Always bring a longer hose

This was the first lesson we learned when we camped last weekend. The 25-foot hose that came with the trailer did not reach the spigot. The nearest store was a 30-minute drive—woof!

Once we got the dogs settled in, and TrailerKit connected, we took off and grabbed a really nice 50-foot Zero-G hose. The TrailerKit worked great! I was able to check in on the dogs so long as my cellphone's signal was strong enough. (Jean whined the entire time we were gone.)

Back at the campsite, Corey marveled at the quality of the hose. And it had better be quality, because that was not a cheap hose. We had hotdogs (well, veggie dogs for me) with baked beans and salsa con queso for dinner. It might be our best food invention yet.

Snapshot from the TrailerKit camera. Gambit and Jean are on the bed, and Loki is laying under the table. — Checking in on the dogs while we sit by the fire and eat dinner.

My legs covered in a very soft blanket. Light is coming in through the shades. I'm holding an eReader. — Getting some reading in while Corey sleeps.

Saturday, we took Loki and Jean out to Beaver Pond Trail in Occoneechee State Park. It was a 30-40-minute drive. Not the closest thing, but I felt better knowing I could check in on Gambit periodically. It was a bit drizzly and rainy during our hike, but the upside to that was that we were the only ones on the trail for the entire five miles. The trail itself was easy enough, although there were a few parts where we had to detour due to downed trees.

Jean stands on the wooded hiking trail (mostly leaves for ground cover) in her blue rain jacket. — Jean has more clothes than any dog should.

Jean was an absolute ding-dong the entire hike, running circles around us (on her retractable leash, of course). By the end of the hike, when it had started running a little harder, I could tell she was getting really tired. Which was, of course, exactly what I wanted. When we got back to the car, she promptly curled up and fell asleep in her car seat.

White flowers against a background of green grass and a small downed tree. — Not sure what these flowers are, but they were really striking!

For dinner, we had burgers made inside the trailer. After dinner, we put the dinette into "couch mode" and let the two big dogs up to cuddle, which they seemed to enjoy. We also made popcorn(!) for the first time in the microwave, which was a nice little addition.

Autumn sits on the couch with a can of beer in one hand, petting Loki with the other hand. Gambit and Loki are right next to her. — Jean was fast asleep in the bed behind the curtain at this point.

We packed up pretty early Sunday morning and headed back home, but not before stopping for Bojangles and Starbucks, because that's the best after-camp tradition.