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Mother’s Day Under the Mistletoe – Mistletoe State Park (Appling, Georgia)

/ alyssayancey / Leave a comment

As much as I love macaroni art and pipe cleaner jewelry, what I really wanted for Mother’s Day was some peace and quiet.

So, when I realized we hadn’t used the two free nights of camping that came with our Friends of the Georgia State Parks membership, I decided Mother’s Day weekend would be the perfect time for a mini-momcation. (An article about my first solo camping trip was featured on the Columbia Mom’s Blog last fall.)

With the influx of COVID-campers it has become more difficult to snag premium sites, especially when only booking a few weeks out. So, I was pleasantly surprised to find a waterfront site available at Mistletoe State Park in Appling, Georgia. I reserved the site, and hoped for the best.

A few weeks later it was finally time for my trip. When the clock hit five, I tossed my heels in the back of the Jeep, strapped on my sandals, and headed off into the sunset. Eventually I’d like to be comfortable enough to haul the camper myself, but for this trip Steven graciously offered to haul and set-up for me. I arrived at site 41, and what a site! It’s one of seven sites on a point jutting out into Lake Strom Thurmond. There were other sites that offered more privacy, but I don’t know that there were any that offered better views or access to the lake.

I spent Friday evening enjoying a gorgeous sunset over the lake, and then I stayed up until 4 a.m. binging an entire season of a show on Netflix. I rolled out of bed around 10 on Saturday, and decided to do some exploring. I took a leisurely drive around the campground and park, then stopped by the park store to rent a kayak. For $30 you get to access to kayak (single, tandem or canoe) for 24-hours. Before venturing out on the lake, I decided to take a hike.

The park offers 15.5 miles of trails. I selected the Cliatt Creek Nature Trail Loop, a 3.75 mile loop that starts across from the park office. The trail was relatively easy and offered scenic views of the creek. It was relaxing to be able to explore the woods at my own pace without having to wrangle kids. And, I have to say, I was pretty proud of myself for completing the whole hike.

After I ventured out of the woods, I decided to drive a few minutes down the road to the dam. I was so envious of all the federally managed recreation areas that I passed on way. We live near Lake Murray, but there are hardly any public areas on the lake. Aside from the parks there isn’t much else along the shores of Lake Strom Thurmond, so I was excited to see a BBQ food truck at the gas station in the Pollard’s Corner area. The truck was out of everything but ribs, but I’m not even mad about it because they were so good! The meat fell right off the bone and had great flavor.

With my stomach full I crashed for a power nap.

Next I decided to test out my kayaking skills. The kayaks were conveniently located next to my site. I strapped on my life vest and headed out on to the water. It wasn’t until I was paddling out into the cove that I realized I hadn’t ever kayaked before. Luckily, I managed to get the hang of it and didn’t end up in the drink. I enjoyed another beautiful sunset on the water before turning in for the night.

In the morning it was time to head home relaxed and refreshed to spend Mother’s Day with my boys. If you’d have told me a few years ago that I’d spend a day alone exploring the woods and kayaking, I would have said you were crazy, but I couldn’t have asked for a better day. I’m so grateful for a partner who encourages me to take time for myself for self-care. I encourage other moms to find ways to connect with nature and shed the stress of this chaotic world.  

Until next time, don’t forget to seek the scenic!

Camping 101: Camping with Kids (+ 10 of our favorite camping with kids products)

/ alyssayancey / Leave a comment

A list of products linked in this post is available below.

Disclaimer: The products linked in this post are items we have tried and liked. We do NOT receive any payment (financial or in-kind) from any of the links in this post nor do we have any partnerships with any of the product manufacturers.   

I often get questions from fellow parents who would like to start camping with their young children, but don’t know where to start. So, I wanted to share a few of our tips and tricks that have helped make camping with kids a bit more enjoyable.

We bought our first camper when our youngest was 3-months-old and our oldest was three. Through a good bit of trial and error we found some strategies that help make camping with kids a little bit more enjoyable.

