Harper Ferry June 2013

If you have been reading this blog you know by now that Harpers Ferry is one of our favorite places to go. It never disappoints us and we always have something to do without having to go to far from the campground. We had a really nice site right across from the playground to the kids could go back and forth as they pleased. Unfortunately I didn't take any pictures from there. We got there Tuesday after about a two or three hour drive I'm not really sure. Pauls parents met us wednesday so we had Tuesday with just the 4 of us which was a nice change. I was a little worried about having people with us the entire trip that we wouldn't any along family time but it turned out to be a great 12 day trip. We went to the pool, rode our bikes around, played in the arcade, did some shopping, went to the theatre, and played mini golf. Paul and his father took the kids to Historic Harpers Ferry to walk across the train bridge while me and Mrs Ann went to the Walmart. Im a little behind on my blogging its now august and we went in June so I'm drawing a blank. lol Just know we had an awesome time

Shannondoah Valley/ Skyline Drive June 2013

First let me say that this campground was the most crowded most dirty campgrounds we have ever been to and we wont be going back there anytime soon. When you go into the bathroom to pee and theres poop on the floor thats disgusting. However it did have some good qualities but the bad out weighed the good. They had really good funnel cake and snowballs and everyone was very nice.
We met my parents at this campground we arrived on Saturday and it was so jam packed full of people that we had a hard time getting through the craziness of people walking around. Our campsite was pretty small and we were right on top of our neighbors but they were nice and had a NY Giants flag flying so nothing to complain about them. This campground also had a pool, small golf course, a river you could tube down, a catch and release pond and about 50 rabbits running around that you could feed.

After most of the crowd left Sunday the campground was quiet and not as crowded. The problem was the campground was a good size but instead of having all the full hook up sites spread out within the park we were all in the same area. Paul and the kids got to float down the lazy river and I'm pretty sure neither of the kids liked it to much. After spending 80 dollars on stuff to do it they only went twice. I think the problem was that there were some rapids and where you were suppose to get out was really rough and they almost hit some rocks and a tree. But the water fall at the end was just so pretty. 

My sister and her boyfriend were suppose to meet us there for the day sunday but somehow they ended up at the wrong place and decided to go home because it was to late. That night they showed a movie in the pavilion, Second hand Lion, we sat and watched some of that and then went to the arcade. Most of the games didn't work so that didn't last long we made the best of it though and played a couple of games of air hockey.

So Monday we went to Skyline drive and took our annual pictures. We decided to have lunch in the park this year so I packed a cooler but the bugs were so bad I guess because it was about to pour that we really didn't enjoy it and basically had to keep moving and eat at the same time. It was pretty funny seeing all of us dancing around with our sandwiches and drinks. I'm sure we looked like we were crazy but the bugs were not letting up even though Paul scoped out the area and said it wasn't buggy. At one point Mckenzie saw some "tracks" in the dirt that I'm pretty sure was just where someone was kicking dirt with their foot and swore it was bear tracks. They were so funny and so excited I didn't have the heart to tell them what it really was. We had to basically inhale our food because we could see the rain coming as soon as we were all done it started to pour down rain and it rained the entire time we were on the mountain. Being on the mountain was what we were all looking forward to and we couldn't really enjoy it.

We went to Massanutten indoor water park the rest of that day and had an awesome time as usaul. my parents stayed back at the trailer. We left tuesday for Harpers Ferry I'm really glad my parents could come with us. They aren't really big outdoor people but we try to make them come as much as we can. 

Williamsburg June 2013

This year is the first year we've camped in Williamsburg and the campground we stayed at was really nice and quiet. Paul and I decided to stay there because my father inlaw has two aunts that live there and we haven't seen them since I was pregnant with JP and Paul was in Iraq at the time.
We invited my inlaws to come with us and followed us from frontier town I think it was about a 3 hours drive and we have to stop 30 miles out because I had to use the bathroom. We took the bay bridge tunnel from eastern shore Va and that always a nice ride. I can't believe how long that thing is. If you ever get the chance to go over its defiantly cool.

We got to the KOA around lunch time Paul set up the trailer with his father while my mother inlaw and I took the kids to the " bouncy pillow". This KOA had two, one for 7 and under, and one for 7 and up. I though that was really nice because once the big kids get on them things they send my kids flying. I really wish Harpers Ferry KOA had that, then I wouldn't have to be biting my finger nails the whole time. If theres to many bigger kids on it I wont let them get on at all because it freaks me out.

