Hey friends! So today I'm going to catch you up on one of our adventures from this Summer. We took a weekend camping trip with the kids....and the dog! Now growing up, we were not a camping family. My first big camping experience was when I first met Paul and went camping with his family.
I had come to the conclusion that you are either born a camper or you are not.
I had come to the conclusion that you are either born a camper or you are not.
I was the latter.
We did a few other camping trips here and there but not much more.
We did a few other camping trips here and there but not much more.
Until this Summer when I gave it another shot.
Ella and Luke had been asking to go camping all Summer, so we found a great spot close to home and planned for a 2 night stay. We live very close to SpragueBrook Park, which is a beautiful state park with some great bike trails and campsites. Honestly when we booked it I figured worst case we can get back home in 20 minutes if it's a disaster!
The thing about camping is it seems so simple and inexpensive. I mean you are sleeping under the stars at the going rate of like $15 per night, although we splurged for the $30 site with electric (#coffeemaker). But by the time you gather all the stuff you need it seems far from simple. We had both mine and Paul's car packed with stuff!
We arrived on a Friday night after work and got busy "making camp".
The faces of two happy campers and one happy dog 😊
While we were setting up camp, Luke was already in his happy place collecting creatures.
We built a fire and got cooking some spider dogs for dinner.
I was a little concerned how sleeping with the dog was going to go. She does not sleep with us at home, so the kids thought it was the best thing ever to be sleeping with her. We had gotten new air mattresses and they were amazing! They sit high up off the ground and really felt like a mattress.
The night went smoother than I thought, with one exception.... we were freezing! We were up early and back by the fire, trying to warm up. Maddie was happy to help gather wood.
Freezing!
The kids wanted to mountain bike and we could not do that with the dog. So I took the dog with me and went home for a bit to get us all some warmer clothes and extra firewood. A perk of camping close to home. I also took a really nice hot shower in a really quiet house 😉
On my way back I stopped by a local poultry farm near the park and picked up some great Chicken BBQ for our lunch.
And we all spent the afternoon hiking the trails.
If you are local to the Buffalo area, you should put Spraguebrook Park on your list to visit. It is truly a beautiful park.
We made little pizza pockets for dinner in the coolest sandwich maker. And then attempted Jiffy Pop over the fire....that did not go too well!
Night 2 we slept much better thanks to some warmer gear, including Winter hats!
Although Luke was still freezing the next morning! Ha!
We had breakfast by the fire and then started packing up to head home. It was a quick trip, but the kids were already asking when we could go again. While I may not have been born a "camper", it really is an amazing experience for the family. It's a great time to disconnect from the day to day, explore nature and just "be". The kids loved the freedom of riding their bikes around camp, meeting kids at the playground and of course sleeping with the dog.
We may have found a new little family tradition.😉
Have a great Wednesday! See you soon, there is always room for one more at our family table.
xoxo
Genevieve
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