Sleeping

One of the main challenges of camping with kids is ensuring sound sleep when the whole family is confined to close quarters. Our first camper was only 19’, so we didn’t have room for a play pen for our then infant. Instead in the early days (before he could roll) he used a portable infant sleeper on the converted dinette.

Once he got a little older we custom built a swing gate to cover the opening to one of the bunks. When we upgraded to our current camper, the boys each got a double bunk, and we mounted a baby gate over the opening to the toddler’s bed. Our 5-year-old sleeps in the top bunk in an inflatable toddler bed that has built-in bumpers. The air pump that came with the bed also works great for inflating water toys and tubes. An added bonus of using the inflatable bed is I can slide it out to change the sheets rather than having to climb up in a bunk. It’s also a lot easier to clean if your kiddo is prone to overnight accidents.   

We also make sure to bring the boys favorite lovies and a portable sound machine from home to help encourage a good night’s rest.

Diapering

Another question I see online from time to time is: What do you do with diapers? Our solution for dirty diapers is a “trasharoo” mounted on our spare tire on the back of the camper. We simply put a trash bag in the trasharoo at the beginning of the trip and put anything we don’t want in our inside trash in that bag until the soonest opportunity to haul the trash off.

We also make sure we keep wipes and diapers in the car or our “go bag” for when we are on a hike or adventure and need to make a quick stop.

Safety

Safety is another top concern when camping with little ones. One modification that we made that has been great for ensuring our peace of mind is the addition of an extended hand rail. Some campers come with the larger hand rail standard, but if you have one with only the small grab handle, head over to Camping World or Amazon and purchase the upgrade.

Not only does the hand rail help the boys steady themselves as they climb up and down the stairs it also can serve as a way to block the screen door from opening. If we are in the camper, but want to enjoy the fresh air, we slide the handle in front of the screen and the toddler can’t open the door and fall out.

Another safety tip that I swear by is dressing the boys in bright clothes and/or hats. Choosing items that stand out from the natural landscape help make it easier to keep my eye on the boys as the play at the campsite or explore a scenic destination.

When our toddler was younger we also traveled with a playpen (I actually found one with a sunshade at Aldi, but it was similar to the one linked) and a baby seat that we could use to keep him more contained. When he was infant we snagged a used BabyBjörn bouncer. It was perfect for camping because it folds flat when not in use and the cover is washable. When he got a bit older we used a Summer Infant Pop and Sit Portable Booster.

Also make sure you have a well-stocked first aid kit and a fire extinguisher in your camper. We keep kits in the camper and in the car at all times.

Miscellaneous

At times it may feel like you are packing your whole house to take a quick weekend trip, but after some practice you’ll figure out what you don’t need and what can be left in the camper. We typically leave at least one outfit per person, jackets/sweaters, a few toys, diapers, swim diapers, water toys, sunscreen and bug spray in the camper. Another product that we really like, especially in the summer, is our Thermacell lantern. Our 5-year-old is a mosquito magnet, but the Thermacell helps keep them at bay.

Also, if you are a family that allows electronics, we find letting the boys have a tablet or watch TV in the camper occasionally can be a sanity saver. Most of the time we encourage them to be outside and enjoy nature, but sometimes it’s nice to let them watch an episode of their favorite show in the evening while we enjoy a bit of peace and quiet. It can also be helpful when storms roll in or the temperature drops and outdoor activities are off the table.

We don’t take a ton of toys, as we’ve found the boys typically find ways to entertain themselves with rocks and sticks and other items from the campsite. However, we have found bubbles are a great way to entertain kids at the campsite. We recently bought an inexpensive bubble gun that the boys love!


Camping with young kids can be challenging, but the more you keep at it, the more you figure out what works for you and your family. If you have tips you’d like to share, feel free to comment on this post, or message us on our Instagram @SeekTheScenic or our Facebook page www.facebook.com/seekthescenic. Happy Camping!

