Meaher State Park

Hottest camping trip ever!  It was scorching the whole time we were there and our campsite did not have much tree coverage.  We kept looking for water to jump into but unfortunately the waters around this campsite likely have gators as well.  What do you do? I guess you just have fun anyway!

This trip to Spanish Fort is something we hope is an annual trip for us.  Children of the World (the agency we used to assist in adopting Cora) hosts a picnic the first of June for families who have adopted from India or who are considering it.  Since we want to stay connected to the agency and also help anyone in the process, we’ve committed to making the trip each year. Meaher State Park (pronounced like “mayor”) happened to be directly across the street from the picnic this year, so that was a win for us.  

So, we started pretty early Friday morning (I took a vacation day at work) because we did nothing the night before.  I woke about 6:10 and started the loading process. Even though Kelly and I were not really motivated this time around, it went really smoothly and I managed to keep my “we’re taking too much stuff!” comments to myself.  We ended up getting the kids in the car around 8:20 and we were off. The ride down was fine … the kids could probably have been better, but who’s keeping score when they are packed in the back of the truck like that. The highlight of the ride to Spanish Fort was stopping for lunch, at Shoney’s!  What?! Yes, we exited and were heading to Zaxby’s but happened to see a newly renovated Shoney’s advertising a $5.99 lunch buffet. We jokingly brought it up and Kelly had me run in to scope it out and we decided to go for it and it went really well, especially since all three kids ate for free!

We rolled into Meaher around 2:00 and got everything set up without too much issue.  The kids then convinced us to go to the playground for a bit, but Kelly and I were itching for something a little more fun.  We considered mini-golf but there was nothing close. Fortunately, we happened upon a pretty cool animal exhibit center and then a sweet little splash pad area with a nice playground and ended with some live music.  The animal exhibit was a lot of fun and kept the kids entertained for a while. The best part was when Kelly was holding her camera up an to aquarium that housed a small alligator. He was not a happy little guy and so he snapped at Kelly.  It scared her so much that she jumped and gave out a little yelp. As she was basically running away from the aquarium she tripped over Caroline and ended up splattered against the wall, where she almost knocked off the prize bass that was mounted.  It was a classic moment and I really needed a laugh like that! The kids haven't stopped talking about it and we overheard Carter telling one of his new friends about it!

The kids had a blast at the splash pad and we stayed pretty late, even though no one had figured out dinner yet.  Well, if you know us you know we are always going to make food happen. I saw someone sitting at the splash pad with some pretty good-looking seafood, so I inquired and learned about David’s Catfish.  Yum. We headed that way with our eyes wide and fired up about some catfish! For some reason they decided to put us in the back room all by ourselves. Wise move in their part because our crew is never very tame at restaurants.  Ironically, tonight they were and we feasted on slaw, catfish, chicken fingers, fries, and cheese grits. It was so good. After this, we made our way back to the camper and went to bed. Kelly and I sat outside and soaked up the bay breeze for a bit before retiring.  The night wasn’t too great … Kelly ended up awake several times due to various kid issues, but we did make it.

The next morning started out very hot.  Cora and I went to the grocery store to find donuts and other miscellaneous items.  Eventually, we got everyone ready and headed over to the picnic. When we got there it was very hot and when we left it was even hotter.  In between we had a lot of fun with the Children of the World families. The kids seemed to have a blast meeting new friends, playing yard games, and getting henna tattoos.  It was wonderful meeting new families and of course catching up with Pat and Terri who both had integral parts in bringing Cora home!

  

Once we left the picnic we went back to the camper long enough for Cora to nap and everyone to put on their swim gear. We loaded everyone up, got some Chick-fil-a, and landed at the Fairhope public beach area.  This was just what we all needed. Some water to cool off in and some good just-let-it-all-out fun. Cora was absolutely crazy in the water … I mean floating around and getting plastered by the waves. Carter and Caroline did their normal thing with the waves, and we all managed to just relax for a bit.  We ended the evening by watching a beautiful sunset and walking to the end of the pier. On that walk, we met a nice lady who had just caught a catfish. Kelly and I were ushering the kids away before she cleaned the fish, but they were curious. Caroline was the most interested in seeing what was about to happen and Kelly continuously cautioned her, all the way to “Caroline!  She is about to jab that knife into the fish.” We thought for sure this was scare her away, but nope … she was all about it. Cora and Carter made it back to the scene and we all got a lesson in catfish dissection.

