This weekend our family escaped the city and enjoyed camping at PiPi Campground. There is something about being in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by nature, miles from civilization that can calm my anxious heart. We loaded up our monkeys and headed out for a quick camping trip up the mountain for fresh air, memories, and fun.
I love driving to these remote campgrounds that are in the middle of nowhere. No cell reception. No wifi. You are completely cut off from the outside world. Just you and nature… and the handful of other campers at the site. For me and our monkeys, it is a great way to unplug and plug IN to what is important… family.
Shortly after arriving, we set up camp. The sites were spacious with lots of room for the monkeys to explore, hike, and use their imaginations. Our site was near the bathroom (a vault toilet in an enclosed room). This was convenient for those middle of the night bathroom visits… but I digress, I have boys… so the bounty of bathrooms (trees)was not an issue.
After setting up camp, we decided to head towards the creek for hiking and adventure seeking. It was a flat and paved (for wheel chair access) trail that ran alongside the creek. Very pretty trail!
The neat thing about this short (1 mile long) trail was the various sites you would see along the trail. You would be in dense tree covered forest for a bit, then walking along a boardwalk overlooking a field lush with flowering plants (photo below).
Of course, my monkeys had to carry their guns and rifles, sticks, to protect the family as we hiked. They giggled as fellow hikers commented on their walking sticks, and they proudly shared they were indeed their guns. Boys.
After our hike (2 miles) and a snack (always eating), the boys wanted to go fishing. This is where being a Mommy is neat… I can just step back and watch the memory making happen. Daddy is teaching the boys how to tie a knot for their fishing lure… while the boys look and attempt to pick out their best shiny bait.
The creek was low, as we haven’t had much rain this year, but the boys still enjoyed fishing. Or rather, practicing their casting and doing their best to not get their line stuck in the trees above.
While the boys fished, I snuck out for a quick run on the trail (solo) with Daisy-girl. I was excited to #BlazeNewTrails with my new Mizuno Wave Kazan shoes (review coming soon!).
After our run, I enjoyed the peace and calming sounds of the creek and nature…. while Daisy explored and enjoyed playing in the creek. It was so peaceful.
After enjoying some much needed quiet, we headed back to the boys to check out how their fishing adventure was going. They were having a great time.
Daisy was still exploring around them and found a bees nest under the fishing dock. She managed to get too close and stir up the nest of angry bees. They were attacking Daisy and we were able to get her to run away from the mob.
Unfortunately for Precious P, he was in the line of fire down by the creek fishing. An angry bee (or few) found HIM and started letting out their wrath on his cheek. Poor booger. We were able to get him out of the swarm to safety. Praise God that he is not allergic to bee stings!
Once the chaos of the evening calmed down, we enjoyed our dinner. Simple camping dinner of hotdogs, beans, made ahead salad and beer (for Mommy and Daddy) and juice for the boys.
We played hard the first day, and kept the monkeys up late. They crashed hard (winning!) and slept well at night. With only one child needing to use the restroom at 1:30. Success.
As always with camping, our day started early with the sun. Thank goodness for coffee and a husband who serves his wife (and family) by making a warm fire… and coffee.
This big guy was all about the fire this weekend. I enjoyed his eagerness to help, but also had to remind him that it was very dangerous. Our area is extremely dry with a high fire hazard… no goofing around with fire.
After breakfast, donuts (don’t judge) and blueberries (see there is some healthy food there!), Daddy and C snuck off for some much needed father-son one-on-one time to go fishing.
I took the two younger monkeys to go exploring the other side of the creek. We found some great flat rocks to jump, run, and climb on.
These two monkeys were exhausted from all the adventures from camping… but were determined to not stop and keep exploring. We found lots of creepy critters in the creek, lost some skin from falling on the rocks, and cooled off in the water.
After while, we headed back to camp to explore a bit more with Daddy and C. The way the sunlight was shining through the tall pines was breathtaking. I can not get over how peaceful and calm it was there. It was nice to not have the hustle and bustle of lifeand stress while away.
