My family didn’t go camping when I was a kid (if I remember correctly, we camped once during my childhood). I didn’t complain. I was perfectly happy with “roughing it” in our cabin down the lane from the beach at Lake Tahoe. Tahoe was our yearly Summer vacation, and I looked forward to it all year. I loved spending time with Nature.
It wasn’t until I turned 12 and started going to a week-long girls’ camp that I learned about camping. I loved it. I loved hiking in the mountains, cooking over a fire, and sleeping in a tent with my best friends.
When I was a college student, I camped in the jungle in Mexico…..and I can still picture the interior of that tent (the one with the leak) and the puddle we found ourselves in the morning after our first night.
Nowadays… my kids go on a yearly camping trip with Dad. They look forward to it all year long. In May, Twizzler was sent home with a fever the day of the Father-Son campout. I took him to the pediatrician, who confirmed that it wasn’t strep, but he was knocked down hard. Barely able to keep his head up on the way home, I asked him about the campout that night. He declared firmly, “I will NOT miss this campout. I’ve been waiting for it all year.”
I was worried about him all night…but he did just fine. His fever never bothered him, he perked up, and had a great time with Dad. That was the power of the camping trip.
We are going camping!
This summer, I am taking my whole family camping, but since there are 7 of us (including a teenager) I am planning on getting us a cabin instead of a tent. I am loving the options for camping right around our house. We found an amazing camping “resort” less than an hour away, with cabins, pools, miniature golf, hiking, and more.
I love that we can enjoy nature in a peaceful setting, but at the same time have some of the comforts that teens (and moms….) enjoy. They even have wifi at camping sites these days, although I might consider unplugging for a few days. It IS National Great Outdoors Month, after all.
Did you know that June is National Great Outdoors Month?
To promote National Great Outdoors Month, GoCampingAmerica.com is offering a 20% discount on overnight camping accommodations booked through their website.
Go Camping America is encouraging young families to go camping and spend quality time together. They want to remind young families that you don’t just have to tent camp or RV to enjoy these parks…there are great cabins, yurts, teepees, and even the rare tree house camping experience.
Ready to go camping?
Enter the Not Bummer Summer Go Camping America Video Contest for the Grand-Prize Camping Getaway: 7 day/6 night GoCampingAmerica.com Park Stay & a 7 day RV Rental from El Monte RV Rentals.
Please note: GoCampingAmerica.com is sending my family on a local camping trip. I’ll be blogging all about our camping trip (with plenty of pictures, of course). All thoughts and stories are my own. Don’t forget to take advantage of the special going on right now!
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As a child in NJ, I was a Girl Scout. Our troop went camping. We stayed in a cabin with heat and water. To me, it was roughing it. I was excited to get my camping badge, until I joined my new Girl Guide troop in England a year later. My troop leader disallowed my camping badge as we didn’t stay in a tent. I was so mad!
We’re involved in girl scouts and boy scouts as well. I agree–every kid needs some time to unplug!
I like your story. We never went camping as a family. But my father built a pontoon boat. We had a few overnights beached off the river. I did not get the camping bug until I was married and we were in the local Boy Scout troop. Now I am a Girl Scout leader. Great way to get kids off the electronic games. Thanks for your blog.