We did it!

Camping.

The iconic American summer pastime.

Growing up, my family had a pop-up camper, which worked well for sightseeing in Ohio, Tennesee and Alabama.

Once married, Daniel and I tent-camped all the way out to the Grand Canyon as well as in Canada. 

But 16 years later, we have never gone camping with our children. 

Oh, there have been those random times one of us slept in the before-mentioned tent with one child, or one child has slept solo in the backyard, but not all four of us away from home.

Till now! 

We have done it! 

Thank goodness for friends who have turned their back field into a mini campground and offer sites to weary travelers. (We weren't that weary, but I'm sure some of the guests they have are.) They have a flushing toilet and running water at a fancy off-grid bathroom, so that was a bonus.

We booked their premium site for one night, gathered supplies and drove a grand total of 40 min. to our home-away-from-home for the night. 

 

We stopped for gas on the way, which in itself felt like we were in a new state, doing new things, since we have never gotten gas here even though we pass it all the time. 

See why I said "premium" campsite? It comes with a tent!

Some folks may not consider this proper camping. However, I tend to disagree. We slept in a tent, cooked over the fire, had no electricity and walked to the bathroom. If people can count driving a giant RV around, complete with a living room, private shower and running water at their own kitchen sink, I can count this.

Daniel was in charge of the fire and I made mini pizzas with our pie iron for supper.

Natasha is the least interested in camping of all of us. We "lured" her in with stargazing being the main attraction. 

We didn't see as many shooting stars as we had hoped since the meteor shower had peaked a couple days prior. But we did identify some constellations and viewed the moon through binoculars. Why we've waited this long to try such a simple experiment, I have no idea. It's not even a proper telescope but the difference it makes in seeing the moon is incredible. You should try it! 

After a breakfast of plantains and eggs, we packed up and came home with a family activity crossed off our bucket list (okay, my bucket list), mosquito bites and memories made for the summer of 2024. 

I am definitely considering this a successful trip and have already looked for more camping options similar to this one. This might just be the ticket for our family to make camping happen!