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| Tents Up and Ready |
The 2026 camping season has officially started for us with our first trip over Memorial Day weekend. It was some of the best camping weather we have ever seen. It did rain for about an hour on us the first night, but overall it was wonderful. Cool during the day and dipping down to chilly in the evening, but with a fire going, it was perfect.
We went back to our regular spot in Council Grove, where we have camped a number of times. We love the location, and this was probably our sixth trip there. I have truthfully lost count, but it was another great weekend.
This trip was a little different for us. We went out Friday and came back on Monday. The only thing we cooked at the campsite was hot dogs, which we had for lunch one day. We decided to keep things simple and, since we were close to town, eat at local places instead. We went to the Mexican restaurant twice during the weekend since it was the only place open on Sunday. We also tried a brand new BBQ place that opened that Saturday, and it was delicious. A Chinese place was new to us as well, but they were closed for the holiday weekend.
We arrived at the campsite late Friday afternoon. After getting everything set up, we were ready to relax. Carrie and I bought a new tent that sleeps nine, and we can actually stand up inside it. It is also a fast-up tent, which is nice, but we had no idea how to set it up or take it down. Thankfully, Erin helped us since they have one that is similar.
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| Margarita's and Dinner |
Friday night was our first visit to the Mexican restaurant,
El Rancho Viejo, and it was excellent. The AC was not working very well that night, so it was a little warm, but the margaritas and food made up for it.
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| Cards Under the Canopy |
We stayed up late that first night after returning to the campsite, keeping a fire going into the late hours. We listened to music, talked, and enjoyed a few drinks. It rained on us for about an hour, but we had a canopy set up and moved under it to play cards. It was actually pretty peaceful listening to the rain tapping on the canopy while we played. After the rain stopped, we moved back to the fire, which somehow kept going. A fun first night.
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| Sunset Over the Lake |
On Saturday, we had some friends come out to visit us that evening. Laura and Jason stopped by in their new vehicle. We had a few drinks around the fire before the girls ran into town to pick up
Pizza Hut for dinner. After we ate, we all went up to watch the sunset over the lake. Laura and Jason left shortly after, and we spent the rest of the night relaxing around the fire once again.
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| Cottonwood Falls |
Sunday’s plan was to take a trip to see some waterfalls. We drove to Cottonwood Falls, about an hour away from our campsite. Erin and Greg had been there a few years earlier and thought we would enjoy it. It was another beautiful day, and we took a short hike to reach the falls. It was a popular spot with a lot of families, and a great way to spend the day. The area was beautiful, and the water was cold.
After our trip, we drove back to Council Grove and picked up BBQ from Jonny V’s, which had just opened that Saturday. We brought it back to the campsite, and it was really good. The beans were especially good.
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| Campsite with Lights |
Sunday night, we went back to the Mexican restaurant, which was a nice way to wrap up the weekend. We all ordered something different from our first visit. The AC was working this time, which made it more comfortable. It was a fun way to finish out our meals for the trip and a nice break for Carrie, who usually does the cooking on our camping trips.
Of course, we had to make the most of our last night by staying up late around the fire. We had a lot of firewood to use up before we left, and we managed to go through all of it. Erin and Carrie had gathered wood from the woods earlier in the day, so it was fun putting that to use as well.
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| Selfie of Us Watching Sunset |
This was a different type of camping trip for us, but we really enjoyed being close to town while still having that camping feel of staying up late and enjoying the clear night sky. We are already trying to figure out where our next trip will take us and how many we can fit in this summer. We know we will be camping in October, possibly around a Washburn football game, but nothing is scheduled yet.
Until next time, have a great rest of your weekend and a wonderful week ahead.
