Camping Trip 2017 - Silver Creek Falls

I'm not even kidding when I say I've started this post at least six different times. I get all the photos uploaded, the beginning typed, make an error (always) by somehow clicking where I shouldn't and everything suddenly disappears.

And there's no going back to find it. 

So then I get pissed and walk away, and then try again a few weeks later only to have the same result.

It is maddening.

I think maybe blogger is old? Or my system needs updating? I don't know, but it's tryna to make me throw the computer out the window but IT WILL NOT WIN.

So, being that we've already been home from this camping trip for TWO YEARS NOW, I'm just going to power through tonight and bust this out in one session. Spelling errors, awkward phrases and all. 

It. Is. Happening.

OK.

Our last tent site of the trip was Silver Creek Falls.

I grew up not far from there so I'd visited several times, but had never camped there. 

We learned earlier that spring that we'd been shown incredible favor and Dave's parents were randomly going to be camping there at the exact same time we were! We were really looking forward to spending time with them and also really looking forward to sharing the constancy of parenting five year old twins with them as well.

We're givers ;).

We got into camp late one afternoon, set up our site, and then headed over to Papa and Gaga's site for dinner and to visit before bed. 

Our site at Silver Creek Falls was large and flat, but probably our least favorite of all the sites we'd stayed at over this trip just due to the proximity to the neighbors. Just to the right of our tents in the below pic is the next site over's tents.

Like you could hear them unzipping their tent while we were in ours.

I know this is often part of camping, but I like to pretend we're secluded and had been very spoiled thus far in our journey with private spots. 

Our first morning there the park ranger put on a little learning activity for kids...

learning about tracking skat…

she had some hydes for them to feel...

In the end they each received a compass, a JR Beaver badge, and a little journal to keep track of animal signs. 

 When you are five years old, this is pretty rad.

Also when you are a parent who gets to just sit there while the park ranger entertains your children, this is pretty rad.

That afternoon Dave and I took the twins to hike South Falls. 

At the top of the falls...

(at the top, leaning over that railing...)

...ever since I was a little kid I've thought the fact that you can walk underneath this water fall is super cool...

(Sister has got her new compass attached to her belt loop. Love.)

we took many breaks along our hike to track skat...

Now we've come to the part of the trip recap where I am completely void of pictures.

I have no idea why? 

Part of it is likely because at this point in our vacation I was trying to sort out becoming re-employed at my old job and kept having to drive into the nearest town to get cell service so I could jump through all the HR hoops.

Anyways, we played card games with Papa and Gaga, went for walks, roasted marshmallows, the kids made friends and played on the camp playground, and so on and so forth.

One of the mornings we got up and went to Papa and Gaga's site for breakfast, and there were racoon footprints on their picnic table cloth! Little bandits had been exploring during the night apparently. It was SO cool for the kids to get to match those little tracks with the examples in their journals.

(I know I snapped a pic of those little footprints...but I can not find it anywhere. Whatever. I press on...)

I did however find these pics I took our last morning there...

...we slept with the twins on one queen air mattress and Dave and I on the other, and in the morning those sweet little babes would make their way into our bed to cuddle...

I got up to get ready and Dave started tickling them and they dissolved into a fit of giggles.

My whole world right there. 

And after two or three nights (it's been so long, I honestly don't remember which!) it was time to tear down camp and head to our final destination. 

Ol' Nasty (our van's nickname earned on this trip) had been good and broken in at this point on her first road trip! And I still love driving that van today! 

Alrighty. So, that was our time at Silver Creek Falls. Or at least the parts I photographed and can remember this far in the future =).