Family Camping 2011

It's finally here! We have long talked about and awaited this family camping trip! We are at James River State Park in Virginia...a somewhat central location for all of us and ready for three days of fun! John and Jean packed up most of the car last night and got up this morning and whoops....
one of the water jugs leaked and water was all over the floor of the garage. Fortunately, we have a rubber mat that the edge had gotten turned down so most of the water drained into the wheel well and then out. There were just plastic boxes in the trunk so it wouldn't have been crucial, but as it was we just had a small section to clean up and dry out. Ah well...we have a beautiful day ahead of us!


After a beautiful drive up 501 and then a jog onto 29 and then 60, we arrived at the campground. It was a beautiful open field next to the James River. Sensational day!

The very full and beautiful James River is behind us...

We got our screened porch set up - first time so there were some learning curve issues...and then the tent...relearning issues on that one...but they make everything so easy these days! We wandered around some while we waited for the kids to arrive.

Gretchen and Mason arrived around 4:30 or so

Gretchen setting up her tent.

John got the fire set for tonight's somores figuring our Tiger
Scout, Colin, could get his fire building lesson tomorrow.

Jill, Dave, Colin, Ryan and Riley arrived before
dark after some traffic issues.
Everybody's here safely and we're hungry so
let's get that fire going for hot dogs!

It was a beautiful evening...millions of stars. Gretchen and Jill went down to the canoe landing and took some great star pictures....but I don't have any of those. We had about 90 minutes from the first star to when the moon started up and was so bright that it dimmed many of the stars from view. Great start!