Day 12

We woke up this morning ready to pack up and move on to our next spot. Ryan had a dollar burning a hole in her pocket that she'd found the night before so she wanted to hit the camp store. I didn't want to burst her bubble that she would find anything less than a dollar! We walked to 2 different stores and she really wanted to buy the Pop Tarts that were the only thing less than a dollar but I talked her out of it. She claims she doesn't like having money in her pocket so she needs to spend it. Yeah, I have that problem too.

The visitor's center wasn't quite open yet so I took the kids for the short Elk Run hike before they openend. Not a bad selfie on the trail!

We all took turns reading the interpretive signs along the way. The kids and I had learned over all the trips about all the different invasive species affecting the national park's trees. This is the first park we'd learned that a tree had been completely wiped out - the chestnut tree. Saplings still appear from the roots underground but they are taken by blight.

The kids also have been working on their junior ranger sheets so they wanted to stop back by the visitor's center. The BRP junior ranger program is a little different than all the other parks we've been to. At each center kids can pick up one sheet for their folder. Once they complete a certain number of sheets they get a plastic badge, then a certificate, then a cloth badge, then a pin. Laney's sights are on the pin but that would mean completing all 10. She's on her way!

We had our longest drive of the parkway ahead of us - a whole 2 hours! This was the part I'd been really enjoying about the trip - less driving and more camping. I'm not sure the kids are sold yet as they have been working through some boredom in the woods, but I strongly believe it's good for them. And as a bonus, I've had more volunteers help cooking than I've ever had!

While the kids were playing their DS's I was listening to NPR and heard the news about Kate Spade and Anthony Bourdain. I don't like coming out of the woods, but definitely not to news like that. In an effort to save batteries I've been turning off computers and phones so this year we have been seriously disconnected.

We made it to our next site a little later than expected because of some construction. The Clarkes were pretty hangry by the time we got there so while they set up the tent I made a snack lunch. The girls and I walked the garbage up to the entrance, grabbed maps, and checked out the events in the nearby town. We were expecting rain so it would be nice to be busy in town instead of getting wet!

All the kids decided to read and play while I puttered around we finished setting up our sites. Laney found a great reading tree and the other three read for awhile then decided to play with Brayden's Legos.

Evey was super interested in sleeping in our tent with the kids so I set up my hammock with the tarp and moved in. I finished my book and could have definitely taken a nap, but I decided it would be good for me to be sleepy instead of restless in the hammock for the night.

All the kids enjoyed reading in their own private area this afternoon!

After a few games of backgammon we made some soup and salad for dinner then the kids brought out our glow stick swords we'd grabbed the day before. It was time to duel for the rest of the night!

I felt like I was back at home listening to sleepover giggles and chatter as I snuggled into my hammock for the night. This was just another great thing about having friends camping along with us this trip!