After this long day, the kids would surely fall asleep on the way home, right?  Negative. They seemed to have even more energy. They finally went to bed around 9:00-9:30 and once again the night didn’t go the best for Kelly.  I managed to sleep through most all of it, like always, while Kelly did the work. She’s just too good.

The next morning we basically began loading up around 8:30 and hit the road at 10:00, the earliest we’ve ever departed.  Overall, the trip was great and we seemed to have a really good time. Maybe next time it won’t be so hot...

Oak Mountain State Park #5

We love the Busenitz Fam!

This trip was supposed to take place in mid-April but there was just too much going on so we moved it ahead to mid-May instead.  Still lots going on but definitely a good choice because this turned out really well for us.

Whenever we book at OMSP we like to set it up with some friends to come along for the fun.  This time we were so fortunate to have the Busenitz family join in the fun! They were able to find a tent site right near our trailer site so we had the chance to spend a lot of time together.  We all rolled in sometime Friday evening and set up camp, with the Busenitz crew showing up early enough to enjoy some beach time at the day-use area. The Claytons landed at 6:30 and set up decently quick.  We all made a fire and cooked hot dogs and s’mores. The kids played and played and played … scootering, chase, Legos, and anything they could think of. Eventually all the kids got tired so the Busenitz kids headed to the tent while the Clayton kiddos climbed into the camper.  After all of the young ones were settled in the adults stayed around the campfire til 12:30am. You read that correctly! Great conversation for sure but hard to stay up that late and live a normal life the next day!

Morning #1 started off just fine.  Carter, Caroline, and Cora all had soccer games we had to attend first thing in the morning.  Those went really well and then we headed to our house to grab the kayaks. Once we got back to the campsite, we met the Busenitz crew for lunch and then hit the beach.  The campground now has two pretty good beaches really close to the campground and we took full advantage. The kids swam and kayaked for close to three hours. They loved every minute of it and wore themselves out.  Once everyone finished swimming we headed back to the campsite for dinner and a well-deserved slumber. The kids slept very well and woke up ready to go for another day.

For this final morning, we decided to head over to The Grille for a Mother’s Day breakfast.  It was fun and also relaxing, at least until the kids got restless. We then swung by the Petting Zoo before heading back to the campsite to pack up.  We decided that even though check-out was 11:00am we still wanted to play before heading home. So, Kelly took the crew to the beach and I took the camper back to the house. I then met them at the beach and we played for another three hours before heading home.  It was tiring and so much!

Mothers Day Breakfast:)

Love seeing Taylor the donkey

Sweet Mothers Day Morning!

New shirt:)

Lots of creatures- frogs, tadpoles, fish, snakes!

All fun and games until the snake comes through!

As always, we had a great time at OMSP!

Topsail Preserve State Park #2 SB18

What a great trip!  Each year we’ve had a camper we have ventured out for a Spring Break trip, and this year was just as good and fun as ever!  Great memories for sure.

We headed out on Sunday morning around 8:15, somewhere an hour later than I wanted to leave but oh well.  I had already decided that I was going to loosen up and just enjoy everything this trip. I was going to say “yes” instead of “no” when the kids asked or when Kelly had an idea.  It was a new me … a “Vacation Donald.” Yea … it didn’t last very long. I was a happy dude but I wasn’t quite as carefree as I was hoping for. Regardless, we were loaded up and on the road … headed for a good time.  

The trip there was normal beach-destination driving for us.  Fair amount of traffic, do-we-go-this-way-or-that-way discussions (Kelly is always right ;) … ), movies on the DVD, snacks, and anticipation.  Since this was our second trip to Topsail we knew what to expect and were very much looking forward to getting there. We landed about 1:30 or so and got everything set up.  This back-in was difficult because there was a tree and a palm-like bush I had to maneuver through. Not fun at all. The site was also right next to the shuffleboard court and the swimming pool, so that was an added bonus.  At first I didn’t think we would like that but it ended up being a total plus. Once we were settled in, the kids changed into their swimsuits and we drove down to the beach for a bit. As is now the case, Kelly and I usually think it will be a quick trip that just involves playing in the sand, but it really includes a long trip where everyone gets wet.  The kids ran and ran and ran from the waves. Cora loves the sand so she made herself at home with some sand toys. Carter and Caroline had a blast together and allowed Kelly and me to stand off to the side with that pleased parent look on our face. It was one of those times where your kids are being kids and having a blast doing so … and you realize it.  Good stuff.

