Friday Question #112
Have you ever been camping*? Did you like it? Why or why not? Any recommendations on good places to go camping?
The closest I have come to camping is in my parent’s front yard and in a state park close to my parent’s home. And I never stayed in the tent the whole night (came inside, bailed early, it was raining, I was scared of the dark, etc.).
But somehow, I have it in my mind that we need to go camping this summer – we have a tent (with a built-in blow-up bed) that we have never used (bought maybe 5 years ago), I imagine it is not too expensive, and I think it could be relaxing to get away from technology. And in my mind, we go somewhere with beautiful trails.
There I go, living away in the future again. Notice my future does not include mosquitoes (who love me), lack of showers (heck, I don’t mind!), or mention of the heat?
But, do share your camping experiences with me! Enlighten me as to what is is really all about!
*In a tent or a camper. Or heck, even Bear Grylls style.
Themocracy
I love camping!! My parents used to take us camping ALL the time when me and my sister were kids, so I guess it got drilled into me 🙂
We used to go to a campground called Turkey Run when I was in grad school in Indiana– I think it would be pretty close to you! You should check it out!
I love camping, but I have not been in a long time. The last time I went was when I was about 12, by Mt Vernon Iowa. I miss it. I want to get the husband to go for a weekend this summer.
As a teenager, I spent summers camping (in tents). The thing about camping is, unless you’re going to a really remote place, most places do have shower facilities. Might not be as nice as home or even a hotel, but you can get clean. =)
This summer, we’re heading up to Peninsula State Park in Door County. If you ever have a chance, you should definitely go. It’s GORGEOUS up there. And camping is cheap – $15-$20 per night in that park!
My Mom owns a camp site (along with her brother and sister) at a lake about 40 minutes from their house. I grew up camping there and taking day trips up there. I LOVE camping! There is still a camper up there but it is way older than I am so nobody ever sleeps in it anymore. We are strictly tent sleepers (although my parents sleep in the back of my Dad’s pick up truck with a camper top and a foam matress). If you ever want to camp in MD let me know. There are a lot of options!
I’ve done the camping thing… ehhh.
I always joke that since I’m from such a small town, it’s like my first 18 years of life was camping. Why would I feel the need to do it again?
Give me a beach and my air conditioned condo if I’m taking a vacation…
My family used to camp every year. I remember my dad hanging strips of bacon on a clothes line away from our picnic table so that the wasps would leave us alone. I remember feeding deer carrots. I remember sleeping in tents and playing in the trees.
But then I grew up. And I became a bit of a priss when it comes to my sleeping quarters. Sure, in college I was happy to pack up the car and spend a few days roughin’ it. But now? I’d prefer a cabin with a cot at least. Or an air mattress! I just don’t sleep well on the ground and me, sleep deprived, is not pretty.
But there is something to be said for getting away from it all and back into nature.
I’ve never been camping either– is it a Chicagoland thing? My parents’ idea of roughing it was told to me when I was young: a place without cable! I wouldn’t even know where to start…
I have gone twice and it just is not my thing. The first time was in a cabin the the finger lakes region of NY and the second along a river in Maine. I had to dig my own bathroom, it was not fun.
We used to go all the time when I was a kid. My mom’s family is very outdoorsy and in the summer my Grandparents, mom, brother, aunt, uncle, cousin and I would always go. My dad didn’t enjoy it, his idea of camping is a cheap motel, but we always had a blast. It’s been a long time since I went but I’d do it again!
I like camping in an RV 😀 I need running water and A/C though, I’m soft!
I’ve only been camping once (if you don’t count my back yard growing up) and I would barely call it camping, still. We packed the car with our tent and sleeping bags, got a space on the river probably 20 minutes away from where I lived, & drove there, got pizza on the way, built the tent, slept there & drove home in the morning… It was fun but we didn’t really get to explore or anything. I think camping *could* be a great lil getaway for you & the Husband though! 🙂
I am unsure of the answer to your question. I know I haven’t been camping as an adult but it is something I have been wanting my kids to experience so at some point I guess we will go.
