I am very happy to be a part of this exciting new RV.net blog. Thanks for checking it out. It seemed fitting for my first blog to talk about the very first time I took my kids camping. I had spent many weekends as a kid in my mom’s pop up. My sisters, cousins and I would explore the campground all day and only come back to the campsite if we needed something to eat or drink. I also remember having to go to bed at night and jealously watch the adults around the campfire. They looked like they were having such a great time talking, laughing and competing with the neighboring campers about who could build the bigger, better fire!
Fast forward 25 years and after visiting some friends while they were camping, I began thinking about buying an RV. I thought about all the fun we would have with the kids. There are so many parts of the country I have never been, and what better way to see them than camping with my family. There are also so many great local places to explore.
So a few short months later, we purchased a 5th wheel and were ready to get started (after spending days stocking and getting it ready). Funny how as a kid I never gave any thought as to what went on behind the scenes before a camping trip. What do you mean we have to shop for food and supplies, stock the RV and figure out how we are going to get all those toys in the basement compartments? Oh, we also need things like black tank chemicals and special toilet paper? And how can my daughter have a 3 page report due on Monday- doesn’t her teacher understand we are going camping ?
We figured for our first trip we would stick close to home in case we needed anything. The kids packed their own clothes (lesson learned the hard way), we loaded up and we were off. This was going to be so much fun! The first fun thing we got to do was try to back the 5th wheel into the little bitty campsite. Strange, it looked so roomy on the website !?
My daughters (10 and 12) decided they would help out by taking their 5 year old brother and our dog over to the playground while I got to stay and try to guide my husband back into the site with our walkie talkies (I had done some research after all). It was only after I saw my husband’s walkie talkie go flying out of the truck window and down the road that I thought I may be in over my head! I had never paid attention to what my parents were doing while I was off having fun.
Three hours later and 2 trips back home to pick up things we had forgotten, we were finally set up. The kids had been having a great time at the park, and the muddy dog proved it. The fun really started the next day though when it started raining.
We decided to wander around the campground anyway, a little rain never hurt anyone. We discovered an activities barn with a ping pong table and arcade games. I had forgotten how much fun ping pong was. We must have played for two hours. The rain eventually cleared up and the kids rented a banana bike and I watched them play at the park for awhile. They splashed in puddles and spotted a rainbow. This was so much better than I remembered.
We did have a campfire that night. We did s’mores and told spooky stories. Watching my son roast his first marshmellow was priceless. Turns out I had even more fun then I did when I was a kid. I got to play like a kid all day, AND stay up late for the campfire. I also learned a few things…
1) Cute dress shoes and mud puddles don’t mix well-ALWAYS check what your kids are packing.
2) Keep quarters and ponchos handy for rainy days.
3) Doing homework is more fun at a picnic table.
4) When things go wrong, it may not seem funny to you at first, but one day it will be a great story to tell around the campfire.
It has been over a year now, and we’ve moved up into a motorhome. We’ve driven over 9500 miles and learned lots of things (most of them the hard way). I am looking forward to sharing those things with you. I am also going to be taking notes and talking to other families along the way so I can bring you ever better tips, ideas and maybe some funny stories too.
Anxiously awaiting spring break,
Shannone