Back to Hillsdale: Our Third Camping Trip of the Year

Tent and Night Sky at Camp

For our third camping trip of the year, we returned to Hillsdale State Park—the same place where we kicked off our camping season. This time, it was just Carrie, Oliver, and me. In the days leading up to the trip, severe heat was forecasted for the area. We debated whether to go but ultimately decided to go ahead with it. Our main concern was how Oliver would handle the heat, but we found a way to help him stay cool, which I’ll explain later in this post.

Sunset at Hillsdale State Park

We had originally planned to head out Wednesday night after I got off work, but we couldn’t reserve our campsite for that night. So, we left Thursday instead and arrived around 5:30 PM. It was extremely hot while we were setting up camp. As I mentioned, we were worried about Oliver being in the heat, so we kept him in the shade as much as possible.

Once camp was set up, we relaxed for a bit before preparing dinner. Carrie had made meatloaf the night before at home, so our first camping meal was meatloaf sandwiches with chips on the side. They were delicious. After dinner, we got a fire going—mainly to keep bugs away, as it was still quite warm.

Big Dipper in Night Sky

We stayed up late around the fire, enjoying the cooler evening air and watching the night sky. We saw a spectacular sunset before dinner, and the stars were out in full force. Although clouds were moving in, they took their time, giving us a beautiful view of the stars.

Even though most campsites in the area were marked as reserved, there weren’t many campers around. At one point, I counted only four other groups, despite many more sites being booked earlier in the week. I’m sure the heat kept some people away. We also decided to leave earlier than planned because of the heat.

On Friday morning, we woke up early as the tent started heating up. Oliver was up around 5 AM, but we managed to get him back to sleep for another hour or so. Even early in the day, it was already getting hot, so we spent the morning lounging, reading, eating breakfast, and taking it easy.

Oliver at the Beach

By noon, the temperature had climbed to 91 or 92 degrees, with a heat index of 106. To cool off, we took a car ride with the AC blasting. We drove to Paola, KS, for coffee and to explore the town. After about two hours, Oliver had finally stopped panting, and we were all cooled down. We headed back to Hillsdale State Park and drove around to check out the beach. We decided to grab our swimsuits and return for a swim.

Oliver Wet at the Beach

The beach at Hillsdale is a great setup—plenty of space, a large sandy area, and lots of picnic benches. We had a great time cooling off in the water. We even took Oliver into the lake, and it really helped him cool down. He swam out to one of us, fully submerged. I don’t think I’d ever seen him swim before, so it was fun watching him paddle with his paws.

After a couple of hours at the beach, we returned to camp. Dinner that night was Currywurst with fried potatoes. We waited until the sun was nearly down before cooking, relaxing in our chairs and keeping Oliver in a cool spot. We read and listened to music while we waited.

Dinner Cooking

Dinner was fantastic—a perfect end to the day. We decided to head home Saturday morning. Carrie and I could have stayed another day, but we were concerned about Oliver. At 14 years old, the heat was just too much for him, and he had been panting heavily at times. Friday night would be our last night of this trip. We had a good day and I think Oliver had a fun day too. Oliver had a happy look on his face most of the day and looked to be smiling between panting. 

Oliver in Wagon with Fan

We stayed up until about 2 AM around the fire, listening to the Royals game and then some music. It was a fun and peaceful night. At one point, we set up a fan on Oliver while he rested in the wagon, and it worked—he was zonked out while we enjoyed the evening. A perfect end to the night. We knew we would be packing up in the morning, so making the most out of our last night camping.

Peck on the Cheek While Camping

Saturday morning, we slept in a bit, but once the sun hit the tent, we were up. Oliver actually slept later than usual, which gave us a little extra rest. We slowly packed up and were on the road by around 10:30 AM. We stopped in Paola again for coffee before heading out to scout future camping spots. Our next goal: Melvern Lake—this time on the RV side. Yes, we’re planning to rent an RV in July for our first RV camping trip! We’ve stayed at Melvern Lake many times, but this will be our first time with a travel trailer.