When I was little every summer I went to a camp each year that was so much fun. It was a bunch of kids and a few college age counselors. We stayed for a week and lived in a tent-ish thing. It had a solid wood floor but the walls were just tent material draped over some sort of frame. During the day we rolled all the sides up and it was just a covered wood floor so I guess it counts as a tent? BUT there were beds in it. Not comfortable beds, but still they were real beds. So have I been camping? We used port a potties and showered with some crazy outside hose thing (but really we just counted our swims in the lake as our shower most of the time). We made our breakfast and lunch on the campfire and roasted marshmallows at night while we sang songs (I think maybe it was a music camp? I should ask my parents because my memory on this is sort of fuzzy) We did have a cafeteria for dinners though. But yeah, I’m not sure if I have been camping before because I don’t know if that counts.
I heart camping!! In fact, I’m going over Memorial Day to Door County in Wisconsin! Friday, Saturday & Sunday nights! I went last year to Devil’s Lake State Park south of the Dells a few days before 4th of July. My second time camping was in November also at Devil’s Lake. Crazy chilly! And my first time ever it rained the entire weekend but lucky we were on a high part so we didn’t get flooded out. But I slept horribly.
I usually use a blow-up air mattress. You always gotta make sure that there’s no leak and if there is, good luck trying to find it & fix it. So for Christmas, Luke’s parents got me a single pad for under my sleeping bag. I’m hoping that it’ll still be comfortable enough.
Most state parks have showers facilities & awfully nice ones (at least the ones at Devil’s Lake) and usually not that far of a walk. But I highly recommend Devil’s Lake for your first time out. They have lots of hiking paths (and a really great view on top of a cliff). No biking though, I tried last summer, it sucks.
Devil’s Lake is so popular that it actually fills up fast. Memorial Day was all packed, 4th of July last year was (lucky enough to have enough vacation that I was able to get 2 days before off & did camping then), even Labour Day is probably full now too. But if you pick a random weekend, it might be open. If you want some recommendations, let me know!
Thanks! I am excited that you know about the locations in WI! I will have to let you know when we need help with planning 🙂
i spent a good part of 4 years camping, just about every weekend. it’s a fun thing to do, in my opinion, if there are also fun things to do around the area you are camping in. i used to fly fish a lot, so we’d camp by a river. if there is hiking around, even better! we went all over colorado and wyoming. sometimes, we’d camp in the car if it was too cold.
Camping! Camping! Camping! MY FAVORITE THING EVER!!!! If you need help planning, I’m your girl. I have a whole computer file full of checklists for different places and seasons and well? I’m the camping guru. Devil’s Lake in Wisconsin is sorta near you and gorgeous if you like hiking up a cliff. It’s kinda fun. But lots of partying at Wisconsin state parks.
I am going to remember to email you when (and if) we plan out trip this summer!
I’m a camping super fan. In fact, I’m thinking about asking the fiance if we can go camping for my birthday instead of a present or anything. (That probably makes me weird.) I love being able to be outside the whole time, and I’m one of the cheapest people in the world – thus trying to camp every time we go on a trip somewhere.
I am so NOT into camping. I think I’m too whiney to sleep in a tent. Last time I went I brought some cosmetic products, one of them being eye cream which my friends laughed a lot about. But really why get wrinkley just because I’m sleeping on DIRT! hahahaha
I have vague memories of going camping in Colorado with my dad and one of his friends and their kids. I think it rained a lot. Then one summer some high school friends and I went camping in Turkey Run (in Indiana) but we only stayed one night and I remember we spent most of the time putting up the tents and cooking dinner.
I think you’d be good at camping. It requires a lot of pre-planning to make sure you have everything you need and I know you always come prepared!
Ha ha. Thanks 🙂
I really want to get out to Colorado and Utah 🙂
I LOVE camping! I can’t recommend any good places seeing they’re all so far from you!
