My First Camping Trip - Week of Aug. 31st

"There are things known and
things unknown and in between
are the doors" ~ Jim Morrison

The fear of the unknown is powerful- trying to determine how one will react to a situation is something no one has control over.

As we headed out on Thursday for our 1st annual camping trip with Cam, he declared "we will have so much fun camping!"  And the unknown became comfortable as we watched with pride how easily Cameron adapts to new situations.

Our destination was Fisherman's Island, located in Charlevoix, Michigan. We were headed there due to our extended family of Ms. Ann, Katherine & Paul, Molly & Gordy, Christopher & Cassie, and Zach who were already there and waiting for our arrival.  "Fishy" Island is a State Park with over six miles of unspoiled Lake Michigan shoreline. The island in which the park was named no longer exists. Due to years of lower water levels in Lake Michigan the island has become a peninsula now lush with native wildflowers. There are 80 rustic campsites with 15 of those nestled in the dune area along the Lake Michigan shoreline.

Molly, Cam, Katherine

The rustic portion refers to the fact that vault toilets (aka outhouses) are available, but there is no electricity or running water. Throughout the campground, old-fashioned water pumps provide a way to obtain fresh water.

After tent setup, Cam immediately deemed our campsite home and was eager to explore where everything was.  First stop was the vault toilet which was approximately 300 yards from our tent.  Upon entrance, Cam said "this is a pee-eww toilet- it is old."  There were no complaints from him, though, and no hesitation in the fact that this is where we would do our business for the next few days.
We enjoyed all of our delicious meals cooked right on the campfire!

Chris, Cam, Katherine

During the day, we found petoskey stones and other colorful rocks along the shoreline.  Cam had a bit of a cool bathing experience in Lake Michigan while the sun hid behind some clouds.  Chris and Katherine made certain the happy boy was all sudsy and clean before heading out.

Cam & Ms. Ann

In the evening, we loved the shoreline scenery and the view of Fisherman's Island, right next to the sun setting.

Another evening activity was playing cards with the decks that Ms. Ann created for Cam's birthday present.  Two of them are matching games and the other two are playing cards.  All are adorned with pictures of Cam, his family, and extended family.

Cam had fun providing a "wake-up" call to Ms. Ann, Katherine & Paul one morning,  He wanted to make sure everyone had the opportunity to
eat some tasty bacon before he devoured it all!
Of course, camping wouldn't be complete without toasting marshmallows for s'mores.  This year, Katherine found square mallows which are perfect for s'mores. One may wonder why these weren't thought up years ago.
Katherine (aka "Ah-Dah"- Cam's first name for his beloved nanny) entered our lives almost five years ago and we cannot believe it's only been that long.  We have gained an entire extended family due to this amazing woman!

Heading into Charlevoix for a daytime visit, Cam had to stop and get a closer look at the world's largest cherry pie. Upon closer inspection, Chris discovered that the actual title may have been lost in the late 80's, but Cam still thought it was a pretty cool sight to see.

On the second and last night of our stay, Cam asked at bedtime "next year, can we stay 3 nights?"

And that is why we have deemed this our 1st Annual Cam Camping Trip, with many more yet to come.

Fishy Island 2016- we can't wait!!