Logging Some Lake Time - Part 1

Last weekend, we headed northwest for just over two hours to do some camping at Alamo Lake, an Arizona state park best known for its excellent bass fishing.  We were thrilled to be camping with our buddies from Tucson, Bryan and Jen, as well as their two dogs, Bogey and Bronx; our girls would be coming along, too, for their very first camping adventure!

The four of us at Alamo Lake!

Can you pick who forgot to wear his sunglasses

for this picture?

It's been a busy few months, work-wise, for the Olsen household, so we had been counting down the days until the trip.  We clocked out of work on Wednesday and headed out to east Mesa to pick up Arlene; once home, we started loading up the trailer and preparing food for the adventure.  In all of the other locations we've camped so far, we generally get a takeout dinner from a local spot for our first night, but the remote location of Alamo Lake (while making it great for stargazing) didn't allow this to be an option; we'd be bringing food for every meal on this trip, so we made sure we were well supplied.

Since check-in wasn't until 2pm, and we were only a few hours away, we took our time at home on Thursday morning.  Chris and I went for a short run (I'm running again!  Huzzah!  Just short, super easy runs three times a week, but still), and then we took the girls for a longer walk, in an attempt to tire them out.  We finished loading up Arlene, and after having lunch at home (leftover Pita Jungle, in case you're wondering), we put everyone in the truck and started for the lake.  

We noticed on our previous scouting trip that the girls can't really see out the windows when they're standing in the back cab of the truck, and that led to a few yarping incidents we wanted to avoid in the future.  To fix this, Chris built a "dog shelf" to go in the back seat, which raises their seating area up about a foot; we glued neoprene padding to the plywood, wrapped vinyl fabric around it, and they were set!  Since it's raised a good amount, we can also store things underneath it, so it's a win for everyone.

Taking selfies with my girls while Chris is

trying to merge the rig onto the 17.

I'm helping!

The drive up went smoothly; after trying both routes on our scouting trip a few months back, we knew we preferred going through Wickenburg, so we made a quick stop there for fuel and bathroom breaks.  The girls rode pretty well in the truck, although every time we slowed down, someone jumped up and had to check out what we were doing now.

"Mom, why do I have to sit back here with my sister?

I'll fit up there with you!"

"Are we home yet?"

We pulled into our spot at the lake around 2:45pm, and we proceeded to set things up; Bryan and Jen arrived with their boys about an hour later, and we all spent some time figuring out hookups, water systems, and the like, while the dogs sniffed around their home for the next few days.

The view from the edge of our campsite - 
not too shabby!

Before darkness fell, we took all the kiddos to the nearby high water boat ramp, which was closed to cars and boats, as the water was on the lower side (it was, however, much higher than when we visited in August).  They had a nice time romping around in the water, splashing everyone and everything, and stretching their legs after the car ride.

Once back at camp, we started breaking out dinner preparations - Chris and I unpacked the Camp Chef grill box and had hamburgers and sweet potato fries, while Bryan and Jen enjoyed an easier cold option.  We talked until we all started to fade around 9pm, and then it was time to tuck everyone in for the night.  

Zoe and August say they're happy to be
snuggled in for the night!

We all slept fairly well - the girls were pretty sacked from the long trip, the swimming, and all of the new adventures - and we awoke just before light to the sounds of coyotes howling in the wash and the wild burros braying from the ridgeline.  We made some coffee and took everyone out to the edge of our campsite for morning bathroom duties.

Surveying their domain

Someone says good morning!

Breakfast was also in the works - our two pairs swapped roles this morning, and while we enjoyed a cold yogurt/granola/blueberry parfait option, Bryan and Jen made good use of our camp stove to do things right - bacon, eggs, and the like.

Zoe helps make breakfast

Bogey (closer) and Bronx ask Bryan
if they can share his bacon

Although the weather was much nicer in October than August, it was still going to be in the low 90s as the high, so we wanted to get the kiddos back in the lake before it got too hot.  We cleaned up breakfast, changed clothes, and got ready to head out!

Next week, oh so many wet dog pictures!

Later!

Amy