Make it an adventure and head to Bryce Canyon National Park for camping. It’s unlike anyplace else and if you plan for July, there’s a half marathon too (mostly all downhill). There’s a ton of hiking through the hoodoos. While you’re in the area, you can hit Zion National Park (which is not far from Las Vegas). Within a day’s drive you have the Grand Canyon (north rim where it’s cooler) to the south or Yellowstone to the north. Lots of choices.
That sounds amazing! That would be a great roadtrip! And I know I have the vacation time at work!
We go camping every year…tent camping. But we always camp at a State Park (Guadalupe State Park to be exact) and so they have bathrooms (albeit they might be 1/2 mile a away but still) and the camp sites have electricity so we can plug in our bunsen burner stove and have a fan when it is hot. We usually go from a Thursday to a Sunday and that is pretty much all I can take. I like to go but by Sunday I am always ready for a REAL bed and a REAL shower!!! haha!
I’ve never been camping. If our forefathers wanted us to sleep on the ground, they wouldn’t have invented hotels. 🙂
That being said, I would go with my wife if she really wanted to. I wouldn’t take the kids, though. Life’s too short to put that many of us in a situation prime for bitchiness.
I love camping, as long as I’m with someone who does all the tent stuff. I like to just go along for the ride (though I am good at meal planning. Ha). Unfortunately, my husband is not a camper, but I used to camp with ex-boyfriends and my family quite a bit. Out here, there are tons of cool places. Yosemite is awesome. Actually, any national park probably has great campgrounds. Lots of the state beaches here have campgrounds. I love Joshua Tree, with all the huge rocks and starry skies. It’s so peaceful. I don’t realize how loud our lives are, with the buzz of electricity everywhere, until I get out in nature for a couple days.
I’m a pretty big fan of camping, but I think that the experience can REALLY vary. I’ve had nights when I almost froze (or felt like I was going to), I’ve spent a night in a tent but was close enough to “civilization” to have a great dinner out and then get a latte for breakfast, I’ve camped with dogs in a tent, and I’ve also backpacked (for just a few nights). To be honest, the backpacking is the most satisfying experience, but the hardest. You might try to start out at a campground that is someplace just earth-shattteringly beautiful (that is always a plus) but also close to someplace to get a bit, just in case you don’t feel like dealing with food.
I love to camp! I really think it depends on where you go. I have camped in the summer at the end of july when the temps were cooler at night which was nice. We have a tent, sleeping bags, the whole works and I hope we can get over to some state parks and camp. I think those are a good place to start them maybe try and hike into a place in the mountains.
honestly the only reason why i camp is so i can make smores……..
I’ve never really been camping (summer camp in cabins but not real camping in tents) and it has never really appealed to me. Somehow I feel like vacation should be a least as nice as, if not better than, home. Our vacation this year is a furnished house (“gite”) we rented in the Loire valley region of France for a week this summer, where we will have all the usual comforts (fully equiped bathroom and a dishwasher!)
I haven’t camped in years. In fact the last time we went we ended up coming home because it was pouring.
Prior to that though, I was in my teens, we’d camp at I think it was Twin Lakes? We’d also go up to Door Country over Columbus Day weekend. Those trips were really fun.
I grew up tent camping. To me it’s not camping unless a tent is involved. Once when I was a kid we camped for 30 days straight while travelling cross country. I don’t know if I’d recommend that. It gets smelly. Now I camp with my husband and kids. We have one of those three room tents and I have a comfy queen air mattress. It’s pretty kushy. I like to come up with fun/gourmet meals to do on the camp stove or over the fire. There are lots of great websites with camping recipes like this one: http://www.koa.com/recipes/campfirecooking.htm.
While it’s a lot of prep to go, I think it’s the ultimate way to get away from it all with no tv, phones, computer, etc.
Thanks for the link!
Can’t wait to hear how your race went!
I LOVE camping! It surprises me how much I enjoy it, because I am the biggest weenie when it comes to heat, humidity, and mosquitoes. But, I love it. What’s even more fun is when you go camping and go on a float trip. Floating is so much fun!
Ive been camping. It can be fun.
