Foxfire & Freeways: Our First Fourth of July Camping Trip

Our first Fourth of July camping trip is officially in the books.

Overall, it was a really fun weekend, even if it didn’t go exactly as we imagined.

Friday was a little rough for Bug. He wasn’t quite sure what to think about everything and spent a good part of the day fussing as he tried to take in all the new sights and sounds. That night, people around the campground started setting off fireworks, and bedtime quickly turned into… well… not bedtime.

Unfortunately, we weren’t in a spot where we could actually see the larger fireworks displays. The nearby town had already held their official celebration the day before, and campers were setting fireworks off all weekend—usually long after Bug’s bedtime.

We’ll know better for next year. Later that night as me and hubs laid in bed, the inside of the tent started blinking….it was fireflies that found a home under the top cover of the tent, softly glowing so it looked to me that I had the stars within an arms reach 🧡

Next time, I’ll make sure to reserve a campsite near the main fireworks well in advance so he can actually enjoy them.

Saturday felt much more relaxed. Woke up to various bugs just mosying around the top and sides of the tent. Caterpillars inching by, slugs leaving their marks across, ants scurrying around tryin to find food from us, jumping spiders playing and fireflies tryin to get some sleep after a long night 😂

We cooked breakfast over the campfire, heated Bug’s bottles over the fire throughout the day, and simply enjoyed slowing down.

Sunna had a wonderful time too. We tied her out so she could safely explore the campsite, and she spent the day running around, sniffing absolutely everything, and apparently deciding that undeveloped pecans and walnuts were a perfectly acceptable snack.

Dinner… well…

Let’s just say the steaks became a little more “charcoal grilled” than “charcoal grilled.” 😂

It’s been a while since we’ve cooked over a fire, so we’ll call it practice.

One thing that did surprise us was Sunna.

The fireworks didn’t bother her one bit.

The biggest challenge all weekend was definitely the weather.

Coming from the dry mountains of Colorado, we’re still adjusting to Ohio’s heat and humidity. Portable fans, bottles of water poured over our heads and necks, and a couple of cool showers throughout the day became our best friends.

Sunday brought rain from morning until night.

That meant our planned campfire dinner turned into a McDonald’s run instead.

When we got home today, I finally made the chicken and corn we’d packed for camping but never got to cook because of the weather.

After a long weekend, it was nice to simply slide dinner into the oven and enjoy a home-cooked meal without having to think too much.

The weekend also gave us something else to think about.

We’re seriously considering tent camping for the next three months instead of hauling the Wolf Pup everywhere.

It would save quite a bit on fuel and campground costs, and honestly, we’ve really enjoyed getting back to the simplicity of tent camping.

I already have a checklist started of everything we’d need, so we’ll make the final decision later this month as we prepare for the next leg of our tour.

No matter what we decide…

I’m looking forward to the adventure.

Thank you to everyone who’s been following along with our little journey so far.

I’ve also been thinking about adding some cooking and baking posts between our travel updates, so you might start seeing a few recipes pop up here and there.

Until then, I hope everyone had a safe, relaxing, and memorable Fourth of July.

Until the next mile, keep the fire lit and the road calling.
— Foxfire & Freeways

🧡