MetalDad's "Oh No, You Didn't" Trip Report: A Father-Daughter Weekend At The...

[Family of Bears 98]

I must say I feel sheepish that I haven't done any flat stanleys.

Leaving for Atlantis in a few days. I'll make it up to you. I swear.

Looking forward to more TR. :)

[MetalDad 33]

Looks like a great start. Can't wait to read more. My DDs are 8 and 10...wouldn't trade time with them for anything, so I can imagine how special this weekend must have been.

It was cool. As I mentioned, the other two got 2 solo trips. We'll continue the practice. They really respond to them.

I am soooo in for this one!! I think you just won Father of the Year!

Can't wait for more!

Thanks. I don't know about that. It dawned on me...you met Annie!

I'm in. Sounds like a fun weekend!

Sounds like fun to me. Love some Aerosmith to get a trip going.

Indeed, I made a new camping mix... heavy on the Rocks/Draw The Line/Night In The Ruts-era Aerosmith (76-79)

Awesome. Can't wait to see more.

All in! :pc:

I'm in :pc: What special memories you are building!!

I'm in too!

I'm in!

Welcome aboard!

These are the type of trips that I love. I am planning on one of these with my oldest soon. For us it is a little backwards the youngest and the boy gets a lot of the cool stuff while she gets left out a little. I am loving it!

I can see that, my oldest seems to get the least attention, but it's because she's the least needy. I try to remember that and make sure she does an errand with me, or we'll sneak and get a cone, something like that!

[MetalDad 33]

Nothing like Daddy/daughter time!

Amen, We're going to a Father/Daughter dance this weekend! They keep asking me to DJ, but I have an important date, so I'm happy to be in the crowd instead.

It looks like fun so far (even with a little rain). Looking forward to more as always.

The rain was OK, an early night was probably a good thing.

Another MD TR!!! Yeah, baby! your daughter is so. darn. cute. I didn't know KOA's were the subject of jokes, though? We've stayed in many, they're better than a lot of places!

I think this is fantastic. I love one on one time with my kids, too. Even if it's just the drive over to school in the morning or a long bike ride, being able to talk to them and just listen to what they have to say is priceless.

I also love the shoe picture.

Thanks. Yeah, some camping boards bag on KOA. "Too cookie-cutter!" "Motel 8 with campers!"...that sort of thing!

Wow, John, this is great!

What a great idea to spend one-on-one time with each of your kids camping.

So, where is this KOA that is only 15 minutes from where we live?

With waterfront sites no less?

TCD

It's in St. Pete/Mad Beach near Bay Pines, it's on Long Bayou. My big brother is the grounds manager there!

Let me know if you wanna join up some weekend down there.

I'm in too. Everything i learned not to do (while camping) i learned on camping trips with my Dad.

Great...that's inherently dangerous in my case!

I'm in also, always love it when you can spend one on one time with the kids makes for some great memories!!!!!

I'm in... I'm in!!!

This is so sweet. Makes me want to go pick up Bell from school and squeeze her. They are such an awesome age. The Mommy I'm in your spot picture is so cute.

Yeah, actually made Mommy cry...so that backfired! Annie still talks about Bell. "Daddy, remember my friend from Disney?"

[MetalDad 33]

I'm in.

Great you were able to spend quality time with Annie :jumpforjoy :jumpforjoy

"A wolf in sheep’s clothing" :heart: :rofl2:

B/c of MD enfluence, took some magic hat for others to experience. Didn't realize it would end up being more enfluence than I thought. :rofl2: Let's just say there are some extreme MH lovers out there....

I feel like a proud papa! I'm friends with Hat on facebook. Electronic inspiration! Hmmm, now I gotta stop at Publix on the way home.

I was wondering the same thing?

Love a good MD report, even if it's short and at a KOA.

I've never had a horrible experience at a KOA. Granted, some are better than others, but we usually only use them because it's in the vicinity of some kind of plans. I am curious to where this one is though.

Way to be a good Dad!!

Piggy Joe? There's gotta be a good story behind that. ^-^

She has great names for her stuffies. She's colorful to be sure.

How sweet taking your little girl camping for some one on one time. She looks so happy!

Awww! I'm all a mushy now...I need to do more things with the kids individually...*sigh* they grow up so fast! :heart:

Agreed. We try to split up into sub-groups... mother/son bowling. Things like that.

