First thing we did was hook Ansel up to a lead on a tree, which he immediately escaped from. Big Dude (Ben) set off to capture our dog and I set up our screen house so Little Dude wouldn't be eaten alive by the bugs and there were plenty of them! Ben returned with Ansel and I went off to see if our friends had arrived. They had booked a campsite just around the corner from us (far enough so they couldn't hear the baby). As the skies started to get grey, I went back with the baby to help Ben. We set up our giant tent that we had inherited from my brother in law when he moved to Michigan with it's duct tape patches and repaired zipper. I was a bit concerned that it might leak as we could see the sky through the rain fly and there were storms predicted. The rain held off until late at night and I never even heard the storms.
Little Dude was a bit confused by all of this newness. He stared around the tent and was taking it all in. He wasn't very excited by his Peapod Tent Thing and I wished I had taken my friend's advice and practiced a few naps in there while we were home. He fussed quite a bit that evening but once he fell asleep he was out for the night. We had place his mini tent in our tent. It proved to be a great shelter from the dog and from the bugs and sun.
We had a campfire with our friends and shared food and conversation. When it was the adults' bedtime there was more troubles. Ansel was out of sorts. He could hear the people and their dogs at a campsite nearby. They were up until 3AM and so was he. He would check on the baby, then me, then Ben, the door, and start all over again. It took him a looong time to settle down. So night one: Little Dude slept well, Ansel and the adults not so much.
Saturday was another warm day. Fortunately not as hot as the day before. Little Dude went for a walk in his stroller around the campground. It was not the most impressive campground in amenities but definitely was large. After lunch, we decided to head to Westerly for a microbrewery that the boys wanted to check out. Grey Sail Brewing Company was in a small brick building right on the border of CT. The boys had sample of beer and a "tour" of the brewery. We drove through town and near the ocean. There was plenty to do and check out but we didn't feel very motivated to explore. We returned to the campsite and started a campfire for dinner.
Little Dude had a good day playing and checking things out. That evening he did NOT want to go to sleep and had since decided that he likes to play in the Peapod. It definitely was very light out and we worked hard to convince him it was bedtime. Eventually he did fall asleep. He really enjoys playing with his fingers now. Waving them and grabbing at things. It's awfully fun to watch.
On Sunday, we ate breakfast and started to pack up. Little Dude played in his Peapod and on the activity mat we brought. He dozed off and I carried him as we finished packing up the car. With a baby and a dog we needed to get a roof carrier for our gear. His stroller does take up quite a bit of room so the carrier definitely helps out. There was much more elbow room in the back.
We made it home in one piece that afternoon. We had time to unpack and get cleaned up. Little Dude managed to get a few bug bites which have now disappeared. He had a fun time in the bath getting cleaned up from his camping adventure Sunday night. He will definitely be exposed to camping more as he grows. In fact, we're hoping for another trip this summer.
3 comments:
Sounds like a good time!!
Not too bad for a first time out with the little guy.
Good for you! It's entirely too hot here to even contemplate camping in the summer. Nor are there too many options close by. Needless to say, we haven't been in years. Though Daron has taken Nathan twice to the Father/son Campout in the spring.
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