Awesome Camping Trip at Hontoon Island!

This week we went on a camping trip with a few friends to Hontoon Island State Park in Deland, Florida. The island is located on the St. Johns River in Volusia County and can only be accessed by private boat or ferry. We were surprised to find out that we were the only ones who reserved a tent site. We had the entire island to ourselves which was great, but a little scary at night. 

Along with all of the camping gear and food we also brought our miniature dachshund dog, Harley and our cat, Oreo. Yes, I did say cat. This was his first trip camping and he did great! Oreo, now called "the amazing camping cat", walked on a leash, sat by the fire, and watched us fish on the river bank. I don't think they ever wanted to leave.

The first night was a little chilly so we were well prepared with warm coats and sweaters. 

Tip: These little hand warmers are great for chilly nights. They can be found in the camping section of sporting goods stores or online but I bought ours at Walmart.

The key to cooking while camping is to be organized. Sams had a huge 110 qt. cooler for sale for $87.98 which may seem like a lot of money for a cooler but to us it was more than worth it. This cooler has wheels and was easily pulled on a dirt and gravel road to the campsite. The neatest feature was the extending arms so you didn't have to crouch down to pull it. It kept the food cold for the entire trip. If you are interested in buying one yourself, you can find it here.

Yes, that is our cat sitting in a laundry basket by the fire!

The best idea we had was to buy ratcheting straps. If you don’t have a set of these I highly suggest spending the money to buy a good brand of heavy duty ratcheting straps. We bought ours at walmart for about 20.00. After the cooler was packed we put the folding chairs, tent, hammock, etc. on top and then wrapped the straps around the entire cooler. The ratchet action allows you to tighten everything down better then you ever could by hand or with bungee cords. It was great not having to carry all of that ourselves.

Cooking by the fire was our most favorite thing. Jess was in her element making some fantastic meals. Our friends Carla and Kris caught a catfish and brought it back for dinner. I gutted it and Jess filleted it. From what everyone else said, the fish tasted a little muddy being from a river. I don't really know because I don't eat seafood. What a great experience!

Camping does not have to mean franks and beans anymore! Did you know there is a whole new trend in camping making gourmet food? I don't know if what we made was considered gourmet but it was delicious and full of flavor. We did the standard roasted marshmallow s'mores which quenched the campers sweet tooth perfectly!

The sweet tooth never stopped because the next day Jess made apple crisp. She crumbled up the leftover graham crackers from the s'mores and mixed them up with some cinnamon, butter, and sugar. We could barely wait for the apple crisp especially when the cinnamon scent started to fill the campsite! It only took a few minutes for the crumb mixture to get nice and crunchy. Meanwhile in another pan the apples, some cinnamon, and a touch of maple syrup were getting warm and soft. This was the easiest camping dessert ever and hit the spot when it was cold outside. 

We also made some enormous, monster burgers that barely fit on the bun! Jess's special blend of seasonings made the most delicious hamburgers ever! Her secret ingredients are ground cumin and Worcestershire sauce. If I tell you any more she will kill me. ;)

During the day we went to the main part of the island that had a children's playground. Harley loves slides and every time she sees them she just runs up the stairs and slides down. However, Oreo was not as excited but at least he can mark it off his bucket list.

The night was pitch black and very scary. We were at the farthest campsite, closest to the wooded area. We heard all kinds of animals. Raccoon and armadillos came right into the campsite and were not scared at all. I left my favorite pair of sandals outside the tent for when I got up in the middle of the night. Well, all I can say is don't do that because you will wake up to one sandal. And that is if you're lucky! Animals love the salt from your sweat and will eat and lick your shoes. I guess they didn't have time to eat it right then because it took one...so I have one sad sandal left. Harley was a great watch dog and barked at anything coming too close!

I highly recommend a family camping trip. It is such a wonderful experience and it goes to show you that you don't have to leave the animals at home. We are already planning our next camping trip in February and welcome all of your tips and comments.