There were 11 of us on this camping trip from Wednesday through Sunday but Grandma and Grandpa Manning also drove out and joined us on Friday and Saturday. They were able to spend Friday night at a hotel in Prairie du Chien as it was their Mother's Day and Father's Day gifts from all of us. The fact that they were able to join us made our vacation even more special.
Wyalusing State Park is absolutely gorgeous and highly recommended. Since we got there on Wednesday we were able to upgrade out sites to the bluff. There were enough of these unreservable sites for all of us and it was such a treat to be able to have such a breathtaking view from our campsites. The breeze coming up the bluff wasn't bad either since it was a very hot and humid week. We were even able to see an eagle fly right past our spot. We had other furry friends among us all week also. The raccoons are very bold there and you have to be sure EVERYTHING is put away when you go to bed at night. The last night we were there they didn't even wait for us to go to bed. They came right to the edge of the long grass and only left if we purposely scared them off. They sure were cute but we didn't want to get any closer to them.
We all had a great time. We spent a lot of time hiking the beautiful (but exhausting) trails through the park. At one point while looking for what they call a cave it turned out to be a small waterfall where the walls of the cave were all different colors. The waterfall was about halfway through our trek which was great for cooling us off so we could keep going the 2nd 2 hours of our hike. The views in so many places in this park are spectacular and some of the best we have seen. It is hard to remember you are still in Wisconsin.
The park also had 2 different reptile shows where we could all touch and/or hold snakes, an alligator and a tarantula. At first Olivia was afraid of them but but very soon she was more curious and with a little encouragement from me and watching me touch them and hold them she was excited about it and wanted to touch all of them and get a close look.
Although there was no beach or pool on the park grounds we could drive 2 miles to a county park and there was a very nice beach. It was visited often since we spent every day sweating and needed to cool off. Before Grandma and Grandpa left on Saturday they even came out to enjoy the beach while everyone else swam and Olivia played in the sand.
On this trip Olivia decided that her cousin Chad would be her main focus. She stuck to him like glue, knocked on the camper door in the morning to get him to wake up and was constantly asking him to sit in the hammock with her and play. He was a very good sport about it all, especially when we spent 4 hours on the trails on Thursday. He carried her a lot in his arms and on his shoulders and she is HEAVY! She really loves everyone and was such a good girl all weekend. She was a big shot sleeping on a cot now and never made any kind of fuss about going to bed in the tent if we wanted to sit by the fire for a while. Even when it stormed on Wednesday and Saturday nights she wasn't bothered by it at all. The fact that she was pretty tired each night probably helped. Yes, we still camp with a tent but her relatives have campers. She likes to be in the tent to sleep but she also loves playing in the campers. Every time someone was heading for the camper for something she was running after them and following them in and out.
Overall it was a wonderful trip and many great memories for all of us. We are already talking about the next camping trip we can schedule together.
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