Chain o Lakes State Park...A Day on the Water!

 One of the things Ryan looked forward to the most about our camping adventures was cooking over the fire, so this past Saturday morning, he got up early and headed out with his coffee and the cast iron skillet to make a proper camping breakfast.

I slept. (He loves getting up early and making breakfast. I love sleeping in. It's a win-win for everyone.) I did wake up sporadically and took pictures from the bed. LOL!!

I ventured forth long enough to eat, but the bugs were out in full force, so I didn't stay long after breakfast!! :) 

One thing we had learned about Chain o Lakes is that they have a 9 lake paddle challenge. The park itself has 9 lakes that are strung together by channels (plus a few more that aren't connected) and you can canoe/kayak all nine if you want. It's about a five mile journey, and you can take pictures along the way to prove you did the whole thing, and then you can purchase some kind of souvenir to celebrate your upper body strength.

Here's the problem.

Unless you have an entourage to pick you up, if you start at one end and paddle to the other, you have no way to get back to the starting point unless you paddle all the way back or carry your watercraft down the road. So apparently most people start at the middle lake (where you can rent a boat if you need to) and paddle one way and come back...and then maybe on a different day, they do the other half. Either way, you're paddling 10 miles instead of 5, but if you don't do it all at once, it's less daunting. 

We took Fletcher, our inflatable kayak, and drove from our campsite to the boat launch to begin our journey through five of the lakes!

We started out at Sand Lake, which is the lake that has the beach we'd visited the night before. We paddled through a long and picturesque channel that looked like a hiking trail...in the water. It was covered on both sides by trees and brush and was so beautiful!

From there, we emptied into Bowen Lake, which was also beautiful and almost glassy!

We went through a short channel and emptied into Dock Lake:

The next channel was long and narrow (like only wide enough for one boat) and full of lily pads and brush. It was also full of 90 degree twists and turns. It was an ADVENTURE!

We made it through and ended up in Long Lake, where we took a wrong turn and ended up paddling the ENTIRE lake on our way to the final lake in this half of the challenge. But we got to see some turtles sunning themselves, and we got in a little extra exercise, so yay!

We finally got back on track and went to Sucker Lake, which is technically the starting point of the challenge.

Then we had to paddle back! We did at least five miles that day with the there-and-back of the first half.

I told Ryan that when we launched out, I figured we would be the Cousin Eddies of the lake...our there in our inflatable kayak, but much to our surprise, we were the coolest kids on the water. We lost count of the number of people who paddled by and asked questions about how we liked the kayak and how it was holding up to use. So many of them said they were tired of hauling and storing traditional kayaks, and they found the inflatable route super appealing. Who knew??

By the time we got back to our campsite, Ryan's fabulous breakfast cooking had worn off, so we had something to eat, and then we decided to bike to the Stanley Schoolhouse to check it out. It's this amazing one room schoolhouse (in the park) that was used clear up until the 1950s! 

There was a trailhead right next to the schoolhouse, and it was only about a mile loop, so we decided to hike it real quick before biking back. First of all, I was NOT wearing hiking shoes, and secondly, the bugs were INSANE. I wish we had a video of us hiking this because both of us were literally marching down the trail, waving both our arms around our heads with much gusto. It was not enjoyable in the least. But it was funny! (And the trail was pretty!)

And then it was back to camp to make hamburgers for dinner. Ryan wanted to cook them over the fire and he did...finishing JUST as the rain started again.

The bugs got so bad again, so I went inside, and my prince of a husband stayed out in the rain, under an umbrella, to roast my marshmallow to perfection! I love him!!

And then we rested inside. Bug-free.

Chain o Lakes State Park...A Getaway!

Several weeks ago, when we knew we were going to have this past weekend off work, we reserved a camping spot at Chain o Lakes State Park, which is actually fairly close to us. It's part of Noble County, so when we get around to visiting the county in a proper county-tour fashion, we can add this adventure onto it! 

Neither of us had ever been to this park before, so we chose our campsite blindly and looked forward to our time away. It rained ALL DAY Friday, so we had to pack the RV in the rain. (Super fun!) We needed to take Ryan's truck with us this time, so we would have a way to transport our kayak to launching sites. I can't drive his truck, because it's manual, so the only choice was for me to drive the RV. Sure! Driving Abby for the first time in the rain?? Sounds like a blast!

We made it there in one piece!

The campground is easily the largest we've ever stayed in, and I was still solidly lost in it by the time we left on Sunday evening. Thankfully Ryan is not directionally challenged, so he led the way for all our walks and bike rides.

Remember our vacation, when we learned that not all campgrounds were made for rolling out awnings and lighting fires? THIS was actually very much that kind of campground. We were SO EXCITED to use our awning and rug and outdoor lights for the first time!

We arrived a little after 2 in the afternoon (check-in was at 2) and it took a little while to set up. We hadn't used all these things before, so there was a bit of a learning curve. But we got it all set up and then went out to explore the campgrounds a bit. We rode our bikes over to the General Store, where we were able to get a patch for our wall and an ornament for our tree! And a citronella candle, because: MOSQUITOS!!!!!

