Time Out For Camping

After a February trip to Disney World, our vacation fund is pretty much tapped out, so we've decided to go car camping more often. I know that to some of you that sounds about as fun as picking the lint out of your belly button, but I'm a family camping convert. We haven't mastered cooking with a cast-iron dutch oven or figured out how to use a pie iron for more than grilled cheese, but we have had two lovely weekend camping trips so far, and plan to go on at least a couple more before the end of the summer. So far, we've been to Deep Creek Lake State Park(pictured, with our palatial REI Kingdom 6 tent) and to Little Bennett Regional Park, both in Maryland.

Highlights from our back-to-back trips to the great outdoors include watching the kids make s'mores, enjoying our good friend Dave's campfire lattes, using iPhones to look up lyrics to Broadway hits (so we could have a proper sing-along), catching up with Jen, letting the husbands cook (I highly recommend marrying a man who's an amazing outdoor chef), and allowing the kids to catch, stare at and then release a lovely spider we later realized was a black widow (who knew?!).

Mami certainly didn't raise me to appreciate camping. Her idea of camping was staying somewhere without a full restaurant. It's not that she was a snob who only stayed at the Ritz (no offense to those of you privileged enough to stay at 5-star hotels on all your vacations), she just wouldn't have wanted to dress down, sleep in a tent, and sweat/get dirty unnecessarily. I, however, roll up a bandanna, cover up the frizz, wear lounge pants and plain T-shirts, and just kick back on a camp chair. There's something pretty magical about unplugging (OK, except for the iPhones) and just hanging out with your family and friends.

I know that before I was born, Mami and my father took my siblings to cabins in the Catskills with a half-dozen other Colombian families in their circle of friends. There's even video footage of those vacations, where my mom is shown looking like one hot mama in a black one-piece, lounging by a pool. I wish those trips were part of my history too, but I grew up with Widowed/Remarried Mami, not Married-to-Papi Mami. Oh what I wouldn't give to see my mom in a cabin!

So to all of my girlfriends out there who think they're too princessy to enjoy camping -- try family camping. It's not at all as difficult as backpacking, and your family *will* love it. You will too.

Comments

[Jean Beasley]

Hi. I have a blog at www.picturecamping.com where I feature other's blog posts about camping. May I quote you and send people your way?

Thanks,

Jean B. in SC

[RICHARD ORUSSA]

PIE IRONS are easy to use. If you will send me your address [urban mama] I will send you a free PIE IRON RECIPES COOKBOOK... have fun family camping.

[Laurie/Mobile Mommy]

I loved camping as a kid! DH and I have not ventured much into the world of camping, although it seems like a good time to try, money being tighter than other times-not that we've done much luxury traveling at any time, lol!

[Diana]

I'm not going to let my dh read this because then he's going to say, "See! Even your sister loves camping!!!" (yes, I'm urban mama's older sis).

My hubby went camping quite a bit growing up. He has fond memories of camping. In fact, it was the only time that his otherwise difficult/emotionally abusive father was laid back and enjoyable. So, I guess that's why he wants to go camping with our family too. He knows it can be fun.

I keep telling him that I'll go stay in a cabin, but no luck yet. Maybe one day I'll relent and try camping in a tent. Now, I have to convince our 14 year daughter that it can be fun.

Does anyone know of a fun campground in Florida? Maybe I'll try that first.

[Amy @ The Q Family]

We are embarking on family camping as well. My husband is not a big fan of the outdoor. So we will start slow by camping in our backyard this weekend. We will see how it goes before the next step. But so far, I think he is really excited about buying all the new stuffs to go with camping. :)

[mightychair]

The part about the black widow made me laugh. The same thing happened with my little brother when he was about 3 years old. He was playing with a spider that turned out to be a black widow!