Today is Sunday, and while we were a bit sad to cut our trip short, it’s nice to be home and relax before heading back to work tomorrow. Hopefully, we’ll be out camping again soon—fingers crossed for cooler weather next time!

Have a great Sunday and a wonderful week!

Camping Through the Storm: Our Memorial Day Weekend at the Lake

Campsite at Eisenhower State Park

We went out for our second camping trip of the year from May 22 to May 26 (scheduled). Unfortunately, heavy rain on Sunday cut our trip short, and we returned that evening instead of Monday. Still, we had a great time during the days we were there. This is the story of our trip to one of my favorite locations—Eisenhower State Park at Melvern Lake.

Thursday, May 22

I was at a conference in Pittsburg, KS, from Tuesday through Thursday, so we planned to start our camping trip Thursday night after I returned. We loaded up the car and arrived at our campsite around 7:30 or 8:00 p.m. Erin and Carrie joined us but had to work the next day, so they helped set up the tents and even got the fire started before heading back to Topeka. Greg and I stayed behind to enjoy the evening by the fire.

Carrie and I had picked up Hog Wild BBQ in Topeka before heading out, so we had that for dinner. Erin and Carrie ate with us before leaving. Greg and I spent the night around the campfire, and it turned out to be the best night of the weekend. The sky was clear, and we could see stars all the way down to the horizon. We stayed up late talking, listening to music, and soaking in the camping life.

Friday, May 23

Walking Along the Bank

Friday morning started off well. Although I had the day off, I had a 9:30 a.m. work call I planned to join—only to find out it was canceled. Still, it made for a productive morning. I took a walk by the lake, and we spent the day relaxing at the campsite. The girls were planning to join us that evening after work, so Greg and I enjoyed a laid-back day.

We watched Washburn Tennis compete in the Final Four in Florida. They won 4–0, which made for an exciting morning. The afternoon was lazy—reading, checking emails, and listening to music. The Royals were scheduled to play that evening, likely around the time the ladies would arrive.

Oliver Relaxing

Carrie and Erin stopped in Lyndon to pick up Casey’s pizza on their way to the campsite. They arrived before 7:00 p.m., bringing the last of the camping supplies. It was an overcast night, but we had a great time around the fire, talking, listening to music, and enjoying each other’s company. Carrie brought Oliver, who loves camping too. Despite the forecast, we decided to brave the weather and bring our little guy along.

Saturday, May 24

Saturday was a day of relaxing, listening to music, and watching/listening the finals of Washburn Tennis and Royals baseball. We took a few walks around the site with Oliver, who loved it and did his best to protect us from other campers. We love our spot because it’s relatively secluded.

Carrie and Oliver by the Lake

Both Washburn Tennis and the Royals didn’t have the best day—Washburn lost 4–2 in the championship, and the Royals lost 5–4. Not the ideal sports afternoon. Later, we had visitors: Erin’s mom Mona and her friend Larry, along with Joan and Eddie, joined us for dinner.

Dinner was chicken fajitas—so good! As is often the case with camping, we forgot one important item: the propane connector for the Firedisc. Thankfully, we had our two-burner stove, which we thought we’d use the next morning and night, so we were able to cook the meal. It turned out to be a fun evening!

Our guests left just after sunset, and we gathered around the fire. Rain was in the forecast, and unfortunately, it arrived earlier than expected. We moved everything under the canopy and tried to enjoy the evening there. I ended up falling asleep in a chair holding Oliver. It was an earlier night than planned, with everyone heading to their tents.

Sunday, May 25

It started raining Saturday evening and didn’t stop until Sunday afternoon. Both couples were stuck in their tents through the night as the rain poured. Eventually, we got out when we received a text from Erin and Greg saying they were out for a drive. We joined them and took Oliver along to explore other lakes and campsites.

