Date:  3/14-3/16/2019

Location:  San Antonio         Hotel:  Sure Stay Best Western Sea World

Traffic was horrible the whole way there.  It started with an accident on 35 in Dallas.  Next time we’ll listen to Waze when it tries to direct us around the city via Loop 12.  Then there’s the terrible traffic in Austin, but that’s always a hot mess!  Made our obligatory road trip stops at Buccees and DQ for a Blizzard – good ole Texas staples 🙂

Natural Bridge Caverns was the first stop of our “Spring Break Palooza”.  Megan met us there on Thursday on our way into town.  I’d seen billboards for this place for years, but had never been. We purchased our cavern tickets ($30 bucks a pop) and had over an hour to kill before our tour started, so the kids did the maze while Kevin and I baked in the sun.  It was a fairly hot and super sunny day.

We lined up for our tour and the guide explained that this underground amazingness was discovered by 4 college kids spelunking (one of my favorite words) in 1960 – Can you imagine stumbling upon this?? It is the largest set of caverns in the state of Texas.  In a nutshell, it was formed by an underground “river” that moved slowly through cracks and pores in the limestone.  In time, it formed a huge underground passage.  The continuous drips of water continue to form stalactites and stalagmites that are jaw dropping to look at.  Also, one of cool things you see right upon entry, is a set of jaw bones from a species of grizzly bear that is over 8000 years old!  Ok, enough of the science and history lessons . . Anyway, it was a really cool experience.

What was NOT SO COOL was the temperature.  A steady 70 degrees year round, but at 99% humidity it felt like 170 degrees!!  We were DRIPPING with sweat!  Literally, I had sweat rolling off my shoulders!  We made our way down 180 ft below the surface at steady and slow pace, hanging on to the hand rail so you don’t slip (that would be something I would do) where guides at different spots explained some of  the different formations and what they were named, etc.  The climb back up (did I mention it was 180 ft below the surface) was all held to the very end – whoa daddy!!  We were all huffing and puffing and sweating like we were training for the Olympics.  Dang, I’m out of shape, especially in this ridiculous humidity.  We barely made it to the benches outside after spending 10 minutes at the water fountain, trying to keep from passing out.  Thank God it was still tolerable weather outside (in the 70s), because I can’t image if it was August and 100 degrees when you exited from that death climb.  I recommend touring this place this time of year and not in the summer.

From there, we drove to Megan’s house to see it for the first time.  She bought it as a foreclosure and has redone almost the whole house.  We met her 2 dogs, Jango & Ripley, and said goodbye to one of her roommates that was moving out that weekend.  We tried the authentic Mexican restaurant called Lago de Chapala Jalisco Taqueria y Mexican Restaurant (try to say that 3 times fast) at the end of her neighborhood and loved it! Nolan had Mexican Coke in a bottle (not sure how it’s any different than American Coke – tasted the same to me).  Homemade flour tortillas, the BEST quesadillas (per Cameron) and just all around really good food and cheap!

We checked into our hotel late and went straight to bed.

The next morning Megan joined us for the hotel continental breakfast, which was nothing to write home about, but did have the Texas shaped waffle iron that the kids love to do. We packed our waters and snacks and headed to Sea World, getting there before the gates opened.   I dressed in short sleeves and told everyone they should do the same, because it was going to warm up and they’d be sorry having to lug around sweatshirts the whole day.  Well I was wrong!!  It was overcast, windy and COLD the whole day!  Everyone bee-lined for the gift shops the second the gates open to buy up all the sweatshirts at a premium cost.  Cameron and Ashley got sweatshirts (Cameron’s was 2 sizes too big, but that’s all they had).   Kevin and Nolan were already prepared with the sweatshirts they wore in.  I, on the other hand, just suffered through it.  Kevin wanted to buy me a blanket that they were selling in the stands at the shows (I’m sure at a 300% mark up in order for Sea World to capitalize on the unusually cold day at this time of the year).  I’m sure these same blankets and sweatshirts were pulled off the 30% off racks from the day before.  I wouldn’t let him buy me a sweatshirt or blanket, but he was sweet enough to share his jacket with me (we each took an arm).

