Camping @ Old St. Stephens Historical Park...

The camping bug is back and we hit the road for our 1st camping trip of the season...our season
runs from March-May and picks up again September-November. We skip the hot summer months along with the frigid cold ones.

This time with a little influence from our oldest we hit a familiar spot north of Mobile. We've camped there one time about 2 years ago and mostly enjoyed it...us, more than hubby for various reasons.

We arrived and picked the perfect spot...we of course were hoping for no neighbors, but if our luck ran out at least our viewing/sitting side of the camper would be free from the backside of another RV. We really like our space and privacy when we camp...we are there to enjoy nature, peace & quite...not interact with people, other than a polite "how ya doing?"...or maybe more if the mood and right people strike our fancy. We LOVE camping with snowbirds...old, quite and polite...(sometimes ornery), just our type of people! Our kids are always well behaved and a pleasure to be around so the old people don't mind us either. Funny, because when a family pulls in you kinda get the feeling that they're thinking, grrrreat, there goes the campground...and usually they're right!

I'm lacking pictures as SOMEBODY (Andrew), had to upload some Lego pictures and WE (because I had to teach him how) forgot to remove the card from the computer and put it in the camera...so, I had a camera with a memory of maybe seven pictures...of course trying to conserve and only get "the picture" of choice I failed miserably and only managed 5...I KNOW, that is totally unacceptable! Hubby offered to run up to the local Wal-mart and buy a new card, but I being the stubborn soul refused to "purchase" a card I didn't need (except for this trip). Besides...I'd never want to support Wal-mart if I can help it! Anyway...we realized later that hubby had forgotten our bucket light, the fire poker and Andrew's cast net. I "think" he (hubby) "might" get that "to-do" list accomplished this time so we won't end up without next :~)

We always lack in the fishing department, we see them, they nibble and go as far as to steal the bait, but it's a rarity to catch enough for dinner...but on this day hubby caught the first catch...unfortunately it was only with his eye. I caught the second catch...on film!


Of course the kids cannot resist a nice cool (COLD) dip in some of the clearest water I've seen in person. This used to be a limestone quarry...the water is a beautiful aqua color and you can see very clearly for quite a few feet.


This shot was captured while supervising little bit fishing.

Lots of activity...no bites!

The views all around are beautiful!


Hubby rented a boat and he and the kids paddled along the lake (while I slept until 11ish!)...then he and Andrew fished for about 6 hours or more. My boy LOVES to fish, he succeeded in wearing his daddy out...the guys returned hungry, tired and sunburned! Sadly only one bass was caught...but as long as they had fun that's all that matters, right? Besides, Andrew had already eaten a meal of minnow the day before...that's right, minnows! Caught, scaled, gutted and roasted over a teeny fire, thanks to survivor man, Andrew could survive if lost in the wilderness...

One of the things I love most about Old St. Stephens is the starry sky...something I cannot get in the city of Mobile with all of the light pollution. But up there, the sky is black and the stars plentiful...beautiful!

We like to camp on Cedar Ridge Bluff and there is not a shower house close so we choose to shower outside...there is nothing better then showering butt naked outside under the stars with nothing between you and God and all of his glory! If you ever buy a camper, definitely get one with an outside shower...even if you never shower butt naked, it can be used for washing many things...especially after the beach!

Besides fishing there was more swimming, exploring, game playing and general camping fun! A good time was had by all...mostly, with exception to a few incredibly annoying neighbors and one extremely mean little girl!