The Princess & The Pea

Once upon a time, not so very long ago, a princess declared she would not, could not, did not want to camp.  But her husband came home with a portable palace and a pea green boat.  So the princess packed her bag and her child and left her indoor plumbing and electricity behind.  The winds howled and the dust swirled but the princess was happy.  The boat floated and the palace did not fall and the family returned home tired but rested and ready to do it again.

And here is the real story:

Brandon and Ryan bought a boat for basically nothing because the man who owned it could not get the motor to start.  It is a 1976 Power Cat with both a 90 & 70 Chrysler engine that were new when the boat was new.  By sundown on the day they brought the boat home, they had it running.  So we loaded up the green pea and the "very large" tent Brandon bought to satisfy my lodging preferences and headed to Lake Blackwell. 

These are the things I learned about camping during a burn ban in OK.  And camping with me.

They called me a princess before we left but I think I did okay. 

Starbucks makes a drinkable instant coffee - and it comes in the iced variety!!  This will be a camping staple for me!

They sell battery operated lanterns and they will light the campsite great when hung from the top of one of those instant shelters/shades.  The instant shelter will put up with A LOT of wind but it has a limit.

An 8-person tent is the perfect size for me.  Seriously.  Brandon thought I was joking when I said I didn't think we could get away with anything smaller.  And I heard no complaining when I set up our air mattress, down mattress topper, sheets & our own blankets.  Peyton had plenty of room for his bed and we could actually see what was in our bags when we wanted to get dressed.  And the screened in porch part was a good storage area for things we didn't want to blow into the lake (like... everything).

I CAN pee outside but I don't want to. 

If you get the chance to be confused with bluegrass festival attendees, go with it.  The people watching is great and they are very friendly. 

There is a fine balance between leaving the windows to the tent open to allow for a breeze and wanting them closed to seal out the blowing dirt.  Just cover everything up and bring a broom!

After dark, a three year old with a flashlight in a tent is great entertainment!  He COULD NOT figure out how we knew he was out of his bed!

After dark, when you have no fire to gather around, just move your chairs around a tent and let one person lay in bed.  I think it looked really funny but it worked great!  (by the way- I was in a chair)

If your husband brings a boat that is older than himself, bring lots of extra clothes.  He will get wet.  A lot. 

I think this was a very successful first camping trip for our little family.  I never even broke out the first aid kit!  And I'm motivated enough to put the things we used away in a fashion that will be easy to load up quickly for the next camping trip.  I have pictures but I can't find the computer cord yet.  They should be here soon.