And were back...it came and went...the weekend of Bliss is over. We could not have asked for better weather for our canoe trip. It was just a picture perfect sunny day. Heres how it all went down. (my version)
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Before we started our trip, we checking the list that I made. (Yeah...I'm that guy) If I don't make a list I will end up having to run to the store several times each day for something that I had at home but forgot it because I didn't make a list. And besides, how would you feel if you got to your camp site only to find out that you forgot the grill? That would be silly....and I'm sure it doesn't happen to the average Great American Camper.....especially those that make lists.
We arrived at our campsite only to discover that we forgot the grill. Are you kidding me right now...I made a List !! We were supposed to get it from Taylor's house when we stopped to pick her and her friend Jamie up. Oops....no big deal..(Dad screw up #1) I will just run to the store and pick up some charcoal. Obstacle overcome.Well...it would have been had I remembered to buy charcoal starting fluid...back to the store I went for the second time. (Dad screw up #2) This plush 8x12 foot cabin did come equipped with a campsite grill. (did you catch the size of that plush cabin?) Ok...so they somehow made the pictures look a whole lot bigger than what it was. But "No big deal...we only plan to sleep in there at night" I said. (Dad screw up #3)
"Lets start a fire"...Taylor said with great enthusiasm...Great idea....I mean it WAS a great idea...until we remembered that I didn't bring wood....off I go once again to buy some wood. (dad screw up #4) The store owner was giving me one of those "You didn't make a list did you?" kinda looks. At this point I really didn't care what kind of looks he was giving me...I just wanted to relax by the campfire with a cold one in my hand...and it would all be better after that. And it was...the fire started with a little help from the torch that I brought, the beer was cold from the ice that we brought and wait....where are the bathrooms? Why do I see people going in and out of that tiny building across the street from our cabin? The girls spotted it and before I could say anything they were up and on there way over to verify our suspicions. Once I heard them cracking up...I knew we were right...they were outhouses.And although I took some ribbing from all of them, I was not too terrified myself because I remember reading something in this Plush Resorts website that there were modern bathrooms and hot showers. I thought I would surprise them with that piece of info after I found out where they were. The beer was cold...the fire was burning, and so was our neighbors who occupied the cabin that was 5 feet from ours....oh how I love camping at a campground!!
We were scheduled to go out canoeing at noon the next day. That means we needed to be at the site at 11:45.....no big deal....we will have plenty of time. At 11:00 Taylor and Jamie remembered that they wanted some alcohol to take down the river. Being the calm cool and collective guy that I am...I didn't say .....:Are you freaking crazy?...You knew we where we were going and you didn't bring the things that you needed? And I'm glad I didn't say that...... after the grill and charcoal incident....my words wouldn't have had much credit. So off we go to the store for the fifth time. We didn't know where a store was that sold alcohol...so we just chose a direction and went with it. We found a highway and took the exit to the first town that we saw......And you will never guess what this town was having on the day that we were in a hurry.....that's right...a parade! The girls finally asked around and found a store a few miles out of town.....and now we had 10 minutes to get back to camp....I whipped out my GPS and we made it only a couple minutes past our 11:45 deadline. We were about to load up the van but Taylor couldn't find her sunglasses..."whoa"..I said..."I don't think there are going to be any red carpet photographers on the river Taylor"...but oh no....its a life or death situation for her.....so she walks back to the cabin in search of her sunglasses....I just about lost it....but I yielded to my patience....And besides,...a Taylor and Dad argument usually ends in a whole lot of yelling and I just didn't want to cause that kind of scene when we were about to embark on a very fun trip......ok I know the van will wait for her...its just that she was putting my fun on hold while she was looking for her sunglasses...and as it turned out...she didn't find them anyway. So my patience paid off.
As I said before, the day was beautiful and the sun was shining. This was by far worth wait. Grill or no grill, this would be a time to remember. The river was absolutely beautiful. The Thornapple River is Michigan's longest river with a span of 88 miles. I would have loved to seen all 88 miles of it. Its wide, deep and the lack of paddling that one needs to do while canoeing...Priceless!! That gave us plenty of time to sit back and drink a few cold ones, and then a few more....and the small bottle of apple schnapps and raspberry vodka went down very well as a chaser...or was it the other way around? Either way...we were all smiling and having a great time. I only ran Kim into low hanging branches a couple times. I thought that wasn't too bad considering I had been drinking a bit. And besides, its not like we tipped over and she fell into the river or anything. We decided to pull over and have some lunch...sounds pretty easy...just maneuver your canoe to the side of the river...piece of cake...I got this honey!! Now...you know how things happen fast... right? And sometimes they happen so fast that you cant even explain what happened. (are you with me?) So the fact that I cant explain how Kim fell from our canoe and into the river is all because it happened so fast. Kim claims that she jumped out in order to save the canoe from tipping over....I called it abandoning ship. But whatever it wasn't...I can tell you what it was...and that is FUNNY....if you could have seen the look on her face when she came up out of the very cold river....it makes me chuckle just typing this. It was only after many, many, many jokes ...that we had our lunch and were on our way back down the river. We saw swans, muskrats, turtles, fish and egrets on our trip. I say we say a mermaid too...but Kim didn't think that was so funny. But we all had a wonderful time on the river, and none of us wanted the trip to be over. But the burgers and roasted sweet corn on the grill was a treat in itself when we reached the cabin. For me....the best part was after dinner and I laid down for a short nap....it was sooooooooo nice. I heard no kids frolicking around the campsite. Ahhh...... now this is what its all about!! Job well done Dad...Job well Done !!!!!
.