I think our favorite part of Sea World  were the shows.  We managed to see them all.  Had work that schedule just right to fit them all in.  Even managed to fit lunch in too.  This consisted of  standing in line for about an hour to get up to the burger stand where they just ran out of burgers after Nolan ordered his.  I talked the guy into taking 4 burgers from the stand next to us that still had a couple left.  $80 later and one of the worst burgers on a cold hard bun, we finished up so we could get back to the action.  For some reason, my kids don’t like roller coasters, so Megan did a couple by herself while we wandered around and looked at some exhibits.  The 4 of us did ride one together – not too exhilarating.

Ironically, one of my favorite shows was the rescue animal dog and cat show – not marine animal based at all.  The sea lion show was a riot and the Baluga whale and killer whale shows were amazing too.  We finished up with the dolphin exhibit and headed back to the hotel.

We were exhausted and decided picking up pizza from Luciano’s (another fabulous recommendation from Megan & Chicken Alfredo pizza was to die for!) and relaxing in the indoor pool & hot tub sounded like a good night.

The next morning Megan met us at the HEB downtown where we dropped off Kevin’s truck and piled in her car to park near the River Walk.  We started early at the Alamo which was a good think because the lines were HUGE by the time we left.  It was interested to see such a big part of Texas history right in person.  We just did the self guided tour and took the obligatory pictures, something that my family has finally given into and complaining is down to a minimum at the number of pictures I make them take . . . they’ll appreciate it one day.  After all, what would I put in these blogs if it weren’t for all these pictures??

After the Alamo, we headed down to the River Walk.  I’ve always heard about what a cool place this was and I was not disappointed.  We took a river boat tour and learned a lot about San Antonio history.  We decided on the Mexican restaurant, Casa Rio, that the guide said was the oldest Mexican restaurant on the river walk. We stuck out the wind and cold so we could be right on the water and watch the other river boat tours go by.  The food was ok, but it was more about the ambiance.

We said goodbye to Megan and hit the road back home.  I talked Kevin into stopping in West, TX to get my favorite kolaches from Village Bakery.  Unfortunately, it was closed due a death in the family, so I was forced to try the competitor, Czech Stop.  It is right on the highway and the line was wrapped around the building.  I was sure I’d been missing out all of these years with crowds this big to get all of the bakery items – NOPE!  They are not even in the same category of awesomeness.  Village Bakery is still #1 in my books. I’ve been eating this since I was a little girl.  I remember the Taylors would drive there every December and get hundreds of frozen ones to give as gifts for Christmas.  Yum!

It was a great trip and we packed a bunch in – Go, go, go the whole time!  We needed to get back at decent hour because Kevin had to be up at 3:30 am for work the next day.  Ugh! I don’t know how he does it. . . . By the way, who knew the speed limit on some parts of I35 is 85 now!!  I thought it was a misprint or graffiti turning the 5,6,or 7 into an 8, but Kevin assured me it was the actual speed limit.  Trickier camera shot than I thought, traveling at this speed, but I got it 🙂

We had to pick up chewy and Rory on the way home from their “camp”.  We tried out a new dog sitter from Rover.com and I think it worked out well.  Chewy made himself right at home, spooning the husband on the couch and sleeping in their bed with them  We got picture updates and texts through out their stay.  They went on walks, ate lots of treats and Chewy played up a storm with their dog Buster while Rory watched.  Both dogs came home and napped for days. . . .busy vacation for them too.

Date:  12/28-12/30/2018

Place: Deer Lake Cabins – Mt Vernon, TX

Site:  The one and ONLY RV site & Wild West Cabin

Met Mimi and Earl in the Costco parking lot to pass off Nolan and Cameron for the drive there, so Megan and Chewy would have more room in the back of our truck.  Ashley had an interview in Marshall (which she ended up getting the job!) and was meeting us there later that day.

We vacationed here last year right before Christmas (rented a cute little cabin for the 4 of us) and fell in love!  So, we decided to come back just after Christmas this year and invited Mimi, Earl, Ashley & Megan to join us.  I discovered last year they had one RV spot that never gets used because they don’t advertise it.

