Sun or Moon?

[David Roder]

I know we all love camping for different reasons and the same reasons.  You plan your trip, what are we having for meals, snacks, are we going to go fishing, bird watching, play in the water, just relax, visit tourist attractions...etc.  

So what I'm wondering is with all these activities to do in the day or night, which is your favorite time when camping?  Right as the sun goes down and the fire is crankin' with some food on the grill and your bevarge of choice in hand?  Or when you take that first step out of your camper/tent into the crisp morning air hearing the birds chirping, noticing all the things you could not see the night before, some fresh bacon on the grill and a O.J.in hand?  

Personally I like the night, especially the first night of a trip.

[Kelly]

Depends on the trip and the campground for me.  

My favorite sun/moon camping experience happened last August.  We were camping just outside Canyonlands National Park in Moab UT.  I woke up at about 4:30 am and drove the hour from the campground to Mesa Arch.  Hiked the trail out to the arch (in the dark) and watched the sun come up.  It was a life-changing event for me ~ felt almost like being reborn.  (Many Thanks to SkipP for suggesting that I try this.)

Here is my favorite shot of that morning.  I have copies of it on my desk and hanging on the wall in my house.

Guess I like the solitude of the morning and the comraderie of the evening campfire ~ ah, the best of both worlds.

.... and that's coffee in the morning not OJ!  

[MommaMia]

I love the night... right after the 3 kids have gone to bed.  I can hear the kids whispering and giggling quietly as the sleep starts to creep into their eyes. DH and I are staring at the fire, each with a fresh, ice cold beer in our hands.  I love to be mesmerized by the flickering flames, especially if there is a light breeze and the flame are swirling and dancing trying to reach for the stars, sparking their own little flames in the sky.

[campingboaters]

I LOVE the sunrise when we're camping on the shore of Raystown lake -- how the sun sparkles off every little ripple in the lake -- and at that time of day, those ripples are caused only by a cool breeze or the fish jumping.  

Other trips, it's the evening around the campfire that is my favorite.  I LOVE either the conversation when we're with friends or just hypnotizing myself with the flames of the fire into a deeply relaxed state of body and mind after everyone else has gone to bed.

[griffsmom]

Definitely moon.  I love the part of the day (night?) when I finally get DS to bed, and DH has the campfire going.  I like to pour myself a glass of wine, sit down in my camp chair and just stare at the fire while talking to DH (if it's justus) or all our camping club friends (if we're camping with SCCampers or NNC).  And now that DH bought me a porta potti, I can have that glass of wine worry-free of "repercussions" in the middle of the night!! :-()

[wiininkwe]

There is a time in the early morning, when the first bird begins to call the sun.  It's about 4:00 a.m., and we call it 'biidaaban'.   It means, "dawn comes".   There is not really any light in the sky yet, but there is a subtle change in the color of the sky, from black to midnight blue to purple.   It's a special time, and I love to be there by a small fire with my coffee, and some tobacco to lay down, hearing that bird calling for the sun to appear, and then seeing the sun answer, slowly.  
Toni

[jpreiser]

I love the night, sitting by the fire, toasting marshmellows, relaxing... I Like to hear the sounds of nature at night...

I hate hearing birds in the am.. I know crazy but it is true so I sleep with a white noise machine on!!

[bearbait]

edited for content

[vjm1639]

Oh wow...I'm not sure I can pick...I love mornings at a campsite...at least mornings when we aren't rushing to do anything. There's nothing like the smells..the crisp air, the coffee, bacon cooking........ahh....but then, I couldn't do without the end of the day relaxation of sitting around the campfire either.  I juts love camping...the morning, afternoon, and night time!

[tlhdoc]

I am with the majority, I love both.  That is part of why we camp.

[Gone-Camping]

Actually, I love them both, though I rarely get up when the sun is actually rising! However, early evening as the sun sets or early morning as the sun rises have a major drawback, that's also when the SKEETERS are most active too! I think with that in mind, that may be why I love spring and fall camping so much better than summer camping, lack of bugs!!!

[NightOwl]

BOTH!  One JUne 21  an old friend and I  were all alone at Hovenweep and  I sat and watched full moon rise over Mesa Verde while behind us   the red ball of the sun balanced just above  the top of Ute Mt.  The feeling of magic was indescribable.



(I say we were alone, but we werent "alone" at all--the ones who used to live in those canyons watched the spectacle in the sky with us.  I always feel them when I go there.)

[slowpez]

Looking up and seeing the sky full of stars.  Puts everything else in perspective.

[NightOwl]

Looking up and seeing the sky full of stars.  Puts everything else in perspective.

beautifully put!

[Miss-Teri]

Both!  

The evenings when the kids are in bed, and it's just DH and I out in the AAR and it feels like we are the only two people in the world.

The mornings when I wake up to birds singing and realize I'm CAMPING and I quietly unzip some of the windows to look out at scenery still foggy from morning dew.