Camping!

Nana was helping us learn more about our ancestors. Apparently we have quite a few on my mom's side who loved in upstate New York! Some just one county over from where I love now. We found that out during her visit to SUNY Geneseo library. As part of our digging into ancestors, we also decided to head down to southern New York and look for information there. Since it was a three-hour drive, we thought we would combine it with a camping trip! 

We stayed at Chenango Valley State Park. The first night we went set up our tent and then went swimming.

After swimming we made a fire (which took a while to get started cuz the wood was wet!) and roasted hotdogs and marshmallows.

We slept ok, but it was COLD when we woke up. Well, 49° cold. With heavy fog. Luckily we had dried most of the wood out the night before.

Breakfast was hot cocoa and toasted bagels (with cream cheese).

After cleaning up, we drove an hour into Norwich to look for county records or historical records. Nana found some at the county building, but the big jackpot was the library that had a family history center! This is where we discovered that we are related to Wild Bill Hickock! (Elias Terrill married to Hannah Hickock, from my mom's dad's biological father's line).

The girls were a little bore , and the younger three very disappointed that they couldn't come help find information about our ancestors. But they did pretty good reading and playing (mostly) quietly in the library.

We then headed back to camp to go swimming, kayaking and hoping Travis would join us soon with bikes.

The girls can RUNNING when Travis drove into our campsite. They were so glad to have their dad come! And they were almost as glad to have their bikes to play on.

Dinner this night was (roasted) bologna sandwiches or hotdogs (if there were any left) and toasted bagels and roasted marshmallows. We girls had dated Burger King for lunch (hence the crowns).

We got new camping chairs during our trip to Norwich. We really were glad to have them!

Travis set up a second tent because the girls didn't want to try to smooshing him into the one (I am pretty sure we could've fit) HUGE tent we had set up. So, Travis and I shared a tent, and Nana shared with the girls. It didn't get quite as cold, but we were all glad for the new fleece blankets we picked up.

Queen Miranda- purple fleece robe and paper crown on her camp throne.

Sometimes we even shared camp chairs. I think Travis had three girls on his knees at one point!

We packed up camp and drove two-and-a-half hours towards home, stopping at Stony Brook State Park to eat lunch and explore. The girls tried to go swimming, but with the water at 56° it was a little too cold for all of them, even Miranda who swam the longest. While they attempted to swim, Travis walked along the falls. I had NO idea there were so many waterfalls! It was a simple hike, but a LOT of steps. It was unfortunate that they don't let you go swimming in the upper part (although many people were wading/swimming/splashing in the water).

The photo above this and the one below are the same waterfall. But, there were tons more that I didn't take pics of!

We the drove home and spent a good hour unloading, sorting, and starting laundry. Nana got ALL the laundry finished that night! We also had a neighborhood gathering at the Mills' house. The girls got to go swimming in their gorgeous pool. Nica actually started swimming on her own!

Miranda's underwater selfie.