Are those pink satin sheets or at least a pink satiny sleeping bag? That makes a special weekend with Dad even more special!

It's a frou-frou pink satiny girly sleeping bag, strawberry dirtbag chuckle patch kids or something like that!

I must say I feel sheepish that I haven't done any flat stanleys.

Leaving for Atlantis in a few days. I'll make it up to you. I swear.

Looking forward to more TR. :)

Yeah, they've cut me off down there till I get some production from the street team. Get crackin'!

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

It's in St. Pete/Mad Beach near Bay Pines, it's on Long Bayou. My big brother is the grounds manager there!

Let me know if you wanna join up some weekend down there.

I didn't even know it was there.

I googled it after you mentioned going to a KOA so close.

Looks kind of nice.

But I say no way you can get there from where you live in 15 minutes.

TCD

[mouseketab.....Carol 1,261]

I didn't even know it was there.

I googled it after you mentioned going to a KOA so close.

Looks kind of nice.

But I say no way you can get there from where you live in 15 minutes.

TCD

BUT, he said the trailer was in his office parking lot that day and his wife brought their daughter to the office and they left from there. So it may be 15 minutes from his office ;=) Keep up !

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

BUT, he said the trailer was in his office parking lot that day and his wife brought their daughter to the office and they left from there. So it may be 15 minutes from his office ;=) Keep up !

Duh. You're right. I missed that. And that also probably explains why he took his camper to work on Friday. I do need to try harder to keep up.

TCD

[Nicki aka Rebelstand 272]

Duh. You're right. I missed that. And that also probably explains why he took his camper to work on Friday. I do need to try harder to keep up.

TCD

at this point I am doing good to remember which TR i am posting on

[MetalDad 33]

I didn't even know it was there.

I googled it after you mentioned going to a KOA so close.

Looks kind of nice.

But I say no way you can get there from where you live in 15 minutes.

TCD

BUT, he said the trailer was in his office parking lot that day and his wife brought their daughter to the office and they left from there. So it may be 15 minutes from his office ;=) Keep up !

Duh. You're right. I missed that. And that also probably explains why he took his camper to work on Friday. I do need to try harder to keep up.

TCD

Ding! The trick is to beat the light. Setting up in the dark sucks, so MetalWife delivers the child, and half my travels are covered!

Not only is it cool to have the camper parked outside your office, but there's a weird euphoria pulling a camper through rush hour, knowing you're going to the office, but also knowing you're going camping, kind of regal, mentally. Whatever that means!

Sometimes, we'll set-up for 10 days, and I commute during the week from the campground. That's interesting.

[disney4dan 68]

Love this TR so far - ESP the one on one time. My DD went tent camping with me last fall on a rainy weekend (in a tent). We still had fun. Now she's 13 going on 18 and I am so glad we went.

[KeepSwimmingDory 2]

You are a smart dad and she is precious!

Dory

[MetalDad 33]

Love this TR so far - ESP the one on one time. My DD went tent camping with me last fall on a rainy weekend (in a tent). We still had fun. Now she's 13 going on 18 and I am so glad we went.

Thanks. We are already planning some others, and now the other two want dibs...hmmm... camping or re-tile the floor, mow the yard...

I hope You plan some trips before she really hits 18.

I'm not so much worried about them thinking I'm cool... I'm worried about the not wanting to spend any time at all!

You are a smart dad and she is precious!

Dory

Thanks! Awesome screen name. "His son Bingo...Fabio..."

[MetalDad 33]

Day Two and Three:

Music: Stones, Old Crow Medicine Show, Punch Brothers, 70’s Soul.

Drink: More Diet Dr. Pepper and Kool-Aid.Hat…and a guest appearance by Newky B!

Smell: Campfire and Chlorine

Early to bed, early to rise, so they say. I’ve said it before in my TR’s.

I’m not a morning person.

I don’t know why… When I camp? I’m up and down with the sun.

Since we had a killer waterfront site, I thought I’d share my first sight!

We were able to sleep soundly under natural conditions…

For pop-up owners…we were unzipped!

As I lay there, enjoying the quiet peaceful bunk-end panorama, the gentle lapping of the water a few feet away, I noticed how infrequently life offers this level of serenity and, I don’t know…calm…

And at the KOA no less!

