so we went back to Hunting Island State Park, this time with a couple friends. it was her first time having a friend with her on vacation and I must say, it was pretty great. the grown ups all had a little more time to relax seeing as how the little ones were often so content to play in the tent or hammock together, leaving us to read and relax and generally not having to entertain them quite so much.
there was kite flying, wading and splashing in the water, drip-castle-making….. and the bike was wonderful for getting around the campground (all three of us fit on it!) and hauling stuff to the beach. there was no real swimming in the ocean this time around~ it's still a bit cold and the day we expected to be the perfect maybe-we'll-brave-the-water day ended up being obscenely windy out on the beach and it made for a chilly experience even when dry and clothed. but that's alright- between the sand and salt air and ocean waves crashing, plenty of beach medicine was still taken in.
I made it to the beach in time for two sunrises, we roasted marshmallows every night, watched the deer nibble on the bushes across the road from our site….
we explored the nature center and marshy boardwalk again, and she and I climbed the light house while papa went digging for clams…
cheers to a great few days away! we are, admittedly, still getting used to this car-camping thing and still feel a bit curmudgeonly from time to time around the campsite when inconsiderate neighbor campers do things like play their wedding-DJ-esque dance mixes WAY TOO LOUD for WAY TOO LONG at night when we are trying to do such things as peacefully enjoy the outdoors, or leave dogs locked inside a camper to bark incessantly for HOURS. et cetera. still, it's growing on us. but I will say this. this summer, at least one backpacking trip.
when we got home it was strange not to be greeted by lots of meowing. but we plugged along and unpacked, aired things out before storing them away….
and she proceeded to make her own dinner because I was so busy with all of that.
coming up next: several (well, three) more posts about this trip because I took a million and ten photos of crazy driftwood and sunrises and clams. and surely there is a limit to how many photos one should squeeze into one post.
It sounds amazing, a wonderful time and memories made. I loved looking through your photos. Have a great Easter.
ReplyDeletethank you, you too!
Deletelooks like you had a fun time and no one stole anything from your car right? I remember that and it saddened me...people are inconsiderate with the noise especially in nature. Glad you had a fun time :)
ReplyDeletenothing stolen, hooray! no more parking the car and leaving it unattended in a strip mall parking lot in a city with the trailer hitched to it and all of our gear in plain sight. we learned our lesson!
Deletewe definitely had a fun time- it is a sweet place to visit.
Looks like another great trip. I hear you on the car camping, it has taken some getting use to for me too.
ReplyDeleteI really do love that place. And car camping, oh, car camping. so incredibly convenient and yet so……. ugh. But it is growing on me, especially as we tweak things to make our setup better and better.
DeleteYou were so prepared. And what a set up for the washing station. It's lovely to see what a great time you had.
ReplyDeletewe've had fun over the last year or so tweaking our car camping setup and are always adding things to the list for what to bring/what to change for next time….. funfunfun
Deleteoh!! i am glad you posted both posted of pictures. one post does not quite do this trip justice :) and wow... TWO sunrises... i am completely jealous :) the one time i made it out to the beach to watch the sunrise it was so cloudy that not a bit of color could be seen (aside from gray and blue). it sounds like such a wonderful trip. you have me feeling excited about camping again.... although we probably won't see that for a couple more months. also, those palm trees... i must admit... i have always had quite a thing for palm trees. we do not have them anywhere here in oregon. (and i don't think i would like having them here actually... it just wouldn't feel right) :)
ReplyDeletethe palm trees are always fun to see. yeah- I made myself get up and out to the beach those mornings and it was so, so, so worth it. not an opportunity I have often so I had to soak it in! definitely have plans for more camping trips this spring/summer/fall! hope you get to go soon!
DeleteI love it! I've been trying to talk julian into a beach camping trip to see the wild ponies in the Chesapeake. Apparently, there is a very small window of time where it is actually pleasant to do before the mosquitos are big enough to carry you away. You've rekindled my drive to make it happen THIS summer! Glad you had a great time. :)
ReplyDeleteI camped once, just for one night, in Assateague. It was beautiful and I definitely want to go back! have fun planning your trip!!
Delete