Last time I went was nearly 3 years ago. There were a BUNCH of us and it was just a giant drunk fest. It was fun, but Im really surprised there werent a bunch of disasters.
I grew up camping – it’s fun…but work. I feel like we’re always sweeping the tent out, you’re never really clean (some people don’t care about this), and I have never slept well while camping (there are noises all night long, and if a bear doesn’t get you-the rock you didn’t notice underneath you will).
I have great memories of camping as a child, but as an adult-it’s a TON of work to unload everything, get it all set up, figure out cooking meals (packing in a cooler and all supplies), etc. I took my son on a beach camping trip one year and we stayed in a yurt -LOVED it- one night, slept in our car one night, and slept in our tent twice. The tent nights were the worst.
I have heard about yurts! They are so cool 🙂
I don’t mind the whole being dirty thing! Ha ha!
Camping is sooooo fun! You have to have smores though, and bring lots of layers. I always forget how cold it can get at night. I try to go atleast once a summer. It’s so fun though with friends! I hope you go and have a blast!
Take an air mattress with an electric pump (hooks up to your car cigarette ligther), it makes all the difference in the world. I like it a lot for a few nights. I have never really roughed it and gone backpacking, just state and national parks.
I used to go camping all the time as a kid, though I am sad to say that I haven’t in awhile. My parents are probably really disappointed in me. For one thing, I’m afraid of being an adult and planning a camping trip on my own, instead of having my parents remember the pack the tent/trailer, food, gear, etc. Though from all these posts, it sounds like lots of people camp.
However, I will say that for first time camping, I’d suggest doing “camping light” i.e., in a nice campground with a space you rent and a lighted bathroom and heated shower. It’s way easier than trying to learn to squat-pee in the woods and lug all your crap and water purification system around if you went no-trace camping.
Unfortunately, I don’t know of any good camp grounds around here. There are a lot in VA though, so you, Steven, Harrison, and I (and Bodger and Data—they can share a tent, ha!) should plan a trip. Then we can go on trail runs and Steven can make us fruit pizza while we’re gone. Man, this is sounding better and better!
I would totally be game for a camping trip with you! Maybe between the two of us and your parents we can make a good “what to bring” list? 🙂
This is such a great question. I never used to like the idea of camping when I was younger and worried about having my makeup and hairdryer always accessible. Ha ha. But now Iove getting away from the trappings of modern man and hubby and I have been going the last couple of years with another two slightly older couples whom we absolutely adore as friends. It is wonderful to spend quality time with them in the outdoors without spending a fortune. We each have bicycles and plan our trips near biking trails and do long weekends biking during the day and cooking and enjoying campfires at night with cards or board games. I now value the vitamin d more than the makeup and bandanas cover a multitude of hair sins so that my priorities can remain on the more important things. Hi friend, how are you? 🙂
That sounds like a dream vacay! 🙂 Especially the bike trails!
I’m good! How have you been? I miss you! 🙂
I’m typing this on my iPhone as I lay in my tent – I’m camping right now, so yeah, I like it. But I don’t go without my phone so it’s not a total disconnect for me, but that’s what I like.
camping…yeah at the four seasons 🙂 that’s my speed. i may be crunchy but i aint into camping! yoga retreats are the closest thing, some of them can be bare bones, but it’s not camping at least 🙂
My first experiences with camping were not fun..tent full of sand, flying bits of burned newspaper in the food, no decent equipment…no fun. BUT, ever since we got our 1978 Volkswagen Westfalia camper, I love camping!
I’ve only camped at the Indiana Dunes. It was fun, but cold! And I highly, highly, highly recommend not drinking your body weight in beer the nights you camp. Maneuvering in and out of a tent, loaded, on a freezing cold night is not fun!! Especially when you have to hover to do your thing, in the middle of the woods, balanced against a tree…if you’re lucky!
My family went camping when I was about 16 for a week. We did some smaller camping trips before that as well, but this was a big one. We had a good time, I guess…but camping is not my first choice unless it’s on a beach 😉