For all in-tents and purposes...

Camping is just sleeping outside

So we packed up some of the cave and headed out to Kiptopeke State Park over the weekend. Well actually, we left on Thursday and came back on Sunday. That's a significant amount of outside with sus showers for Gatherer. We took Wildelife Z with us, and she's still fairly upset with me...this will only get worse when she realizes she is getting a bath tonight. I looked to see if either Hunter or I took an actual picture of our camp site but all that we have involve natives from our friends' caves and I tend not not post those here.

To prep I set out everything we might want to take and then we debate over what we used vs what we wish we had. The natives don't enjoy ridding bikes so we switched out our bike carrier for a hitch basket thing (hunter ordered, couldn't tell you what it is actually called). Without that thing I have no clue how we would have packed everything. Yes those are bunk beds I found army style camping bunk beds that made it so we had room for Z's crate to keep her safe. We can also use them for sleep overs and they are very easy to set up and they pack down to nothing, but they are a little heavy.

The park is really neat, they have sunken ships to protect the swimming beach and and low tide you can walk out really far in the water. We tend to stay most of the day on the swimming beach and some of the group goes out tubing or fishing with the boat owning (boat owned?) members of our group. I got to go out fishing with Native2 this year for a bit. It was interesting working out the puppers situation at the swimming beach (no furballs allowed) but between our really sweet friends and a crate we managed.

We haven't ever ventured off site before but this time we popped in to Cape Charles for a bit. We hit up a custard place with all the natives and then slid over to the Cape Charles Brewery for dinner. For those of you that know me, you know the idea of me being out in public without make up is...unsettling. It was slightly hard for me to relax because I was fairly aware of my appearance (and smell probably) but the natives had fun so it was good.

I said I was going to workout on the trip, but honestly I didn't do much. Some burpees, pushups, jump squats, and planks everyday but I never pulled the bands out. Did lots of walking and going up and down the stairs to the beach but I doubt I burned all the calories from beer and marshmallows so I'll hurt when I make it to the gym for the first time in 3 days. I also got my first bee sting ever. Thought the poor guy was a tag on my swimsuit, and he really didn't want to hang out in my swim bottoms. I also wouldn't have been a fan so I'm glad he stung me on the hand before making to my bum.

We really all did have so much fun. It forced us to untether from most electronics and to just enjoy the time. It was probably slightly longer than I like to live out in nature but the Natives love running wild. Had the scariest moment of my life for about 5 minutes our last night there when Native2 took a wrong turn out of the bathroom and ended up at the campsite behind ours...probably the scariest for him as well, because the sound of terror from his voice calling out was just as filled with it as ours was calling for him. He was a little less wild thing and wouldn't go out of sight from us after that. Native1 is basically ready to move out of the cave and in with his friends, so I imagine his teenage years are going to be a blast. Hunter keeps saying we should do this more than once a year...I keep saying "uh-huh" as a reply because I'm safe in knowing neither of us will get around to planning it. I like air b&b rental cabins with kitchens and bathrooms. I think most of the magic of camping comes from the group we camp with rather than the experience itself so for now...once a year does me juuussttt fine.