Family Vacation 2020 Part 1 : Boysen Reservoir

Day 1

We weren't in any particular hurry that morning. We woke up at a reasonable hour. We had breakfast, finished packing and loading the car, and headed out around noon. We stopped for a late lunch somewhere in Wyoming, and arrived at our campsite at Boysen Reservoir in the early evening. 

The first thing we noticed about the campsite was the bugs. They were everywhere! Blessedly, they weren't mosquitoes... they didn't bite. But they were long, thin moth-like things with no appreciation for personal space. We tried to shoo them away, but they wouldn't shoo. They had no fear and got into everything! We could only brush them away, and then brush them away again a minute or two later when they came back. 

In spite of the bugs, it was a nice campsite with a gorgeous view. When we arrived, we had plenty of time before dark to explore the river behind our campsite, set up our tent, and start a fire for cooking hot dogs and s'mores. It was a relaxing, no-stress start to our vacation.

That night the famous Wyoming wind struck. The tent didn't come down on our heads, but the thought that it might kept us from getting much sleep that night.... I guess there's a reason the river below us is called "Wind River".

Day 2

A little sleepily, we arose from our sleeping bags to prepare for the day. In honor of the 4th of July, Steven hoisted an American Flag to fly over our campsite. That morning we explored the area, seeing the town, the dam, and other points of interest. That afternoon we went to a swim beach to cool off and sunbathe for a little while.

That evening we returned to to our campsite for meatloaf cooked inside onion shells - Delicious!

Peter forgot to put on sunscreen while we were swimming, so he was a bit burned and sore for the next few days. 

That day we also added several more guy lines and stakes to support our tent. Josh decided to sleep in his hammock that night. After we went to bed, the wind struck again. Some time towards morning I composed a haiku in honor of the wind:

Wind buffets the tent:

Fly flaps, poles dance, walls billow...

The first night was worse.

Thankfully, the wind seemed to have blown a lot of the bugs away. While there were still billions of the little buggers, they were definitely fewer than there had been when we arrived.

Day 3

Steven had made a delicious breakfast with cream filled french toast sandwiches. This was a Sunday, so we mostly stuck around camp. We carved wood,, read books and played games. At one point, we drove into town to hold our family church service on the lawn outside. (And we were surprised when the sprinklers came on suddenly!)

Steven baked bread in his dutch oven and that evening, he made a delicious berry cobbler for dessert!

Day 4

We packed up the tent and loaded our gear in the tent to head off for our next adventure: Yellowstone Park!