I’ve never been camping in a tent and my husband has been wanting to do it with me for as long as I’ve known him. He’s camped in a tent and always told me about how much fun and relaxing it is. As for me, sleeping in a tent seemed extreme. I mean, could we get an RV, please?

He planned this whole trip and made it as “Stacy Friendly” as he could. “Stacy Friendly” meaning a place where I could go to the bathroom, sleep on a blow up mattress and many other odds and ends that I use, eat or drink on a normal basis at home. He knew that would be the only way that I would say yes.

We arrived at Anastasia State Park in St Augustine on Wednesday, the night of the concert, at about 2pm. We began unloading the truck and setting up camp just as it decided to start raining. Luckily it didn’t last long and we were able to finish setting up.

We got cleaned up at the restrooms/showers that were really close to our campsite and had a few beers while we walked to the venue. YES, we were able to walk to the concert! There were trolleys that were available for free to take you there too. It was perfect. No driving and no traffic!

We arrived at our seats and they were pretty good although I usually try to get closer to the stage (budgeting with a concert addiction can be nerve racking sometimes). I wasn’t disappointed though since we had a nice view of the lighthouse and a beautiful breeze being up so high.

Cheap Trick was the opening act and this was my first time seeing them. I enjoyed their setlist and appreciated that they played The Flame which is my favorite song by them.

ZZ Top was great as usual. We saw them a few years ago in Tampa and I think they were even better this time.  It could be because we saw them in a smaller venue, but I’m not sure. They played all the classics and I was dancing most of the time.

After the concert, we stumbled…uhhh…walked back to our campsite and got ready for my first night sleeping in a tent. When we went to bed it was about 78 degrees so we only had shorts and shirts on. At about 4am we were woken up by the sound of our teeth chattering because it had gone from 78 degrees to 60 degrees within a few hours. PLUS, we had a fan blowing on us and only had sheets.  Luckily, we brought a comforter with us since the forecast said that it would get cool so I sent hubby (you didn’t think I was getting out of that tent did you?) to the truck to get it, along with my sweatshirt. Normally I enjoy cold air, in fact I LOVE it, but when you’re not dressed for it, it sucks! When we had the comforter and our sweats on, life was much better and we fell back to sleep.

A few hours later I woke up to the smell of coffee and realized that I had made it through a night in a tent! I was so proud of myself and fell in love with camping the moment I opened up the tent and saw this view. 

So quiet, so peaceful, so freeing.

And then breakfast was served in a cast iron skillet on a butane burner. Bacon, bagels and coffee. I can get used to this!

After breakfast we trekked down to the beach and did some metal detecting, fishing and relaxing. We didn’t find any treasures and hubby didn’t catch anything but it was a beautiful day nonetheless.

After our beautiful day on the beach, we went back to the campsite and got ready for dinner at one of our favorite places to go for fish tacos, Sunset Grille.

After dinner we went back to the campsite, started a fire, drank beer and enjoyed the pleasant weather and moon.

Again we were woken up in the middle of the night but this time it wasn’t because of the drop in temperature but two raccoons! If anyone knows me, you know that I hate raccoons, well, I heard some rustling outside and the sound of beer cans. I woke up hubby and he went outside where he saw two raccoons trying to get into our garbage full of beer cans!  He shooed them away and put the garbage in the bed of his truck. Sorry guys, you chose the wrong site, those cans are empty!

In conclusion:

• Camping in a tent is not as bad as I thought it would be especially when you have a blow up mattress, warm clothing and a comforter when the temperature drops 18 degree within hours and a bathroom/shower building within walking distance to your site.
• Going to a concert where you can walk there and back is the best!
• Bringing the luxuries of home to your campsite like a coffee maker, butane burner and a fan made my first camping experience wonderful (aka Glamping but with a tent).
• Enjoying the company of your hubby while relaxing by a fire and drinking beer in complete silence is PRICELESS!

Set List for Cheap Trick

• Hello There
• You Got It Going On
• Lookout
• Standing On The Edge
• Big Eyes
• California Man (The Move cover song)
• Never Had A Lot To Lose
• Stop This Game
• I Know What I Want
• The Flame
• I Want You To Want Me
• Dream Police
• Ain’t That A Shame (Fats Domino cover song)
• Surrender
• Goodnight

Set List for ZZ Top

• Got Me Under Pressure
• I Thank You (Sam & Dave cover song)
• Waitin’ For The Bus
• Jesus Just Left Chicago
• Gimme All Your Lovin’
• Pearl Necklace
• I’m Bad, I’m Nationwide
• I Gotsta Get Paid
• My Head’s In Mississippi
• Sixteen Tons (Merle Travis cover song)
• Beer Drinkers & Hell Raisers
• Just Got Paid
• Sharp Dressed Man
• Legs

Encore:

• La Grange
• Tush
• Jailhouse Rock (Elvis Presley cover song)

~Stac