First Time Family Camping

We have friends that go camping all the time and invited us to go with them in October.  We decided that before we ruin their weekend, we should do a test run for just the four of us to see how we would all do sleeping in a tent and surviving in the wild.  I had idyllic visions of s'mores, swimming and solitude but also realistic expectations of bugs, boredom, and terrible sleep.  I am pleased to report that our first attempt was much more of a success than a failure!

Calhoun Falls State Park was lovely and our site was private with steps leading right down to the water.  There were lots of ants, but thankfully not mosquitoes.  The nearest bathroom was a five minute walk, but it had running water and an outdoor shower that was sufficient enough to get the lake muck off our feet.

We slept...eh, ok.  It was not as terrible as I feared.  We woke up Saturday to a perfectly crisp fall morning that was made for hot cocoa and coffee by the campfire.  Matt made fire and scrambled eggs and sausage and earned his "Man" badge for the year because it was delicious.

The day warmed up nicely and we were able to go on a hike, find a playground, and spend hours swimming.  We ended the night just like the one before, roasting and devouring s'mores.

The park was not very crowded and it really was peaceful.  I see why people do this.  There is something so very calming about watching a fire and seeing way more stars than at home.  However, there is also no place like your own bed and I'm not sure I'm about to become an avid camper.  There was also way more prep work that went into packing up for a trip like this than normal.  Overall though, it was such a fun weekend and a great chance to unplug from all the distractions of normal weekend life for us.

Lake Russell

I am glad we went on this adventure, I always love family time, and I'm excited about our next one in a few weeks especially now that I have a better idea of what to pack.