The first turn into the entrance, towing our enormous 41 ft Shasta, was a little hairy, with it’s hair-pin turn back to the right and towering trees on either side of the road.  We were just barely able to get in.  This set the tone for what was ahead.  After seeing our GIANT fifth wheel parked by the office, the maintenance crew asked Kevin to ride with him to navigate the route to the site because they were concerned we might be too big to get back there.  Kevin said it was going to be tight, but he thought we’d make it.  So, the maintenance crew pulled out their “chain saw on a stick” and lead the way, chopping low hanging limbs from the back of the truck.  At times, we literally had INCHES to spare on either side, but finally made it to the entrance of our site.  Here laid the next challenge . . . getting it backed into the actual spot.  There was a cluster of 3 very unfortunately placed trees right in the WRONG spot, but between chopping down more limbs, 4 people guiding us on either side and Kevin maneuvering this rig like a boss, we got it in there.  The irony of the situation was that this was one of the largest, wide open spots we’ve camped in, but was like threading a needle to get to it.  I call it the “birth canal”.

Phew, that stress was over and we set up camp (which included a NOT-SO ‘”quick set up” volleyball net that the kids never used one time).  Mimi and Earl rented the little cabin right next to our spot called “Wild West” where we made a little path through the trees between the two.  The cabin was a 2 bedroom (1 King & 2 double beds), 1 bath, huge front porch, a back porch with beautiful views of the lake – Cute as a button!  Nolan and Cameron stayed in the cabin with Mimi and Earl, and Ashley and Megan stayed in the RV with us.  Perfect!

We cooked and ate all of our meals at Mimi’s cabin and played Racko, Catch Phrase, 9 square, bracelet making and worked on a puzzle.  All of the fun indoor things to do.

They have tons of activities to chose from – Some free and some you pay for.  Nolan and Megan did a mountain bike tour (this ended up being free due to 2 broken chains) while  Mimi and Earl took a guided hike.

Kevin, Ashley, Cameron and I did the morning “Feed the Animals Tour” –  Right up our alley!  We met at the barn, filled all of the buckets with each animal’s feed, then hopped in the Gator to feed them all (pigs, sheep, horses, goats and cows).  Blue, the resident farm dog led the way – He is the CUTEST thing and was probably one of our favorite parts of the trip (I’ll talk more about him later).

The kids all enjoyed roping lessons and each one of them caught on so fast!  Cameron and Nolan tried their hand at this last year too.  The instructor is the nicest guy and challenged them to a tournament (1 against 4) and lost, awarding them each a candy bar from the gift shop. Kevin and I watched, trying to stay warm and Chewy got to see his horse pals from last year.  Or as we call them “treat dispensers”.  Let’s just say that the little green nuggets (AKA manure) are one of his favorite snacks.  So gross!!

Another highlight was the 1/2 day ATV rental.  We rented 2:  a 4 person Gator (2 front facing and 2 rear facing seats) and a 4 person Razor.  Soooooo cold but so fun!  Chewy rode along for the first part of it and Megan stayed behind because it was too cold.  The kids got to drive (which they loved!) and the trails were challenging, full of mud and hills.  A couple of times, I wasn’t sure if we were going to make it through some of the rocks and creeks, but we did!  The kids ended up hopping out at one point, too scared to ride with Ashley, while she navigated through a particularly challenging part

We loved playing with the goats, miniature horse (Cameron named him “Hot Cocoa Kisses”), sheep (we named him loofa) and the cows.  They also had a chicken coupe where we harvested an egg.  Not going to feed us all breakfast, but it was fun to get.

This place is just gorgeous and has another smaller “Dream Lake”, sporting a dock with rocking chairs, a fish cleaning station and paddle boats (which we didn’t do this year).  We took some nice walks and soaked in the nature.

As mentioned before, Blue, the resident ranch dog, hung out with us a lot.  There are signs up at the office and in each cabin explaining who he is, so guests don’t think he’s a stray.  He roams the whole ranch and sometimes sleeps in the guest’s cabins, helps out with chores, and makes everyone feel welcome.  He even ate breakfast with us on our last morning and loved Rory and Chewy.  He’s a very busy boy and what a great life!