We decided this would be our last day camping, as more rain was forecast for Sunday night into Monday. After returning from our drive, we slowly began packing up. It was disappointing, but we all agreed it was the right decision. Thankfully, the rain stopped while we packed, which made things easier.

Once the cars were loaded, we headed back to Topeka, a bit down about ending early. We had planned to have pancakes for breakfast and steaks for dinner—neither of which happened. When Carrie, Oliver, and I got home, we unloaded the car into the garage and ended up napping through the afternoon and into the evening.

Monday, May 26 (Memorial Day)

Camp Fire and Laptop

Still feeling a bit sad about missing another day of camping, Carrie and I didn’t do much. We had planned to put away the gear we left in the garage, but that didn’t happen until Wednesday night.

Despite the early end, it was a great trip. As usual, we were tired from camping, so we spent the day relaxing. Oliver slept wherever he flopped down. He had a great time—he smiled the whole trip. Even during Saturday night’s thunderstorm, he didn’t seem scared, at least not that we could tell. He even tried to protect us from a dog across the way. I’m sure he was dreaming of his camping adventures while he rested.

We’re already thinking about our next trip. Until then, have a great rest of your weekend—and a great week ahead!

 

First Campout of the Year: Hillsdale Adventures

Oliver in front of Our Tent

We went to Hillsdale, KS, for our first camping trip and had a great time. We left Friday evening after work on May 9 and returned home on May 11. We brought Oliver along for the adventure. We had scouted Hillsdale State Park a few weeks prior and decided to give it a try. It turned out to be a wonderful spot for us to camp and spend the weekend.

Sunset at Our Camp Site

We arrived at our campsite in the early evening and took a little while to get everything set up. The site was different from others we’ve used before, as we had to park and walk to our campsite. Luckily, Erin and Greg had their wagon, which made it easier to haul our gear. We were a bit concerned since all the spots in the area had been reserved for the weekend, but it worked out well. We were spread out from others, which meant Oliver only had one or two nearby dogs to worry about.

Lights at Night

After setting up, we had a late dinner. Greg had made burgers and hot dogs at home earlier that day. He wrapped the burgers in foil, and we had them around 8 or 8:30 that night—delicious! We had a fire going and stayed up late enjoying the evening around it.

Saturday was a lazy day, which was nice. We had cereal for breakfast and sandwiches for lunch. Most of the day was spent lounging, reading, listening to music, and taking a few naps. We took Oliver on a few walks around the site, which of course got the other dogs—and Oliver—barking and protecting their space. We also walked up to the camp host site to get ice and firewood, which was a nice little stroll.

Hanging with Oliver

We enjoy listening to Royals games while camping and brought a real radio to tune in. We spent Saturday afternoon listening to the game. That night, Erin and Carrie made shrimp scampi with pasta, and Carrie added some shredded chicken we had picked up earlier in the week. It was a great meal to enjoy before another relaxing evening around the fire with music.

Our Hammock Set up

On Sunday, a few of us got up early. No one was really eager to pack up and head home. Eventually, we started gathering our things and hauling them back to the cars. Carrie ranks this site as one of her top favorites. It was a wonderful experience at a new location, and she’s already hoping to return later this year.

We arrived back home Sunday afternoon, and both Carrie and I slept most of the day and went to bed early that evening. Sitting around and doing nothing sure makes me tired! I think Oliver is still catching up on his sleep a week later.

Oliver in Wagon

It was a fun weekend and a great start to our camping adventures for the year. I was so tired on Sunday that I didn’t make a post, and with a busy week in the evenings, I didn’t get anything posted until now. This is the first time I’ve missed a Sunday post in a few years.

Have a great rest of your weekend and a wonderful week!

Winter Storm Blair: A Tale of Snow, Slush, and Unexpected Days Off

On Sunday, January 5th, the snow arrived as predicted, and it arrived in force! Topeka was blanketed with over 12 inches of the white stuff, leading to a prolonged closure of many businesses, including my own.

