Oak Hollow Lake Camping

Since we got our camper, we have really loved getting out and using it multiple times a year. We camped for a few days last year at Oak Hollow Lake when my parents came through town in their RV and really liked the campground. So in April, we decided to camp there for a week on our own. We picked a site that was close to the lake and gave us great views out our door of things like this:

Rebecca got out on her paddleboard and spent most mornings out on the lake with that view!

We don't always remember to take a picture of the caper itself, so here's a shot Rebecca took while I was cooking dinner.

The coolest thing about this lake was that we were able to put our boat in the water for a couple of days and dock it only a few yards away. We got to go out fishing and exploring on the lake a few times and really loved it.

The kids absolutely fell in love with fishing from the bank. They could stand on the rocks and toss a worm out and have a chance of catching a crappie or two.

Ezra showed some aptitude for it and had a bit of success. 

One thing we never got a good picture of was the snakes that nested in those rocks. Not sure if they were Brown Water Snakes or Cottonmouths, but there were a lot of them and they completely ignored us. However, we did spot one with a catfish halfway in its mouth!

Besides fishing, there was a good deal of time spent just hanging out and reading books. 

The nights on the lake were super peaceful and quiet. We're hoping that we can reserve a site here for Sukkot this fall!

Camp 2018 - Fishing and Wildlife

Fishing is something that will always be a part of going to Camp. Despite being down in North Carolina for nearly 30 years, I've never gotten the hang of fishing like I did up there. Something about being able to actually see the bottom maybe...

Of course, the kids always look forward to fishing for sunnies. 

They aren't any good for eating because they're small and bony, but they definitely keep the kids busy. 

You can practically catch them on an empty hook!

I don't bother bringing my own pole with me most of the time when I bring the kids because I know I'm going spend every minute either baiting a hook or unhooking a fish. 

That doesn't mean I did get any fishing done. I did take a couple of trips up to Bog River Falls and managed to land this 16" largemouth bass. I've never caught a largemouth up here before! Apparently, they aren't supposed to be in these waters because they crowd out other fish.

In all, I caught 6 good-sized bass in both Bog River/Tupper and Lake Eaton.

For Olivia's AHG Fishing Badge, she had to clean and prepare fish two ways. 

 She pan fried one set and baked the other with garlic. They were both amazing!

Fish weren't the only animals we got to see up there this year. We spotted a number of birds that we though were loons, but turned out to be Merganser ducks. They have really long necks and dive like the loons do, but they sit lower in the water and don't stay down as long when they dive.

This bullfrog decided that Rebecca's paddleboard was a good place for a rest.

We found a Monarch Butterfly that had just emerged and pumped up his wings, so he was easy to catch. Of course, as soon as his wings dried in the sun, he flew off. 

Of course, there were plenty of toads to catch, too.

And on one of the hikes, we spotted a woodpecker darting from tree to tree.

But our most amazing sight this year was a loon with her baby. We got to see her several times out on the lake in the mornings and evenings. 

Camp 2015 - Sunsets, Sunrises, Stars and Goodbye.

Camp is one of the most beautiful places on Earth when it comes to sunrises and sunsets. Well, usually it is. This particular year we had a lot of foggy mornings, so the sunrises were mostly just a vague brightening of the fog.

 We did have a nice sunset or two, tho.

 Then, the next-to-last morning, we woke to a picture-perfect sunrise.

As we wrap up this series, I just want to throw out a few random things that we did, saw or captured while we were there.

 We did get a chance to go up to Bog River a couple of times and the kids played around in the lake and on the rocks while I fished.

 Fishing was pretty good this year. I caught 5 keepers (smallmouth bass for those inclined to that kind of thing) this year, 2 in our lake and 3 in Bog River. These two 16" beauties were from Bog River.

 I have no idea what's going on in this picture... 

 Nor this one... nutballs.

 The kids played Blokus for the first time. 

 The lake was a daily thing for the kids. We told them before we ever left home that they'd have a huge pool they could swim in every single day.

 Even Irene and Emma were generally friendly toward each other. At home, they spend a good deal of time pestering each other. :)

 The paddleboard was pretty popular with everybody.

Even the wildlife.

 We brought a couple of Lego sets for rainy days, but we didn't have much rain until the day we were packing up to leave, so we just let them build one during a quiet time.

 I love the details they put into things like this... The dresser, the skull, the coffee mug...

This is my favorite thing about being up here. The stars are stunningly clear and bright. 

 So many!

This was really a wonderful trip for us. Sometimes we feel so torn between coming up to Camp or going out to Colorado, but we have yet to regret our choices. :) 

Our next opportunity to come up here won't be for another 3 or 4 years, probably, but it will be well worth the wait!