Southern Camping

I have discovered the greatest thing ever. It's called camping! More specifically, TRAILER camping.

I will never go back to tents again. True convert here.

We got a truck a couple months ago - old, beat-up Ford.

In the truck on the way home

Well, once you have a truck you need something to pull behind it. No way was it going to be a boat. My ever-researching husband found the perfect deal on the perfect tailgate accessory: a beauty 1978 camper trailer, complete with brown and avacado-green stripes. And who can forget the ruffly curtains imprinted with roosters? It's only proper.

I'm too lazy to go take a picture of ours, but this helps you get the idea.

We got to take it for a spin the very next week! Sure, we were only doing 30-35 mph on those 2-lane mountain passes, which might have caused a little road-rage and some life-risking, illegal passes on the part of other cars behind us, but we made it! We stayed at Green River campground with 7 other families from our ward.

I have never, ever, had so much fun on a camping trip. I had heat at night. I had a fabulous mattress (possibly better than my own). I had a toilet, if I needed it! (We didn't, we used the flush toilets across the road from us, but next time we'll give the potty a whirl!) I had a stove and oven and I freakin' baked cookies. And hubby might have only taken 3 work calls the whole time! It was amazing!

We walked a trail of exposed dinosaur bone fossils. They were for-real fossils, still embedded in rock. It was cool! It's hard to see but the gray streak to the left of Davin's head is one fossil.

 Then we went to Arches National Park. I can't believe no one has ever told me that we need to go there. It was phenomenal! Amazing creations of nature. We all thoroughly enjoyed it and vowed to take Gummy and Poppy there next time they come! We know they'd love it too!

 That's Dave and Caden on top of the arch. Yeah, I need a better camera.

 Busted eating Cheetos for breakfast. Another perk of camping life. Especially when you're the only kid who doesn't get to go on the early-morning fishing trip (never mind that it's because you scream and throw rocks in the water). Davin reeled in a fish that morning ... he was horrified, terrified, and oh-so-proud, all at once!

The kids in the camping group. What a great bunch! They were so fun and were very considerate and helpful to each other. It was a great group.

 We hiked through a slot canyon called Little Wild Horse. I think it was my favorite thing of all. Beautiful rock formations and fun little climbing parts.

 Caden being Spiderman.

 Then we went to Goblin Valley, so named for these crazy little rocks that look like fat little creatures. This was the kids' favorite spot - they could climb all over and pretend certain clusters were their own castles. Dave got a cute video of Davin giving a castle tour, but video doesn't seem to upload well on my blog. The funniest part was when he said, "This is my pillow, but it's locked up so no one can get it."