Camping Fun!

We decided to take the family camping last weekend. So, we packed everyone and everything up in the Expedition, got a later start than we wanted to, drove 4 hours to right outside of Forks, WA, and discovered that not only all 3 campgrounds in that area were completely booked up, but that all hotel rooms in the nearest big city were also booked up!! Talk about a let-down! We ended up in Sequim, in a kinda cheap-o motel, in a room that was fairly clean- but with a door that wouldn't close all of the way. If we locked it with the deadbolt from the inside it would close, but we didn't dare leave the room with all of our stuff in it.
Anyhow, the next day we found a great campsite at Mora, and had a fabulous time! Here are some highlights and lowlights:

Highlights: wonderful view, quiet and peaceful, community bathroom- with flushing toilets, nice people, plenty of hiking trails, cheap fun!

Lowlights: Chris fed a squirrel- and he wouldn't leave us alone after that. In fact, he ended up stealing all, I repeat, all of our nuts. Let me back up, Chris was leaving little treats for him (a no, no, and I told him so) and he thought it was so cute. I said, "He will just keep coming back- I don't think you should do that, and it might mean that we get fined if the Ranger comes around." I was just a "nervous nelly". So, it was a picky squirrel, with only half an ear on one side, and a shorter tail than the rest of the squirrels we saw, apparently because it had been in a few scuffles. He wouldn't take the almonds Chris left, but really liked the walnuts and pecans. So, Chris went with the older boys to the store to get a few things, but he left some of the bags of food out by the picnic table. I was in the tent with Chase trying to get him to take a nap- and after a little while I heard A LOT of chattering and squawking. I went out as soon as I heard the boys come back, and low and behold, the squirrel had gotten into the bag of nuts, stolen all of the walnuts and pecans, and was in the middle of a battle between him and several crows. Now, I must tell you that the bag of nuts was a gallon-sized plastic bag, and I really don't know how many trips that squirrel took from our site to his home, but he should have enough nuts to last him 3 winters.
Here are some pics!

A note about this one: Xavier packed his own pants- but they were too big and kept falling down because he didn't have a belt. Chris was so proud of this ingenious idea- the stick belt. Xavier wore it for the rest of the day- and didn't complain one bit.


Our friendly neighborhood squirrel!