We usually always stay in town for the 4th of July so that we can enjoy firework shows but since they were all cancelled around here due to social distancing, we decided to go camping instead.
We went near Leavenworth, WA and on our way to our campsite we stopped there and explored the Blackbird Island Trail that’s right near town. There were quite a few people at the beginning of the trail but luckily we came prepared with our masks! 🙂
The kids are always happy to find climbable trees….
….and really happy when Dad brings cheetos for them to eat for their snack!
After that we went to our campsite and set up our tent. Then we took off on a short walk to scout out the lake.
It was stunning and the perfect beach for our family because there was so much to explore.
There was a lot of driftwood all over the beaches that the kids loved playing with.
Maggie worked on building this lean-to for awhile and even collected smaller pieces of wood that she pretended was bread to feed her family. 🙂
This fort was already on the beach but the kids had a blast adding on to it and playing in it while we were there.
This was the best pic I could get of these four on the beach! 🙂
The kids were so excited to get back to the campground and build a fire for s’mores. We also had fun playing the board game Sorry and telling stories around the campfire.
The next morning the kids had fun playing in the hammocks. Our campsite was perfect for hanging lots of hammocks and it ended up being one of the kids’ favorite parts of our camping trip!
The boys had fun playing a smaller version of corn hole and catch.
Then we headed out to hike the Icicle Gorge Trail (also called the River Loop Trail). It was one of my favorite hikes that I’ve done with the kids. It was just over 4 miles and mostly flat.
We all wore the social distancing shirts that my friend Rachel sent us. We feel lucky that we live in such a beautiful place to camp and social distance this summer!
We came upon some huckleberry bushes that the kids were thrilled to find and eat!
And enjoyed the stunning scenery that surrounded us on this hike!
The kids did great and only started complaining the last half mile. Maggie offered to carry Hank but it didn’t last long. 🙂
So Hank ended up getting carried by Bryan while Reese got to come out of the backpack for a little while.
After our hike we headed back to the beach near our campsite. The kids were so wrapped up in playing on this beach that Bryan and I mostly got to sit and relax on the beach while keeping an eye on them.
Hank was trying to rope fish.
I’m not sure what Wendy was doing here but it’s one of my new favorite pictures of her! 🙂
Maggie was pretty obsessed with finding and catching butterflies on this trip.
And Reese mostly played on the beach while occasionally trying to take a solo swim in the lake.
We stayed at this beach for hours because we were all so content there.
The next morning the kids all swung on the hammocks while Bryan and I packed up our campsite.
Then we did one more hike to a place called Hidden Lake. We found some more huckleberries and Reese made sure that she was included in the eating of them. 🙂
This hike was short but beautiful and really secluded.
Bryan convinced Maggie to jump off this log with him. She was super nervous to do it (the water was cold!) but in the end she decided to be brave and was really happy she did it! Bryan is really good at getting our kids out of their comfort zones.
All in all it was such a great trip! We were so glad that Bryan had the weekend off so that we could make such fun memories together. The kids did surprisingly well and have been begging to go camping again since. I was never much of a camper growing up but Bryan always finds the best places to camp and I think I love going more and more each time. Spending time in nature is so good for our souls and I’m grateful we live such a beautiful place to do it!