From Sunday through Wednesday, the city streets remained largely impassable, forcing us to work from home. Then, another snowfall on Thursday night resulted in another day off on Friday. This has been an unusual start to 2025, with more days off due to weather than I can remember in recent years.

In fact, I've only been to the office once this year! I took Thursday and Friday off after New Year's Day, and with these unexpected closures, it feels quite strange. While working from home has its perks, I do enjoy the social interaction of being in the office.

Winter Storm Blair certainly lived up to its name. At times on Sunday, the snow was so heavy and the winds so strong that we couldn't even see the houses across the street from our back window. The snow piled up on our windowsill, a sight I don't think I've ever witnessed before.

Oliver, our [pet's name], seemed to enjoy the storm in his own way. He sought out warmth wherever he could find it, snuggling between us and wearing his sweater to combat the chill.

The additional snowfall on Thursday further complicated the situation, as many residential streets remained untouched.

I'm hoping this is the last of the significant snow for this winter. It's probably wishful thinking, but one can always hope!

Stay safe and warm, and I'll update you all next week.

First Snow of 2024: A Lazy Saturday and a Promise to Ride

First Snow of 2024

Snow had been in the forecast for a week or so leading up to Thanksgiving. It disappeared and would reappear a few times, but it did finally happen today on November 30. I was remembering a year ago we had our first snow on this day too as Carrie and I went to a Washburn basketball game when it was snowing after Thanksgiving break. There was a game today, but Carrie and I were both tired, so we decided to stay home today. A pretty snow although I have not heard how much snow we had. 

The Saturday following two Thanksgiving celebrations is a lazy Saturday for us. We have dishes to do, but I have taken a few naps throughout the afternoon. Watched the Jayhawks lose their last game of the season in football to Baylor with Baylor being too much for us after knocking off three ranked teams in a row, we stumbled with Baylor.

Sleepy Oliver

Oliver is enjoying the lazy day as he relaxes on the couch in a pile of blankets where he is sleeping and staying warm. I think we had his heated blanket on too that he is using through the day. Yes, he's quite spoiled, but we adore him.

Not a lot planned for tonight. I had leftovers for lunch and will have leftovers for dinner too. They are so good! I love Thanksgiving leftovers. We have homemade pies to eat tonight which include sweet potato pie and dixie pie.

Yes, you guessed right that tomorrow I plan to start riding my bike again. I have been away from bike riding, or exercise, for a few months, but I plan to get back on the bike tomorrow and start the journey. That's what always happens following Thanksgiving where new gym memberships are started and people make decisions to start working out again. That is me this time too and hoping to stick with bike riding two or three times a week. I am feeling excited to start riding again, so that will help to keep me motivated to do so.

Until next week, have a great week and stay warm.

Thinking of Future Camping for 2024 and Thinking Back to Past Camping Trips to When We Started in 2021

Camping in 2021

Carrie and I have been camping one time so far this year (see Big Bend Post) and it was great. We are wanting to go camping so bad many more times while it is nice this spring, summer, and fall. Right now, we have one spot reserved for the summer, but we are keeping our eyes open for other dates we can camp. The places we camp over the next few months will probably be located in Kansas. Our trip to Big Bend was our first camping trip outside the state of Kansas. Yes, we want to do more camping trips outside Kansas, but I am not sure those will happen this year.

One spot I am hoping we are able to fit in this year is Wilson State Park. I hear only good things from those that have been to this location about how beautiful it is with amazing views. Wilson State Park has been on our list to visit for a few years, but it has not worked out for us to get out there to this point. I am hoping this will be the year that we are able to make it out to this beautiful spot in Kansas.

Thinking back to when we started camping back in May 2021. Little did I know that it would become a passion for both Carrie and me. We love the whole experience of camping so much and cannot wait until our next camping trip. As I review past trips, I wondered where we were at with our count of locations and camping trips.

