Day 2.....we are hoping to have a full day of adventure today....
Austin is already a fan of the camper, wake up and open the windows....he can see outside everywhere he looks.
Dressed and outside...how exciting.BUBBLES...a word he knows well. Not that he really wants you to blow bubbles all the time but he loves to carry around the bubble wand and use it as a cane.
Dad is enjoying his morning coffee....
All ready for a bike ride to go exploring....the first of many.
The lake....it is so neat to look out on a lake and see huge trees growing out of the water. Many of the trees in the lake are over 100 years old. Bald Cypress trees are unlike most trees. Once the seed is planted and the tree is growing (a few feet high) the roots can be completely submerged in water and the tree will grow perfectly happy. The roots grow fairly shallow but very far out to create a super stable foundation for these georgous trees. They also shoot up these little stumps called knees.....these are not new trees they are for helping with stability. They help trap dirt and other things to help create ground around the tree. They are very slow growing trees...they grow about an inch in diameter a year...so as you see pictures of these trees you can really see the history around with the size of the tree trunks.
It is so different to look out across a lake and see these wonderful trees everywhere.
Once we were done with our bike ride we went to the front to check in and they had an exhibit with facts and pictures of animals and other things about the lake.They had this tree replica that the kids really liked.
Lauren is touching one of the moths they had a replica of.
Back to camp and time for breakfast (yes it is only about 9am at this point...I told you we had busy days)
After breakfast it was nap time......
A walk down to the boat ramp to go on a boat tour...we are waiting to see if anyone else shows up (there is a minimum for the boat to go out...we were trying to beat the weekend rush though)
A lovely look at the Spanish moss that grows on the Cypress trees...it does not hurt the trees at all, it gets all it's nutrients from the air. The indians used to use this as stuffing in their pillows and bedding. They would fill a pillow type thing and use it for a few days until the moss would become dry and brittle, then they would empty it out and get more. It is now illegal to remove the moss from the trees (this is so companies can't come and strip it all off the trees and sell it).
After all the talk of our boat tour and a little waiting no one else showed up, back over to camp to figure out what's next.
We decided we would go drive around an see if we could find another tour (we also needed to get some forgotten things in town).
Lauren is touching one of the moths they had a replica of.
Back to camp and time for breakfast (yes it is only about 9am at this point...I told you we had busy days)
After breakfast it was nap time......
A walk down to the boat ramp to go on a boat tour...we are waiting to see if anyone else shows up (there is a minimum for the boat to go out...we were trying to beat the weekend rush though)
A lovely look at the Spanish moss that grows on the Cypress trees...it does not hurt the trees at all, it gets all it's nutrients from the air. The indians used to use this as stuffing in their pillows and bedding. They would fill a pillow type thing and use it for a few days until the moss would become dry and brittle, then they would empty it out and get more. It is now illegal to remove the moss from the trees (this is so companies can't come and strip it all off the trees and sell it).
After all the talk of our boat tour and a little waiting no one else showed up, back over to camp to figure out what's next.
We decided we would go drive around an see if we could find another tour (we also needed to get some forgotten things in town).We found a paddlewheel tour in Uncertain, TX for 11am tomorrow morning so we booked it. This is the back of the boat and looking up the river we will travel tomorrow.
While we were standing on the dock checking out the boat for tomorrow we saw this steamboat coming towards us. Go figure it is a tour boat also (we already paid for Swap Thing here)...next time. We got a video of the boat I will share later but it was so neat to hear the steamboat coming towards us.
Once we left Uncertain we went to Jefferson. Jefferson was a very cute town with a fun General Store we went into and got some ice cream (Sorry no pictures....holding Austin and ice cream and sharing without making a mess was enough).
Once our errands were done it was back to camp.....BUBBLES.. Lauren made a big bubble.
The camper all set up with our lights and everything.
Lauren is waiting for dinner (hot dogs over the camp fire...then smores)
A stop for a quick family picture...
Austin found out about dirt big time this week. As you can see he is all about being in the dirt to play....Lauren not so much. Lauren would dig in the dirt but she wasn't sitting in it. We were laughing at them.
Austin used shovels and his hands...Lauren, only shovels.... 
YUCK...Austin is tasting the dirt.....
No, he did not have chocolate...that's a dirt mustache.....yum, how was that dirt?
Dinner time......
Austin had a little trouble with the concrete pad under the picnic table. There were parts pretty level with the dirt and others had quite a lip...more than once he tripped and fell as you can see by his knees. I think tomorrow might call for pants to protect those little knees.
So day 2 was quite eventful but there is still so much to share about the next couple days. I hope you enjoyed todays adventures and facts about the trees.
While we were standing on the dock checking out the boat for tomorrow we saw this steamboat coming towards us. Go figure it is a tour boat also (we already paid for Swap Thing here)...next time. We got a video of the boat I will share later but it was so neat to hear the steamboat coming towards us.
Once we left Uncertain we went to Jefferson. Jefferson was a very cute town with a fun General Store we went into and got some ice cream (Sorry no pictures....holding Austin and ice cream and sharing without making a mess was enough).
Once our errands were done it was back to camp.....BUBBLES.. Lauren made a big bubble.
The camper all set up with our lights and everything.
Lauren is waiting for dinner (hot dogs over the camp fire...then smores)
A stop for a quick family picture...
Austin found out about dirt big time this week. As you can see he is all about being in the dirt to play....Lauren not so much. Lauren would dig in the dirt but she wasn't sitting in it. We were laughing at them.
Austin used shovels and his hands...Lauren, only shovels.... 
YUCK...Austin is tasting the dirt.....
No, he did not have chocolate...that's a dirt mustache.....yum, how was that dirt?
Dinner time......
Austin had a little trouble with the concrete pad under the picnic table. There were parts pretty level with the dirt and others had quite a lip...more than once he tripped and fell as you can see by his knees. I think tomorrow might call for pants to protect those little knees.
So day 2 was quite eventful but there is still so much to share about the next couple days. I hope you enjoyed todays adventures and facts about the trees.
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