What fun
Posted in Family by RB on October 15th, 2007 Those of you who spent Friday night in a bed - either yours or someone else’s - probably didn’t notice just how cold it was Friday night. But I can promise you that everyone in our campground near Helen knew exactly how low the temps dropped. One weather site I checked reported that Helen dropped to 28 on Saturday morning. Now I’ve been in a cold tent before, as has my wife, but this was the first time my kids have actually been uncomfortable, and it was exasterbated by things like overflowing diapers, wet pajamas, insufficient sleeping bags, and a kid screaming in the tent next door. Friday night was so miserable we almost went home on Saturday. I’m glad we didn’t.
Enota is a beautiful place. The 60 acre campground was first built as a public works project, and it sounds like it’s gone through many iterations, the most recent of which started 9 years ago. That’s when a lady decided to establish a conservancy to run the property. It is entirely volunteer staffed which means there are a few quirks such as the most botched bonfire lighting ever (think a trail of gasoline leading from the fire to the volunteer’s feet). It’s also very family friendly. It has a great creek, plenty of open space for playing games, and a playground with three trampolines which serve as the gathering place for everyone under sixteen. Needless to say, the boys loved the place. How could they not? They could run and bounce as much as they wanted and scream as much as they liked.
We didn’t want Saturday night to be a repeat of Friday, so we decided to find the nearest Dollar General to buy a few extra blankets and some mittens. And that’s when we learned that unless you’re imbibing yourself, it’s best to avoid Helen during Octoberfest. Fortunately the stop and go traffic lulled the boys into a nice nap, and my wife and I could gawk in peace.
Dinner consisted of hotdogs cooked on a stick, and after watching the bonfire the evening concluded with s’mores. The boys were practically begging to go to bed. We warmed the tent with the lantern, added some layers to their pajamas, and tucked them in. They barely moved until the next morning. I don’t think they wanted to come home yesterday.
Overall, our first family camping trip was a roaring success. We may head out again this weekend if the weather holds.
