erehweslefox
Sous Chef
So, back from week camping on Chincoteague Island in VA, and a week catching up at work, so I'm catching up on posts here, and also need to refill my freezer and fridge before I get cookin' for serious again.
Let me tell you it was HOT, like 105 degrees every day and mid 90's at night. If we weren't able to hit the ocean once a day to cool down it would have been miserable.
As a result, I did scrap some of my pre-camp plans for campfire cooking. We at a lot of big cool salads in camp, and did do a crab boil one night ('cause we caught us some crabs, 'natch), but it was tough to motivate to do a good cooking fire, just because it was so darn hot. Lets just say I went through only two bundles of wood the whole week, but three bags of ice a day, that kind of a camping trip... Thank god for good coolers and that I was able to pick up some dry ice before I left to keep the 'freezer' cooler cold enough.
Overall though it was a ton of fun, we were lucky in that I took a chance and took us out hiking in the back area of Assateague Island the day they were rounding up the ponies, instead of waiting with the crowd by the coral. We we happened upon a group of folks with camera stuff and hip waders heading out into the salt marsh, so obviously we followed them. (kind of a bad idea because while Beloved Wife had boots on, I was in sandals, so I ended up standing in a swamp for three hours in sandals, I now definitely have Zitka and probably malaria and yellow fever, but the bugs on the island are well fed!). They were professional photographers, who knew exactly where the saltwater cowboys were going to drive the ponies for the roundup, and we got to see it right up close! Literally right in the middle of it, it was awesome. So did we see ponies, heck yes!
So despite the heat (and man it is tough sometimes to sleep in a tent at night in 90+ weather, we were praying for the slightest breeze), we had a smashing good time.
Unfortunate side effect of the heat, though, we ate out more than we should have(and in our defense it *was* soft shell crab season on the island, I mean who among us can resist soft shell crabs? And the restaurants had air conditioning), so this week we are going to be eating a lot of barley and canned vegetables from earlier in the summer, and not much protein. Until payday on Friday and CSA pickup on Saturday, eating out of the pantry... Fridge is bare, and freezer is almost empty, wallets very empty, but it was worth it for the trip!
Anyone else made a summer trip already? We try to do one big camping trip each summer and a smaller weekend each month. Next thing I'd like to plan is a September weekend up in New York state, and a late fall trip to West Virginia... (I tend to enjoy planning the trips almost as much as going on them).
Anyway, be catching up for the next week.
Cheers!
TBS
Let me tell you it was HOT, like 105 degrees every day and mid 90's at night. If we weren't able to hit the ocean once a day to cool down it would have been miserable.
As a result, I did scrap some of my pre-camp plans for campfire cooking. We at a lot of big cool salads in camp, and did do a crab boil one night ('cause we caught us some crabs, 'natch), but it was tough to motivate to do a good cooking fire, just because it was so darn hot. Lets just say I went through only two bundles of wood the whole week, but three bags of ice a day, that kind of a camping trip... Thank god for good coolers and that I was able to pick up some dry ice before I left to keep the 'freezer' cooler cold enough.
Overall though it was a ton of fun, we were lucky in that I took a chance and took us out hiking in the back area of Assateague Island the day they were rounding up the ponies, instead of waiting with the crowd by the coral. We we happened upon a group of folks with camera stuff and hip waders heading out into the salt marsh, so obviously we followed them. (kind of a bad idea because while Beloved Wife had boots on, I was in sandals, so I ended up standing in a swamp for three hours in sandals, I now definitely have Zitka and probably malaria and yellow fever, but the bugs on the island are well fed!). They were professional photographers, who knew exactly where the saltwater cowboys were going to drive the ponies for the roundup, and we got to see it right up close! Literally right in the middle of it, it was awesome. So did we see ponies, heck yes!
So despite the heat (and man it is tough sometimes to sleep in a tent at night in 90+ weather, we were praying for the slightest breeze), we had a smashing good time.
Unfortunate side effect of the heat, though, we ate out more than we should have(and in our defense it *was* soft shell crab season on the island, I mean who among us can resist soft shell crabs? And the restaurants had air conditioning), so this week we are going to be eating a lot of barley and canned vegetables from earlier in the summer, and not much protein. Until payday on Friday and CSA pickup on Saturday, eating out of the pantry... Fridge is bare, and freezer is almost empty, wallets very empty, but it was worth it for the trip!
Anyone else made a summer trip already? We try to do one big camping trip each summer and a smaller weekend each month. Next thing I'd like to plan is a September weekend up in New York state, and a late fall trip to West Virginia... (I tend to enjoy planning the trips almost as much as going on them).
Anyway, be catching up for the next week.
Cheers!
TBS
My idea of camping is just like Shrek's. But how great to see the pony swim up close. 
. We were even fairly deluxe this time, just camping out of the car and all. Normally we backpack, didn't even have to carry or purify our water, hang our food up in a tree to keep it away from the bears, AND the campsite had both flush toilets + showers (with hot water, though it was hot enough we didn't need it)! Practically turn-down service and a mint on our pillow... 
