Camping at DuPuis

Last weekend a cold front came to South Florida (fortunately not as cold as the -41 degrees at our son's house), but that didn't change our camping plans. Of course, it was super nice that it warmed up to normal temperatures before we actually left for the family campground at Dupuis. Even nicer for this budget-minded family, this is a campground that doesn't charge a camping fee, although you do need to file for a permit online in advance.

This campground has 17 sites located around a pond. We selected #12 as ours and it was just perfect for our little getaway. After setting up our tent, we took a short hike over to the Governor's House Picnic Area before returning and barbecuing venison burgers for dinner. We didn't actually see the sun set over the horizon, but there was a pretty sky as it did.

We've never used this tent before - it was purchased for our sons' use - but since our large tent didn't survive our vacation to Acadia and hasn't been replaced yet, it was the best option. And for a single night, it worked just fine.

The next morning we watched the sunrise while fixing breakfast, then packed up. We enjoyed a gorgeous South Florida day, hiking the "red" trail before heading home. When it comes time to hike the "white" trail, maybe we'll camp here again the night before. I guess that means this was a successful trip.

Oh, and what a fun surprise to return home from our campout and discover a package on the porch containing a great gift for someone who loves camping!