Of all the camping nights we’ve had, this was without question the best night of sleep ever.  No one moved in the camper until 7:24am. Amazing. Caroline managed to sleep all the way til 8:30.  I am pretty sure she’ll be our teenage that sleeps til noon each weekend (but not if I can help it). We had a lazy morning of playing cards, riding the shuttle around the park just to take a tour, and "scootering" around. This particular day was slated to be cloudy and only about 70 degrees.  They were correct on both fronts so we did not spend as much time on the shore.

We ventured to Santa Rosa for lunch and ate at Pizza by the Sea... we haven't been there since we went with Carter when he was 2 and we have fond memories of him getting to "sing" karaoke. The pizza was great, the kids behavior was ok:) Afterwards we let them run off that energy on the quad, playing frisbee and football and ventured to a fun dog boutique.

After Cora's nap we ventured to the beach again that afternoon when the sun came out (and then hid again). Of course the kids had just as much fun, even if Kelly and I were getting close to being cold. We came home to wash up and settle into watching Zootopia that happened to be on tv. Once again, the kids slept great all night.  They had an earlier rise but we did not complain.

Tuesday was set for great weather and it actually got even better than we thought!  We had a simple breakfast of champions of donuts and bananas. Kelly was dying to take someone on a bike ride, Cora was so excited and as soon as they took off she was screaming in fear. So then she made Caroline jump on and even though she said she felt like a baby in the bike seat, she thoroughly enjoyed it! They got off the bike and explored the boardwalk, looking for deer like we saw last year but no luck this time.

Shuttle ride, Shuffle board and some corn hole

We decided to work extra hard in the morning to make it to the shuttle by 10:00am. We got there and caught a free ride to the beach.  The kids did more playing and Carter went on a shell hunt. It was pretty much perfect out. The water was a little cold for me but it did not bother the kids.  After missing the noon shuttle we were roped into another hour, and that wore us all day to where some camper time was a good remedy. Cora got in about two hours while Carter and Caroline went to the pool.  Yes, it was cold but they stayed in and had a blast! More kids showed up and it was even more fun for them. By this point Kelly and I had decided we would be heading to Seaside for the evening, so we were swapping out getting ready to go out.  Seaside was great as always. The kids played on the green and also listened to a cool kids band play. We ate at the food trucks and then walked around a little while. We rolled back into the camper and had a great night’s sleep

Carter decided to play photographer... he said now kiss and then lets change it to black and white:)  

Thank you Aunt Blair for our Happy Camper cups! We love them!

Seaside: fun kids band and the kids had fun on the stage.  It never gets old watching Cora dance to the music!  The kids highlight was getting to each pick out two animals from the bookstore.  

Our final day is always a mixture of do something fun and get packed to go.  This trip was no different. Kelly and I even talked about staying another day but the park didn’t have any openings.  Before we decided on the day’s events, Kelly and I made breakfast over the fire with our new dutch oven and pie iron (or “pie-rn” as Kelly says in her half-pirate half-country girl voice).  These two little beauties worked great and we cannot wait to test out some more recipes in the future.

The kids decided we needed to head to the pool so we got them dressed and properly greased with sunscreen, only to find out it was closed for maintenance.  They then agreed to go back to the beach but we told them we didn’t have much time since checkout was 1:00 and we had a lot to pack. We got to the beach and started walking around, and started seeing jellyfish about every 10-15 steps. Carter was excited at first because this meant he would get to see the purple “marine life” flag.  He then began to panic because he was so afraid he was gonna step on one. It didn’t happen but everyone decided we better head back before it does. I had a fun idea to do an Easter egg hunt at the campground and that closed us down for our activities before packing up. Then Kelly and I went into turbo mode and knocked everything out. The ride home was great, just like the whole trip. Spring Break 2018 forever.

They loved the camper Easter egg hunt!   And the chocolate inside:)

This trip I happened to notice how there are times Carter acts so much more mature and Caroline starts talking and makes everyone laugh.  She has a unique mind and I felt like it came out more on this trip. Cora continued to do great and just loves camping! We’ve got a lot of trips scheduled over the next six months so it should be a blast!