Sunday rolled around and it was time to pack up and leave.  Poor Kevin had lost sleep all weekend, thinking about how he was going to get our rig out of this place.  He drove with the manager on Saturday trying to plan the best route out.  Mom, Earl, Ashley and Megan headed out, and we went and found the maintenance guy, that happened to be there on Sunday, to see if he could help.  The initial route we had planned out was a “no go” due to an impossible turn back that couldn’t happen.  So, the maintenance guy thought he had a plan to get us to the back gate and said the only problem was it might not be tall enough for us to fit through.  I’m having images of us getting to that back gate, only to find out we’re too tall and trying to do a 72 point turn to turn around and head out the way we came.  Here goes nothing!  Nolan was holding tree limbs back as we went, so Shasta wouldn’t get all scraped up.  I was running along behind (or let’s say, fast walking), all eyes were on every tree as we only had inches to spare on all sides.  We made it to the exit and all crossed our fingers and held our breath as the gates opened and low and behold . . .we fit!!!  It was like we won the Super Bowl, whooping and hollering, high fiving and doing happy dances.  So stressful but so worth it.  Hopefully they’ll get some more trees chopped down for next year, because I don’t think I can talk Kevin into doing that again.

We’ll definitely come back – Love this place!

Date:  2/22 – 2/24/2019

Place:  Pilot Knoll Campgrounds, Highland Village, TX

Just 10 minutes from home, but it felt like we were a million miles away!  The forecast called for wind and rain, so let’s go camping!!  Lol!  It ended up not being too bad.  Kevin started the reservations Thursday to get in some relaxation time on his days off before we joined him Friday evening.  Well, so much for a relaxing Thursday.  We ended up buying a hot tub earlier that week, and it was scheduled to be delivered Thursday and before it came, Kevin had to cut the gate to the backyard so it could fit through, then the electrician had to come out and run electricity to it.   When that was all said and done, he had to go get Shasta (the RV) and set up camp, which is no easy chore for one person.

He got a great spot right on the lake.  That’s the cool thing about this park, so many “on the water” sites.

We joined him Friday night after work/school, and the rain broke just in time so we were able to sit outside and enjoy the lake views & city lights in the distance. Beautiful! Kevin even had the lights all strung up – one of my favorite things.

Getting into the park that evening was quite the ordeal . . . . . Kevin had given me the code (about 1000 numbers and letters long).  We pulled up to the entrance and there’s a line of cars about 6 deep with the person standing outside of his car going from the pay kiosk (since the office was closed) and back to his car, and looking very frustrated.   Back and forth and back and forth on his phone.  About 5 minutes goes by and he’s obviously having trouble, so he goes up to each car in front of me to let them know he can’t get in.  No one’s code will work.  I try mine and it opens!  So I have to put in my code for the arm to open, one car makes it through, the 2nd car right on his tail and the arm comes down and smacks the 2nd car then pops back up.  Then I repeat the same process for the next group.  Keep in mind the place you put the code in is pretty far away from the gate, so I have to put the code in, run back to my car, scoot it up a spot and put the code in again.  Now it’s our turn to go through, so I ask the random stranger behind me to drive my car through (with my kids in the car of course – who mentioned what a “mother of the year”  that made me) and his son drives his car through.  I run under the gate to get through on foot and the arm comes down on top of my back, it didn’t hurt, but man do I wish I had a video of all of that chaos!!  I’m sure this written rendition is not giving a true picture of what happened or probably even making sense . . . . but I digress . . Anyway, back to camping.

Ashley and her 2 dogs (Zach & Zoey) arrived Friday night and we all had dinner together in the camper (Eckridge sausage & mac n cheese).  Tried to watch Princess and the Bride, but we all fell asleep.

Saturday we set up the hammocks in a perfect location right by the lake and broke out the bubbles that Kevin found in the camper.  Never too old for those!

We rented a 2 person kayak for the kids to try out and the dogs joined in on that too – well, not Chewy . . . he stayed back and kept “Sissy” company.  She was the little dog in the campsite next door whose owner asked if we’d watch her while he went to church.

The Pollones, Mimi & Earl, and Cori, one of my friends from work came out on Saturday to celebrate Kevin and my birthday (Yes, only 4 days apart).  We had a fish fry, played corn hole, took the dogs on a a walk and more kayaking.

