Ike Kinswa State Park

Terry had made reservations at the beginning of the week for us to spend the weekend at Ike Kinswa State Park. It’s located a little south of us, on Mayfield Lake, in an area we have been wanting to check out. It was our first camping trip our new Bigfoot camper so we were excited to test it out. We packed during the week and had a few minor bits of loading to do when Terry arrived home from work.

We were able to leave our house around 2:30 on Friday. Due to the location of the park, we didn’t have to drive on any major freeways and it took us a little under an hour and a half to get there. It was a gorgeous drive with the sun out and we were able to get some great views of Mount Rainier along the way.

The last campsite available was #41 which was the ADA site. We got lucky, as it was a full hook-up site in a nice location. When we got to camp, Terry was able to set –up the camper while I proceeded to break the easy-u canopy. I was trying to be helpful and erect the thing by myself while Terry unloaded, but the Pereira in me broke loose and we got to see how weak the aluminum roof support rods are. Luckily, Terry has a little MacGyver in him and was able to fix it using a plastic tent stake and his Leatherman. Meanwhile, I sat at the picnic table in awe and finished my book.

After fixing the canopy, we made dinner. We barbequed ribs and had salad and couscous. It was very good. Once dinner was finished, we decided to go for a bike ride thru the other camp loops. It was Zeus’s first outing in the bike trailer. He didn’t seem to enjoy it too much but we hope with more trips he will get used to it. Towards the end, he did stop whining, but I think it was due to his own exhaustion.

When we got back to our campsite, Terry made a fire and we enjoyed a little wine before heading in for the night. We both took quick showers in our camper before heading to bed.

On Saturday morning, Zeus woke up bright and early and wanted to go outside. I was hoping after he went potty he would want to go back to sleep (like he does everyday at home), but he didn’t. So, we stayed outside waiting for Terry to get up. Two hours later, Terry finally awoke and proceeding to his first task of the day: making coffee. It was overcast, but warm in the morning and we hoped the sun would make an appearance later in the day.

For breakfast I made sausage gravy and eggs while Terry cooked the biscuits. The new oven actually cooked fairly well, but we still have to flip them half way thru their cooking. After breakfast, we loaded up the bikes for a bike ride. First, we headed down the road a little ways to look at the boat launch area. From there, we rode back to the day use area. We found a little grassy knoll and sat for a while watching boats go by. Then, we rode back thru the camp loops and to our site. Zeus was better in the trailer this time then he was before. He did start to whine a little in the middle of the ride but we are hoping with more trips, he will get better.

When we got back to our campsite, we decided to take a walk. There is a nice trail the edges the lake from the camp check-in area to the far camp loop. We walked the whole trail and picked out our sites for future camping. We really like site 14 and 16 as they sit close to the water and have good views of the lake. The walk was very nice and peaceful.

It was in the afternoon when we got back, so we had a small snack of Triscuts and cheese to hold us over until dinner. I sat and read my book for a little bit, while Terry and Zeus took a quick nap.

For dinner, I made tortellini with an Italian sausage tomato sauce. It was delicious. After we were done eating, we decided to walk down by the lake again. We found a little beach and sat upon a log and enjoyed the sun. For it being forecasted it was suppose to rain, we got lucky with sunny weather. Terry met a friend by the lake and they talked for a while about boy stuff.

Once we returned back to camp, it was time for a campfire. Terry made a really nice fire and I was just a little bummed I didn’t have any marshmallows to cook. The camp host stopped by our site for a quick visit and Zeus wasn’t too happy about that. He was a little cranky and tired so kept barking at the camp host. As the fire got closer to dying down, I headed into the camper for a shower. Terry came in soon after me. It definitely feels nice to clean up before bed.

I slept in a little on Sunday morning. Terry was up before me and made coffee and cleaned the barbeque before I decided to get out of bed. It has rained a little in the early morning and was still a little drizzly when I got up, however, Terry assured me it was just the water coming off the trees, not really raining. It was a nice, relaxing morning. I was able to have some hot cocoa and work on my journal and Terry slowly loaded up some gear.

For breakfast, we had bacon, eggs and toast. We both enjoy having bacon for breakfast while camping. After breakfast, I did the dishes and packed up the inside of the camper, while Terry loaded all the outside stuff. We ended up leaving camp a little before noon. On the way home, we stopped in Elbe at the Rainier Railroad Dining Company and had lunch. It was fun, the food was okay, but the atmosphere was very unique since the restaurant is in an old dining car. We got home a little before 3:00 and got to enjoy the rest of the afternoon at home unpacking and thinking about our next trip.

To see the rest of the pictures I took over the weekend, click here!