First Camping Trip

A couple of weeks ago, we finally bit the bullet and pack the car up to go on a one-night family camping adventure.  The destination was Lake Puskus, a little campground overlooking a lake in the Holly Springs National Forest, only 20 minutes from our house.  We figured if something really went south, we could pack up and go home quickly. It was beautiful early Autumn weather (it has been so dry that a fire ban is in effect, though there were lots of campers who had fires).  We arrived at our campsite around 4 pm and got settled in, did a little fishing and exploring.  We had pb&j for supper (easier thing to prepare and clean up) and s'mores for dessert.  Marshmallows roasted on our coleman camp stove.  Before retiring to the tent, we star gazed at the milky way.  No shooting stars but we saw bats swooping down above our heads.  The night was a restless one and cold.  I left Roberts and my sleeping bag at home thinking the down comforter I brought would cover us both, but the kids were between us and the comforter did not stretch that far.  Kids were warm as toast, but I was freezing on the margins and thermarest are not that much padding.  I have since purchased an air-bed from REI.  Also some kids were blasting "every rose has it's thorn" through the campsite and campfire smoke was infiltrating our tent and it had a burnt plastic smell to it.  Nonetheless, it was wonderful to wake up before the sunrise and hike around the shore of the lake watching the day emerge and the mist rolling on the lake's surface.  After a warm breakfast of oatmeal, Winn and Daddy went fishing.  They caught 3 fish.  Winn is hooked on fishing after this trip.  We went for a short hike through the woods before we went home around 11am.  All in all, our first camping adventure was a success.  I would love to go for a longer, further afield excursion.  This weekend we are headed to LaLa and DeDa's treehouse and may do some porch camping.