We have been multiple times to Eisenhower State Park which we love. There is a good chance we will be back to Eisenhower State Park at some point this summer. We have a favorite spot there and really enjoy the trails and location. Other locations in Kansas that we have been included (links are to blog posts) Crawford State Park, Lake Milford near Junction City, HipCamp on the Saline River by Hays, KS, Council Grove, and finally Big Bend National Park in Texas.

A rough guess on number of times we have been camping would be ten times. Hoping to increase our camping number throughout the next few months. In 2022 and 2023, we had busy spring, summer, and fall seasons, so camping was difficult to work in during those years, but hoping get some more dates scheduled for this year.

Camping Trip in June 2021

Finding sites to camp near lakes is the best as it is so beautiful and brings back memories of being a kid hanging out at Lone Star Lake or Clinton Lake. Plus, Carrie and I are getting into trails, so we want to keep that trend going from our Big Bend trip. We are planning to do some trails in Kansas City, or even around Topeka, that look interesting. Just to keep what we started in Texas going and might even play a role in where we pick to do our camping trips for this year. Still, I am sure we will end up at some of our usual spots but also hoping to visit some new locations this year.

Until next time, have a great week. I hope you are able to find your next camping spot or do what makes you happy.

Valentine's Day Dinner at Soliloquy was a Fun Experience

Menu from Soliloquy

Valentine's Day had Carrie and I at Soliloquy for a fancy Valentine's Day dinner and drinks. We had a fun time. Carrie saw the announcement about the event on FaceBook and had sent it to me a week or two ahead of Valentine's Day. It looked good and different, so I booked reservations. The menu was already set along with drinks to accompany the meal. The picture to the right is the menu from Soliloquy on Valentine's Day. I believe I heard this was the second time Soliloquy had done this for Valentine's Day. It was fun!

When we arrived, we walked in and did not even give our name, but they seated us. Carrie and I laughed as we were not sure how they knew who we were, so we asked the waitress and she told us that she just knew. There were only a certain number of guests as the 6:30 pm seating sold out, so she knew we were one of the couples.

Fluer de Lavende Drink

Some of my favorite items from the menu included the zucchini salad. The first drink we had which was Fluer de Lavande. The Wellington took the show. It was amazing! I had never had a Beef Wellington before and it lived up to the hype. I have seen it done in movies and even cooking shows, but I had never had it before. the flaky crust with the perfectly cooked prime tenderloin was delicious. To finish the night I had the Irish coffee which was a take on the original recipe which was also very good.

Tiramisu

As we finished our meal and they brought out the the Irish coffee and final dessert, we were discussing if we would do this again next year if offered. We enjoyed the experience. Some of the food was different, but we enjoy trying different things and experiencing new things. I think we would do it again. 

We paid for our reservation a week or so ahead as I had mentioned. When they dropped off a card, I thought it was the bill. It was sealed with wax. When I opened the envelope, it had the menu inside. No bill, so everything was done and paid for including the tip for our table service. It was nice as we left and had enjoyed a new experience.

Carrie and I had a fun night out experiencing something different. Food prepared in different styles along with drinks. It as a fun night and so glad I was able to spend it with my Valentine. Love you so much Carrie!

Have a great week and I will talk with you next time.

Celebration for 90th Birthday for Our Mom... Happy 90th Birthday Nancy Haverty!

Mom Celebrating 90 Birthday

Our family got together to celebrate my Mom's 90th birthday. She turned 90 on December 6. A few months ago, we started discussing and figuring out what we would do to celebrate her birthday. Mom did not want a huge party, so we knew we had to keep it small to our immediate family. However, Betsy had the idea of doing a card party for Mom. So, the announcement was sent out and people started sending in cards to Mom. I know Carrie and I sent nine cards and others also sent multiple cards. She loves it and getting cards daily for the past two weeks has been great. We read through some of them when we celebrated which was fun to do.

