Camping(ish)

I know the title is enjoyable - it was inspired by a friend who asked me on the phone this morning if I enjoyed my experience "camping... ish" this weekend. Cue me cracking up! I think I've made it known that I'm not really big on camping but I did get to take advantage of some of the perks of camping (hello s'mores) without sleeping on the ground. That's a win! 

Friday I got off work early (cheers!) and ended up spending most of Friday afternoon and evening being a huge bum - it was great! I painted my fingernails and toenails, sat out on the deck to read, watched a movie called Palm Springs, got interested in the show The Politician on Netflix and was generally just very lazy. It was such a delight and I haven't done that in a while.

 

Saturday morning I got myself up and put together a bit earlier than usual and attended the memorial service for a sweet friend's mother - the service was lovely and so very touching! Afterward, I made my way home, changed clothes and picked up my pup and headed up into the mountains! 

I joined my parents at their campsite at Big Meadows in the Shenandoah National Park and we made our way to the Upper Hawksbill Trail that is a 2 mile out and back trail to the highest point in the Shenandoah National Park at 4,050 feet of elevation! The trail is noted as moderate and while I'd 100% classify the first 0.7 of the mile in as moderate, the final 0.3 are pretty much a straight uphill hike - so make note of that if you plan to give this one a go! 

 

The weather was a mixed bag on Saturday with clouds rolling over the mountain peaks all day long. When Watson and I arrived at the summit, the whole area was wreathed in misty clouds and there wasn't much of a view... but we waited... and it was worth it! The clouds rolled on and soon the view to the valley cleared and the views were spectacular! Watson very much enjoyed the hike and I think he'd have cruised right to the edge of each rocky outcropping to peer over if I'd have let him!

 

 

  

The way back down the trail was much easier because it was pretty much a downhill roll, ha-ha! About halfway down the trail a Spike (a little male deer) stepped onto the trail and gradually made his way across the trail and into the forest again. I think he'd have hung around a bit longer but there were other people coming up the trail and they were quite noisy! *sigh* 

 

We popped over to the Big Meadows Lodge and my Dad and I made our way up a 0.1 of a mile "trail" to the Black Rock Overlook - talk about maximum views for minimal effort - it was stunning! Happily the clouds weren't too heavy when we reached the summit and I was able to take some great pictures. I certainly love living in the mountains - the views cannot be beat!

 

 

We made our way back to my parent's campsite, stopping along the way to snap a picture of two wee little fawn grazing along the edge of the road! Watson is; much like me, not a huge fan of camping and so while the fire was being built up for dinner, all that Watson really wanted to do was sit on the ground and shiver! He also wasn't a fan of the fire and did his best to avoid getting anywhere near it - unless there was a hot dog or marshmallow being roasted!  

 

 

Hands down the best part of camping (ish) is the food you get to make when you camp! We had hamburgers cooked over charcoal and I do think it was one of the best hamburgers I've had in a long time! We also roasted hot dogs and of course, there were s'mores! *sigh* We even mixed it up with the s'mores and instead of a bit of Hershey's chocolate, we inserted a Reese's Thin - and y'all, that was absolutely delicious! 

 

Around 7:30 Watson and I hopped back in the car and headed down the mountains to a shower and a warm bed. The drive home was filled with fog so thick I couldn't see but a couple feet past the front of my car and then... when the fog lifted, all the rain! It was all worth it though because the hikes were great, the food was divine and the company was first class! I was glad to get home, take a shower and climb into my bed, ha-ha!

Sunday morning I caught church online and sipped my coffee while I was watching the service online. I got myself all 60's - styled and heading to Regions 117 for brunch to celebrate my dear friend Cindy's graduation! The food was great as always and the company was all kinds of fun! It was a great way to spend a couple hours on Sunday!

I passed the rest of the afternoon with a phone call to my sister, watering some new plants in the backyard, reading, totally chowing down on some pizza (the first I've had in months...) and taking a bubble bath. It was a good weekend!