The boys swam in the creek (took a bath?) and tested their comfort level wading in rocky, moving water. When the tears and cries were more abundant than the laughter, we took it as a cue to head back to camp for lunch before heading home.
Mr. C was ALL about the selfie this weekend, silly monkey. Apparently I felt it necessarily to clean him with my tongue for this photo. Silly Mommy?
We broke camp, had lunch and were ready to make the trek back down the mountain home. The boys were all passed out cold before we even hit the main road. Five minutes on the road… snoring… sawing logs… passed out. I think it is safe to say they had a great time!
We enjoyed camping Pipi Campground this weekend and exploring the area. Memories were had. Giggle, tears, laughter, blood knees, memories, bee stings, lessons and more. Camping isn’t always the easiest vacation or the most relaxing… but it is a great way to refresh and regroup. We like to camp as a family.
Abby @ BackAtSquareZero says
Looks like a beautiful trip.
We never went camping as a family, but I think I would enjoy it.
Sorry about the bees!
Rachel says
Thanks. It was nice to get away and enjoy nature. 🙂 Yes, the bees were no fun. Thankfully they were just at that one location (not at our camp site)
Yvonne says
Looks beautiful .. Very relaxing and great memories made !! FUN WINNING!!
Rachel says
Yes. It was. Thank you. 🙂
Megan @mnmspecial says
What great memories you’re making with the kiddos. Love the selfie!
Rachel says
Haha! Thanks. He was so weird this weekend… constantly wanting to stop to take selfie 😉 SIlly boy.
Kimberly @ Healthy Strides says
Wow! That looks incredibly gorgeous and sounds like such a great time.
Rachel says
Thank you. Yes, sometimes I wish the pictures could capture what it REALLY looks like in real life. 🙂
Nicole Brady says
What a fantastic family experience. Yes, thank goodness he wasn’t allergic to bee stings! I love the stream… I would have grabbed a book and lost track of time right there.
Rachel says
Yes! I had that same thought when sitting at the stream watching Daisy play in the water. 🙂 Very peaceful!
Kimberly Grabinski says
Except for the bees, it sounds like a fun trip! I love anything you can take the family dog along on.
Rachel says
Haha. Yes. I would agree with you! 🙂
Erin @ Girl Gone Veggie says
I really want to go camping! I’m glad you had a great trip! And that your son is okay after the bee stings!
Rachel says
You totally should! Lots of planning… but lots of fun! 🙂
Yes, me too! He was fine after about 10 minutes. He is a tough little guy.
Dee @ Cocktails with Mom says
We’ve never been camping before but it’s something I’m sure the boys would enjoy. Maybe we should put a camping trip on our bucket list.
Rachel says
You should. I am positive your boys would love it.
Mistee Dawn says
Looks like so much fun. We love camping up in the mountains of West Virginia.
Rachel says
That is a gorgeous area! I went on a missions trip there when I was in highschool.
Family Travel Blogger says
Wow, that is so gorgeous! 🙂 It looks like some great memories were made there.
Rachel says
Yes. Thank you. It was and there were memories made. 🙂
Marlon @meinthebalance says
Wow! What a wonderful weekend! It looks like lots of great memories were made… except for the bees. You make me want to venture out of SoCal and explore NorCal. 🙂
Rachel says
Thanks. You totally should! It would be a whole new experience for ya! 😉
Btw… I am totally envious of your super cute half shell kitchen/camper you use on your camping adventures! 🙂
Marlon @meinthebalance says
I wish the teardrop trailer were mine! It’s my buddy’s and he lets me borrow on occasion. Google Little Guy Trailers if you want to learn more about them. 🙂
Janice says
Looks like you had a great weekend of family fun and bonding! I love camping and love how it brings a family together. My husband will not go camping, but I don’t want to deny the girls of that experience so I’ll be taking the 3 of them camping for two nights by myself the weekend of the 18th. We have a really small tent so this shall be an interesting adventure 🙂
Rachel says
Thanks. Yes. Camping (by yourself) will totally be an adventure!! I look forward to hearing all about it!