I laid there almost two hours basking in the non-glow of the stillness… new territory for a father of three!

Normally, it’s Camp Chaos!

Here’s a close-up of the bay!

You can tell by the screen that it’s a PUP.

Annie’s finally up, and we gotta go to the “comfort station” (to borrow a familiar term).

I turned and took a shot of the site.

Fogged-up camera again.

We took another one on the way back.

Annie wanted to be in the shot this time.

Notice how sparsely set-up our site is thus far.

Ben if you’re reading along.

She wanted to do ‘Mommy’s camping jobs’, and who am I to deny a girl looking to do chores!

While I prepared to cook, Annie got our drinks…

I made eggs and corned-beef hash.

Paul Jr, made the sausage.

Annie set the table.

Notice that we stopped by the camp store for our chocolate milk. Now, an important camping staple!

Also notice the Hat!

The camo one!

Breakfast is served.

Al fresco!

And some of our customary Johnsonville sausages.

Now, there’s 14 in a package.

I ate 4 and we saved 3 for my brother, Annie ate the rest… you do the Math!

Annie yelled back at the camper to her stuffy “Sorry Piggy Joe, but I’m gonna eat your family!”

My kids are nothing if not realistic.

My oldest has had pet crabs and ghost shrimp in her tank, and still says shrimp and crab are her favorite foods.

Cute and delicious, a double-threat kinda creature!

Stef, I told you she has colorful names for her stuffies.

She has a donkey someone won for her in a “claw” game she named Clark, and a purple monkey dressed like a wizard named Michael Mahoney!

BTW, Notice the autumn oven mitt.

One of my favorite camping details is the randomness of our camping gear.

We have Thanksgiving serving wear

a huge Halloween tub we use for dishes

Christmas tree lights for our tacky lights

a Fourth of July table cloth and plates

totally 90’s color scheme on the camper

a fancy serving trivet that I use for my cooking utensils (it’s fake, from the dollar store!)

A hand-me-down motel fridge.

Nothing matches.

It’s awesome…like a total world of leftovers.

After breakfast, we hung out, quick bike-ride, and my brother stopped by.

He had the weekend off, but got a cabin so he could hang out with us.

I’m the youngest of 8, he’s number 2.

We’re a really tight group.

He’s a good guy, rides 2 massive Harley’s, although not at the same time.

I had him snap a photo so I had one of Annie and I.

Plus you guys don’t get to see much of the storyteller in a TR, as the writer is usually the photographer and you see the trip from their eyes.

Now, a big surprise was this visitor…

That’s my big sister! She’s 3 of 8!

She is a big supporter of all the cancer foundations and events. She trains 5-8 miles a day for October, as this month has the big 3-day walk for Breast Cancer and the other walk for the American Cancer Society.

She kicks ass at it and I’m very proud of her.

Today she was training and happened to come down the trail to the campground!

Last year the 3-day walk went right past the KOA, and we happened to be there camping.

We all stood at the side of the road waving and crying.

I’ll turn in my man card now!

Keep her in your prayers if you got’em, recent bad news.

All I’ll say about that.

Ben and I will also be busy with those causes this year.

We donate our entertainment services for fund-raisers.

We help raise a ton of money, and have fun doing it.

In fact we’ll be doing two this weekend!

I can’t walk like that, but I do the St. Baldrick’s and shave my head for children’s cancer research each March!

Anywhoo! Back to our Father/Daughter weekend.

Annie wanted to play mini-golf in the worst way.

As you can imagine, it’s more like mini-hockey, as 6yo’s don’t wait for the ball to stop.

Picture MetalDad, little Annie, and a big biker playing mini-golf.

God does indeed have a sense of humour!

We spent the rest of the day in the pool and hot tub, another bike ride, a cart ride, hot dogs, a little Scrabble Apple, and a nap.

I get a phone call, MetalWife,

The air is broken. $400.

My son was at little league and threw-up on home plate during batting practice.

My calm and serene weekend was turning abruptly.

Then… My mom shows up at the campground.

Better than that, she shows up with steaks, salad, and a 6-pack of Newcastle Brown Ale.

Affectionately known as Newky B to those in my circle of degenerates.

I have some Brit friends that got me into it about 10 years before it was widely available, and I’m still loyal.. It’s number 2! Sorry Genia!

