Go with the Flow

Hi! Welcome back to the blog! Happy you are reading this.

Jack and I went on our first camping trip of the season. It did not go as planned, to say the least.

One of the not-so-wonderful parts about living in Alaska is that May can be super warm and beautiful, or mid-40s and grey. This May is mid-40s and grey, so even though there is no snow on the ground at the beginning of May, many campsites are closed. 

At first, Jack and I wanted to go to Hope, but as the day got closer, the weather there looked like it could bring snow and rain. The next option was Moose Creek in Palmer. The weather was sunny in the morning, so Jack and I packed the car and headed north to Palmer.

 As we were driving, we realized we had forgotten a couple of things (we can not blame the spreadsheet for these, as it was my fault). When we got to Palmer and were driving down the hill to the campsite, the vibes were good, the sun was out, and then we pulled up to find the campsite closed. We were absolutely devastated because we couldn't even walk into the campsite with all our stuff, since the sites were too far apart. After sulking for a bit and brainstorming, I remembered that my wonderful parents had suggested that if the campsite were closed, we would go up to my family’s cabin and camp on the empty lot next to my grandparents' place. After a little more research to see if there were any other open campsites near us, we found none and headed up north to Willow! 

After we got to my grandparents' cabin, it was still a little sunny, but the wind had picked up. We unloaded the car, and then our neighbors showed up, A.K.A my grandparents. Since Jack and I are good people, we did take a break from our rugged camping trip and unloaded my grandparents' car. Then we headed back down to set up camp! Our new tent set up very easily. Except that it was too close to the fire. Then we picked it up and moved the tent… except then it was up on a slant. Then we picked it up for a third time and finally got it in the perfect flat spot! The only thing we need from YouTube is how to tie a knot in the rain cover's string so we can pin it to the ground!

Then, the next thing we did was very simple: we made a fire! Actually, Jack made the fire; it was a little small, but overall very warm. Jack and I's favorite game is Phase 10, so we pulled it out, and I beat Jack. Which is actually no surprise, since he has never beaten me. 

The next new item we got to try out was our brand-new 17-inch Blackstone!! We decided to make chicken fajitas, and it was totally bomb. Our ingredients were, if you are wondering, chicken cut up, onion, bell peppers, and fajita seasoning. We threw it all on the blackstone, and it cooked up fast and easy in about 15 minutes. They tasted great even though I forgot sour cream, cheese, and salsa. Overall, the Blackstone was an amazing addition to our camp gear. 

The final part of our one-night camping experience is sleep. I, who is the least experienced camper of Riley and Jack, slept amazingly! I wore enough clothes and brought enough blankets to stay warm and cozy in the tent as it dropped to mid-30s and rained all night. Jack did not wear enough clothes or bring enough blankets, so right at 7 am, we woke up, and he declared camping over, and we went up to the warm cabin for a grandma breakfast!

In conclusion, the new Blackstone was amazing, the new beautiful blue cooler worked great, and the tent was easy to set up! I am super excited for our next camping trip down south, where Jack and I can try more recipes, and hopefully someone can stay warm! Thanks for reading again! Get outside and breathe some fresh air!!!!!

Our chicken fajitas

Jack in tent