We were in a row with 5 other campers that were all together and they were all apparently firefighters that camp in 5th wheels. They were all older couples maybe in their 50s or 60s so needless to say our row was very peaceful. I think that was one of the quietest places we've ever stayed, I'm sure we will go back there again.

We all got in the pool later that afternoon and did marshmallows that night. The next day we went to historic Williamsburg where our history lesson turned into a shopping trip. Im not a big history nut I think its interesting but could take it or leave it. My mother inlaw doesn't really care about historic places and thinks its boring. My husband and his father are very big into history and like to go to the places and look at the statues and read all the plaques. So Paul was a little disappointed when we saw a bunch of shops and Mrs Ann went to look. It turned out to be an ok trip either way it was just hot. We bought bus tickets so we wouldn't have to walk the 20 minutes back to the car.

After we left there we did a family reunion at Aunt Frans for a couple of hours and Aunt Abby and Uncle Ed stopped by. I was having a heart attack the entire time because Aunt Fran has a lot of very nice , and breakable, things in her house and I was worried that the kids would brake something. We went to Fridays for dinner and almost froze to death then we went to the Yankee candle store. That store is huge and it doesn't just have Yankee candles in it either. They have a toy store, a candy store, a place to get wax hands, a christmas part, book store, a fudge shop, a popcorn candy apple store, and some random things. It just so happened that Santa Claus was in the christmas part talking to kids and recording their names in a big book with what they want for christmas. It also snows in the christmas part every couple of minutes and they have huge decorated trees.

After that we took a trip to Walmart and decided we wanted to buy bikes for Paul and I to ride with the kids. I was absolutely horrible at riding a bike and Paul made fun of me because I could balance on them. Jp and Mckenzie are better at riding bikes then I am and there 5 and 3. By the time we got back to the campsite Paul was annoyed because he hates shopping while were camping, and it was dark and couldn't ride the bikes after all.

The next Morning we packed up to leave and headed up to the Shannondoah Valley. Mrs Ann and Mr Lee left us to head home and we were meeting my parents there.  Took us about 2 hours to get there

Frontier Town June 2013

So this year we started our 2 week camping trip in Ocean City Md at Frontier Town. We had a good time there even though it rained most of the time. We got there on Monday the 17th of June, our site was in a corner so it was pretty big, and it backed up to a ditch with trailers on the other side. The site was really wet though because it had rained like a week straight before we went down. My husbands parents followed us down so they got there right after we did.




Setting up was easy, after 5 years of having our camper we have a good rhythm down. Paul always sets up the outside while the kids play and I get the inside ready. When we have people come with us its there job to keep an eye on the kids because everything goes smoother when we set up alone.

This year was the first year that I forgot to take pictures of all the sites we stayed it, I didn't many pictures of anything really. Monday we had dinner when we got there. i plan all the meals by day ahead of time and all the simple meals are on arrival days. so Pigs in a blanket was Mondays meal, quick and easy.

Tuesday we went to the water park. The water park is included in the camping price so you just have to get a bracelet. We stayed till 4 it rained on and off the whole time we were there and almost as soon as we got back to the trailer it poured until 7 I think. 6 people in the trailer isn't pleasant but it is doable. we have three TVs to keep people entertained and normally we bring a direct TV cable box but we left that at home unknowingly.  It would have been great to have though because we were stuck indoors a couple of times this trip. After the rain we went to the board walk till 11pm and played at the arcade just about all night. A couple of people gave the kids there tickets and at one point my husband won 200 tickets at the deal or no deal game. We got lucky and on of the machine malfunctioned and spit out 600 tickets, after playing for a couple of hours we have over 1200 tickets and decided to call it a night. We all had a lot of fun watching the kids and playing the games to.

Wednesday we bought the kids and Paul, my husband, ride bracelets and rode rides just about all day. Mckenzie was big enough to get on a lot more alone this year and Paul got her and JP on this crazy ride that goes around and up high. He also tried to take them in to a playhouse that was scary, but the turned around as soon as the went in.

We left for Williamsburg Thursday when we woke up. I took the kids for a walk while everyone got ready and packed up. Frontier town is really a lot of fun. They have a lot of stuff for the kids to do and its always very clean when we've been.