Ahhh Camping, let me count the ways…..

Camping is by far one of my favorite things to do. You pick your destination, and you head out onto the open road filled with high hopes of great nights by the fire, swimming in the lake and getting to quietly listen to nature’s symphony while drifting off to sleep in the hammock in the shade. What more could you ask for?

Camping has always been a part of my life and so when I got married it remained one of the things my husband I did at least once if not twice. When the kids came along it became even more important to us to get them out in nature. Now we head to the coast every year, meet up with Grandma and PaPa as well as the bundle of cousins and their very tired parents for a week. Last year we added in my best friend from childhood and her two daughters. Things definitely got hectic and things got crazy, but it is always worth it. There is something about planning and prepping for weeks just go out to a place where you pray that once you are in your tent for the night you don’t have to get up just to use the restroom.

This year it’s a bit different though, we had to wait and hold our breath to see if we even got to keep the reservations that had been made. We were hoping it wasn’t another “mishap” of Covid-19. A few weeks ago we got the go ahead from the campground that it would be open with two exceptions 1. the showers would be closed and 2. bring your own toilet paper. So basically the campground will be full of campers that are stanky and you are crap out of luck if you don’t have the covid currency (toilet paper). Got it! Let the packing begin!

My mother-in-law had this great idea of doing our own Olympics. Each family had to come up with three events that could be done by someone between the ages of 3-70 years. No problem! Our family decided on a corn hole competition, a relay race and a table tennis game. There are 4 other families that have to come up with their three events and all week long we compete. Sadly I think we will be raising the level of stinky-ness in the campground, but it will be fun and the prizes are sure to be great (I am banking on them being ice cream).

One of the best reasons to get out into the great outdoors especially with family is you share everything, including the watermelon. You work together with meal prep, cleaning up afterwards and of course enjoying the food before you. There is something so nice about not always having to make the meals, when you do it family style more than one person does the jobs and that in itself makes it more fun. Plus if you are a momma that just needs a break from the kids for a bit, offer to wash the dishes after the meal and you will be left alone, I promise.

Hike it, bike it, walk it, boat it, whatever you do, just do it and have fun along the way. Where we stay there is a bench you can hike to that is about a two mile hike. It is out on a small overhanging bank that overlooks the lake. The lake water is so clear you can see that bottom plus all the water striders and salamanders close to the surface. I absolutely love it when the kayaks come out, you can get out pretty far in the lake and it is just peaceful, makes you really appreciate the silence once you are done and back at the chaotic and noisy campsite.

Most of all camping gets you away from the internet, work, your phone, life as you know it. I love that I have little to no cellular service. I love telling my boss and coworkers, see ya in a week, I have no service so I can’t help. My phone turns into my kindle and a camera. Nothing more and it is AWESOME, especially when you are in a job where days off are really just a suggestion. Give me a tent, a sleeping bag, food, my family and my covid currency and I am one happy girl! Until next time:

Everyone needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in, where nature may heal and give strength to body and soul

John Muir