- We camped right outside the Canyon Creek Campgrounds near Heber, AZ. We tried out the actual campgrounds, but they were full-so we headed to the other side of the canyon and found a fantastic spot that ended up being one of the best we've ever found in the middle of nowhere. A few other groups were in the area, but not close enough for us to see from our campsite. I hated going up and down the dirt roads climbing in and out of the canyon--I seriously thought I was going to have a panic attack.
- This was Jack's first camping trip and he did great-slept AMAZINGLY in his carseat, and the first time I did not take a pack and play. It was also the first time we had two tents up: Karianna and JD slept in their own 4 man tent. They did great the first night. The second night, there were a few bugs in the tent, that I just brushed away as being no big deal. But then the kids found "ninja mosquito", which was actually just a large flying bug. While Jared killed it and a few other bugs that were stalking the tent, JD was scared enough to transfer to our tent when we went to bed around midnight. Karianna was completely out of it, and never woke up, so she slept in her own tent alone, only to find JD had left the next morning. We also had a canopy set up that we borrowed from Jared's family, and it was an awesome addition to the campsite-we will invest in one as our camping addition next year.
- Here's the canyon drop off-the other side is where we originally wanted to camp. Sara was very scared of rolling all the way down the hill and only stood there for a few moments before hurriedly backing away from the gentle slope.
- Of course, we did lots of hiking and exploring around our camping area. This was a great climbing tree, and the shot below looks like a boat that everyone boarded!
- Fire restrictions were lifted, so we actually got to do a great fire using the pit that Stephen expertly made. We had tons of firewood around to make stoking the fire easier. The kids did so well around the fire-I was impressed. Jared and Stephen taught the kids how to make various types of fires, and Karianna was especially adept at putting in logs in key positions to help the fire grow-she didn't seem nervous at all about handling the fire.
- We found a frog, a horny toad, squirrels, a rabbit, and several cool (read: gross) bugs around the campsite--the favorite was a huge beetle with green and yellowish stripes, who also sported two furry antlers. The least favorite was the stink bugs (actually, several of them) that were wandering in and out of our tent while we were taking it gown-not an issue while we were in it, but certainly while we were taking it down. We also killed a crazy looking scorpion/spider thingie. This is the horny toad, and somwhere in this reel is the rabbit. We also passe an elk on the road-he was dead unfortunately, and I'm even sadder to say it was just his body there-no head. Ew.
- We got up to the site on Friday around 5:30. We quickly got the tents up, the fire started, gear arranged, and made steak and hot dogs for dinner. The steaks were cooked over the fire and we made mashed potatoes in the dutch oven while roasting peppers and onions kabob-style; yum! We made smores with the kids and told stories/played the question game until midnight. JD and Karianna stayed up the whole time, though the little kids went straight to bed around 10. James was a little sad, but fell asleep in the stroller within a few minutes by the campfire-didn't even wake up when I laid him in his bed.
- Saturday we had cereal, eggs, hashbrowns, and bacon for breakfast, and it was awesome! We spent some time around the campsite, but then drove into Heber for ice cream. Afterwards, we headed to Willow Springs Lake, which is beautiful and super close to our campsite! The kids enjoyed dipping their toes in, and of course, JD ended up in the water with Jordan following shortly thereafter. I wish I had James' puddle jumper so I could just let him wade without worrying about him. We would have stayed here much longer if a nearby fisherman wasn't getting annoyed at us-I would have been fine with the kids swimming for a while!
- We came home (ha ha, our tent home, that is) to get a quick lunch and rest for a bit. We then got ready to go to Canyon Creek. The kids all got in their swimsuits and water shoes, and we traversed the ridiculously scary road back down to the creek. Our landing spot was the one-lane bridge, though we found a small path just beyond it to hike down.
- When we got back to camp, we made chicken quesadillas/fajitas with peppers, onions, and cheese (of course) all rolled up in crispy tortillas. It was the best meal by far, and that's saying something! We stayed up for a while telling stories, but sent the kids to bed a little earlier around 9. Jordan fell asleep within 2 minutes, and we sparred a bit with the bugs around the 2nd tent before settling around the campfire. We played some exciting rounds of Scattergories with Stephen while keeping the fire going. This whole time, it was never cold enough for more than a light jacket-that's the way to camp!
- Sunday morning was awesome: we all slept until 9!!!!! WEll, the kids were awake a bit before that, but me and Jared didn't wake up until then, and it was blissful, if a bit hot already. Jared made eggs, hashbrowns, and bacon for everyone while I started packing up the tent. We broke down camp while Stephen took some of the kids on a Hunger Games-type hike, and by noon we were just about ready to head out. At that point, Jordan looked like this:
We had planned to go to the fish hatchery on the way home, but we were so wiped out, we just headed home. We dumped trash in Payson, hit a bit of traffic, and made it home by 3. Overall, it was a great vacation, our most successful yet in many ways. The kids did great, and I love these good memories that get established outside of our home!