Group Family Photo

Betsy organized us into a group picture. We were missing a few family members that were not able to make the trip. This was the first time in a few years that this many of us were able to get together. We missed Spencer, Jack and Katie, Katy, and Donna.

I ended up taking the pictures with my phone as we had some technical issues with Betsy's Android phone to get it to do a timer countdown. I think we got some good pictures of the whole family.

See all the pictures from the celebration on Flickr.

Beautiful Sunset

Beautiful weather for the birthday celebration. Carrie snapped the picture to the right of the sunset. Amazing weather for December 9. Carrie and I took our fire pit and had it going most of the afternoon into the evening. It was nice to have a little heat to stand around while we were talking and enjoying one another's company. The forecast for earlier in the week was rain and snow, but that never happened and it was a great celebration.

A small group of us remained and kept Mom up late into the evening (midnight) talking and telling stories. Mom was sharing stories from when she was little which was interesting.  Tim started the question asking and then Carrie and I chimed in and started asking questions too. Questions such as how Dad proposed or favorite meals from her childhood. It was really interesting and some stories I had not heard before.

Oliver Went to Quiet Room

Oliver went off by himself at one point in the evening as he had enough of family time. He did well overall, but did not like having a one and half year old try to pet him. So, we had to keep Oliver separated from Hayes. It was so good to meet the little Haverty's that attended the gathering. 

So happy with how the celebration turned out. Mom had a great time and we kept it only to immediate family. I hope we are all able to get together again soon just to be together.

Until next time, have a great rest of your Sunday and a wonderful week...

Various Rambling on a Rather Short Update for this Week Discussing Sports, Thanksgiving, and of Course Oliver

We had a quiet weekend as we spent most of Saturday preparing our house for Thanksgiving where we will be hosting family and friends. We did watch the Kansas State vs Kansas football game which did not end the way we were hoping. More on the game later. The Chiefs play Monday night football, so Sunday is spent keeping track of NFL games throughout the day and watching my fantasy teams struggle.

It seems as though this past week that the leaves on the trees in our yard all decided to drop at the same time. We just had our leaves picked up a week or so ago which was a big cleanup and I already have another cleanup scheduled for Monday or Tuesday this week. When we first moved into our home back in 2006, I used to do the leaves. I had plans to do leaves this year, but it is just too much having to do yard clean up at least three or four times in the fall and these are major cleanup efforts with leaves up to the ankles. I went with a new company this year to do our leaves who helped with shrub trimming over the summer and they have worked out great!

Right now while writing this post, I am watching Ichabods soccer where we are playing Jennies in the second round of the NCAA tournament. Washburn soccer played Friday night and won in overtime, so it has been fun to watch. We are playing in Topeka, but I am watching the game in the warmth of home.

This is not only Thanksgiving holiday week but it is also feast week for college basketball. My sister, Dina, takes off the whole week so she can watch basketball as there are games throughout the week. Monday night is not only the Chiefs games, but it is also the start of the Maui Classic in Hawaii. I know I will be flipping between football and basketball Monday night. Should be fun and likely a late evening with Kansas not tipping off until 8 pm.

As I jump around on this post, I go back to the Kansas State vs Kansas game from Saturday night. We did not have our starting quarterback play, so the third string freshman did good. We started off the game getting up to lead, but mistakes kept Kansas State in the game and we ran out of time. Disappointing to say the least and Kansas has one last regular season game to play against Cincinnati. 

Oliver Found his Chicken

It is not an update unless I post a picture or something about Oliver. Oliver found his chicken where he hid it at some point and paraded around the house with his chicken. He even took it outside but eventually went to the couch to take a nap with his chicken. Gave us a good laugh as we watched him parade through the kitchen to the family room carrying his chicken. Funny guy!

