Take a Hike with the Claytons

Take a Hike with the Claytons

Thursday, January 3, 2013

Gunter Hill (Outside Montgomery) 12/1/12



First of all, let me say that the photos you see will not do justice to this campground.  Kelly is a really good photographer so that's saying a lot.  I cannot imagine a better place to take a trip.  Gunter Hill has everything we look for in a site and we couldn't say enough positive about it. 





Now for the trip...

We have officially learned that getting setup and settled before Carter's bedtime is an absolute must.  He sleeps so much better if as much as possible is normal for him. In this case, we did not get set up until close to 9:00 Friday night and we missed the 20-30 minute window before he became delirious. Once he gets to this stage, getting him to go down peacefully is a task!  He finally went to sleep but proceeded to wake up several times throughout the night.  We even had to take him for two night-time drives to get him to go back to sleep, and one of those didn't really work.   All in all, I think we slept about three hours on the first night.  Ugh.
 
The first morning began with oh-so-fond memories of the night before. Once we vented about the lack of sleep and eventually stopped feeling sorry for ourselves, we stepped outside the camper and realized we were in a really nice campground. One quick stroll made us wish we had taken a water-front site. So ... Kelly naturally said let's move the camper ... and I naturally said that's way too much work ... and in the end we naturally switched sites. :) The site we moved to was incredible. It only bordered one other site and backed up to the Alabama River. There was even a path to a waterfront pier that was a short distance away. It was a nice move for sure.

 

A look inside one side of the camper


 
Wasn't as dangerous as it looks


We had plans for Cory and Gina to visit us at lunch and then Grandmother and Grandaddy Clayton for dinner, so the first task was to tire Carter out in order to have time to prepare during his nap.  Carter loves playgrounds and fortunately there was one nearby.  It had all of the musts for a 19-month-old: slides, climbing, and of course dirt/rocks to throw.  We were successful in tiring him (or was it the fact he barely slept the night before?) because he took about a three-hour nap!! 



Cory and Gina joined us about 12:30 and we grilled hot dogs, ate too many chips, and talked about college football.  Is there anything better to do on a Saturday afternoon??!!  And since I haven't mentioned this yet and it goes perfectly with good eats and good conversation ... the weather was absolutely perfect.  I'm talking low 70s and not a cloud in the sky.  It caught a lot of people off-guard for December because there were not many campers around this weekend, which worked in our favor since we like privacy.





Cory and Gina left to go watch the SEC Championship game, and about 45 minutes later Grandmother and Grandaddy Clayton showed up with a new ball for Carter to play with.  We all hung out, walked down to the pier, took some pictures, showed off the camper, and then began preparing for dinner.  This time we decided to grill some hamburgers.  Unfortunately we are still having problems with the gas line to the grill on the camper, so we had to employ the campsite's grill and some charcoal from home.  It didn't turn out so great, and by that I mean the burgers were so charred they looked like we had painted them black.  It was an adventure trying to navigate the grill, but I must say that the burgers didn't taste that poorly.  Grandmother and Grandaddy Clayton played a little longer and then they departed for civilization. 











Peek-a-boo!
The Tether Ball is a must have!  So much enertainment without having to run off!
Laid back playing with his ear


MERRY CHRISTMAS! Apparently it's a rule that you have to "tacky-up" your camper


The burgers:)


Fortunately for us, Carter went to sleep easily and slept wonderfully through the night!!!  It was so great to sleep well and wake up in nature on one of the most beautiful mornings of the year!!  As I was lying in the bed I wondered what the view behind me was like, and when I unzipped the  window I was stunned.  It was an incredible view of the Alabama River with the perfect amount of morning light shining down.  One heck of a way to start your morning.  Kelly worked her "camp chef magic" once again and whipped us up some hearty breakfast, which Carter devoured.  We then relaxed a good bit in the camper, read some magazines and kid's books, and played catch with Carter.  All in all, it was a great morning!



Smiles for a great night sleep!








 
Checkout was not until 3:00, but we decided to pack up and head home in the daylight.  That way the evening wouldn't be so stressful.  We played on the playground one more time, walked down to the pier again, and then started the process of cleaning up!

Site Ranking: We would give Gunter Hill 9.0. Our location in the park and privacy put this high up for us.  It could have been the right time of year so it will be interesting if we go back at a busier time.  Facilities were good, Kelly hated the showers.  We did have a fire ring and picnic table which was helpful.  The playground was also HUGE for us!  .

Lessons to take away from this trip:
1.) Get the camper registered!  0-2 on getting pulled over on camping trips! 
2.) Make sure the break lights work before you leave- could have gotten two tickets!  The policeman was very nice to us.   
3.) This time we brought lanterns, but still need more light!  Christmas is coming up!:)
4.) Try to get there early enough to keep Carter on his schedule- may help us all to have a better night?
5.) The first week of December is an excellent wekeend to go camping!