Family Friendly Activities
Let’s talk about ticks. Ewwww, right? This time of year, these little pesky little parasites are many times rampant in our area of Illinois… They can be found in backyards, wooded areas, playgrounds, fields and more. As I sit here typing this, it feels like bugs are crawling on my skin… much like if someone talks about head lice, your head starts itching - right?
We have deet spray. Like it or not, it is supposed to repel those little parasites. Just like I am not a huge fan of opposums - they kind of freak me out. We had one in our backyard last year. I always toss out extra bread for the birds. This also attracted an opossum - who knew? It came once. Then twice. Then Ted put the kibosh on throwing out extra bread for the birds. LIke opossums or not; they are tick killers - one opossum can eat upwards of 5,000 ticks in one season!
So why am I talking about ticks? Because I am talking about hiking and when hiking this time of year, you should always, always, always be safe and prepared: wear long clothing if you can… spray yourself and children with deet… wear your hair in a ponytail/wear a hat… and for the love of Pete, check yourself as soon as you are done. Take your shoes and socks off, take your layers off, run your hands through your hair, check under your arms, check behind your ears, etc.
We went hiking this weekend - and checked for ticks afterwards :)
The hiking was AMAZING! I have never heard of Camp Camfield outside of Sullivan before, but have a friend who lives in Sullivan and reached out to her and she suggested it and I am so glad we went! They have three main trails, which are fantastic for hiking and for mountain biking - The Central Illinois Mountain Bike Association assists in maintaining these trails (https://www.mtbproject.com/trail/4416102/camp-camfield), and we did see bike treads and one mountain biker as we were hiking! The green trail is the one we hiked and it was super easy to hike and had amazing views and things to see! From frogs to squirrels to birds to breathtaking views of the lake, and the opportunity to get to go down onto a sandy beach area, it was a neat hike and we will for sure be back!
After our hike, we were hungry, so headed over to Northend Pub and Grill (https://www.nepubandgrill.com/).... Do not just put the restaurant into your phone's navigation system and don’t put the address in either as it will take you to a random place on route 32! Put in the Sullivan Marina and you will find your way to the restaurant! Park and head down the steps - the restaurant is at the end of the dock. We chose to sit outside and at one of the tables on the outer edge of the dock and I am so glad we did! There were HUGE carp fish right there and the kids got to feed them! The waitress brought us some bread crumbs for the kids to feed the fish and they had a blast doing this while we waited for our food. The kids also had coloring to do on the children’s menu, and I packed a puzzle for us to complete as a family while we waited.
We ordered the fried pepperoni and let me tell you what - it is life changing! So so yummy! Ted and Brayson devoured it and loved every bite! I ordered the fried pickle chips and they were so so good! The carp also liked my friend pickle chips and Brayson kept generously feeding the fish my yummy appetizer… isn’t that nice of him?
B and B LOVED the chicken tenders and fries. Ted had a super good salad and my pulled pork was delectable! The BBQ sauce is more of a vinegar sauce and super delish, and I had plenty of leftovers to bring home for later! The breeze coming in off the lake, the fish feeding off the dock, the delicious food, and the boats coming and going made for an amazing late lunch. We will most definitely be back, and next time I am trying the smoked deviled eggs. I hear they are like nothing else!