My mom brought a cake and they all sang happy birthday to us (twice, because the first one was way too quiet and slow).  Super fun night! After everyone left, Nolan climbed in bed with us to watch Robin Hood while everyone else went to sleep.

We made a big breakfast Sunday morning.  Ashley headed back early, and we went on a short hike through the park.  It was a shaded trail with lots of thorns, but we managed.  They have some primitive camp sites out there, and it struck us how odd it was that we were literally 10 minutes from home but felt like the middle of no where.  Then you looked harder through the trees and there was the I35 bridge in the distance.

Play time!!

I love this place, and we’ll definitely come back when we need a quick, close get-a-way.  Time to go home and get that new hot tub set up!!

Date:  1/24-1/27/2019

Location:  Lake Tawakoni SP, Wills Point, TX

Site 49 (pull through, full hookups, close the the lake, lots of space)

Back to Lake Tawakoni for our 2nd trip here.  Nolan wasn’t feeling well, so he stayed with Jeff, and Cameron decided to the stay the weekend with Presley to attend Game Night with her family.  Ashley and her dogs were meeting us there to spend time with us and her grandparents who live nearby.  This park is literally 10 minutes from Art and Reda’s house.  Kevin headed out to set up camp on Thursday to get some relaxation time and did some fun things like polish the camper (no thank you . . .) and a trip to Walmart with his dad.  Thursday morning was a 2nd visit from the warranty/repair people on the fridge in the camper that was still misbehaving.  Cross our fingers this time it’s fixed . . .

I left Friday after work and, as usual, relied on GPS to get me there. . . .until the cell coverage was lost and my GPS quit working.  I called Kevin and the call kept dropping.  What to do now??  How the heck did we used to find our way around?  Dust off the Mapsco?  I finally managed to drive around until I found a signal, then did an overview of the map to see where I was going, and I made it!!  Reading a map old school style – man, how times have changed!!

This is a great park!  Tons of dear, sandy soil, a great beach area (not that we were going to take part in that this time of year), concrete sites, newer bathrooms, good trails and plenty of shade, although not a ton of waterfront sites.

Saturday we had lunch in town at Pudgy’s BBQ & Mexican – pretty good.  Kevin had smoked sausage fajitas (hence the BBQ/Mexican mashup)

3 dogs in the camper always makes for chaos.  They managed to tear into the dog food bag, scratch up the couch and who know what else goes on when we’re not around . .  I would love to have a camera in there or be a fly on the wall to see the shenanigans that transpire when we’re gone.

Kevin and I headed over to Art and Reda’s where we managed to lock Kevin’s key in his truck while it was running.  Thank you OnStar for remotely unlocking the truck as a courtesy, even though we don’t currently subscribe.  Art and his neighbor were digging a trench in the road with his tractor, helping the water drain (an ongoing issue), when the belligerent neighbor came cussing and screaming out of the house yelling at them that it was “NOT GOING TO WORK!”.  He’s a real friendly one, that a couple days earlier, spun his tires in the neighbor’s front yard and spit tobacco juice all over their mail box, while revving his engine in the middle of night.  Gotta love the country!

Reda wasn’t feeling well, so Art came back to camp with us and we cooked steaks over the campfire and roasted the obligatory s’mores.  Yum!

I managed to fall asleep (imagine that?!?!) to the movie The Meg.  I can’t help it!  Something about movies in the camper and at home, I just can’t stay awake.  Old lady syndrome I guess!

Sunday we took the dogs on a nice little hike, where Ashley managed to submerge her tennis shoes in mud.  Other than that, the trails are nice, it follows part of the shore of the lake, goes by some of the primitive camp sites and there’s plenty of shade.  Would love to come back here in the summer.

It was a nice relaxing weekend.  Time to get back to the real world – blah!

9/1 – 9/3/2018

Location: Possum Kingdom State Park (Site 6)

We were aiming to leave at 8am sharp! . . .  Actual departure time: 9:30 (seems to be a reoccurring theme with us). Then, “CRUNCH” went the boat as it hit   Yep, I was hauling the boat this time, and that’s how we started our morning.  Guess we parked the boat a little too close to one side and ran into that when I took off.  No damage done, but crap!  This was the first far away trip that we were taking the boat and the camper, so we took two cars and didn’t get to ride together.  Cameron and I were in my car and Nolan rode with Kevin (taking advantage of the wifi in Kevin’s truck).  God knows, you can’t make a road trip without hours on end of Youtube or Angry Birds (is that even around anymore?) – Otherwise might have to actually engage in conversation or soak in the scenery outside.  The other difference this trip was Chewy was staying at home with Ashley and her 2 dogs.  We’ll miss him, but I’ll have to admit, I’m kind of looking forward to one less responsibility not having to deal with him there.  But don’t worry Chewy, we will not make this a habit.

