visiting we asked Vince if he had extra hot dogs since we also realized we had forgotten them.  Ashlyn was wearing out from the long hike and was getting hungry, so we headed back primarily on the street.

Once we arrived back to our camp site, we cooked the hot dogs over the fire.  We ate hot dogs and chips along with yogurt and apple sauce.

The afternoon was peaceful.  Ashlyn and I colored.  Jeff and I both read.  We visited the playground which Ashlyn enjoyed even though it was just swings.  Both playgrounds at Deer Haven and Armadillo Hill only had swings at their playgrounds.  Jeff and Ashlyn went down to the lake.

We prepped taco meat prior to camping and had soft tacos for dinner.  We played Uno prior to eating Smores.  

 

Sunday:

We all woke up around the same time.  I had planned oatmeal, banana, and bacon for my breakfast.  Jeff planned breakfast burritos with bacon for him and Ashlyn.  We made hot chocolate to go with breakfast.  After breakfast, we started cleaning and packing up.  

When we arrived to pick up Jakob, I was impressed that all of his stuff was packed together and ready.  He had packed it all up and out into one pile prior to eating breakfast.  The adults were impressed and complimented him on his behaviors.  

Things we realized we needed, forgot, or items for a Christmas list:

Broom kit

Mallet for staking tent down

Syrup

Freezer style bags

Kleenex

Table for food prep and dishes

Smaller bottle of bleach

Table cloth (purchased on clearance at Wal-Mart)

Clamps to hold table cloth to table

String / rope

Christmas ideas: GPS devices