Calaveras Big Trees

Tuesday we got all our stuff packed up and finally hit the road for our camping trip to Calaveras Big Trees. We had made our reservations a month or so back on Reserve America.

Our drive was a little longer than it could have been since we first had to go pick up my nephew at his house and then backtrack a ways to get on the right road. On the way to pick up my nephew we stopped and got gas (we took the truck and the car) in both vehicles and then looked for a Bank of America.

When we pulled up in front of my brother's house Scott said that the truck was acting funny. NOT the way to start off a trip. It had me worried the whole drive there and back but on the way home the check engine light actually went off and it started running right. Weird eh?

After we picked up my nephew we still had to find a bank (one more exit farther north) than everyone was already hungry for lunch so we hit a drive thru and THEN we were finally on the road!

We got there without any more problems and just one potty stop.

When we got to the park we were told to go park and then go back to the window to check in. The way their reservations work is that you just reserve an area and then they pick a spot for you. They told me I had signed up for an RV site, which I KNOW I did not since I paid particular attention to what kind of area I was picking (we just have tents). And then they charged us an extra $8 per night for the 2nd vehicle (which on the reserve america site it says is covered). Oh and that had to be cash or check. Thank God we had stopped at the bank on the way there and got cash.

Hmm look what someone took while we were checking in. I didn't even know this was on there until I downloaded the card lol. Oh and these too, I guess they were entertaining themselves while we checked in.

Once we got checked in we went to find our campsite. Four more miles inside the park, to the Oak Grove area. We ended up with campsite 94, which was an RV site, which was fine since we could fit both our vehicles in the spot. After spending the weekend there I think that we had one of the best tent spots in that area. I should have taken a picture of the site but I forgot! 

We set up three tents, one for the girls, one for the boys, and one for Scott and I. That was our first time having a tent to ourselves since 1992. It was kind of weird! I thought for sure the boys would end up with us, but no, they are getting big and made it all night by themselves. Well, not entirely by ourselves. Rusty slept IN my sleeping bag with me. Crazy dog lol. He's such a mama's boy!

Right after we got there I rode around the camp area with the boys so I could show them where to go (and not to go when we went to far). OMG our site? At the TOP of the hill. Fun going down, not so fun going back up. I seriously almost threw up on the way up. Scott heard me. 

Must get into shape STAT!

He went around ONE TIME also and said that he wasn't doing it again so I wasn't just being a wimp! The boys on the other hand went around and around and around. Trevor only went through about ten band aids and only had someone walk his bike back once. Poor kid, takes after me, always hurting himself.

There was a creek across the way and between the bikes and the creek the boys were busy almost the whole time we were there. My nephew LOVED the creek. I'm not sure if that contributed to his 1000 mosquito bites, including one on his lip and right next to his eye. We went through an ENTIRE bottle of bug spray and had to go buy more on Thursday night. (FYI don't buy Sportsman bug spray, that stuff sucks)

The kids made smores every night. I'm pretty much convinced my son is going to be a pyro and must hide all fire making methods ASAP. Scott spent half the night telling him to get out of the fire. Every night.

We never actually went on any of the trails to see the "Big Trees" because you can't take dogs on them. I guess we'll have to go back for a day trip sometime and do that. You also can't take the dog down by the river. Which makes no sense to me.

Which maybe explains why my dog was down by the river. We took a path that didn't have the anti dog sign. What? It didn't say you couldn't have dogs OVER HERE.

And he only pooped at the top, where dogs are allowed. So there. (and I did pick it up and bag it)

The river was CRAZY fast. CRAZY. I told the kids don't go in past your knees.

Of course. always one to listen..

She said surely she'd get stuck on the trees down river before it swept her away. Melissa found some nice big boulders to sit on to contemplate the world.

 I really can't believe how big and grown up she is now. It makes me really sad  to see her not be my baby anymore. Which is silly. But :sniff: it does.

My nephew was more than happy to smile for me over and over...

At least Rusty can smile :)

The kids and Scott attempted to fish a bit. Of course everything kept getting snagged on the trees and grass and eventually this smile turned into crying when he lost his dad's lure and got yelled at for "not listening". That was one of the only tear times so I guess he'll get over it with minimal therapy.

The trip to the river and two trips to town for some supplies was the only time we actually left the campsite. The boys did spend a little bit of time playing with Trevor's DS the last full day we were there but it wasn't for long. It was a really unplugged few days. Jessica was about in tears when we went to town and there still wasn't any service. She survived and so did I!

 We spent most of our time playing cards when we Scott wasn't cooking. I think all we did was eat for most of the time we were there. Oh look, it's time for lunch...

Jess taught me how to play a new game called Egyptian war. Confusing at first but a ton of fun and she only cried once when I smashed her finger. 

Good times, good times.