Cynthia @ You Signed Up For WHAT?! says
I’m just trying to venture into camping with the kids. My husband is not interested and it’s daunting going solo with small kids, so I’m trying to coordinate with my siblings. I took my older two last year and we were totally rained out so we did “faux camping” where we stayed through dinner and then drove home, and went back in the a.m. for our tent and to explore! I’ll give it another try this year.
Rachel says
Haha! That sounds vaguely familiar with our first camping trip as a family of five, when T was little. It was rough. My husband camped out with the older two boys and I went home (to the AC and comforts of home) to nurse and co-sleep with the youngest… then met them in the morning. 🙂
Liz Mays says
You made the best memories over the weekend!I feel bad about the bee stings, but the rest of it sounded pretty darn awesome. Too cute how quickly they fell asleep!
Rachel says
Thanks. Yes. Through it all I am hoping we are making lasting (HAPPY) memories. 🙂
Jenn says
Looks like a great trip. What lovely photos. We really need to meet up in person one of these days. Thanks for sharing on Fitness Blogger Buddies on FB.
Rachel says
Yes! Totally. Maybe FitBloggin’ 15?
robyn says
What a fun trip! We have a tent that we have never used. The plan was to use it last weekend but we decided to wait another couple weeks.
Rachel says
Fun. Where will ya’ll be camping?
Beth says
It looks like you had a great trip. The picture of the boys asleep at the end seems to be proof of the success of your trip!
Rachel says
Haha! Right!? They were ZONKED out moments after getting in the car. Mommy Win! 🙂
Lisa @ Crazy Adventures in Parenting says
The light diffusing through those trees.. gah! Spectacular! So so pretty, Rachel! And your boys sure were tuckered out, huh? Poor dude with the bee sting, how’s he doing now?
Rachel says
Thank you for asking. He is good. You can’t even tell. There are more mosquito bites on them than anything. His cheek is normal and had no swelling. Tough dude. 🙂
Digna D. says
This looks like a great time. Beautiful photos! Too bad your son got stung, that is the worst.
Rachel says
Thank you. Yes. I think that was the LOW of the trip… thankfully everything else was awesome. 🙂
Lisa says
This campground looks amazing!!
jill conyers says
Everything about this is wonderful! Um….except for the bee sting of course. Beautiful and fun photos especially the last shot 🙂
Jenna Em says
What an adorable crew you have! I love all your pictures showing your wonderful trip! It sounds like you did so much together as a family, and I love that you had a chance to sneak out for a quick run!
Chelle @ Oh Just Stop Already says
Looks like tons of fun! Although I am insanely jealous with the space you have in your van. No matter if we take the truck or the SUV we still end up crammed full of kids, dogs, and gear.
Julie says
We’ve never been camping before. It looks like this was so much fun!
Angela S says
It looks like you found the perfect spot to pitch your tent. I would totally go camping if I had a place like that to enjoy.
Annie in ID says
It looks like you found a beautiful spot to explore! We camped this weekend too, with our toddler. He loves the adventure, but we were all glad to get home to get some more sleep by the end of the weekend. =)
Shell Feis says
Looks like so much fun! I just told my husband the other day that I really want him to teach our boys to fish when they’re old enough- I’ve never been and I feel like it’s important rite of passage! I can’t get over all the kinds of scenery there, too- living here in the desert, I am jealous of all those tall trees & green fields.
Tamara says
Love the photos of your boys out in nature!
My family and I are heading out on a camping trip next week. Hoping my kids sleep as well as yours!
Linz @ Itz Linz says
FUN!! we used to camp every summer but now my parents have a lake house so we go there instead 🙂 not camping but lots of outdoor fun!