A short post for this week on this rainy Sunday afternoon. I hope you have a great Sunday and week. I am hoping to do another post prior to next Sunday with pictures and updates on Thanksgiving gatherings.

Until next time...

President's Suite at Emporia State University and Cheering on Washburn University in Football

President's Suite at Emporia

Carrie and I made a trip to Emporia, KS for the Emporia State University vs. Washburn University game. Doug, CIO for Emporia, had contacted me a week ago while I was in Arkansas to see if I would be interested in attending the game. I told Doug Carrie and I would love to attend. We started off the day at tailgate by the tennis courts where they had a live band and food provided by a local brewery. It was a good start and then I was glad that we were headed to the suites as it was a little cold and I had not worn enough layers.

Selfie at Emporia State 

Carrie and I had a great time in Emporia for the game. Washburn did not win although we did score some points and had a chance to tie it late in the game, we lost the game 38 - 23 and moved to 1 - 6 on the season. I was able to clap and holler while in the President's Suite at Emporia, so that was fun. The bartenders gave me grief each time I went to get a drink saying they could not server someone wearing Washburn gear. It was a fun atmosphere from the tailgate outside to being inside the suite. 

We met the President for Emporia State University, Ken Hush, and spoke to him a few times throughout the game. At one point, he offered to clear our plates and get us something to drink. A Kansas Board of Regent, Cynthia Lane, stopped by to say she heard there were Washburn fans in the suite. We did see some other Washburn fans in the suite as the president (Antonio Martinez) and vice-president (Tevin Asamoah) of WSGA in the suite which was fun. Antonio told us he felt like he was the only Washburn fan in the suite and we agreed that we had felt the same. It is always good to connect with fellow Ichabods.

Doug and John

Carrie took a picture of Doug and I both wearing our respective university gear. Thank you, Doug, for the invite and hospitality of Emporia State University. It was not the outcome we were wanting for the game, but Carrie and I had a great time. It was great to be able to spend time with Doug to get to know him better. He gave us a tour of his department and it was impressive with recently redesigned office space. He told me that the IT department used to be in three different buildings, but recently combined all into one area. It was really nice!

Doug and John Game in Progress

I told Doug that next year when we play in Topeka, I would invite him to our tailgate. Although we have seats, we rarely go into the game as we can watch the game from our tailgate spot. He liked that idea and so I will need to make sure to invite him next year. I told him I wanted to get a picture of us in front of the field to share with the other CIO's when we meet for our monthly meeting this week. Doug laughed and we took the picture.

We have three more home games and I am hopeful we can get another win. We were close yesterday but came up short. Carrie and I had a great time in Emporia and we remembering when we were there years ago for another game. Something Carrie and I have discussed a few times is that it would be fun to go to different away location for games. Whether it is for football, basketball, or volleyball, it is on our list to do and this was our first step in that direction.

Until next time, have a great rest of your Sunday and a fantastic week!

Camping Weekend October 28 - 30 on the Saline River with Pictures and Description of Camping Experience with C2T and HipCamp.com

 

Only our second camping adventure of 2022, but we had a great time in western Kansas. We stayed at the C2T Ranch on the Saline River. Beautiful time of year to go camping and the weather was perfect! Carrie found this spot last year, but we did not have a chance to get out there last year. So, we decided as our second and final camping trip for 2022 we would do it here in late October. We booked our spot and headed out Friday morning to western Kansas.

Car Loaded Down for Trip

We wanted to all ride in one car, so Carrie and I bought rails for the Pilot along with a luggage carrier for the top. Worked out great! We met at our house at 7 am to pack and get everything ready. It took us a little while to figure out the luggage carrier or to get it packed correctly. We finally got on the road about 9 am. Almost three hours to get to Hays, Kansas where we stopped to get some drinks before heading out to C2T Ranch on the Saline River. The C2T is north of Hays, KS by about 10 - 15 minutes, so we headed out to find our camping spot. Easy to find the C2T location where we met the owners and they led us out to our spot.

