So we decided on Manatee Springs as our camping destination for our spring camping trip of 2013. The trip to the spring was about 4 hours and 45 minutes. We decided to invite James and Sara along to share in our camping experience. We had some good times setting up camp, attending a church on Sunday, playing a game of Catan in James and Sara's tent while waiting out the rain, and swimming in the spring. The spring was beautiful. It was about twenty-five feet deep of crystal clear water. Over all we had a great time but we ultimately had to cut our trip short due to the abundance of ticks in the park. We only ended up staying from Saturday to Tuesday when we were planing on staying from Saturday to Saturday. As much fun as we had, with a two month old baby there was no way we were going to stay in a place infested with these nasty little critters.
I really wish that we had a few pictures of the spring itself as it was a beautiful blue and crystal clear but alas we forgot our camera on the way to the spring and didn't even get one picture of it.
On Sunday night our camp was invaded by racoons. We had taken most all of the food off the picnic table and put it in the car but we left the coolers figuring that they wouldn't attempt them. Boy were we wrong! The first time I heard the ice moving in the cooler I got up and cleaned up the stick of butter that he had helped himself to and made a terrible mess in the process. I then put the cooler under the bench so that the lid could just barely open and figured that he wouldn't mess with it then. Wrong again! He reached his little paw right through the little crack and helped himself to some other sticks of butter. The third time I got out of bed, got dressed, and exited the tent I took the cooler and wedged it under the picnic table so tight that the lid would not budge unless he could move the entire table. After each attack, not having a better place to put it, I threw the contaminated butter out into the woods to get it out of our cooler. He came back a fourth time and was rummaging through the trash so I went and re-bagged it and took it to the dumpster. In the end I'm not sure if it was our cleaning everything and securing of everything or the stomach full of butter that finally discouraged him from coming back but whatever it was we were able to catch just a bit of shut-eye before morning.
We stopped for a meal before arriving at the spring.
Getting ready to hit the road again.
Working on setting up camp.
Camp finished
Carlie's first night camping.
Sunday morning with Daddy.
James and Sara's family heading out to church.
Chiefland Baptist Church
We went back for the evening service.
The very tame deer wandered in and out of camp.
Carlie's swing went with us.
We had steak for Sunday dinner. It was delicious!
First test to see if our screen tent would keep off the rain.
It worked well.
Nap time in the tent.
Monday breakfast.
Campfire stew for supper.
Last check before leaving camp.
A quick lunch before heading home.
Camping is rough on little girls.
We stopped to quiet fussy babies half way home.
Checking to see how our garden made it without us.
Airing out the quilt.
