Camping, Day 1 (one week ago)
Aug. 1st, 2006 08:43 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
elfsWe started out late. Given the heat wave, finding block ice was impossible but I found the next best thing: ten pounds of dry ice, along with a layer of regular ice to protect the frozen food from the CO2. I packed the roof of our trusty Escort wagon completely: four folding chairs, four sleeping bags, four bedrolls, and the tent, and then we packed the back of the wagon to the rooftop. I couldn't see out the back window, which is why I always buy cars with both port and starboard door mirrors. The car seemed less cramped than last year, probably because I was more willing to use the roof.
The girls were very well-behaved the whole trip down. The drive was routine, barely two hours with one stop for a leg-stretch halfway in. Bumper stickers are getting more stupid, however.
Seaquest Park Campsite 11 was nestled into the woods about twenty yards from the nearest outhouse, with some brush marking our separation from Campsite 12. The siting was lovely, although the mosquitos were dense enough to be frightening. The ranger told me it was the worst he'd ever seen it, so bad they were thinking of temporarily lifting their ban on spraying. Thank the scientist who discovered DEET, although the little buggers were ready to penetrate any item of cloth or skin where there was even a tiny patch uncontaminated by the stuff. The campsite was noisy, however, as there were a lot of kids in the park.
Omaha made a great fire. We grilled hot-dogs over the fire and passed around chips. Dinner is so simple when you're in the woods. We had purchased telescoping roasting sticks at REI and they may have changed my opinion about marshmallows; I usally loathe the things, but properly toasted I found them delicious.
We had forgotten our camping hatchet and dishrags, were much lower on citronella than I had thought, but no crises of terrible proportions. We had a sponge and paper towels, and the DEET was working for the time being.
There seemed to be a leak in our inflatable mattress. Hopefully it'll hold until tomorrow.
The girls were very well-behaved the whole trip down. The drive was routine, barely two hours with one stop for a leg-stretch halfway in. Bumper stickers are getting more stupid, however.
Seaquest Park Campsite 11 was nestled into the woods about twenty yards from the nearest outhouse, with some brush marking our separation from Campsite 12. The siting was lovely, although the mosquitos were dense enough to be frightening. The ranger told me it was the worst he'd ever seen it, so bad they were thinking of temporarily lifting their ban on spraying. Thank the scientist who discovered DEET, although the little buggers were ready to penetrate any item of cloth or skin where there was even a tiny patch uncontaminated by the stuff. The campsite was noisy, however, as there were a lot of kids in the park.
Omaha made a great fire. We grilled hot-dogs over the fire and passed around chips. Dinner is so simple when you're in the woods. We had purchased telescoping roasting sticks at REI and they may have changed my opinion about marshmallows; I usally loathe the things, but properly toasted I found them delicious.
We had forgotten our camping hatchet and dishrags, were much lower on citronella than I had thought, but no crises of terrible proportions. We had a sponge and paper towels, and the DEET was working for the time being.
There seemed to be a leak in our inflatable mattress. Hopefully it'll hold until tomorrow.
