We Went Camping This Weekend

I love camping. It’s one of my favorite things to do. Dylan and I have always shared stories with each other of our camping memories but for some reason, we’ve never gone camping with each other. So this past weekend, we finally did it. We met his sister and her boyfriend halfway in Southern Illinois in Shawnee Forest for a quick little getaway.

We stayed at Pounds Hollow Campgrounds and it was such a great place. We love to do off-trail camping but with such a spontaneous trip, we decided to stick with a settled campground. This spot was very pet + family friendly so it was pretty lively during the weekend. We got in pretty late so we quickly set up camp and opened up some drinks.

The first morning while camping is probably my favorite part. It is so serene to wake up surrounded by mother nature in the cool air and the sound of a natural alarm clock. This was also Forrest’s first camping trip - we think he loved sleeping “outside”. We got this tent for our wedding and it’s a two person tent. It’s honestly perfect but we were pretty cozied up with a 90lb pup in there with us.

We started our day out with a hike around Cave-In Rock. It was stunning. I have a weird obsession with caves. Then we stopped at the local resturant for lunch. Then we made our way to the famous Garden of the Gods. Dylan and I have traveled to Garden of the Gods a few times early in our relationship so this place has a special meaning for me. Forrest was in awe of the heights.

Dylan and I absolutely love cooking over a flame. He takes campfires pretty seriously and he’s always quick to bring up his boy scout achievements. Dylan’s sister planned our meals out and she came with this incredible campfire nacho recipe. It’s going into our “must-do” list for camping. It was spicy, it was cheesy, and my God was it good. I brought along our camp kettle for heating up apple cider to mix with cinnamon schnapps.

For the morning, we made cinnamon rolls on the fire which was a first for me and I’m here to confirm that it works and it’s amazing. We also brought along our french press and some ground coffee.

This time of year was absolutely gorgeous for camping. The trees were just starting to change, the high was in the 70s and I couldn’t have asked for a better weekend. We’re already eager to head back out.