What-A-Day at the KOA!

The sign says, "Welcome Home", but what do you get when you mix a cat running around on a leash, a golf cart selling salads and advertising men in kilts, and a fat guy wearing choners with loafers in public (as if lightening has struck and ALL women think he's God's gift)? No, not my family reunion, although I wouldn't be surprised if Jen would have Fat Eddy on that leash... On second thought, that may have actually happened at one of my family reunions... But, this time the crazy riddle above has nothing to do with the Ruchtis and everything to do with the KOA!

That's right! Dave and I have had our very first, and quite inevitably our very last KOA experience. Growing up, Dave did all of his camping in tents and as far away from other campers as the land would permit. Me, on the other hand--- camping to me was staying at the family cabin in Island Park during the summers. Running water, a toilet, a shower, a bed... all readily available at my every whim. Before I met and fell in love with my man, the only tent camping I had done was at church girls camp... and at the time I DESPISED the arts and craps, I mean crafts that they used to make us do. The sleeping in tents part was bearable, the singing camp songs and making dream-catchers was NOT. Needless to say, I didn't finish my camping career with the young women of the Alameda Stake.

Now on to today! Dave and I have a great system. He does all of the dirty work, I make the s'mores! 'Nuf said! Since I am pretty much willing to go anywhere as long as he is in charge of set-up and clean-up, these two camping lovebirds find camping to be magical! We love to be on our own, away from the world, yet with those we want to be with.
I don't enjoy seeing John Doe's butt-crack from one campsite over, and unintentionally making eye-contact with a crazy woman in the bathroom from Oregon who thinks the bunion on her foot might need some medical attention. Apparently, I look like a nurse, cuz her foot was all up in my business. Oh yes she did!

We did have a great time hanging out with our pals, Gavin and Jessica, and their adorable little tyke, Kendall. Phoenix had fun, too, digging in the dirt and getting dirty. She had even more fun on all of the playgrounds we ended up taking her to. The Flagstaff-KOA is right across the street from the mall and Del Taco, which incidentally both have toys that Phoenix loves to play at. Even the KOA had an old-school playground for kids to play on. Urban camping at it's finest, am I right?

In just a couple of more weeks we'll be taking Phoenix and Gracie on a real camping adventure in Idaho. We'll see if she instantly looks for the toys. Boy, does she have another thing coming. Now that's a tantrum in the making!


Here's Dave and Gracie just before our "nature" walk. It ended up being a circle in a field about a few hundred feet around. But I did learn the name of the type of cypress in my front yard!

What you can't see is the incredible filth caked all over her shoes, hair, and pants because daddy said it's okay to get dirty when we're camping. I don't think he expected for her to start making sandcastles all over herself. She took an inch and ran a mile with it!