Upon checking in, they let us know there were only 2 spots left for us to choose from, and both were very small.  If we couldn’t fit in one of those, then there was an empty park host spot that apparently had some chain link fence around it and was not ideal.

Kevin managed to shoe horn our giant 40 ft 5th wheel into a spot meant for a 25 footer.  He amazes me the way he can maneuver that thing around.  If it were up to me, I’d have to pull it in the parking lot in the entrance and set up camp there.  Turns out this was one of our favorite spots ever, b/c we were literally RIGHT ON THE WATER!  I mean, we could practically fish out the back window.  It felt like we were on a cruise ship! The views were gorgeous, plus we had the built in entertainment of boats, skiers and tubers cruising by.  The sunrises and sunsets were stunning!

Felt like we were on a cruise ship with the water right out the window

Let’s talk about one of my favorite subjects, the wildlife.  This trip did not disappoint.  We started off with a deer sighting right after we pulled in.  When I say sighting, I mean, she was literally grazing right outside the door of the welcome center and could care less that we were there.  Maybe she’s the Possum Kingdom State Park mascot? Or should that be a possum?

Next, there was the cutest little duo of white ducks that we made friends with.  We fed them a couple pieces of bread when they swam up to our campsite the first day.  Sure enough, they made the rounds everyday, morning and night to see what we had to offer. They paused and made their presence known, just in case we wanted the throw them some more treats.

Most notable, was the skunk that our neighbors brought to our attention the night we were out playing corn hole, pointing to the ledge just 15 feet away from where we were standing.  So, we did what every normal person would do, ran inside to grab the flashlights to track him down.  Nolan spotted him and said he was a little guy, about the size of a squirrel.  I guess it’s used to people, because he wasn’t bothered enough to spray.  Amen!

Nolan skunk hunting with a flashlight

Starving for lunch, we decided to take the boat over to the marina at Fox Hollow Grill. According to Waze (which, by the way, does not navigate you on the lake), it was .8 miles by boat or 22 miles by car.  Having never been on this lake before, we grabbed a map to find out way.  Easier said than done. . . . We ended up stopping to ask some girls laying out on their dock for directions – We were way off, but managed to finally find it.  You think they’d mark the restaurant and gas pump/marina better from the lake, like huge billboard or something.  Nope, just a teensy little yellow sign that I could barely read even pulling right up to it. Our lunch was good, fried pickles (homemade ranch :-)), burgers, chicken fried steak – typical bar food.  Our table had a great view of the lake.  We decided to filler’ up while we were there since we were working on less than a half tank of gas and just heard that the Hell’s Gate was a 30 minute boat ride away!!  The attendant stepped up to put the gas in and the boat wouldn’t take it.  It kept shutting off and spilling gas in the lake.  What in the world?!?  According to the map, there was one more marina around the corner with gas, so we headed that way to see if we could make that one work for us.  After several attempts at the 2nd marina, we finally figured out if we all stood on the opposite side of the boat from the gas tank, it tilted it enough for the gas to run into the boat and not trip the overflow shut off.  Phew!

The marina

From the doc to the restraunt

view from our table in the restraunt

Trying to get the gas into the boat

We made it back and decided to go for a swim right outside our backdoor.  OUCH!! So rocky!!! I took off my flip flops and painfully navigated my way to the water, cussing nearly every step, pushing myself on, thinking as soon as I got to the water it would all be better.  Nope! I had to army crawl across the rocks until I was deep enough to stand, then still could not find a place to put my feet was semi tolerable.   I was dreading making it back to my flip flops and decided that was the last swim I’d do here.  I’ll enjoy the views of the water from the camper.

