Cheaha State Park, Delta, AL

 Short trip, but definitely worth it! This was our second Christmas camping trip and since we hadn’t been anywhere lately due to the move into a new home, we decided to keep things close by with our first trip to Cheaha State Park.  Kelly also got to celebrate her 39th birthday!

Even though it has the highest elevation in the state, we were lucky that the temps stayed in the 50s most of the time we were there. The site was awesome and had plenty of room for us to spread out. On top of that, it was a pull-thru so big daddy didn’t have to do any stressing on arrival.

The first day we basically hung out, went exploring a little bit, got a fire set up. We spent the evening watching a Christmas movie to which only Carter was still awake at the end.  The kids were pumped to open one gift on the way- writing tablets that they loved and entertained them most the time.  Puzzles and some NSYNC games in the camper....

Carter got so much more confident rock-climbing, the playground was great and Rafa enjoyed the dog park.  We also all really enjoyed their restaurant/grill and the amazing view and fire!

The second day was all about heading to Oxford’s Festival of Lights. We went to Candyland in Andalusia two years ago so we knew we wanted a Christmas event to attend while camping, and this one did not disappoint. Before we get there, though, let’s briefly talk about the ride from Cheaha to Oxford. For some reason, Kelly’s maps in her (broken) phone sent her on Road 651. Good ole Siri said “Turn Left” and I put on the pause button bc I was pretty sure it was a gravel driveway instead of a road. After backing up we saw the very unofficial looking sign that said 651 and decided to go for it. Not the best idea for the next 10 miles as we travelled on gravel and pot holes. At times I was a bit nervous bc I knew we were in trouble if we had any kind of car issue, but it’s all part of the adventure right?

Once we got to Oxford, everything went really well. Lights, bouncy houses, slides, cocoa, fake ice skating, all the stuff kids love to do. We had a blast and quickly became big fans of Festival of Lights. We’ll likely be back.

Speaking of returning, we will definitely return to Cheaha one day soon! So much we didn’t get to explore, and so many great views!

I LOVE my birthday hat from Katie! -Kelly

Wind Creek State Park #5

Labor Day Weekend 2020 ... and man did we all need something good to happen.  This is Wind Creek trip # 5 and I am pretty sure it was the best one yet.  We had an incredibly good time and the kids loved every single minute.  The only regret is that it couldn't last longer...

We left on Saturday morning, about 2-3 hours later than we had wanted.  But, that ended up being a really really good thing.  Kelly and I hung out on the porch and drank coffee before loading up.  We landed on site at noon and were surprised at how good of a spot we had.  Wind Creek had been booked for a long time but I happened to find one spot open about two weeks ago.  Usually when you get leftovers the site isn't that great, but this one was on the end and had great water access.  Score!  

The first day we spent mostly on the water.  Kayaks, swimming, fishing, and just hanging out.  Well, I pretty much just laid down in the kayak while kids swam around me. :) The biggest development of the day was we saw another camper who set a tent up right on the water and used it as home base.  We followed suit and did the same thing on day two.  We really stayed out there most of the day and didn't head back to the camper until later that evening.  At one point during the day Caroline decided to hop in a kayak.  She initially struggled trying to figure out how to paddle but eventually got the hang of it.  And when she figured it out, she became a kayaking machine.  She LOVES kayaking.  I wasn't sure we'd ever get her out of that boat! :) 

One of the highlights of the trip is our friend Kendall (and family) picked us up on their pontoon and took us on a Lake Martin tour!  It was great and the kids had a blast.  Carter and Cora even got to ride a jet ski with Kendall and they loved it!!  They did not want to leave but instead stay at their lake house all day.  

For our last day, we essentially took it easy and decided not to rush anything.  The coolest part of the day is Kelly and Carter got to go horseback riding through the park!  Carter bonded with one particular horse (Charlie) and they became best buds.  It was one of those great mom-son memories.  

All in all, this may have been one of the best camping trips we've had.  The kids talked and talked and talked about how much fun it was.  Definitely needed for us.