As the sun gets ready to set, Annie takes a crack at fishing.

The second or third cast gets caught in the tree and ends that!

We get the fire going, some smores, some BSing, some random visitors, cool music, and then...

Color!

We burned every piece of wood we had.

Mom hung out until 10:30pm. Amazing!

Please understand, she just turned 84 and celebrated 60 years of marriage a few days prior.

She’s awesome, and a good sport!

We stayed up until 1 am, which I haven’t seen in awhile.

Then, we tottered off to bed.

Annie put a hurtin’ on our Kool-Aid supply, so I set-up the porta-potty, paper, and hand sanitizer for her.

We’ve had it for 2 years, unused, and I wasn’t going anywhere!

The next morning, we woke up, around 8am, started putting things away in the camper, and made our comfort station/chocolate milk run.

Now, it was Annie and I, and we left the other two at home with MetalWife.

What do we see outside the bathhouse?

A newspaper headline that reads “Mother and 2 Children Found Dead”.

Wow, drag.

I had to call and make sure.

They were fine.

Back to the site.

That glorious conflagration that we had the night before, came back to life!

It was time to pack up and clean up.

Annie works the patio mat.

We folded, un-popped, packed, hitched, and hit the road in short order, Stopped at the golden arches for a little sustenance, and headed home.

Two hours later, I had the system set up, rocking a birthday party in Tampa!

Which means, I camped over three days with only one day off. I think that’s how the math works.

Anyway, thanks for reading along.

We have two more trips coming up, then...

To the Fort for New Years!

See ya’ real soon!

[doodlebug....Cherie 461]

Great trip report! Annie is quite the little helper. :)

I think I may have a little crush on your brother, don't tell Mike. :rofl2:

Last but not least, I will be adding you and yours to my prayers.

[mommy rainbo.....Bo 41]

I just read the end and I can't wait to take my daughter on a weekend or send my hubby out with her for a daddy daughter weekend.

[KeepSwimmingDory 2]

Thanks--love Dory & her funny names for Nemo.

my favorite line from your report: “Sorry Piggy Joe, but I’m gonna eat your family!”

What a sight you three must have been playing mini golf.

Awesome that your mom came & prayers for your sister. She looks like a strong woman.

You'll be so glad you took pictures to remember your trip & especially that you have one of you with your daughter.

Enjoyed reading about your trip.

Dory

[mouseketab.....Carol 1,261]

That looks like it was an awesome trip!!!

[CCIntrigue...aka Gwen 547]

Great trip! Your daughter will have such wonderful memories of it.

[disney4dan 68]

Awesome TR - will send prayers for your sister and your family. Keep that man card. Your family looks awesome and I bet the stories around the campfire are priceless.

I hope you don't mind, but your TR reminded me of a You Tub video linked below. Cool musical score by Eddie Vedder It's a video a dad did of his first overnight backpacking trip with his daugher, and I thought you might enjoy it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xwGOcHL4rs8

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

Well done, John.

Thanks so much for sharing your report.

I hope it inspires other dads to do what you did.

This report will be something for you and Annie to treasure in the future.

I think we should take a vote on who has the best 'stache, your brother or Ben?

It would be close, I bet.

TCD

[Southern Blessings 4]

How nice that some of your family came by! Sounds like a really fun trip!

[stefa70 205]

I am SO booking a trip to that campground. Those waterfront sites look great!!

Favorite picture by far is Annie delivering drinks. She looks like "Is this good?" :heartsmiley:

Adorable!

Double adorable that she's sassy and admits to her beloved piggy that she's eating his family!

Be careful... that sassy, brutally honest young girl with off kilter humor will only grow up to be an adult girl with those same qualities.

Great report. Thanks for sharing your father/daughter trip.

[momof3kids-Yvonne 596]

Loved that Annie apologized to her piggy before she ate!

Thank you for all you and your family do to support cancer research and awareness. Most especially thank you for shaving your head for St. Baldricks in support of childhood cancer. I know many children who have been helped by your generosity.

[Big Kahuna aka John 71]

I loved the trip report, and I'll be praying for your sister and family ! I especially loved that mom stopped by. You deserve an awesome dad medal !

[PureTcrazy...rita 380]

This was awesome! There is nothing like the bond between a Daddy and his daughter! Love that your Mama joined y'all! I bet your family was fun with all of y'all!