I was really hoping to see bears this time, they have always eluded us. Of course all our camping neighbors saw bears but we never did...maybe next year! I did get to see a giant rattlesnake... a very angry one at that. They are so different here in the east than out west. I would never have thought it was a rattlesnake if I didn't see the giant rattle on the end of its tail. It was a beautiful emerald green color with black diamonds. Unfortunately I was not able to get a picture of it.... my camera was in the my camelback and Jessi was carrying it (she is a big fan of the lemonade I put in it haha.) She had gone up ahead. I didn't want her near this snake and made her stay back while we tried to encourage it away from the path so other hikers would not be endangered.
Xander is very fun... but very hard to go camping with. I realized after we got back that I was not able to take very many pictures... I was much too busy keeping the little fella out of the poison ivy....out of the fire... out of the road...out of other peoples tents and motor homes... you get the idea.
I did get a few fun shots and a few videos in.
Here we are hitting the road. I have to say I absolutely love my van... I love that I can play two different DVD's so the young uns and the older girls are all happy. Gotta love Xander in those headphones.
Apparently everyone else had the same idea we had about hitting the road early Friday morning... sigh....
The first thing the girls ask about every camping trip is whether or not their Dad is gonna build them a rope swing. Probably one of their favorite camping activities!
Our newest swing convert
Once the Spanbauer boys arrived on Saturday we set off on our first hike, it was simply a loop around the campground but it was great fun!
Climbing Boulders...
Waterfall fun...
Group photo before we head home. We love the two families that joined us, they made it a fun and memorable memorial weekend!
Think we wore 'em out?
