2. Any location which finds it necessary to post this fun kids' video on its website. I don't know about you, but Unexploded Ordinance (UXO, for short) does not spell "fun family hike" to me.
With those 2 requirements settled, we've still got a lot of places left to argue over. Larry prefers out-of-the-way, quiet campgrounds with secluded tent sites where you can sit and relax in peace and quiet while you soak up the goodness of nature. I, on the other hand, only want to camp somewhere that I can drag the children on different hikes or historical tours every single day and then return to a crowded campground to socialize with other people and their kids. Social lodge and fitness room on the premises? Bonus!
You know, if I want to sit and relax, I prefer to do so at home on my comfy couch, not outside in an insect-ridden environment. Why would I drive 4-8 hours with 6 kids in the car to relax, anyway? Sort of defeats the purpose, doesn't it?
When the kids were younger, my favorite vacation spot was my mother-in-law's living room. Bonus: someone else entertained the kids!
ReplyDeleteHonestly, I've never taken my kids camping because basically, I'm a coward and my kids are weird. But the things I always loved most about camping were the soft sounds of nature stirring, the sweet smell of the air, and the lack of busy people. I guess that puts me in the "nothing that smacks of the urban corridor" philosophy of camping.
ReplyDeleteThe last time I want camping was the first weekend of October in Vermont -- about 25 years ago. I miss it...
You only miss it because you didn't have kids with you at that time, so you didn't spend the entire weekend reminding people not to track mud into the tent.
DeleteI don't like camping.
ReplyDeleteAnd I feel guilty about it every year.
I need to do this, don't I?
Just take one for the team...
No. No, you don't. Stand strong.
DeleteMy brother in law told me he loved to take his kids (when they were little) to some camping area up by Cunningham Falls. He said there was lots to do: hiking, boating, swimming, plus there is a zoo nearby as well as Gettysburg up the road. And since they're Catholic they could go to Mass at the Seton Shrine there. Another sister used to go to Westmoreland park every summer. It's in Westmoreland county and right on the Potomac. You can go fishing and boating. There's a swimming pool. And you can go sightseeing to various historical sites. I think both Washington and Robert E Lee were born in that county? Might not be remembering that correctly.
ReplyDeleteSince I don't do the camping thing (unless we rent one of those cabins which we did at Westmoreland one fall weekend) that's all the advice I have to give! And I have no idea if they are infested with Stinkbugs. Probably though. Isn't everything?
And I realize neither of these places would suit Larry. I think you guys should take turns. Who won last year?
Larry loves Cunningham Falls. It is, however, stinkbug Mecca.
DeleteWhen I was a kid, we camped a lot (cheap way to travel), and one of my all time favorite trips was up around the north end of Lake Champlain (upstate NY and VT). Beautiful, and we went to Fort Ticonderoga and the Shelburne Museum in VT- quiet for Larry, historic for you! Also, there's the Ben and Jerry's tour on the way. (Mmmm- ice cream!)
ReplyDeleteHow does my back yard sound? We have a pool, kids and I think you could call Lambeau Stadium a national treasure...
ReplyDeleteI don't camp, but...come to Burlingame! It's down the road. We have beaches, for crying out loud. What else do you need? I think they have cabins there, too. And you're close to CT (Mystic!) and Providence, for day trips. Seriously, I don't know why anyone who lives here goes away over the summer. February, yes. I'd like to plan a trip for February.
ReplyDeleteI think you should definitely go with Green Girl's suggestion --that sounds perfect to me.
ReplyDeletePersonally, I did enough camping for school and field work. Now I only camp if there's a well-stocked condo involved. If Emma wants to go camping, she'll have to do it as a teen with her friends :-)
Camping to me is something I don't do unless there are four walls and a flush toilet available. However, youngest is going camping with scouts next weekend. More power to them! Me, I like cabins, or houses, that are not my own and do not require me to clean them....that is my idea of camping.
ReplyDelete