Last weekend, we took Grace on her first camping trip. While some of you may challenge this particular definition of camping, the only good way that we know of to camp with a toddler is in an RV or camper trailer. I have mentioned in the past that I would really like to someday own a travel trailer or RV so that I can share with my family some of the joys I experienced as a kid RVing with Pa, Mema and my sisters.
I do enjoy tent camping and Brenda and I have gone once before with Billy and Angie. While we had a good time, I knew Brenda wasn't all that excited by the prospect of tent camping with a toddler. Somehow I needed to get Brenda to warm up to the idea of someday owning a camper trailer and the idea of camping in general. We have been to a couple of RV shows and she has seen how they can deliver some nice features and conveniences that would make camping more enjoyable. She has had the opportunity to "visualize" the camping experience, but it wasn't tangible.
Fortunately, one of the founders of the company I work for owns a 28ft travel trailer. It has 2 bunk beds in the rear, a queen bed in the front and the convenience of a kitchen, A/C, heater, hot water and bathroom in between. He also had graciously offered to me for our use whenever we pleased.
We planned a trip to Inks Lake, which is a beautiful state park about 60 miles from us. This also happens to be a great time of year to be outdoors, so I reserved an RV pad with water and electricity months ago in anticipation of this opportunity. While we had some minor road bumps when it came to getting packed up and out of town, the weekend was a wonderful success. I really wanted to make sure that Brenda and Grace both had a great time, especially if I was going to have any luck in keeping my RV dreams alive. The weather was almost perfect, it was a bit breezy and cool (Grace stayed in a long sleeve hoodie and jeans the whole trip), but it was really pretty. We had smores by the campfire, we took our bikes and went riding, we walked a lot, we watched the ducks on the lake, we relaxed and did nothing at all, we stared at sky and counted the stars. Basically, we did everything you are supposed to do on a camping trip.
We also kept alive a little tradition that I share with Billy in that we do not resort to hamburgers and hot dogs for dinner and cold cereal for breakfast. When we camp, we eat well. This trip was no exception, we started our mornings with pancakes and sausage or french toast, we had steak for dinner or grilled pork chops with baked potatoes. We did not skimp on anything.
This is not to say that we didn't learn a few things along the way. It was definitely an educational trip. We learned about giving each other some grace, we learned to make sure that the water hose and power cords can reach their intended outlets BEFORE you unhitch the trailer and level it. We learned that you always take long sleeves no matter what the weatherman says. We learned that toddler can entertain herself for hours with 2 buckets and a handful of rocks. We learned that the secret to a toddler sleeping well is all about running their fool legs off all day outside and that the secret to Mommy and Daddy sleeping well lies in the power of videos of Sunday School Songs. I learned that there are only 4 stars in the sky... just ask Grace, I told her that there were many, many more and she just said "NO. Four stars!"
So my dreams are still alive. We survived our trip and came home with wonderful memories. Check out some of our pictures in the photo gallery.
I do enjoy tent camping and Brenda and I have gone once before with Billy and Angie. While we had a good time, I knew Brenda wasn't all that excited by the prospect of tent camping with a toddler. Somehow I needed to get Brenda to warm up to the idea of someday owning a camper trailer and the idea of camping in general. We have been to a couple of RV shows and she has seen how they can deliver some nice features and conveniences that would make camping more enjoyable. She has had the opportunity to "visualize" the camping experience, but it wasn't tangible.
Fortunately, one of the founders of the company I work for owns a 28ft travel trailer. It has 2 bunk beds in the rear, a queen bed in the front and the convenience of a kitchen, A/C, heater, hot water and bathroom in between. He also had graciously offered to me for our use whenever we pleased.
We planned a trip to Inks Lake, which is a beautiful state park about 60 miles from us. This also happens to be a great time of year to be outdoors, so I reserved an RV pad with water and electricity months ago in anticipation of this opportunity. While we had some minor road bumps when it came to getting packed up and out of town, the weekend was a wonderful success. I really wanted to make sure that Brenda and Grace both had a great time, especially if I was going to have any luck in keeping my RV dreams alive. The weather was almost perfect, it was a bit breezy and cool (Grace stayed in a long sleeve hoodie and jeans the whole trip), but it was really pretty. We had smores by the campfire, we took our bikes and went riding, we walked a lot, we watched the ducks on the lake, we relaxed and did nothing at all, we stared at sky and counted the stars. Basically, we did everything you are supposed to do on a camping trip.
We also kept alive a little tradition that I share with Billy in that we do not resort to hamburgers and hot dogs for dinner and cold cereal for breakfast. When we camp, we eat well. This trip was no exception, we started our mornings with pancakes and sausage or french toast, we had steak for dinner or grilled pork chops with baked potatoes. We did not skimp on anything.
This is not to say that we didn't learn a few things along the way. It was definitely an educational trip. We learned about giving each other some grace, we learned to make sure that the water hose and power cords can reach their intended outlets BEFORE you unhitch the trailer and level it. We learned that you always take long sleeves no matter what the weatherman says. We learned that toddler can entertain herself for hours with 2 buckets and a handful of rocks. We learned that the secret to a toddler sleeping well is all about running their fool legs off all day outside and that the secret to Mommy and Daddy sleeping well lies in the power of videos of Sunday School Songs. I learned that there are only 4 stars in the sky... just ask Grace, I told her that there were many, many more and she just said "NO. Four stars!"
So my dreams are still alive. We survived our trip and came home with wonderful memories. Check out some of our pictures in the photo gallery.
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