We also took a ride down to the beach, which was 100% deserted because of the sketchy weather. We enjoyed sitting there all by ourselves, taking in the beautiful view and spending some time in prayer. We'd just come away from the difficult work day, and we needed some time alone with God in the quiet!

We went back to our campsite and built a fire so we could roast hot dogs and smores for dinner. We barely got that finished before the rain let loose again!

I would have loved to sit under the awning and listen to the rain, but alas, the bugs were not deterred by rain, smoke, or citronella candles. (Or spray.) I was eaten alive while eating dinner. So we went back inside and rested in the air conditioning while listening to the rain hit the roof. (It reminded us of our sun porch days!) 

It was, perhaps, not the first day of a camping trip that we would have planned, weather-wise, but we did have a great time anyway. We enjoyed our space and privacy at the campgrounds. (We didn't have many neighbors that first night.) And we got to see pretty dogs walking by throughout the evening!!

Abby's Kitchen Amenities

First up...the blog ran late yesterday, but there is a post now, so if you missed it, scroll back and catch it if you'd like!

And now...

We're starting to figure out this whole camping thing, and while we're by NO MEANS experts, I thought I might share some of the things we've found that we love. I know I read a lot of RV posts before we ever started out, and I appreciated the advice others shared. So if you're looking to try out the RV life - even just part-time like we are - maybe this will help!

Coffee Love.

You might remember that when we first started out, we purchased an electric water kettle and a stainless steel French Press. We though the electric kettle might come in handy if we needed hot water for other things - and the French Press would be safer for us to use in travel than a glass carafe in a regular coffee pot. We used this combo on our first trip back in April, and we quickly learned that the uncontained coffee grounds of a French Press create a nightmare in an RV. We didn't want to dump them down the sink and risk clogging up the hoses and water tanks, and trying to clean out the Press any other way was CRAZY messy. 

So we relocated those to our apartment to be used in a regular home setting, and we took the recommendation of our friend and co-worker, Kristin, and purchased this slim Keurig. It doesn't store water in a reservoir, so it's not heavy or bulky. We pour in our water on a cup-by-cup basis. The cord stores inside the back of the Keurig, and the design even matches Abby's kitchen! (I couldn't find the exact color design we purchased, but the link I posted is the same model we have.) We're easily able to store this up in the cabinet above the sink when we're in transit, and it's so easy to pull back out when we're in our campsite! Apparently I don't have an amazing picture of it - but you can see it there next to Ryan in the photo above. 

I also have a small white wooden crate Ryan gave me for Easter a few years ago that I fill with K-Cups when we travel. I would purchase one of the reusable cups, but I fear that would put us back in the same boat we were in for the French Press - trying to manage the grounds. So I haven't worked all that out yet. But the crate stays in Abby - stores beautifully under the stove - and I just refill the cups before we travel. 

We have some stainless steel travel coffee mugs that I think I'm just going to leave out there in the bin I got from Dollar Tree a few months ago. We have other stainless steel travel mugs that we use more often that I can keep here in the house, but if I put the ones we use less frequently out in Abby, they're one less thing I have to remember to pack each time we go. And I think I'm just going to grab 2-4 of our ceramic mugs from our huge mug collection to keep out there permanently, too. We have plenty of others in the apartment, and this would make it easier when it comes time to pack. (We like to drink out of regular ceramic mugs when we're not driving.)

Water Purification.

I did a TON of research on this prior to traveling, and we learned that most RVers love their Berkey Water Filters. I read more about that brand than any other. If you're not sure why this is even necessary...let me fill you in! When you're traveling around and filling your water tanks from various sources, you might not know how safe it is to drink. Maybe some newer, fancier RV models have water purifiers in the refrigerator or even before it flows through the tap. Abby is not that model - ha! So running the water through a pretty strict purifier is important!

The Berkey filters are not cheap, but from what read, they are good quality and have longevity. We were able to find this travel version that is much smaller than some, and more cost-effective, too. We store it in a small box and put it in a cabinet when we travel, and then when we arrive at the campsite, we set it up and fill it from our fresh water tank. This allows us to fill a pitcher for our refrigerator that we use for refilling our stainless steel water bottles. (I believe we got the pitcher at Wal-Mart. It's just a slimline plastic pitcher that fits in the door of the refrigerator and keeps our drinking water cold.) We also use the Berkey for our coffee water and any other drinking/cooking water needs. This saves us from purchasing tons of water bottles when we're on the road. 

And a bonus? Grabill water is fairly terrible-tasting, so we actually use this in our home, too. It sits on the buffet when we aren't on the road, and we use it every single day! (You'll notice in the above photo that there is a stand behind the filter. That is actually for the Berkey to sit on, but it doesn't work for us in Abby. Not enough room between the counter and the cabinet. But we do use it at home to keep the Berkey up and off the buffet. 

Pans and Grills.

