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Sweet Escape

We love to camp. And living in a mild-climate place, allows for a lot of weekend trips and getaways to wherever our heart desires. Most of the time, we are out on day hikes, but we try to squeeze in as many mini-camping adventures as possible. The best part about camping, aside from great company, is the escape you get from reality. You get to leave behind all the b.s. of normal, daily routine, and live off the land, without distractions, and enjoy the quiet, surreal, beauty of what God has blessed us with. So many people would rather have that “RV” camping type experience, without modern day amenities at their fingertips, but we tent camp and wouldn’t have it any other way. You can still live modern, per say, by mini-camp stoves and a comfy air matress, but nothing makes me smile more than just being completely away from it all and having nothing to worry about it. And I am proud to introduce Madelynne to this favorite past time of ours, too


Slug on our tent 
This weekend we ventured to Lake Ozette, which is near where our Cape Alava trip took place. It’s nestled between Seiku and Neah Bay, about 3 miles from the ocean. With our friends Nikki and Steve, we ventured out on Friday night to camp along the lake for the night. Brad and I got there early, which resulted in me saving a bunch of banana slugs from being run over by our cars and destroyed by our tents. Big nerd, I know. We settled by the fire until the rain got bad enough to force us into our tents for the remainder of the night. Madelynne had a heck of a time trying to get to sleep, so that was an adventure in itself.

The boat

At the dock-getting ready to go
  
Madelynne and I ready to go!
Brad and Maddy 

All our gear, enroute!












Saturday morning we took the boat and headed out to our campsite. We shared our little cove with 14 or so kayakers, who were down the shore from us. But our little campsite was secluded, tiny tunnels carved out of bending branches of forest undergrowth with sparse openings. It was pretty sweet! Once camp was set up, the boys took off and Nikki, Madelynne, and I took a nap. When the boys got back, we all went out on the boat and did some fishing, where Nikki caught her first fish ever, a nice 18 inch rainbow. Beauty!! Madelynne enjoyed riding on the boat, but didn’t care too much for her life jacket.





She can sleep anywhere

Boys catch

Our campsite

Part of camp

View from camp

Irony (banana slug on our wood by a banana box!)

Brad unhooking Steve

Nikki casting

Cool baby

1st catch-a clam

Steve

Nikki's second catch of the day

Bald eagle in the tree


Cool lily pads


We spent the rest of the evening around the campfire, eating our surf and turf (Omaha steaks and fresh fish---mmmhmmm), and a free fireworks show from the Quileute Days, which we could barely make out over the mountain range where La Push was. Sunday was a bit wet with two bands of rain headed our direction, we took a little jaunt around the lake before heading home.



Sunday morning around the campfire

Keeping dry

Snuggled up

Ducks in the rain on the lake

Lake Ozette



Cool island


Another great camping trip on the beautiful Olympic Peninsula and glad the PACNW has the Schroeder’s for at least another year. J

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