Wet Weekend!

I went camping this past weekend at Big Lagoon State Park to the Southwest of Pensacola and well, my camping trip was surely wet and rainy. Fortunately, I stayed pretty dry the entire time thanks to my tent (thank you mom). I can't sing the tent's praises enough, because this bad boy really did take care of me and keep me dry. It rained a solid 4 inches on Friday night. Normally, that would mean your tent would get soaked, water would pour in from everywhere, and you would have a water bed. This tent however keep me dry throughout the night.

It was Friday the 13th too.... Kinda spooky out there in the woods, in the rain and lightning, just like in the movie at Camp Crystal Lake! Beware of Jason.... I had my mag light and if anybody tried to mess with me I was gonna shine the light in their eyes and run the other way. The campground was full of old snow birds from Canada. I figured he might go after them first anyhow. Bunch of Florida Q-tips!!!

Suffering a few early setbacks, I tried to stay positive. This little camp out did teach me some stuff, made me remember old times, and made me think of a few things I may need to pick up or prepare before I set out on my big trek. Camping in the rain is tough on gear and a few things went by the wayside after getting entirely inundated on Friday night. Lessons were learned...

Quite honestly, some of the most memorable camping trips I have been on have involved inclement weather. Camping in the rain and snow or with a hurricane approaching for instance. These terrible trips generally make for some long lasting memories. I am glad that I was only having to look after myself, because if there had been a group of people out there, I would have experienced a lot of bitching!

Saturday the weather was much better and I went hiking and biking around the park. Its really not a large place, only 700 acres, and its set amongst a lot of developments. From the beach you can look out and see Perdido Key, the barrier island which is peppered with condos and multicolored houses on stilts. The park is bordered on the north and west by the highway and the bridge to the key, respectively. I did see quite a bit of wildlife though. Mostly birds like some hawks, osprey, pelicans, cormorants, ducks, doves, cardinals, jays, finches, and herons but also some rabbits and raccoons and even deer tracks.

I stayed entirely dry on Saturday night thanks to the state park system. At the park there is a huge pavilion with a giant fireplace in the center. I lugged my firewood up to the pavilion and made a fire, with the help of lighter fluid and some charcoal and had a pretty good fire for several hours. I slept great on Saturday night and awoke to some sunshine on Sunday morning. Cooked breakfast and then broke camp before noon. Got in one last bike ride and then went back to town to dry everything out. All in all it was a good weekend and I hope to make some adjustments and go camping again soon.