Time With Nature

We’re back! We survived! I feel as though we were camping for several days, but in reality we were only actually at the campsite for 24 hours. It was certainly not as easy as I remember camping being, but even with all the difficulties we still had a wonderful time. How can you not appreciate life when this is your view?

Our site was right on the lake, which provided an amazing view! The view did come at a cost, though. WIND. It was literally so windy the entire time that we could leave NOTHING unattended without it promptly blowing away. Nothing. Including the tent, which managed to blow away even after being staked into the ground in 6 different places. Feel free to laugh at the image of us jumping out of our chairs to catch a runaway tent. I’m sure in a few weeks we’ll be able to laugh at it, too.

So as you can see, the site was a large gravel area that sat on the grass right next to the shore. (You can also see how close our neighbors were…) There was a spot for our car and then a huge area for the tent and other equipment.

(Note that the tent was still nicely planted in the ground at that point…) They had a nice little fire pit area and a picnic table already set up.

As soon as we arrived we were starving so we built a fire as fast as we could and roasted some hot dogs (all beef, nitrate-free, and uncured of course 😉 ). You can’t go camping without roasting a dog. If I was still a vegetarian, I think I would bring a soy dog. It has to be done.

After our dogs we did more settling in and a little relaxing before starting on dinner.

The sun started setting quickly so time was of the essence. We don’t have a lantern so it was pretty essential that we finish everything up before dark.

On the menu for dinner was grilled steak with roasted potatoes and bell peppers. I roasted the potatoes and peppers in foil packets with a garlic marinade I made at home.

Looks good right? Tasted like lighter fluid. I spit out the first bite I tried. Apparently you shouldn’t use the whole ‘foil packet method’ on coals or wood that you lit with lighter fluid or a starter pack. The steak, however, was delicious.

We watched the sun set and tried to keep the half of our dinner that we actually could eat from blowing away.

I wasn’t too concerned about dinner though, because I had plans all along to fill up on something else.

I’m crazy about s’mores. WHO ISN’T?! If you aren’t, you are crazy. And if you’ve never had a s’more made on a real fire, please do so before you die.

MMMM, the marshmallows that catch on fire are the BEST. We used Lindt chocolate instead of your standard Hershey’s, and it was amazing.

After stuffing myself with s’mores, we turned in for the night. A word of advice, don’t spend hours reading about bear safety and watching I Shouldn’t Be Alive on the Animal Planet the day before going camping. You will not be able to sleep. Especially not with wind beating against your tent all night. I think I managed to get a few hours of rest in between frantically analyzing the shadows around the tent in search of the bears that I knew were coming to eat me. Thankfully, morning came. No bears.

After building up another fire, it was breakfast time! I cooked up some bacon in a cast-iron skillet and then used the same pan to make some rustically scrambled eggs.

I hate to say it because I know how unhealthy bacon is, but this was the most delicious breakfast I’ve had in months. The bacon grease made such delicious eggs and after a little shredded cheese on top they were perfect. This is why I don’t usually buy bacon! Because it’s so darn good that I eat it all and then want more!

Once we were full of bacony goodness, we headed out to hike on one of the park’s walking trails. We are so incredibly out of shape, so it was hard. But it was fun. Part of the trail goes along what used to be a plantation in the 1800’s and we saw some neat stuff.

Most manicured trial I’ve ever seen! The best parts though were going slightly off the path and finding random stuff in nature.

That weird green ball is a fruit from an indigenous tree! So strange looking! Inedible apparently (a sign told us so). And even though fall is here, we still saw some lovely flowers.

Hiking makes you hungry!

PB & J on honey wheat bread for lunch!

With something more nutritious on the side, of course.

And enjoyed lakeside.

After lunch it was time to head out. 🙁 It would have been nice to stay longer but we have class tomorrow so that wasn’t happening. But it was still a great escape and we had a really nice time despite the Attack of the Killer Winds. I also managed to pack the world’s unhealthiest foods for the trip so I was starting to feel really gross on the drive back. Lucky for me we pass right by Richmond to get home, which has a place that’s really awesome for grabbing a healthy bite.

Wahoo! It sucks not having a Whole Foods in or near the ‘burg, but it’s probably for the best because I would quickly go broke if there was one. For now I’ll enjoy the few times a year that I am near one by getting a salad the size of my head with a million different things on it.

Honestly, I can’t even remember all of what I put in there but it includes a bed of mixed greens topped with marinated raw veggie salad, green bean and portabello mushroom salad, a veggie dumpling, shredded carrot, sunflower seeds, sliced pineapple, quinoa salad, and noodle & kale salad with balsamic vinaigrette over the whole thing.

SO DELICIOUS. I instantly felt refueled. I got a tea on the side that was lightly sweetened and perfect along with the salad. Oh Whole Foods, why must you be so amazing and always so far away?!

And now it’s time for a hot shower and some serious sofa time. Thanks for reading!

-Lauren