The Crazies Go Camping!

Last Friday we packed up the rig and headed out for our annual (tent) camping trip!! This is only our 5th camping trip (we started when Buddy was 2 and potty training!!!), but we already feel like old pros. We switch back and forth between going with friends and going just as a family. This time we went with friends and we had a blast!!

We have gone to different places each time. This time we headed to Henry Cowell Redwoods in the Santa Cruz Mountains. It was awesome because our campsite was in the "mountains" but we were also 15 minutes from the beach!! It might have been my favorite location so far! This was the view right near our campsite:

Hanging out at the campsite:

There was a really cool tree on our site that the kids LOVED climbing!!

To me, camping is all about the FOOD! We did hotdogs for the kiddos and huge steaks for the big kids!!!! :)

Steak, corn on the cob and baked potatoes for the big kids! Yummy!!

That night we went to the park's campfire and the kids sang songs and learned about the park. Sarah was a trooper and was going strong even with no nap! She never misses a chance to sing!!

 

The next day, we headed to Roaring Camp, about a half mile down the road. This old steam engine takes you on a ride through the redwoods. It was so much fun!!

Here we are at the entrance to Roaring Camp:

There's our ride!

 

 What's not cool about a locomotive through the Redwoods??!!

He's taking it all in!

 After the train ride, we walked around the little village and Buddy tried his hand at gold panning. Brookey said she wasn't interested because, "Of course it's FAKE!!!" 

After that, we headed to the cute little beach town of Capitola. LOVE this little town! The beach is small, but beautiful. The kids played around and we ate lunch at my favorite pizza shack called Pizza My Heart :)

That was a FULL day, so we headed back to camp and hung out and played in the trees :) Look at these lovebirds!!

The next day, we checked out of our campsite about 10am. We LOVED the Henry Cowell campground and I'd love to go back and get Site #35!! We really had the best site :) After checking out, we made one stop at another Redwood forest right on our way home. WOW! It was spectacular. So glad we stopped here!!

Look at my loves! :) Note, this is what we look like after 2 1/2 days in the woods and no showering! LOL!

I love this pic of big sis and little bro:

Look how dirty Sarah is! I didn't touch her hair for 2 days!

And here's how I look after 2 days in the woods! I think I smelled worse than I looked, but it's debatable :)

Running through the forest:

One last shot of my loves!! Anything make you think they are SO SICK of Mom and her camera??!!

If not, then what about this one:

This was a very successful camping trip, in my mind! Everyone had a great time, no major disasters...was it hard and a lot of work? Of course!!! But I think Brooke and Buddy will remember our camping trips forever. Sarah is working on it :) We first took her camping last October and it was a disaster, so I'm happy to report things went pretty smoothly with her this time and as she gets older, it definitely gets easier.

I think this means they had fun!!!