We purchased a small, cast iron skillet from Kohl's back at the holidays, when we had some Kohl's cash and sales were good. We spent the winter working on seasoning it, and now we use it primarily when we're camping! Ryan LOVES cooking over the fire, so he's working on perfecting his breakfast game with this skillet. (He's getting pretty great at it, too! We did purchase a silicone handle cover to keep ourselves from getting burned while moving the skillet over the fire. 

We can also use the skillet inside Abby, if we choose to cook on either of our two burners in there. (We have a two burner gas stovetop inside Abby, but we haven't used it much.) 

Currently, the cast iron skillet is the only pan we have for Abby. 

Another thing we use a ton at home and in Abby? Our Griddler! This was a Christmas gift from Ryan's grandma a few years ago, and we have gotten so much use out of it. It's an electric grill that has a panini press/grill side and also opens flat to be a griddle for pancakes, etc. It is pretty compact, so it's easy to slide into a cabinet for camping, but it's also a great additional appliance for home! (The link is for the exact one we have...even though ours is several years old.)

One thing I love about camping with the Griddler is that it's small enough to use in our tiny kitchen, but it can also fit on a table outside if we are able to cook out there. We have an outlet outside the camper, so we have cooked with it outside!

Here are a few of the smaller things that we have in our Abby kitchen that we love so much. 

* I got ours at the Dollar Tree, but this is a similar version. It's a splatter guard for inside our microwave. We just leave ours inside the microwave at all times. 

* We received this silverware set for Christmas. It is perfect for RV life, because it's just service for 4, so it doesn't take up much room. But it did come with steak knives, so that was a bonus! 

* Speaking of knives, we also got this set for Christmas. They fit nicely in a drawer and have covers on each one, so they're not a hazard when we reach in the drawer! (And they cut beautifully!)

* And another Christmas gift was this set of silicone trivets that can also be used as pot holders. We love double duty! These have come in SO handy. 

* We received much Abby-love at Christmas! This was another of our gifts: collapsible silicone food storage containers. They store well - and fold away nicely when not in use! 

* I also purchased a plastic mixing bowl with a rubber bottom at the Dollar Tree - just so we have a bigger bowl if we need one. (It's similar to this one.)

We have a few more things we would love to add in the months to come.

* We don't yet have dedicated eating dishes for Abby, so I've picked out these cups, bowls, and plates. We've been using disposable, but I don't want to do that for the long haul. 

* I'm currently hauling cooking utensils in and out of Abby each time we travel, so I have this set on the list to just leave out there! 

* I currently have 100% fail rate on remembering to take a cutting board with us, so it will be good to have our own out there! 

* This little smoothie maker is on my list so I don't have to keep hauling our big Ninja base out each time! 

* I did grab a couple of small drying mats from the Dollar Tree, and they're working okay, but I still have this collapsible drying rack on the list. 

Our kitchen isn't huge, but we love how many helpful things we're able to fit inside it! And I'm sure as we go along, we'll find more helpful things to put in there! 

Sunday Sentiments

 

It appears we unintentionally worried a few of you, and for that, I apologize!!

When Ryan and I met with Sean and Sarah weeks ago to pick our our weekend days for the month of July, we set aside this past Friday/Saturday/Sunday to enjoy a little outing in Abby the RV: our first since our trip well over a month ago. We made reservations at a campsite and have been eagerly, eagerly awaiting this three day weekend.

I had everything all planned out on my calendar. Early last week I did all the menu planning, and we made it over to the store to pick up the food we would need. The next day I made our packing list so I could carve out a few hours on Thursday to pack the RV.

Typically, when we go into our days off, we check out of work mid-afternoon the day before our days off. That wasn't going to work for us this time, because Thursday night was a community night that had been on the calendar long before we ever planned the days off. So I made careful arrangements to take a few hours earlier in the day, pack the RV, and then swing back into work to attend community night.

It was all great in theory, but when the moment arrived, it fell apart completely. We had an unexpected happening at work on Thursday (which falls into the category of one of those things I can't go into in great detail), but it consumed all four of us on the team for the entire day. Ryan and I ended up working straight through the day from 7:30 in the morning until about 10:30 that night, and by that point, we had no brain power left whatsoever.

I had nothing left in me to blog ahead for the weekend (which is what I typically try to do when I know we're going to be gone). And blogging aside, I hadn't even begun to pack!

That was why Friday's post was so very short. I already had the Saturday Six ready to go, and I thought I would just write all the sentiments for Sunday once I got to the campground and had some time, but alas...we had nothing even resembling a signal the entire weekend. Couldn't text, call, check any websites or social media...nothing! 

Thank you so much for checking in on us. When we arrived home, my phone started dinging with texts, emails, and messages asking us if we were okay. And yes! We are okay. No one is ill, there are no deaths in our families, and we really are okay. It was just a long, hard day that sometimes happens in this kind of job. It isn't the first time it's happened, and we know it won't be the last.

But what I'm so grateful for is the way God went ahead of us and prompted us to schedule this weekend off - weeks ago. Though we hated to leave and drop all the chaos on Sean and Sarah, we needed that break. And God knew we would. 

So we're back, we're home, we're rested (for a day or two, anyway), and after I get all my pictures sorted, I'll share with you the fun we had!