Vacation Day 2 – Monday, June 15, 2010
I realize camping isn’t for everyone. I know that to a lot of people vacation is about airplanes and condos, resorts and fancy restaurants. I just don’t happen to know any of those people. I’ve been camping at Gulf State Park for 30 summers, with the exception of two that I wasn’t happy about! My family thinks of GS as our second home.
My mother’s family has been camping here since she was a little girl and it’s hard to picture family vacations any other way. There are usually somewhere around 25 or 30 of us here any given day in June. This year there are four travel trailers and two pop up campers, three inflatable pools and too many bicycles to count.
Because of the oil spill we were worried about the beaches, but praying that we would be lucky enough to spend some time on them. Yesterday morning when we arrived, the cover of the Mobile Register had pictures of black oil and a headline that read “Worst Day Yet.” Rather than be discouraged and devastated, we realized that only one thing we love about this town had been marked off the list. We bought big pools and little pools and proceeded to have a party in the yard.
K & I had a pool all to ourselves, the older girls had a pool and we blew up a baby pool for Molly and Ella to play in. We referred to our side of the street as the redneck riviera, but we had a fabulous day nonetheless.
While we were doing that, Sophie was doing this. Not only did she sleep through the night for the first time ever, but she pretty much slept all day. She was extremely low maintenance all day long and seemed happy, indoors or out. I think the beach agrees with her.
Ella begged to go to the beach all day long, so we decided to go for a few hours early in the evening, so that Sophie could tag along. Despite this warning, the beaches were beautiful and clean.
We couldn’t have asked for a better afternoon. This was the way to get our beach fix in, but not have to worry about too much sun for the girls or lugging umbrellas and beach awnings to keep us cool.
Kristin is married to her high-school sweetheart and the mother to two daughters. Professional by day and creative by night, she is a family lifestyle blogger who writes about faith, family, and fitting it all into a busy schedule. At Taz + Belly, you’ll find healthy recipes, children’s party ideas, tutorials, DIY projects, and more. Click Here to Read More About Kristin