Carter Caves

We just got back last week from a awesome visit to Carter Caves. We're really doing this camping thing and we like it. This time wasn't as organized we forgot a bunch of stuff and I was a little irritated. Thank goodness for my cousin Jada who is a well experienced camper and she gave me some awesome tips. We now have a camping tote where I have put everything we could possibly need for camping in it. Now we shouldn't forget the important stuff anymore. On to our visit at Carter Caves. Its a beautiful place and nice campground area. The caves were great! We took the kids on a guided cave tour.

They loved it! We got to learn about all those fun words like stalagmite and stalactite. This wasn't your normal cave because you got to go in and out of the cave. You would go outside to connect through the next passage area of the cave. The section in between the cave entrances was BEAUTIFUL! The guide said where the cool air is being pulled out of the cave and mixes with the hot air, it creates this rain forest like area.

After camping it got hot and we decided to let the kids go and play in the creek. It reminded me of a tame Gatlinburg area. We found some fun nature like crawdads and turtles. We all got soaked cause of the slick rocks, but Juliet said it was the funnest time she had.

Also I realised the best thing about camping.. no one knows you. I say this cause they had some cloggers and they were playing some music. So I decided to get up and teach my daughter the electric slide . I must tell you I reminded that I'm not young anymore and totally need to get in shape. Anyway I'm glad no pictures of that moment was taken :)

Going Camping w/ the Nichols Family.

Every year Chris and I take turns choosing vacation spots. This year was Chris's turn and he decided he wanted to go camping! We have never camped together as a family. We didn't even own any camping stuff. Juliet's American Heritage Girls invited us on a camping trip. So we had to find some stuff and fast. First thing was the tent. Some would think well we just have a family of ??? so that's the size we need. WRONG! I would say double ! I don't know about most people but I need space. So we went and tried out different tents. We decided on some rules. We had to be able to stand up in it, fit all of us and our stuff in it, and it needed a hinged door ( according to Chris). So we settled on this huge tent and we bought it from Wal-mart because of their 90 day return policy and its a good thing we did. We broke the first tent we got cause Chris decided he didn't need directions. We were lucky they had another tent.

So we packed everything but the sink and drove 1 hr to Cave Run Lake in Morehead. We were lucky the first night. It was supposed to rain and it didn't so that was good. It was beautiful and our campsite faced the lake.

The kids found some clay and made pots. The families all went in together and bought stuff for each meal so no one person was buying everything. The first night we had hamburgers and vegetables cooked in foil. It was yummy! Chris and I brought stuff for smores and shared them around a big campfire. Then it was the big moment! Was our 20 month going to go to sleep or was he going to keep everyone up. On a good note, he did go to sleep. Just not after he was up till 12 am playing with a glow stick that Chris decided to give him.. Grr

The next morning guess who was the first one to wake up ? Thats right Gabe and he just had to have mommy wake up. Now I'm not a big bug person but there was every type of spider on the outside of our tent the next morning .. EWWW. I was okay later with the spider cause later I found out some people slept with some ticks in not so great places. I became a tickaphobe. I'm pretty sure I was 100% covered in deet the whole day cause I was so scared of us getting ticks. I'm not saying deet is a safe thing to put all over your body but hey I was tick free so not complaining! Anyway the kids had a blast they had a water fight the next day. We went on a walk and found some turtles

Chris took the kids fishing and actually caught a very small blue gill. Then we grilled pizzas on pita bread and baked a amazing cake in a dutch oven. I didn't even know you could do that. Then it started raining and we totally wimped out and packed and left. It was a great trip though.