Before we started our trip, we checking the list that I made. (Yeah...I'm that guy) If I don't make a list I will end up having to run to the store several times each day for something that I had at home but forgot it because I didn't make a list. And besides, how would you feel if you got to your camp site only to find out that you forgot the grill? That would be silly....and I'm sure it doesn't happen to the average Great American Camper.....especially those that make lists.
We arrived at our campsite only to discover that we forgot the grill. Are you kidding me right now...I made a List !! We were supposed to get it from Taylor's house when we stopped to pick her and her friend Jamie up. Oops....no big deal..(Dad screw up #1) I will just run to the store and pick up some charcoal. Obstacle overcome.Well...it would have been had I remembered to buy charcoal starting fluid...back to the store I went for the second time. (Dad screw up #2) This plush 8x12 foot cabin did come equipped with a campsite grill. (did you catch the size of that plush cabin?) Ok...so they somehow made the pictures look a whole lot bigger than what it was. But "No big deal...we only plan to sleep in there at night" I said. (Dad screw up #3)
"Lets start a fire"...Taylor said with great enthusiasm...Great idea....I mean it WAS a great idea...until we remembered that I didn't bring wood....off I go once again to buy some wood. (dad screw up #4) The store owner was giving me one of those "You didn't make a list did you?" kinda looks. At this point I really didn't care what kind of looks he was giving me...I just wanted to relax by the campfire with a cold one in my hand...and it would all be better after that. And it was...the fire started with a little help from the torch that I brought, the beer was cold from the ice that we brought and wait....where are the bathrooms? Why do I see people going in and out of that tiny building across the street from our cabin? The girls spotted it and before I could say anything they were up and on there way over to verify our suspicions. Once I heard them cracking up...I knew we were right...they were outhouses.And although I took some ribbing from all of them, I was not too terrified myself because I remember reading something in this Plush Resorts website that there were modern bathrooms and hot showers. I thought I would surprise them with that piece of info after I found out where they were. The beer was cold...the fire was burning, and so was our neighbors who occupied the cabin that was 5 feet from ours....oh how I love camping at a campground!!
We were scheduled to go out canoeing at noon the next day. That means we needed to be at the site at 11:45.....no big deal....we will have plenty of time. At 11:00 Taylor and Jamie remembered that they wanted some alcohol to take down the river. Being the calm cool and collective guy that I am...I didn't say .....:Are you freaking crazy?...You knew we where we were going and you didn't bring the things that you needed? And I'm glad I didn't say that...... after the grill and charcoal incident....my words wouldn't have had much credit. So off we go to the store for the fifth time. We didn't know where a store was that sold alcohol...so we just chose a direction and went with it. We found a highway and took the exit to the first town that we saw......And you will never guess what this town was having on the day that we were in a hurry.....that's right...a parade! The girls finally asked around and found a store a few miles out of town.....and now we had 10 minutes to get back to camp....I whipped out my GPS and we made it only a couple minutes past our 11:45 deadline. We were about to load up the van but Taylor couldn't find her sunglasses..."whoa"..I said..."I don't think there are going to be any red carpet photographers on the river Taylor"...but oh no....its a life or death situation for her.....so she walks back to the cabin in search of her sunglasses....I just about lost it....but I yielded to my patience....And besides,...a Taylor and Dad argument usually ends in a whole lot of yelling and I just didn't want to cause that kind of scene when we were about to embark on a very fun trip......ok I know the van will wait for her...its just that she was putting my fun on hold while she was looking for her sunglasses...and as it turned out...she didn't find them anyway. So my patience paid off.
As I said before, the day was beautiful and the sun was shining. This was by far worth wait. Grill or no grill, this would be a time to remember. The river was absolutely beautiful. The Thornapple River is Michigan's longest river with a span of 88 miles. I would have loved to seen all 88 miles of it. Its wide, deep and the lack of paddling that one needs to do while canoeing...Priceless!! That gave us plenty of time to sit back and drink a few cold ones, and then a few more....and the small bottle of apple schnapps and raspberry vodka went down very well as a chaser...or was it the other way around? Either way...we were all smiling and having a great time. I only ran Kim into low hanging branches a couple times. I thought that wasn't too bad considering I had been drinking a bit. And besides, its not like we tipped over and she fell into the river or anything. We decided to pull over and have some lunch...sounds pretty easy...just maneuver your canoe to the side of the river...piece of cake...I got this honey!! Now...you know how things happen fast... right? And sometimes they happen so fast that you cant even explain what happened. (are you with me?) So the fact that I cant explain how Kim fell from our canoe and into the river is all because it happened so fast. Kim claims that she jumped out in order to save the canoe from tipping over....I called it abandoning ship. But whatever it wasn't...I can tell you what it was...and that is FUNNY....if you could have seen the look on her face when she came up out of the very cold river....it makes me chuckle just typing this. It was only after many, many, many jokes ...that we had our lunch and were on our way back down the river. We saw swans, muskrats, turtles, fish and egrets on our trip. I say we say a mermaid too...but Kim didn't think that was so funny. But we all had a wonderful time on the river, and none of us wanted the trip to be over. But the burgers and roasted sweet corn on the grill was a treat in itself when we reached the cabin. For me....the best part was after dinner and I laid down for a short nap....it was sooooooooo nice. I heard no kids frolicking around the campsite. Ahhh...... now this is what its all about!! Job well done Dad...Job well Done !!!!!
2 comments:
bahahaha - honeslty... this is the PERFECT recollection of the trip! too funny :)
P.S. I didn't know mermaids were so sensitive to cold water! lmao ;-)
I really wish that this blogger site had a "like" button.
So, with that said LIKE!!!
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