Peace, Love and Camping - Our Maiden Voyage

All family traditions start somewhere.  I hope that this is the start of a long standing family tradition for us.  When we started talking about a camper over a year ago, it was hard to imagine it actually happening.  But, it did!  And this is so exciting!

After our big remodel of our pop up camper, we decided that a short over night trip would be the best way to test out everything and make sure that we were ready for multi night trips.  And sometimes there is no better place to camp than in your own back yard.  Not literally in this case, but figuratively.

We settled on Legion State Park in Louisville, MS for our maiden voyage.  It is a beautiful state park that is well maintained and close to us.  As one of the 4 original state parks developed by the CCC (Civilian Conservation Corp), visitors are surrounded by rich history and scenic views.

Well maintained trails around the lake make for a nice hike.

This CCC pavillion was constructed in the mid 1930's and is the oldest structure on a MS State Park.

With this being a quick, overnight trip, I didn't want to spend my time prepping, cooking and cleaning meals the whole time.  Foil packet cooking is an easy way to prep a meal in advance.  All I had to do was put our packets on the fire for an easy meal after set up.  This is most likely going to be a first night meal going forward.  I can prep and home and enjoy some down time after set up.

Foil packets for dinner had a chicken breast, sliced potato, carrots and broccoli with barbeque sauce.  

We have a simple set up.  Our awning allows for a few fun lights  We have our chairs and a rug.  I do like that we took our small card table for plates, coffee pot, etc.  Our camper is small, and I want to spend as much time as possible outdoors enjoying the scenery.  The two burner stove that we have hooks up outside and is perfect for cooking meals and a pot of coffee.

This two burner stove could be used indoors, but it is easy to use right outside of the door.  It connects directly into the propane tank line.

I do think a rug is a must for a camper.  It keeps dirt and dust out and makes for a nice spot to sit around.  Our rug is a Stylish Camping RH8117 Brown/Beige 8'x11' RV Home Mat that says "Home is Where We Park It".  It also comes with a storage bag for stowing away neatly when we pack up!

We used the existing awning that I repaired and added lights and a rug.

I also added a small contained play area for our little chihuahua, Bunnie.  This little PET4FUN PN935 35" Portable Pet Puppy Dog Cat Animal Playpen Yard folds flat for easy storage but is plenty of room for her to play  and enjoy being outdoors while being contained.

Who couldn't be happy with a meal around the campfire, surrounded by nature, family and a sweet fur baby?  Its the best way to spend a weekend!

One thing that did change our weekend plans slightly was that it turned off really cold over the weekend at night.  It has been unseasonably warm most all winter.  But the weekend we planned this trip, it dipped into the low 30's  overnight.  However, our heating and cooling unit kept us toasty warm overnight.  And, our dining table was perfect to enjoy our first night dinner and breakfast indoors.  It was a cozy way to have a meal and enjoy the sunset and sunrise a little warmer.

A nice tall lamp stays out of the way on the counter but gives a nice warm glow.  Makes it homey inside.

One thing that did come out of this trip is that our water indoors is not working properly.  This weekend, we will be repairing the city water inlet.  No big deal.  This project has taught us that we can do these kinds of projects successfully with good results.  I feel confident that with the right tools, we can get the job done.  I've already called the local RV store to find the correct part.  I'll share more about that after we've solved this problem.  But it isn't a deal breaker.  It will all work out.

I'm a big believer in fun snacks for a trip.  I don't do a lot of cookies and sweets during the week and normally.  It is a special occasion thing.  Over the past few months, I have either read or listened to a podcast talking about Dorie Greenspan's World Peace Cookies.  The last time was on my Instagram feed where Smitten Kitchen featured these cookies.  It was like an omen saying "Make me!"

And these cookies delivered.  These cookies are made more sharing (or not since you may not want to after eating one).  And are perfect for weekend trips.  You can share them with your camping neighbors.  Who can resist chocolate?  However, we were solo campers this past weekend.  And I don't think anyone minded a few extra cookies.

What are some of your favorite family traditions while camping?  Feel free to comment and share.  Also, don't miss a minute of our family's adventures.  Follow allow by adding your email below!

Stay tuned for big changes coming to my blog.  I'll be making some updates in the next week.  Be sure to follow my blog so you will be up to date when these changes occur.  Thank you for following this fun journey that we are on as a family!

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