| 193 | Where are the Marshmellows? | 2010-02-22 |
For our weekly adventure we didn’t feature a hike; but instead we took 12 of Amy’s 6th grade students on an overnight camping trip to Long Hunter State Park. The Park does not have a regular campground, but they do have a large group camping area. We made reservations and found we were the only ones camping that winter night, huh, wonder why?
I went early to the Park, in the afternoon, and walked the Inland and the Deer Trails. They were both nice, short trails (each under one mile.) I especially enjoyed the Inland Trail as it wove through a maze of hardwood trees and sinkholes. It didn’t have any great views of the lake, but instead was just a very nice stroll through the woods.
Back to the main event... After hiking I checked in at the Park Office and began setting up camp in a serene field. I had just enough time to set all the tents when the bus arrived. The quiet field came alive.
The students ran, and jumped, and chased, and yelled, just because they could. There was a campfire, hamburgers, hotdogs, chips, chocolate cake, Girl Scout Cookies, and a roasted banana, marshmellow, and chocolate chip treat. There were cheers, stories, and tales.
Midnight was curfew.
At daylight, the field came alive again. My thermometer showed a cool, 28 degrees; but the students still roused each other and ran, and jumped, and chased, and yelled, trying to get warm.
When the bus arrived, they were off to Waffle House for a great breakfast, and then back to school.
A few notes...
- The Park was great. Groups register through the Park Office.
- The area was extremely well kept. We tried to leave it in the same condition.
- We had nearly perfect weather, just cold.
- No one complained of being too cold while sleeping.
- They were a fun group.
It was a great way to spend a wintery eve.
Happy campfire.