Camping

We're hoping to head out Monday on our first ever camping trip alone as a family (although we hope to run into Jay and Angelle once in a while). We haven't reserved a site, but will drive up to MacGregor point to get a non-reservable site and hope for the best. I'm really looking forward to it. There's something about camping that really brings a family together. Maybe it's the fact that there is no television, or more likely that there are so few 'chores' to be done. We can actually spend time playing with the kids instead of filling our days with the mundane tasks of running a household. Whatever the reason, I know the kids love camping, and so do we!

My greatest family memories growing up almost all occured while camping. Every summer we would head north for a week to camp. It was the one time of the year where we had a concentrated amount of time together as an entire family. Some of my favourite memories include wolf howls in Algonquin, playing cards in the kitchen tent while it poured rain outside, canoe trips to big diving rocks and sitting around the campfire. Some of my not-so-favourite camping memories include super severe thunderstorms that shook the rock beneath our tent as I screamed my head off, thunderstorms while we canoed down a river (as I held my lightning proof towel above my head), the LONG drive to and from Algonquin, and going on some really long and boring hikes (or the logging museum at the East gate).

Despite some boring (and scary moments), I have so many wonderful memories of camping with my family! I'm thrilled that I married a man who loves it as much as I do. We purchased our trailer almost 2 years ago...she's a beauty! A 1974 Lionel. We've both aged well if I do say so myself (hehehe). It's much better then sleeping on the ground, let me tell you. I'm grateful that as my kids grow up, they will have many memories of family camping as well. I hope they come to treasure those memories as much as I do.

Mel