Useful Usery

For Spring break this year, we decide to meet up with Jerry, Sandy and Doris at Usery Mountain Regional Park, just an hour's drive for us.  Doris had been here many times with Gary, but this was the first time for us to camp here.

 Kyla checked to see that Hailey was putting  up the tent correctly while Don and I busied ourselves with setting up the 5th wheel.

Some people might wonder why we'd go to the trouble of loading up the trailer and driving across town to camp when we could just stay home   Here, at the campground, it was quiet and peaceful.  There was no TV to distract us from  seeing  the Superstition Mountains turn purple and the sky into various shades of pink and lavender as the sun set in the west.  It's a time to slow down and smell the flowers, so to speak.

Kyla discovered that one of the fun things about camping is not having to use a fork to eat your pancake.  No table, no fork, no mess, and no plate to wash!

 Another great thing about camping in the desert is enjoying the amazing sunsets and listening to the coyotes howling.  The night I took this picture it was like God had lit a lantern in the western sky.

 Another camping plus: camp fires and S'mores!

 After a little cajoling, I was able to get Hailey and Kyla to stand still together so I could take their picture.

Camping doesn't mean that you only have hamburgers or hot dogs on the grill.  Hailey had a pre-dinner snack of two lobster tails!  We had promised her a lobster treat for playing well on her basketball team.

 Naturally, Delaney, Kyla and Jenny watched closely as Hailey dipped her lobster in the butter before she ate it.

 That same evening, friends of Jerry and Sandy came to visit.  We shared food and stories about our travels.

 Yes, we were camping out in the desert.  However, for the girls it did NOT mean they had to completely give up their phones or games.

Time to pack up.    This time, it was Hailey telling Kyla to keep rolling around on top of the tent to get it flat.

The last stop:   the dumping station!  Time for one last hug before we all head home.