Bull Shoals Vacation 2016

The last few years I have put together several videos highlighting our Bull Shoals vacation. This year I switched it up and just made one ten minute video. I also used some slow motion effects this time around which added some extra coolness to the video. I won’t keep you reading so go ahead and get to watching our awesome Bull Shoals vacation video!

Want to see some bonus footage? Check out this video of the storm that rolled through while we were hanging out on the dock!

Day 4 of Our Bull Shoals Vacation

GOPR0274Today is the last day of our vacation. We go home tomorrow bright and early, but at least we have today. After a little breakfast we got ourselves ready and headed on down for a day on the dock. The swim dock is pretty cool. There’s a nice bench for sitting, plenty of room for even more chairs and a bunch of people.

The day started out nice and sunny. Upon arriving on the dock there was a nice little nacho bar setup for us to indulge in. After a plate or two of nachos we did some swimming while Pawpaw showed off his skiing skills. After a few hours of being on the dock a storm started rolling into the lake and right in our direction. Most of us braved the storm on the dock but got completely soaked. The kids stayed through most of it as well but took off with Mammaw and Pawpaw right before it ended. With the kids gone we took the opportunity to have some drinks and float around in the lake. Fellow boaters tossed us some jello shots which was super awesome.

GOPR0320A second storm rolled in and we all huddled in a boat slip on our floats. It was fun for all. The rain didn’t last too long the second time around so we were able to get back out in open lake and swim for a little bit longer. Mammaw and the kids eventually came back down with Pawpaw and while they did some swimming we started cleaning up everything. We had a bunch of floats to deflate, wet bikes, and more to clean up and get ready to take home.

Just before everything was said and done the kids did one more round of tubing, and then the adults. The kids swam for just a little bit more as the sun started to make its exit. We headed back up to get cleaned up and fill up on some food. After eating we started packing our own stuff and loading it in the car so we too can make a nice exit.

GoPro videos coming soon!

Day 3 of Our Bull Shoals Vacation

GOPR0167After a wet and wild night with a storm rolling through the lake we woke up to a nice bright and sunny morning. My wife and I had a craving for some doughnuts. So we checked for some local spots. We found one called Hank and Katie’s Bakery & Cafe. I insisted we get a few dozen based on how delicious they were. My wife reminded me of our budget, so we settled for a half dozen. Once we had our doughnuts we headed back across the dam to our cabin.

We didn’t waste any time getting ourselves ready and down to the dock to get our boat back out onto the lake for a day of some tubing. Our boat wasn’t the fastest vessel out on the lake so it was perfect for the kids to ride on the tube without risking going too fast.

They had a blast going out there. After a bit of tubing we anchored off in a small cove and did some swimming. Pawpaw cooked up some hot dogs for everyone and I took the kids out on a few rides on the wet bike. Alex loves going fast. He wanted to ride the tube over and over again. Same with the wet bike. He would also say, “one more ride”, in his soft sweet little voice. Of course we obliged most of the time. Abby also likes going for rides, but doesn’t like to go as crazy as Alex does.

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Once we got back to the dock it was time to take the boat back to the rental place. It was a good ship while it lasted, but the fun was just about to begin.

IMG_5059We headed back up to the cabins to enjoy some amazing brisket prepared by Pawpaw. His brisket is outstanding and can stand up against anything I’ve seen on Diners, Drive-in’s and Dives. My wife’s uncle also made up some ranch burgers. I gave one of them a shot and have to say it was pretty tasty.

As for another movie night, it didn’t look like it was going to rain again but I didn’t want to risk it. So I didn’t bother setting up the screen. However, we did get the fire pit going and sat around enjoying a few drinks and each other’s company. We made some smores for the kids and ourselves. After a day out in the sun it was a very tasty treat to add to the night.

Pawpaw even fired up his deep fryer again and fried up some pickles and some chips for everyone. Once again they were super delicious and everyone was left wanting more.

The kids passed out on Mammaw and Pawpaw’s couch again, so we scooped up Alex and left Abby there and went back up to our cabin to get some rest for our last day on the lake.

Day 2 of Our Bull Shoals Vacation

DCIM100GOPROGOPR0002.After a successful night we all awoke and slowly got our day started. The big task at hand for day 2 was to acquire a sea worthy vessel for the next two days for our group. We brought two jet skis and a small boat with us, but we had bigger plans. Plans that involved renting a nice pontoon that had an upper deck with a water slide. Awesome!

So after a delicious breakfast provided by Auntie Randa and soon-to-be Uncle Luke we got ready to head on down to the dock. Once we had the boat in our possession we loaded it up with our goodies and headed on out with the jet skis out to one of our favorite spots to do some cliff jumping and relaxing in the lake. I got plenty of Go-Pro footage with us jumping that I will be putting together later this week.

DSCF9383-editThe kids had a lot of fun so much in fact that Alex and his cousin headed back in early with Mammaw and Pawpaw for a much needed nap. My little Abby even got herself tuckered out and fell asleep on the boat on our way back a few hours later. It was a great day out on the lake and much energy was used climbing and jumping 10, 15, 40 feet off the cliffs.

We unloaded the boat and headed back to the cabin to clean up for dinner. Pawpaw fired up his deep fryer and made hot wings for everyone. While he was cooking up the wings, my wife took Abby and Alex down to a popular loading dock to feed some large carp. They go absolutely wild when you toss in some fish food. It is something the kids and her love doing every time we come down. When they got back dinner was ready and everyone chowed down on those deliciously cooked buffalo wings. Writing about it now makes me sad because I could really go for just a few more of those tasty wings.

DSCF9393-editThere was a storm on the horizon so we opted out of setting up the movie screen. We did setup some tarps to help keep the rain off our area and at the start of the storm it seemed like it was going to work. But then the rain started to come down a little harder and we got a few leaks. All of us guys were getting a little crazy under the tarps seeing how long we could last with the storm intensifying. Ultimately a gnarly gust of wind came through and snapped one of the ropes on our tarps and sent all of us scrambling onto the porch. So the rest of the night was spent on porch with all of us cracking jokes and having a few drinks.

The kids passed out on Mammaw and Pawpaw’s couch, so once we were ready for bed we scooped the kiddos up in our arms and carried them to our cabin. We laid them down and got ourselves into bed as well. It was an awesome but exhausting day. With two days left at the lake we had to make sure to not let any storms get us down. Stay tuned for day three!