Camping

This week we took Madeline on her first camping trip - to the mountains of southwest Virginia. We weren't sure what to expect from Madeline, who's routine would be severely interrupted on a trip like this.

Mostly she did pretty well - she was happiest when she was riding in her hiking backpack on daddy's back (we hiked about 17 miles in two days, including to the top of Mount Rogers - the state's highest point). She took most of her naps in the backpack, too.

She had a little more difficulty settling down for bed at night, likely because she was in such a strange environment, and in a big tent instead of her crib. We camped for three days and two nights, and Madeline had fun running around the campsite, even though the uneven terrain provided some challenging footing for her little legs. Between the rocks and sticks and dirt and bugs, there was plenty of stuff to occupy her interest.

Madeline captured many firsts this weekend - first camping trip, first miles on the Appalachian Trail, first mountain summit. We also saw wild ponies near the top of Mount Rogers.

As with any trip, it was fun but tiring, and we were happy to return home Thursday night. It might be a while before we plan another extended camping trip, but this was a good experience to have under our belt.

See more pictures from our trip here.