Camping - Lake Shasta - Antlers Campground

Because of the weird timing of this trip and Brian's work schedule, I did the camping shopping and broke the bank while I was at it.

I sorted out that pile of groceries, packed everything up, stacked all the camping gear/food, etc in the garage and B packed the car up before he headed to work for the day, we left town after he got off work.

Kona was in his crate (which emma made for him out of the kids crib, fyi), but he knew we were heading out of town and he was super excited! He loves camping!

There's 3 kids in that car somewhere.

Our first glimps of the lake,we made good time and still had light to set up camp.

B and the kids have already been up and went fishing, now he's making breakfast

Sophie's job of making pancakes, she loves it!

This is what's behind our campsite, you can see how low the lake is, made it really interesting to have to climb up/down to swim and fish.

this is standing w/my back to the lake looking at our campsite, it's in the trees there.

B and the kids climbed down this a few times to fish, it's further than it looks.

We did tons of rock hopping every day, some spots were steeper than others, this was not too bad. When we were here in June the lake was right up by the trees.

what made the rock hopping more difficult was it was near or over 100 every day and we had to carry stuff to make shelter and have water for Kona.

B's sister, Melissa, and our niece Audrey and nephew Spencer arrived on Friday afternoon.

Emma caught the one and only fish

With it being so hot we spent a lot of time in the water

when we weren't in it we were fishing. That's Em and Audrey in the red hat.

Our nephew Spencer

This guy hopped right up next to me, then hopped away.

Myles doing some last minute cramming for kindergarten. It was this night that we had some dry thunder/lightning storms come through.  We did not know it at the time, but the same night a fire started, by Monday morning things got very smokey.

My most loved piece of camping equipment!

B cooked great breakfasts!

The Nephew is quite a reader!

We spent a day in a perfect swimming hole, a cove off the main arm of the lake. You may remember that bridge from last years pictures, the kids and B swam out to it and jumped off the top of the arch.  When we were here in June, the arch was under water, so they couldn't jump. This trip it was way to high to jump from.

This is down the bank behind the camp, a few pictures from B's camera from his fishing expedition with the kids

watching the sun come up

Swimming again, don't look close, that's me back there in blue.

Niece Audrey

Brian took the kids on a hike around the campground one evening to see a nest on the top of a power tower.

Oddly, we saw the most wildlife in the bathrooms at camp. We had large alligator lizards, and hissing beetles that were so loud and scary Kona wouldn't even try to eat them.

Everyone's cheeks came home w/some sun. Both sets o cheeks.

Monday on the way out of town we fished one last time. Myles lost patients and went for a swim.

You can see in the background how smokey it was. You couldn't see the tops of the hills.

Unfortunately, the fire has been burning ever since.  More on that here.  Aside from that, we had a great time! It was so nice to spend time with Melissa, Spencer and Audrey in such a relaxing, laid back setting!  The kids had so much fun being with their cousins, and every one got a long really well.  Maybe it'll become a new family tradition?? Maybe earlier in the summer when the lake is higher! We're already looking forward to next year!