Brian's last day of work for the summer was Monday so we left Tuesday for our annual summer kick-off camping trip.
We love picking a different PA state park each year. This year we picked Locust Lake. My criteria- must have restrooms/showers, lake for swimming, playground, and some easy hiking.
This year I even reserved a site with electric (gasp!). With these picky eaters, I needed to be able to bring my microwave (GAAASSP!). We don't have a propane stove- yet! And cooking over a fire with these two kids made me too nervous, though now I think we probably could have managed since we did build a fire to make s'mores! Admittedly, it was kinda nice being able to make dinner out of the trunk of our car.
I know tent camping with little kids isn't for everyone. It can be a lot of work. But it's so rewarding! Jane had an absolute ball. She couldn't stop talking about how much she loved it.
I'm no camping expert, but here are some tips we've kinda learned for tent camping with little kids along the way.
-Pick your own site. I study the campground map. I like a site that is off the main driveway so I'm not worrying about cars constantly and the girls running out into the road. I also pick a site near the bathroom. I don't want to be right next to it, some bathrooms have those swinging doors that slam shut every time someone goes in or out. I also pick a site that is near the playground, but again, not right next to it so that the girls aren't constantly just running over there and we don't have to listen to loud children all evening. Oh, and no lakeside sites.
-When packing clothes for the kids, go old or at least dark colors. It never fails, as soon as we get out of the car someone goes right for the fire pit, ashes all over hands and clothes. Also, after you finish packing, go back and pack double! This especially applies if you know it's going to rain. This was the first trip we ever went on that didn't rain one of the days we were there. Usually we come home with a bag full of wet and muddy clothes.
-Check the weather for your destination. We always mess this up. The first trip we took Jane camping we left our house and it was in the 90's. The campground was way up in the mountains. We figured it would be cooler, but not by 20 degrees, and that's not nighttime difference! I had brought one sweater for Jane! And it rained the whole time. I hadn't learned the lesson to pack double yet either. Let's just say this was what people call an "epic fail". This trip, Brian had checked the weather and the low temp was supposed to be 69. The girls had their sleeping bags, but for Brian and I, I just packed a sheet and single blanket. Always prepare to be cold!! Bring pants, socks, sweatshirts, and a heavy blanket. Always. Just in case!
-Glow sticks make awesome nightlights for the tent. However, they do not double as flashlights when going to the bathroom in the middle of the night!!!
-If you are bringing a non-walker, a tarp makes for a great playmate. Most campsites are gravel so a big tarp is great, especially if the ground is damp or wet. Washable toys are recommended :)
-I forgot to do this once and boy did I regret it! Cut the kids nails short right before you leave. (I'm not even a freak about the kids getting dirty, usually I encourage it! But when going camping they just get sooooo dang filthy!)
Those are my camping tips. Some are pretty obvious, though all are things that I at one time neglected and learned the hard way! I'd love to learn more if you have some!
We really had a great time, especially Jane! She's the perfect age to take camping. She was so excited to go and didn't want to leave. If it weren't for wrestling (literally!) Molly to sleep for over an hour I'd say lets go again soon!!
The girls' favorite part was definitely the lake! And watching them have so much fun was my favorite. They loved it so much the first afternoon that we returned the next morning at 9AM!
I'm not positive, but I think Brian's favorite part was our stop at Cabella's on the way home ;)
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