the pros and cons of fossil creek

We plan on having a rather low-key summer-vacation-wise that is.  Last year we went on so many trips and this year, we plan on, for the most part, staying close to home and keeping busy with library, swimming, summer movies, and other activities.

However we do have 3 camping trips planned.  The first one occurred this past weekend; it was just an over-nighter in a new place for us, Fossil Creek.  After a crazy long death-defying drive up and down a winding dirt road around the Camp Verde mountains, and getting turned around multiple times, we finally reached our destination.  (You won't see Cameron in any of these shots-he's visiting my parents up in Utah.)

I'm more of a lets-go-camp-in-the-pines kind of gal, so this deserty camping wasn't my cup of tea.  Plus, it was so dry, campfires were not allowed, and as everyone knows, the campfire is the best part about camping.

However, there was one plus to this place-the Creek.  We visited the creek 3 times while we were there and had more fun each and every time.

The first swimming hole was right near our campsite.  We could hear the creek from our tent.  Parts were slow and lazy, but once the water hit rocks it got very very fast.

 

And it was flippin' cold.

  

Dan went down this little waterfall where the creek kind of turns to white water.  It was really quick and he was amazed at how fast it carried him and pulled him down.

Which was why I fuh-reaked out when Ethan went down after him (unbeknownst to Dan) and went immediately underwater for several seconds.  He bobbed up on the other side of the white water-meanwhile we were screaming at Danny to turn around and save Ethan, but all he could hear was the water.  Fortunately he turned to see us pointing and grabbed Ethan before the river could take him away.

 

Ethan sustained this bruise from those meanie rapid rocks.  He's always the one to get hurt while we are camping.  Always.

 

I know it doesn't look like much here, but the fall provided a rather terrifying moment for me.

 

After learning the lesson that we all needed to stay away from the waterfall, we were able to have some fun.  See?  Proof I got in that frigid water.

 

Obligatory self-portrait. : )

 

Here's what our campsite looked like.  Notice, no pine trees!  

At approximately 9 at night, a truck full of campers parked about 20 feet from us, making noise and setting up camp.  At 9pm?!  Then, they woke us up laughing and talking at 4:30am.  I couldn't believe it.  Then they were up at the crack of dawn, one man singing obnoxiously loud at 7am.   Look, I'm all for having a good time, but when you know there are people around you sleeping. . .you owe them the common courtesy of quiet until people start waking up and moving around.  We've never had such rude camping neighbors before ever.  And it wasn't a bunch of youngsters either, it was middle aged people and kids; a family.  Rude.

 

The site of day two's swimming event, near the bridge.

Here, the water was very deep, about 12-14 feet or so.

 

Dan did lots and lots of this.

 

And this.  He had a blast, but couldn't get the kids to join him on the cliffs.

 

The scene of site three, as we were already packed up and heading home.

It was so pretty and the water so clear and clean.

Oh and also?  There was this:

A rope to swing on.  This ended up being their favorite place.

 

Unfortunately because there was so much shade here, it was a lot cooler.  I wasn't even in the water and I was cold.  I did a lot of this:

Hello fleshy fleshy fat legs and stumpy toes.

They, meanwhile, had a blast with lots of this:

So, the water was a definite plus for this camp site, but all the other reasons make it a place we likely won't come to more than once every couple of years or so.  It was still a nice getaway.