Whether you go in a luxury RV or a second hand tent, camping is a fantastic family activity. Next to Boy Scout troops, families are probably the largest demographic for camping. We started camping with our kids when they were babies. A couple of weeks ago we spent a weekend with our grown son, his wife and their baby. Everyone had a wonderful time. We had originally planned to take our truck camper up into a local canyon that is ablaze with fall colors but our truck developed mechanical problems and we had to fall back to tent camping. The canyon roads were not compatible with our 40' Class A motorhome. The campground was already partially closed for winter and the restrooms were shut down but we still had a fun time. For a group that has been mostly camping in motorhomes for the last 30 years or so, we did pretty well with tent camping. I even practiced what I preach and started our campfire with flint and steel. The evening was cool -- perfect campfire weather -- and we were quit comfortable sleeping in our tents.
Family camping in our RV and riding our dirt bikes about once a month was a mainstay activity for our family of 8 when our 6 kids were growing up. Now that the kids are grown and we're semi-retired, things have slowed down a bit, but we still enjoy camping with our extended family. We spent a wonderful, non-dirt biking camp out with one of our daughters and her husband and his family in accordance with their summer traditions last year and had a great time. It was really fun to see and even become part of their camping traditions for a while.
Family camping doesn't have to be restricted to just your immediate family. We've been to a couple of extended family reunions that were held at campgrounds. There were dozens of motorhomes and travel trailers from several states containing multiple generations of extended family. Activities included sharing family history and an exchange of home made gifts as well as potlucks and campfires. I still use the knitted napkin holder in our motorhome that we got at one of these. It was really fun to meet some of the relatives I'd only heard about before but never met and listen first hand to adventures that my dad had alluded to over the years.
Sometimes it is nice not to have a lot of planned activities. Most of our family outings over the years have been dirt bike trips and everyone was usually anxious to hit the trails. But our most recent tent camping trip with our son and his little family we had an open schedule and just took our time with everything. It was quite relaxing. We arrived at our campsite early enough that we had plenty of light to set up our tents without any rush. We heated up some of Marilyn's Marvelous Mojave Mild chili on our trusty Coleman stove and enjoyed a leisurely dinner around the campfire. Since our campsite was in a forested area and we had two huge pine trees right in our site, we didn't get in much star gazing. Star gazing is better in the desert; too many trees in forested areas. The next day we slept in and then enjoyed a great breakfast. Making it together in camp was whole lot more fun than fixing breakfast at home. Even routine tasks like cooking become a fun, shared adventure in camp. Why is it pancakes seem to taste better when camping? We were able to spend a lot of time just talking and catching up on what both families had been doing and discussing upcoming events. A couple of chipmunks that lived in the pine trees in our camp provided lots of active entertainment. I suspect they were as amused at us as we were with them.
Family dinners are a fairly frequent occurrence for us, as I'm sure they are for many people, and these always involve a lot of shared kitchen responsibilities. However, family meals while camping take on a whole different ambiance. The fun of cooking outdoors and getting creative with the meals gives things a whole new meaning. As much as we all like having family over for meals, preparing those meals at home and cleaning up afterwards can be a lot of work, work that is tedious and tiring. Preparing meals in camp might actually be even more work, but if nothing else, the novelty of it makes it more fun. My wife and daughter-in-law were giddy as a couple of school girls as they prepared our meals during our tent camping trip on the Nebo Loop Scenic Byway in Payson Canyon. They even seemed to enjoy cleaning up afterwards! And us guys helped out too, believe it or not! Whenever you go camping you need share responsibilities for routine tasks. Guys may not be handy in the kitchen, but most can manage an outdoor BBQ well enough to grill some burgers, hot dogs, and/or steaks and maybe even do some corn and baked potatoes and even the most macho dude shouldn't be above helping out with the dishes, especially when camping.
Campfires are always a good time for conversations, reminiscing, storytelling, and singing songs. This is particularly true for family campfires. Even if all you do is sit and let yourselves be hypnotized by the flames, there is a kind of bonding that seems to take place. Campfires are especially enjoyable on cooler evenings when you actually need the glowing fire to take the chill off, but we found them a lot of fun even on warm nights in the desert. Everyone can do their part in preparing and maintaining the fire and in participating in campfire activities. Whether recounting the day's activities or sharing tall tales, campfire story-telling is always enjoyable and often fascinating.
Our tent trip took advantage of the amazing fall colors along the Nebo Loop Scenic Byway in Utah County, Utah near our home. Maples at the lower part of the canyon were bright red. Higher up, the aspens were vibrant yellow, all contrasted with the vivid greens of evergreen trees. The Nebo Loop winds up through Payson Canyon in the Wasatch Mountains, with spectacular views of Utah Valley and Mount Nebo, the highest peak in the Wasatch Range. We were especially glad to finally make this trip. We've lived within 5 miles of the Payson end of the Nebo Loop for more than 6 years, and for one reason or another, never got around to making the drive. Getting together with other family members was an excellent reason and sharing the beauty with them enhanced the experience. Way too often we ignore glorious opportunities right in our own back yards, sometimes until it is too late. Gather up your family and head for the hills (or the lake or the beach or the desert) as often as you can. Don't wait for an excuse to go -- make one up if you have to! Just going is reason enough.
Family camping trips are always a good opportunity for meaningful conversations and even though our kids now have kids of their own, still offer many teaching moments. These days it is just as likely that my kids will be the ones doing the teaching, not only for their own kids, but in sharing new skills with Grandma and Grandpa as well. But that doesn't mean the senior citizens should just sit back. There are still some things we can teach the younger generations, especially if we remain active and alert to learning new things ourselves. I thoroughly enjoyed a story attributed to Mark Twain that says when he was 14 years old his father was the most ignorant man he knew but by the time he was 21 he was amazed at how much the old man had learned in 7 years!
Family boating activities can be as fun and forge as many bonds as camping. As with RVing, OHVing, or camping, boating gets you out of the daily grind and lets you share in some special activities. Sailboats are especially good places for sharing fun and responsibilities. Motor boats can be exciting and invigorating. I sometimes wonder if the fact that our bodies are around 70% water accounts for at least some of our attraction to the water.
Family camping begins long before you reach the campground or even hit the road. Start by involving the whole family in choosing a destination and/or route, scheduling, and planning menus and activities. Let each one do their part in preparing gear and packing provisions. All but the youngest campers or others with special circumstances should be responsible for their own clothing and equipment. We made sure our kids learned to prepare their own dirt bikes and gear for each trip. It worked well enough that when my oldest daughter began racing Women's Desert Expert Class she did many of the races entirely on her own, providing not only her own camp support but her own bike maintenance and repairs! And, by the way, this same daughter was also a beauty pageant contestant one afternoon after a morning of desert racing! Make sure everyone has assigned tasks to help set up camp once you arrive and throughout your stay. Everyone is going to be anxious to go about planned activities or just begin exploring, but overall things will go a lot smoother if you take time to set up camp together BEFORE starting any adventures. Then everyone can relax and have a good time.
Trip out together!
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