Tents Set and Ready for Camping

Nice spot for us to set up our tents for the next two nights. The C2T has an option to buy unlimited firewood for $25 which we gladly took part in doing. We had a fire going most of the time we were there and it ran all day Saturday as we were cooking and hanging out at camp. More on this later though in this update.

Burgers and Potatoes on the Grill

Friday night we also took advantage of an option to have burgers and brats provided by C2T which worked out great! Burgers on the open flame were fantastic. I was too full to have a brat, but they looked good and heard they tasted great. They also served cut up potatoes which is in the picture on the left although foil is on it, so you cannot see them cooking. Everything was delicious!

We finished up dinner and hung out around the fire until about midnight. Talking, telling stories, and having a great time. We were commenting how during the day we were wearing short sleeves and could have worn shorts, but I think everyone had on long pants. By evening once the son went behind the trees, immediate drop in temperature, so we huddled around the fire. 

Tents at Night with Lights

The tents at night our first night with the lights on within the tents looked so cool! I had to snap a picture of it as we have done all the other times we have gone camping too where the tent looks so cool at night.

Being out in the middle of nowhere with no city lights is always a high point for me. I cannot get over all of the stars or the feeling of vastness from being in the dark. It is a fun and spooky feeling not knowing what is out where I am looking. While we do have headlamps, they do not do a lot for what is happening away from our immediate area. Again, this is part of the fun of being in the middle of nowhere and not knowing what we are seeing as we look out into the darkness.

Tents in the Day Backdrop of Trees

I am not sure the pictures are doing justice to how amazing the trees looked while we were camping. We were all surprised to see the bluffs in and around where we were camping. We knew that's what C2T had mentioned, but seeing it was cool to see. We did not hike up into the bluffs as we had planned as it was difficult to get across the water at least the few places we checked to see if we could get across, we would have had to wade out into the water. Maybe our next trip to C2T we will hike up the bluffs.

Carrie and John in Front of Bluffs

We enjoyed touring the property to look at the bluffs that were throughout the area. I had driven through western Kansas many times and I have been out there for conferences at Fort Hays, but I had not ever been out to the country to see the views of bluffs or the incredible trees that were changing. I would be interested to go back in the spring, or early summer, to see what it is like in the area. Maybe take in the lazy river that goes around the property and to see how everything looks much different from when we visited in October.  I am hoping to go back to C2T in the future at a different time of year.

Carrie and Greg Hiking

I mentioned we did tour around a little bit and got out and walked around. Not long hikes as we could not get across the low river, but hoping to do so the next time we visit C2T. There are a lot of paths or areas where we can walk to check out the property. 

As we were leaving, we talked about checking out other HipCamp sites in other states. A interesting way to see the country and to see areas we might normally see if we were camping at a state camp ground. Carrie and I have talked about doing something similar in Arkansas, but have not yet made that jump yet. My hope is that in 2023, we do a lot more camping and hopefully in different locations and states. Colorado is still on the list to do at some point, but we heard that those spots have to be booked out way in advance.

Part of the Saturday afternoon cooking was Carrie making Beef Bourguignon. Below are pictures of the process from basically the start to the end. One item I left out of the pictures was the bacon cooking, but figured you get the idea.

Beef Bourguignon Starting

Beef Bourguignon Wine Added

Beef Bourguignon Veggies Added

Beef Bourguignon Finished

This was the first attempt at Beef Bourguignon and it turned out great! It was really good and fun to watch it take shape during the afternoon while we played Rook.

I would highly recommend C2T and we hope to return there at a future date. The overall experience with HipCamp was easy and enjoyable. Sad that the camping season has come to an official end, for us, but looking forward to 2023 when we triple or quadruple our camping events.

Thank you for reading and have a great week! If you have used HipCamp or been to C2T, please comment to let me know. I would be happy to connect and discuss your favorite spots or your experience at C2T.