My painful swim

A little cat nap for the boys

Not a bad place to grill

We found a new hobby.  Magnet fishing!!  One of our past trips, we came across a couple “fishing” from the pier with a giant magnet, picking up things like lures, plyers, keys, hooks and all other metal things.  So cool!  So we went straight home after that trip and ordered one off Amazon. So this was our maiden voyage with our new magnet.  The kids managed to get asmall rachet with a socket, a pipe and a couple of screws – score!  Now it’s straight home to order a 2nd one, because if I have to hear whose turn it is next, or that one person had it longer than the next, I might die!

The next day we woke up and made Sister Schubert’s sausage rolls, one of our staples on our camping trips for breakfast.  Our oven in this RV does a great job. The other 2 we used in the past burned the heck out the bottom of things while the top was raw.  Our mission today was to make the trek to Hell’s Gate (or as Nolan called it – Devil’s Cove) and see what that was all about.  I had seen pictures of the of the Red Bull cliff diving challenge where there were hundreds of boats lined up to watch these crazies dive from rocks at least 1000 feet tall (well that’s an exaggeration, but they were really really high).  Kevin found an app on his phone that would navigate us the 30 minute boat ride there.  Between steering the boat, holding his phone, touching the screen every 2 minutes so it didn’t “sleep” and referencing the paper map, he commented he needed 4 hands – lol! We made it!  And pictures and descriptions don’t do this justice.  It’s gorgeous and yes, really, really tall!  We anchored down near some million dollar mansion and jumped off the boat to swim and took in all that was going on around us.  So many kinds of boats, a people throwing balls to dogs in life vests, and houses with stair cases that seemed to go up for miles.  Great people watching too!  We had a picnic off the back of the boat.  Kevin dipped his Cheeto fingers into the water for a rinse and a fish came up and bit his finger – ha!   Maybe we should invent some kind of Cheeto covered bait and be millionaires?!  The ride home was memorable . . . .  Thunder clouds rolled in, the skies opened up and down came the rain. We navigated the waves as they poured over the front of the boat and tried to see with the rain stinging our eyes.  Nolan and Cameron rode up front getting pelted by the rain.  It was kind of exciting. We passed a sail boat that had tumped over, but luckily they had other people that stopped to help.

Multi-tasking!

Lunch time!

We made it back all in one piece and wrapped up that night with chili dogs and a movie in the camper – “The Big Miracle” (meh).  This is one of the reasons we upgraded to this camper. There is room for all of us to sit inside, hang out to play games or watch movies without being on top of each other.  Of course Kevin and I get the recliners!

We woke up to more rain, which would have been lovely if we could sit inside and enjoy the peaceful sound, but nope, it was time to pack up camp.  Everything was soaking wet: chairs,  canopies and the rug, etc . . . At least it wasn’t cold, but we were WET!

The favorite part of every trip is always the dump station (enter sarcasm here) and this was no different.  We pulled up behind 4 other trailers and waited our turn in line.  I had the boat behind me, so was just a spectator, but am pretty sure that this was everyone else’s first time to this because they took forever!  We finished up with that to begin the world’s longest drive home.  This started with pulling over because the tube nearly flew out of the boat, so Kevin and Cameron risked their lives securing it back in the boat after I pulled over on the side of the highway on a shoulder barely wide enough for us to fit.  Then, we stopped for gas, where I tried not to draw attention to myself with 2 cops sitting in the parking lot while the lights on the trailer were still not working.  The bikes had to be thrown inside the camper because the carrier failed and they were inches from dragging the ground.  After that, we pulled over again b/c I forgot to screw on the gas cap (ugh!).   I missed a turn and we had to U-turn with the boat and the giant RV . . . not so easy.  Bless Kevin’s heart, he’s always so patient with all of these shenanigans.  Just one of the reasons I love him so much. Next was lunch at Dairy Queen.  Thankfully, we passed through Decatur with out incident (Kevin was still on his 30 day probation in this town from the speeding ticket he got on the way to Colorado for the wedding).  We finally made it home 5 hours from when we started (should have been 2 hrs 20 minutes).  Waze needs to learn when I put in a destination, double the time!!

Waiting in line at the dump station

Cameron & Kevin figuring out how to secure the tube

This is how we roll – tons of parking at the DQ – Amen!!