Into the Woods!

Hello dearest Hiveans! How was your weekend? I am eagerly waiting for this moment to sit on my table and share to you guys an amazing weekend getaway that I just had. It was a very relaxing camp we had into the woods! So, buckle up and here we go!

These are the spectacular sunset view we had on our way to the camping spot.

We were fortunate to find Filipino friends who tagged us along in their camping last Saturday, July 6th,2024. Geared with big trucks, we were able to go through rough roads and found an isolated camping spot in Flagstaff, Arizona. It is in the woods full of pine trees with the scenic view of the Mt. Humphreys.

This amazing sight really enticed me upon arriving to the spot and met with a couple (Billy and Jane) who are already there along with their Labrador babies named Nutmeg and Hazel. Since it was already dark, we can hardly appreciate the pine trees but the moon makes up for it.

We arrived around 8:00 pm. Since it is summer, sundown is pretty late, but we were lucky to get a glimpse of the sunset on our way to the camping spot. We got down the truck and the first thing we did is to set up the things we need to cook. I and Hubby took charge in lighting the fire and prepping the tripod for grilling. Pat, took out the rice and set up another stove for cooking the rice. On the other side were Retton and Jem who took out all the tools, tables and meat to be cooked. They brought smoked turkey legs, salmon, bacon, and corn. We then proceeded in grilling the food.

Snaps while prepping for dinner.

Feeling the warmth from the campfire, we prepared our seats and gathered around it. While waiting for the food, of course there was singing a karaoke, drinking some liquors, exchange of stories and laughter. We eat when food was ready. Then, back to drinking and singing. We ladies got wine while the guys had their hard drinks. It was indeed a long night and as we saw it was already 12 midnight, we set up our tent then once again get back to having fun. When we had enough of the fun and drowsiness kicked in, we went in our tents and had a sound sleep.

These are the snaps of our fun time.

The following morning, I got up first at 7:00 am and took the initiative of picking up the trash from last night. I took out my toothbrush and was surprised by the view of the Mt. Humphreys. The morning was so serene and I truly appreciate the ground covered with pinecones. Few minutes later, our friends also woke up. We boiled water and I was delighted when Jem said she brought some Filipino 3in1 coffee. The guys then reheat the leftover food we had last night and boiled eggs for our breakfast. I thought last night's fun was enough for me to appreciate my weekend but having truthful conversation over coffee and boiled in under the pine trees made me want to do more of this kind of camping. Honestly, we've been camping in front of the beach when we were in the Philippines, but this hit different. You know why? there is this thrill of seeing total darkness around and the possibility of wildlife to appear. Well, the bugs and insects did not disappoint. They were indeed busy buzzing around our tent, but it makes the experience more authentic.

This is the mess we left that night. So, I started picking up the trash .

Well, as everyone were awake, we then had our morning coffee.

As I saw these wonderfull view of the woods, I had to snap photos even the thousands of pine cones on the ground. Fun Fact, these pinecones were of great help in making the fire.

We hate to stop the conversation, but we had to let go of the calming and relaxing adventure as our friends had to head back home because they have their work the next day. RR and Jem brought a drum of water which we used for bathing ourselves. We kept our things, tools and other camping essentials. Before we left, we made sure that the spot is pristine, free of any non-biodegradable trash and ready for the next campers to be used. This is something that I truly appreciate, a high form of respect not only to oneself but towards others as well - cleaning after your mess.

Coffee, boiled egg, hilarious and heartfelt conversation filled our morning. It was indeed very memorable.

As we started keeping our things, one tent was blown away and so my hubby run after it .

These are the trash that we collected after cleaning.

We left the camping site clean and free of any trash. I had a great memory of this camp and hopefully whoever use the spot in the future will respect it as much as we did.