weekend camping trip

My family used to go camping all the time back when we were kids.
When we were all under the same roof/in the same country/same state, we'd load up the trunk with all the gear and head out into the great outdoors.

I remember "helping" dad put up the tent. I remember crisp Fall air and bundling up in fleeces and long johns, sipping hot coco in camp chairs. Hiking up to waterfalls or down to beaches where we'd hunt sharks' teeth. Dinner would be cooked on the grill or propane stove and dessert was always dad's famous peach cobbler made in a cast iron dutch oven over the fire. And in the evenings we'd all snuggle down in sleeping bags after our hair was checked for tics and then usually one of us would read out loud before we'd all fall asleep, nice a cozy like.

I have been telling T.J. how badly I want to go camping with him. I think it would be such a fun way for us to explore the west coast and I am definitely going to look into acquiring our own tent and dutch oven.

But in the meantime... I actually did get to go camping last weekend with my aunt, uncle and two cousins.  I met up with them Saturday morning on Assateague Island over in Berlin, Maryland. I had been here once before with my parents and distinctly remember there was a horrendous thunderstorm and dad had to dig a trench/moat around the tent so we wouldn't float away.

I had a bit of a calmer experience this visit. This sliver of an island is not too far from Ocean City and is home to actual wild horses. They roam freely across the bridges, into the marshes, weaving in and out of the camp sites, and running down the beach into the ocean to play.

We camped in the State park and were just feet from the ocean and even though it was cloudy and windy and overcast I somehow still found myself in the water. I was going to take full advantage of the last weekend in summer and the surplus of boogie boards. Basically I got to be a kid again. I ditched the "grown ups" and ran head first into the waves with my cousins.

Assateague has really unpredictable weather and soon the wind drove us into hot showers. Sweatshirts and leggings and layers were required for the evening. While we waited for the sun to set and for the grown ups to make us kids dinner my cousin taught me how to ripstick (like skateboarding but not). I sort of/kind of/not really got it eventually but not before taking a nice big wipe-out that my booty is still paying for.

With the sun setting we had hot dogs, brats, baked beans and iced tea around the picnic table. Then, in keeping with my "never grow up" attitude, me and the cousins and the other kids played a couple intense rounds of manhunt in the dark.

 Once we were sufficiently worn out we settled around the fire for s'mores. Before calling it a night, we grabbed nets and head lamps and ventured down to the beach to hunt (and the promptly release) ghost crabs.

Typically I prefer tent camping but it was super damp, and humid, and also pretty chilly, that I was thankful for the more solid camper for sleeping that night. The next day we were greeted with gourmet hand-dipped donuts from the Fractured Prune. Dunkin Donuts has nothing on these hot from the oven, melt in your mouth treats. I had the OC Sand which gets a honey glaze before it's tossed in cinnamon sugar.

After my donut I promptly headed back to the beach and then happily took a nap in the sand with one of my favorite sounds in the whole world, crashing waves, lulling me to sleep.  After my nap and a bit of lunch I said goodbye to the beach and my relatives and headed home. I am so glad I got to have a little getaway with this family of mine. I have loved living close by and having family in town to run to when I need a break, or a comfortable place to just be. Truly it's made my time in Maryland infinitely sweeter and I can't help but feel sad that I won't be able to see them whenever I want anymore. But I will definitely be taking advantage of every opportunity to spend time with them before I move and I know they'll make their way across the country to visit me on the West coast.