Family Camping

     Family Camping is a great way to keep people close as brother, sister, or mother and father.  My wife and I used to pitch our tent in State Parks when we first got married.  It was just great to get out of the city on the weekend.  We would take our bikes to ride, or just go for a walk.  I would load fishing poles and a small outboard motor in my Jeep and we’d rent a boat to take out in the lake. 

     When we had children we continued Family Camping with them.  We have a picture of our oldest son cooling off in a plastic washbasin outside our tent when he was five months old.  Our children enjoyed going Family Camping as much as we did.  As they got a little older we started to venture further from home. 

     Living in North East Ohio, there were plenty of State Parks to go to, but we wanted more.  We started taking Family Camping trips.  We headed to New York and Lake George.  Then we went on to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and then to Maine.  All of these places were fantastic in there own way.  Hiking, fishing and just enjoying the great outdoors along with taking lots of pictures of scenery and watching the boys growing up, made these very special Family Camping trip memories.

     Our boys were in cub scouts when they were younger and really enjoyed it.  They couldn’t wait until they were old enough to join the boy scouts.  They felt right at home on the campouts, not afraid of the darkness when camping in the woods because of the Family Camping trip experiences.  They learned to use equipment like propane stoves, lanterns, and how to pitch a tent in the dark.  Hiking, canoeing and backpacking continued the outdoors adventures, paddled the Allegheny in Pennsylvania and hiked in New Mexico.

     Family Camping, which played a big part in our lives, kept us close even as our sons went off to college.  My wife and I now try to slip out in our kayaks as often as we can, even if it is just to a local reservoir to paddle away a few hours and try to spot an eagle that has taken up home in the area.  There is nothing like a Family Camping trip to bring about the best in relaxation.  Build a fire and grab a cup of coffee to sit and reminisce about times gone by and the Family Camping trips that where enjoyed by all.