I have included a full list of the linked products below:

  1. Baby Delight Snuggle Nest Harmony Portable Infant Sleeper – Amazon
  2. Emma + Ollie Inflatable Toddler Bed with Bed Rails – Amazon
  3. Summer Slumber Buddies Projection and Melodies Soother, Eddie The Elephant – Amazon
  4. Spare Tire Trash Bag, JoyTutus Fits 40″ Tire – Amazon
  5. Extended Lend-a-Hand Rail – Camping World
  6. Summer Pop ‘n Play Ultimate Playard, Green -Play Pen with Removable Canopy – Amazon (We found ours at Aldi)
  7. BabyBjörn Bouncer – Amazon (We found ours on Facebook Marketplace)
  8. Summer Pop and Sit Portable Booster – Amazon
  9. Swiss Safe 2-in-1 First Aid Kit – Amazon
  10. Thermacell Bristol Mosquito Repellent Patio Shield Lantern – Amazon

Perfectly Imperfect: Myrtle Beach State Park (Myrtle Beach, South Carolina)

/ alyssayancey / Leave a comment

(We also visited Myrtle Beach State Park in June 2019. To read more about that trip, click here.)

In today’s age of social media, we’re constantly barraged with “perfect” images. The flood of curated and filtered content can make us believe our lives need to be Instagram-worthy to be worthwhile.

So, as I reflected on our recent trip to Myrtle Beach State Park, I fixated on the foreboding forecast that delayed our arrival, the less than ideal weather, and the lack of sleep caused by our testy toddler. It wasn’t until we’d been home for a few days that the fog of unmet expectations lifted, and I began to see that our weekend was actually perfectly imperfect.

The forecast got worse and worse in the days leading up to our departure. We don’t mind rain, but riding out high winds and possible tornados in a tin can is another story all together. After being racked with indecision for several days, we finally decided it would be best to wait until Friday morning to head over to the campground. Our decision was ultimately fueled by the thought of having to shelter in a bathhouse with two kids during a pandemic. The risk wasn’t worth the reward in my book.

But, then, conditions changed and the storm shifted to the east. After carefully watching the radar, we accepted that South Carolina had dodged a bullet, which allowed us to head over Thursday night instead of waiting until morning. Hooking-up was easy since we’d already packed everything earlier in the day. Traffic was lighter than usual too, since we were leaving later in the day and many people were waiting out the weather indoors.

We arrived at our site, and made quick work of setting up before settling in for the night. We stayed on site 295, which was on the more spacious back loop. The site was easy to navigate into, even in the dark, and had a large outdoor living area. It was also full hook-up, which is always a nice find at a state park.

We woke to unseasonably cool temperatures and overcast skies, but thankfully the rain held off. We decided to bundle up and head to Murrell’s Inlet to explore Brookgreen Gardens with my Dad and his girlfriend Diane, who were visiting from Indiana. Brookgreen is located almost across the street from Huntington Beach State Park (which you can also visit for free, if you’re staying at MBSP). We spent several hours exploring Brookgreen’s beautiful sculpture gardens before the kiddos hit the wall. We’ll definitely visit again to see the rest of the grounds, which include a section on local history, a small zoo featuring local animals, and even an educational boat tour. (Note: Your ticket, which we found to be very reasonably priced, is actually good for seven days.)

When we got back to the campground, we decided to embrace the weather. Steven built a roaring campfire and whipped up a delicious, five-bean venison chili. I also made a pan of cornbread in our camper oven, without burning it! In retrospect, it was nice to be able to enjoy a few more days around the campfire since the oppressive heat of summer in the South will soon be upon us.

Saturday was chilly too, but the sun finally peaked through the clouds, which lifted our moods considerably. Since Dad and Diane were nearing the end of their trip, we spent the day soaking up the park. We visited the Nature Center, took a walk on the beach, and watched seagulls land on the pier. Everett was captivated by the challenge of completing the park’s scavenger hunts to earn a patch from the Nature Center, and Jase insisted on trying every slide on the playground.

For dinner, Dad visited a market and stocked up on local seafood, which we boiled over the fire. The result was delicious! My mouth is watering just thinking about it!

Our trip may have been marred by some less than ideal circumstances, but we enjoyed good fellowship, great food, and beautiful sights. Real life is messy, and sometimes it takes the storms to truly appreciate the sun. Now we’re counting down the days until our next perfectly imperfect weekend.