Versailles State Park, IN

Versailles State Park, Versailles, IN
September 27-29, 2013

Our last camping trip of the season was at Versailles State Park.  The campground was very nice, but we were in the area for a wedding, so we didn't really get out there to see what the park had to offer.

The younger set - enjoying some freedom before being shoved into dresses.

"You aren't putting this photo in the blog, are you?"

A grim-faced man wearing a loom band bracelet.

Josephine and Anna cut a rug - early enough in the evening that they had not yet been joined by drunk adults.

"Uh, does anyone have anything I can spit this Tootsie Roll into - I just lost my appetite..."

The "How Can God Bless America When We Are Killing Our Unborn" float.  That's right, it's a pro-Life parade float complete with fetus photos.

Josephine and Anna standing in front of somebody's beautifully golden-tanned arm.

"I was told there would be cake at this event...?"

Covert KOA / Gus Macker South Haven, MI

The 2013 Silk on Butter Gusmacker Reunion Tour

South Haven, MI

July 26-28, 2013

The team, before the first game, I believe?  They don't look demoralized yet, anyway...

Yep didn't actually have a basketball, there.  Just for fun.

A romantic walk down the pier

This look is called "Lighthouse sexy"

Taking a long walk down a long pier is infinitely more dry than taking a long walk off a ... well, you know.

Nothing that I love more after a nice run on the beach than picking blueberries with which I can stuff my face at breakfast the following day.  Actually, these fresh blueberries made some KILLER blueberry pancakes that only Brian and I would eat...

The original JUDGEMENT FIRE (TM) at which you will be JUDGED*

Look at those sopping wet fools.

Only Brian manages to look demoralized in this photo.

Tweet, tweet, tweet, little birds.  Tweet out all your feelings...

Besides, the true spirit of camping is doing what you want to do while you are relaxing and not working, right?  Not "getting away from technology."  That's just a silly notion, especially when AT&T has the best nationwide coverage of any cellular carrier...

The JUDGEMENT FIRE(TM) blazes on...

*In the form of malicious tweets.

Turkey Run State Park

Turkey Run State Park, Indiana
June 7-9, 2013

By reserving a spot fairly early in the year, we managed to get a campsite at Turkey Run State Park. The campground and the park were amazing, and the hiking trails were beautiful.  I will admit that some areas were a bit treacherous, only because we, as parents, were each wearing a hiking backpack containing a very heavy toddler - that can quite imbalance you - even when crossing a very shallow creek.  Luckily there were other family members and some very nice Good Sam hikers there to lend a hand.  This time of year, the weather is amazing and the park had many people, but didn't feel crowded at all.

Josephine shows off her "balancing" skills

Yes, there were moments that we stood around just trying to figure out where we were...

Then there were moments where we stood around just to take things in...

This is 'the look'

Our little spelunker

Taking selfies at lunch instead of eating lunch.

This is "The other look"

From Wikipedia:  

The Rosy Maple Moth (Dryocampa rubicunda) is a North American moth in the Saturniidae family. Males have a wingspan of 32–44 mm; females of 40–50 mm. They have reddish-to-pink legs and antennae, yellow bodies and hindwings, and pink forewings with a triangular yellow band across the middle. Males have bushier antennae than females. As the name implies, rosy maple moths mainly feed on Maples, particularly Red Maple, Silver Maple, and Sugar Maple. Sometimes the caterpillars become pests on maple trees. Adult moths do not eat.

This particular one was hanging out on our lantern.  HOW COOL!  And I love how you can see the camper in the background of that photo.

Somebody's butt... Oh my - that's MY butt.

I lens-flare-ya to look directly into that sunlight

The kids, playing in the dirt around our site.  In their defense, it was pretty exciting dirt.

More lichen while we're hiken.  Yes, it is the obligatory lichen with slightly out of focus family members in the background.  I just CAN'T EVER resist these shots.

No gold to be found, just a lot of Giardia spp.

"Look!  A treacherous path!  Let us head up there immediately while carrying young but preternaturally heavy children on our backs!"

Stayin' cool while checking on my hiking-mate.

The best posed family photo out of 15 that were taken this day.  Josephine looks fantastic.

We were tired out afterwards, but the trip was totally worth it.

For the record, the campsite was fantastic, #196.  It was an electric site (30 amp and 20 amp, I believe), no water.  It was very wooded, and it was pretty large, so even though there were campers across from and next to us, the site had a very private feel.  We ended up hauling buckets of freshwater and using a funnel to fill our tank.  This was in the early days before we had figured out that there is usually potable/freshwater to fill your freshwater tank with near the dump station of most state park campgrounds.  Oh well.  If it hadn't been for the typical day's arm workout from carrying the twins around, I might have actually been grateful for the killer arm workout...

Millbrook Jellystone Memorial Day Weekend 2013

Memorial Day Weekend, May 2013

All of the "good" campgrounds were taken, and we wanted full hookups, so for Memorial Day we went camping at the *same* Jellystone campground in Millbrook, IL where we had opened our season in April.  We also were thinking to ourselves, "Gee, what would make this trip more relaxing? MORE KIDS!!"  So, we took some cousins along with us for a total of FIVE children.  We camped with five children.

Actually, the kids had a blast and the adults survived after being transformed into servant robots for two days...

These two are hard to please

Shoes off, pouty faces ON

Our immaculate campsite

Mother-daughter bonding over mutual love of marshmallows, and an apparently unattended hot dog.

Josephine announces her intentions to go on the road as the tambourinist for *this* band.

Cousins looking out the window, plotting their escape from those pictured below...

There was a photo of all five kids sitting on the couch eating Pop Tarts in the camper, but we did not obtain permission from the Pop Tart brand to post it, so it was omitted.  Also, I think Mike did not want a visual reminder of all of the crumbs that fell that day.  Their memories will stay with us forever.

Also on this trip:  As we were headed back to the camper after listening to some live music and dancing and generally being happy and carefree (in a rare moment), somebody sheepishly asked us if all five kids were ours.  We said, "No," and she actually looked relieved on our behalf.

Holland State Park

Pretend this next blog is written in Tim Allen's voice:
This is Holland State Park, Lake Macatawa Campground.




We drove in late Friday night to meet up with Gram Bear and Poppi Pruss.
We took this photo in the dark at the ranger station because we needed a map to our campsite - number 85... The only pull thru site in the last loop on the right.





It was a little tricky getting the camper set up in the dark (mostly because Mom's brain was fried) but with the aid of an extremely bright flashlight we were able to get set up and plugged in. Then we slept.
The next day, the Pinnicks arrived.





Good thing Sarah managed to pick the lock on this baby or it would be a very different photo.
And here are the Grans in the Road Trek:




I can't say enough wonderful things about this campground. There was an incredible bath/shower building that had clearly been recently renovated and updated, and there was a water/dump station located near the main entrance of the park. I wish we had realized on our way in that we could fill our fresh tank there on our way into the park. Instead Mike and Steve hauled 5 gallon jugs from the bathroom so that we could wash the dishes.





And you aren't really an RVer until you have at least one strand of lights attached to your awning.





The girls played for hours. Many bug playgrounds were erected and demolished in this time.





Saturday afternoon, we had the twins' birthday celebration.













"Don't mess with my baby sisters or Ill come after you with my brass flower knuckles!"




When the kids are away the grown ups will play... with fire.



Thanks for the clean camper Blue Beacon!






Not pictured, but we managed a stop at everyone's favorite Panera on the way home. Apparently the twins are real tortellini lovers!
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