Fortunately we had several friends head up to Ginnie Springs early on Friday and reserve a large spot for our group to set up camp.
Ryan and I loaded up his SUV in the pouring rain after work, but were determined not to let the dreary weather cramp our camping style.
Rainy Day Campers
By the time we made the 2+ hour drive to High Springs, the pouring rain settled to a light drizzle.
Upon arriving, we threw some hot dogs on the grill with our friends’ burgers and brats to enjoy for dinner.
Hot Dog Champ
Ryan downed four dogs with buns. I love a man that can eat!
I stuck to a more mild portion of one hot dog, with a side of strawberries, grape tomatoes and Natty Light, because I’m classy like that. 😉
Hot Daaawg
Plump Tomaters
Berry Good
Classy
As I was finishing up my dinner, more of our friends arrived. I got quite a laugh looking at how many people it took to set up one tent.
Pitchin' a Tent
After the tent was erected and a fire was built, it was time to bust out the good stuff to make s’mores.
I think s’mores may be one of my all-time favorite foods.
Since the gooey marshmallow/melted chocolate/graham cracker combo prepared over a blazin’ campfire only surfaces once in a blue moon, I took full advantage and had two. 🙂
S'Mores One
S'Mores Two
It seemed like after dark, the Ginnie Springs campground really came to life.
There were quite a lot of crazy sights to be seen, including a float, complete with Christmas lights and a mechanical bull.
Christmas in May
Fun, huh?
We spent the remainder of the evening drinking and talking around the campfire. I love just sittin’ back, hanging out and talking with my favorite people. It’s so much more my style than the downtown/clubbin’ scene.
Eventually we got tired and settled down for the night. Ryan and I slept in the back of his SUV which worked surprisingly well!
We woke up a little before 8 a.m. to the sounds of people partying and opening beers around us.
Apparently Ginnie Springs campers don’t mess around!
Good Mornin'
Once everyone from our group was awake, we ate breakfast and rented tubes to use to float down the river during the day.
Ready for Tubin'
Woohoo!
After slipping into our swim suits, we headed out to the river with our massive tubes.
Time to Tube
The river that we floated down has a decent current, and people from all over rent or bring tubes to ride down the river.
The whole river run lasts more than an hour and several springs are located off the river where you can get out or splash around in crystal clear water. The only downside? The water is freezing!
After one run down the river, we broke for a quick lunch before tackling the river again.
Lunch was typical camping food: hot dogs, chips and chocolate chip cookies.
Hot Dog!
Yum
Benny & Merri
Me & Laurel
Cool Ranch Doritos
Chocolate Chip Cookie
Our camping neighbors were really wonderful and shared a turkey they made on the grill with our gang.
Turkey
The turkey was amazingly moist!! I’ve never had a turkey prepared on the grill before and let me just say it was phenomenal! Juicy, tender and very tasty.
Once our bellies were full, we headed to the water for one more run down the river.
It was great floating in the water and hangin’ out with our friends. Being on the water, relaxing in a tube is heaven!
When our last river run was complete, the weather took a turn for the worse. Fortunately we packed up our stuff quickly and were on our way back to Orlando by the time it started to pour.
It feels good to be relaxing on the couch! I think tonight will be an early night for us. I’m sleepy!
Hope you’re enjoying your Memorial Day weekend! 😀
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At first I thought you were blogging at the campground, haha…but now I understand you’re home : )
That is such a cute pic of you and Ryan in your yellow dress with the pretty trees.
I miss camping. Glad you had fun : )
What a fun day! I love your “I <3 Camping" hat! My boyfriend and I once slept in the back of my jeep and it was awful! Neither one of us could stretch out comfortably. Glad Ryan's SUV was big enough!
That all looks like SO MUCH FUN!!!! That kind of thing is totally my speed too : )
Glad you had a good time! Enjoy the rest of the weekend!
i wish you made pb reeses smores.. we migh have to remedy this…
I prefer my camping in a hotel room, well at least motel…. But really I’ve been in a tent, a tent trailer, and hung out in my grandparent’s RV. It’s not my favorite thing, but I do have many memories of it. And S’mores definitely taste better in the great outdoors!
Love your Little Mermaid towel!
what good southern camping going on right there. the neighbors look (and apparently sound) crazy! this is so fun to read about; I love how camping is what camping does
enjoy the rest of the weekend!
Katherine
Smores! So yummy! My brother and sister-in-law gave us a fire pit for Christmas a few years ago that we put in our backyard. That New Years we decided to stay home and make smores (it was our first New Years in our first house) and it was perfect! Not sure I’ve had them since, but am in need now 🙂
That sounds like so much fun! I love tubing, except where I live we do it by tying it to the back of a boat and then holding on for dear life! Your S’mores look deliciousss.
hahaha gotta love the natty light. You guys looked like you had so much fun I’m extremely jealous.
Everything looked great!
Looks like you guys had a great time!
S’mores are DEFINITELY a campfire necessity…LOVE them! I like to actually take my s’mores and roll them either in rice krispies or crushed up heath bar bits…it’s my take on a “gourmet” s’more! 🙂
Sounds like the perfect camping trip! Smores are my absolute FAVE!
hope you had an awesome weekend! i feel like being lazy and tubing it in my poool
” I love just sittin’ back, hanging out and talking with my favorite people. It’s so much more my style than the downtown/clubbin’ scene.” <– I couldn't agree with you more!!!
Looks like a really fun time- I love Ginnie Springs as well 🙂 Loving tubing- so much fun!!
Oh my goodness I can’t believe that you went camping at Ginnie Springs in High Springs! You were 5 minutes from where I live! 😀 And yea out of all of the Springs, Ginnie seems to be the one with the most parties goin on.
That DEF looks like my kinda weekend! Love a good campout, tubing and drinking and partying with friends, never gets old! But one thing, natty light??? Really?!? Ooooooooohhhhhhh! Ugh! Gross. Lol. You’ll be glowin in the dark after too many. Lol
Ha not to be crude, but I laughed out loud when I read your caption “pitchin’ a tent” immediately followed with a sentence containing the word “erected.” Love it! Also, is that a Little Mermaid towel I spy? Way jealous over here.
My guy friends still buy Natty too…so we’re all classy up in here.
haha glad you’re a fan of the subtle wildly inappropriate humor. 🙂 aaaand yes, that is definitely ariel.
We are going to peanut butter fingers.