In the forest, there is a lake

WELCOME

Today I arrive to Kaibab Lake in Williams, AZ. The air is crisp, the trees are tall and the air smells amazingly fresh. I can hear the birds chirping in the distance and I can't wait to settle in to camp.

Camp is set up!

We have set up camp and we are getting settled in. We are in one of the 63 campsites with tables and fire rings. Most of these camp sites are pull through sites, so they make it really easy for RV campers such as us to get our rigs in. Kaibab Lake offers 61 single family sites and 2 double family sites. There are even 6 campsites that are wheelchair accessible. They did a really great job at this campsite tending to everyone's needs.
It's getting a little late in the evening so we are going to cook up some dinner. :-)

Dinner then Bed!

We may have all the amenities of home in our trailer, but when we are in the forest we love to have our own hot dog roasts over the fire. There is nothing quite like the smell of a hot dog over an open flame while the chill of the mountain air nips at your ears. There is something really heart warming about putting on a jacket and sitting next to an open fire.
I can hear an owl in the distance and a squirrel running up a tree behind me. He must be late for bed. I myself am feeling that way, even though its not that late. The forest tends to make me want to sleep. I can remember being a child running around this camp ground, taking naps in the tent and chasing squirrels. Maybe reminiscing on being a child is making me tired. Well, I'm gonna go eat this hot dog, then climb in my pajamas and head to bed. I will talk to you all again tomorrow. :-)

Early Morning Hike

I decided I would get up and go for an early morning walk. I thought I would show everyone how amazing the forest looks in the early morning light. It really is spectacular. I can hear the birds chirping and nature coming to life. I tried to take a picture of some deer on the other side of the lake, but wasn't able to get a clear enough shot to share with everyone before they ran back into the safety and camouflage of the forest. However, I was able to capture this guy on film before heading back to camp. I hope you enjoy him as much as I did. This is a great blue heron. The picture does not do him justice, he really is a majestic creature. When I was a kid I could remember watching these birds step through the water with such grace. I remembered trying to mimic how they walked, then chuckled to myself as I walked back to camp.

Neighbors!!

When I got back to camp I discovered that we had neighbors! This is always exciting for my husband and I because we are always looking to make new friends when camping.We just love how friendly people can be when camping. I guess my husband has already made the journey over and introduced himself. He has invited them over to our campsite later. It looks like will be having company around the campfire tonight! We are so excited!

Jimmy's Crayfish

My husband and I decided to take a walk down to the boat dock today where we met Jimmy. He caught this cute little crayfish and was showing it to everyone on the dock. He told us he was certain he had caught a fish, but when he pulled up his line, this little thing was robbing the worm right off his hook. We couldn't help but chuckle at his story.

Fishing

Well, my husband set up his fishing location. Just 50 feet away from our camping neighbor. I can't help but chuckle. I think they are developing quite the friendship and I'm looking forward to our campfire tonight. I am personally going to check out the rest of the campsite. I can't stand the smell of fish or the bait, so I will leave them to their manly fishing and maybe take you for a tour around the campsite. :-)

Amphitheater

On the way back to camp I am passing the amphitheater. I think they may be hosting a show here later this evening. I can remember coming to these shows when I was a kid. One time we learned all about survival in the forest. The shows are put on by Arizona Game and Fish and are very informative. If you ever get the chance to come to Kaibab you should really consider coming to one of these shows. If you would like more information on the shows you can always visit Kaibab's website at http://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/kaibab/recarea/?recid=11659. Or you can speak to the camp host when you arrive.

Ramada's

On the way back to camp, I passed this Ramada. I can remember having group events here when I was a kid. It really is a neat place to host birthday parties or a family get together.
Kaibab offers one large group area with Ramada and picnic tables, 2 grills, and 14 individual family sites or One small group area with Ramada and picnic tables and two individual family sites. ("Kaibab lake campground," )

Squirrel!!!

I was still wondering around camp when I came across this this little guy. I think he thought I was going give him food because he was quite friendly when he ran right up to me. I stood watching him for quite sometime as he scurried about. This is a Kaibab Squirrel, native to the Kaibab forest. The national park service says "the Kaibab squirrel is known locally as the "white-tailed" squirrel.". ("Kaibab squirrel," ).

Paradise

I continued walking around until I found this empty campsite. I decided that it looked like a great place to sit down and read a book for a while. When I sat down the forest really came to life. No longer was I hearing the gravel under my feet from walking, but I could now clearly hear the birds and scurrying of little feet amongst the dried pine needles on the ground. It made it very easy to slip into my book. The slight breeze blowing through the trees almost whispered to me. It was so relaxing, all of the tension in my body seemed to leap from muscles and be lifted away on the afternoon breeze. What an amazing feeling. Now, this is paradise.

Sunset

Well I have finished my book, and I can tell that the sun is starting to go down. I am going to walk to the water to see what I can see before heading back to camp for dinner.

This is it, the amazing sunset at Kaibab Lake. The grace in this picture is stunning. I can hear nature starting to settle in for the night and the breeze is now still. The air is crisp and clean as I listen to the water lapping at my feet. A really amazing way to end such a wonderful day. Now it's time to head back to camp to share some time with our neighbors and cook up some dinner.

Dinner - Hobo Supper

I made it back to camp just in time to find my husband handing out dinner. It looks like tonights dinner is what we call hobo supper. In this mess you will find -

Potatoes
Onions
Green Peppers
Meat of choice
Carrots
Corn
Peas
Green beans

Our neighbors had arrived just in time for dinner as well. After we all finish up eating, it will be time to sit around the campfire, maybe play a little music and roast us some marshmallows.

Meet the Neighbor!

Well here are our neighbors, Sue and Roy! They brought over their cute little Pomeranian Trixie. We found out that Sue and Roy love to visit Kaibab lake and have been doing so for may years now. They have three grown children that they used to bring to this lake every July. We also found out the Roy loves to play music and my husband and him sat around the fire picking at acoustic guitars while Sue and I sang along. It was a great time.They hung out for quite some time then headed back to their camp. Sadly we are both packing up camp and heading back home tomorrow, but we have exchanged phone numbers, so maybe we can meet up again some other time.

Good Bye

Well, we have packed up camp this morning and we are heading back home. Our camp site looks so barren without our trailer, but I'm sure we will be back soon. I hope you enjoyed taking this journey with us.

Visiting Kaibab

This campground welcomes pets at its 63 sites, all of which have tables and fire rings. There are vault toilets, composting toilets, drinking water, and garbage bins on-site. The lake only allows boats with motors under ten horse power, which helps maintain a quiet atmosphere. (" kaibab lake," )
To find futher information on Kaibab Lake, please visit this website.

http://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/kaibab/recarea/?recid=11659

Work Cite

Work Cite

Kaibab lake campground. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/kaibab/recarea/?recid=11659

Kaibab squirrel. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.fs.usda.gov/rehttp://www.nps.gov/history/history/online_books/pwro/wildlife_portfolio/mammal19.htmcarea/kaibab/recarea/?recid=11659

kaibab lake group area campground . (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.fhttp://www.bringfido.com/lodging/128558/s.usda.gov/rehttp://www.nps.gov/history/history/online_books/pwro/wildlife_portfolio/mammal19.htmcarea/kaibab/recarea/?recid=11659