Big Sur Camping 2011

Camping in Big Sur with friends this year was a ton of fun!!! We decided to leave on Wednesday and come back Saturday morning. Well considering that I am pregnant 7 months along and I am quite large I got a lot of questions from others as to why would I even consider it at all. Well with great friends and family to help I didn't have to do much if anything at all the whole trip. The kids helped with all the packing of the bags and stuff. Then Dan and Ricky loaded the car right up. So after all that was done there wasn't really much of anything for me to do. My girlfriends told me when they first learned I was pregnant that I was not getting out of our annual camping trip. So I was going. It was tons of fun!! We love going to Big Sur every year and pretty much try to get the same camping sites close to the river and just enjoy our time away from work and all the stresses of normal life. Its a good break! Well this year we had a few little extra fun things as well. Candy saw a camping oven that runs on propane and decided it was a must have for our trip. It came in the day before.

We had a great time trying it out! The first night it was cookies, then the next morning it was biscuits and we also made Cinnamon rolls in it!! Yum Yum!!! the kids and adults alike loved all the yummy treats that we tried out. We are already making plans for what we will cook in it next year. Aside from the great food that we always have camping we had a ton of fun in the river this year.

Our three wonderful husbands as they do every year make a great run down the river by moving the rocks into better places so the inner tubes and rafts can go down a bit better. They are almost always a bit sore the next day but for the kids its well worth the effort! The kids always have so much fun going down. This year as the dad's were busy making a big run the kids decided to make a tiny one that was mild and Brianne pretty much stayed in the whole time we were there. Well it wasn't just Bri the other kids liked it too.

The river was flowing a bit faster this year and with all the rain we had it was a tiny bit deeper, but everyone loved it. I however decided that I was not going in the water this year and sat on the sidelines with the towels and snacks. Which was good for me it was just relaxing to hang out and watch how much fun all the kids had.

We were able to finally convince Brianne to go down the river on the big run however she had to go with someone. I was cracking up last year we couldn't get her off of the big run and this year she pretty much wanted nothing to do with it at all!

Now what is a camping trip if there isn't smores to go around to all!!! As you can plainly see they totally loved them Brianne I think just a bit much. She is a total crack up if you ask me, a ham of sorts! The kids had a ton of fun roasting marshmallows and eating them all up. I did have to say enough was enough I didn't need them too hopped up on sugar before bed. Usually when we camp we like to do some things we either go to the beach that is just up the road or take a little walk/hike through the forest and trees. Well this year Carolyn said she found a great hike that wasn't very long it was to the waterfall in Big Sur. So I was like ok (I was a little hesitant) but I was assured by the rangers that it was ok and that for sure a pregnant woman could do it no problem. Don't even worry about it. Its a very mild hike the whole thing is no more than a 200 ft elevation so I thought ok I can do that...

Well this picture pretty much sums up what the hike was really like. This was actually the before picture and we were just having fun I said if it got too bad the kids could always just push me the whole way.

It was a very pretty hike and we were in the shade most of the way, however as for it being a mild hike that anyone could do....well that was not the case at all!! My wonderful husband walked behind me the whole way and helped push me up the hills. And as for that 200ft elevation well I am not quite sure which ranger came up with that bunch of garbage but it was quite a bit more. Needless to say Candy and I took several breaks along the way!

The kids did make it their a lot faster than we did of course, and by the time I finally made it to the falls, they were ready to head back. Go figure I simply told them they would have to wait a little longer and take some pictures since I needed a rest!! Too funny we have learned our lesson not to really trust the rangers when they tell you its going to be easy!! We had a great time camping this year and are excited to go again next year. However we will have a baby then so that ought to be interesting as well. We already have our sites booked for July and the kids are already excited to go again. I am so glad we have great friends to do things with its always fun when you camp with others. It was a great time. Now for the rest of the summer it will be lets rest and relax and get the house and everything ready for the baby to come in August!!