Camping at Big Basin

We went camping again last weekend.  This time we stayed in a little cabin with a wood-burning stove at Big Basin.  There were pros and cons to the cabin.

Pro: We had a table to eat at in the warmth and beds to sleep on.  Also, the cabin made it possible for us to give Jack a real nap.
Con: The "mattress" sank down to nothing and it felt like sleeping on a wooden board. 

 Pro:We didn't have to take our shoes off to come in or out.
Con: Jack easily figured out the latch on the door and was in and out all the time, instead of being bound to where we wanted him like with a tent.  Also, two or three times he left the cabin while we were inside it and latched it from the outside, trapping us in.  Thankfully, Todd quickly figured out how to wiggle it free.

 Pro: We had somewhere warm to hang out when it got too chilly outside, especially at breakfast time.
Con: There was a serious learning curve to discover how to keep the cabin at a moderate temperature throughout the night.  Our first night we were either sweating or shivering almost the whole time.  The second night was quite pleasant.  

The kids climbed everything they could see.  Or rather, Hazel climbed everything and Jack tried to follow her and whined when he couldn't.

 We brought the kids' bikes and they spent most of their time riding the campsite loop again and again. Jack face-planted it our last morning and ended up with a sad goose egg. 

 Todd took Hazel to town to buy more firewood during Jack's nap and she fell asleep in the car.  After her nap, she snuggled with me for a while.  I loved it! 

 

Jack got really, really dirty.  

 We still found ample opportunity for make-believe.  Peter, Smee and Captain Hook had an epic sword fight. 

 We went on a guided night hike and learned about local nocturnal animals.  Hazel stood about two feet away from the guide and drank up every word about bats, raccoons, skunks, owls and mountain lions.  It was a huge hit for her. 

She's holding a rubber bat.  The guide had plenty of visual aids and let Hazel touch everything.

 The boys spent plenty of time by the fire.  Todd cooked every meal and I mostly corralled Jack away from danger and rested my huge self whenever I could. 

 

Todd's dad said Todd was either brave or crazy to camp with two little ones and a pregnant wife.   It was both, I think.  Definitely our last run for the year, but it was worth it.  Jack was an animal and we sure wished he was a year older and less of a danger to himself.  But Hazel was just right, loved every second of it, and I feel like she became closer to both me and Todd, and that makes it worth it all.