Since my maternity leave is almost over (queue the tears) we decided to take a sporadic camping trip to Cape Disappointment up near Astoria. The weather is finally starting to warm up a bit so we wanted to take full advantage while we could.
Cape Disappointment (and site 168!) was ah-mazing. We left the pups at home so we were forced to go back home, but hubs and I could have stayed much longer. While we were preparing for dinner two small deer walked by our site and to the beach. My entire heart was exploding! I had a sleeping baby in the van, a hubs who was building the fire, while two deer who walked off into the sunset toward the ocean.
While Ava provides more of a "glamping" experience, I've found a couple of tips that help a ton when camping/traveling with a baby:
1. Portable sound machine - I have a friend who gave me the bright idea to use an old iPhone and download a sound machine app. This is our "portable sound machine" and works like a charm. It's small, doesn't require batteries, and perfect for camping or spending nights away from home.
2. DockATot - I bought our DockATot used and questioned if $130 was worth it. Guys - it's worth every penny! I knew we would be doing a lot of traveling during my maternity leave since my cousin was getting married and we'd be traveling for bridal showers, bachelorette parties, and THE WEDDING! I wanted Vale to have something familiar to sleep in wherever we went. This Dock-a-tot has been so amazing. I can put it anywhere (in bed with me, on the ground, on a table since he's not mobile, etc) and it's always the same for him.