The camping trips I remember from my childhood bring back incredible memories. My father is a minister and one of the infrequent Sundays he consistently took off was the Sunday after Thanksgiving. We always camped over the long weekend at a campground named "S Tree" in Jackson County, Kentucky. The weather varied, of course, over the two decades of holidays we enjoyed. Our family of five was joined by another family of five, and all the kids matched up! There was a large, well-constructed shelter at the campground where we spent the majority of our time, reading, playing games, talking. Our Thanksgiving dinners were most often grilled steaks will all the trimmings; I did not attend a formal "turkey" Thanksgiving until I was in my early twenties!

Think about it 30 minutes is a LONG time when everything is supposed to be quiet. Put some music on that you hate and sit on the porch and listen for a half an hour, When you just want to relax- It is a long time!! I say no No NO!!! Not in a non electric campground, If it doesn't use AA, C or D batteries it shouldn't be there, My opinion only!! LOL The news is on the radio if necessary and my light work with battery or Kerosene But who cares about news when you are on a vacation? Not me!! I am not trying to make you feel bad but to think about the people who choose to camp without all the fancy stuff. You can camp however you are most comfortable and maybe I should move farther into the woods!! LOL

When I was about 8 1/2 months pregnant with our oldest, my DH decided it would be a good idea to go camping. Reluctantly, I agreed since we were only going about 20 miles from our home. The campground was primitive, with only one set of restrooms (I use that term loosely!). Naturally, being pregnant and close to popping, in the middle of the night, I had to pee. That's when it hit me that my DH had picked a campsite clear across the campground from the restroom. No way was I taking that walk by myself, so I woke him up, and made him come with me. Every so often I remind him of that! Mostly though, our experiences with camping and our kids were so much fun. I made it clear from the start that it was my vacation too, so the chores were equally shared. We've been looking at pop-ups, my back can't take the ground anymore. Would love to be able to go again.

We went a couple of times a year for years, preferred San Simeon, Ca. It's what I'd called civilized, didn't bother me not to rusticate!! Pay Showers, mostly clean B rooms, Grass, Trees/shade, easy to get along w/Rangers. Whoever wanted to tag along was welcome, sometimes up to 30 ppl all ages, pitched in on food and fees. 3-4 days at a time, load up the trucks and lets go, tried to caravan over, so much easier when all were there to pitch in setting up. Mostly the Guys cooked, Real Breakfast, what ever you could find for lunch and everything from fried fish to tri tip for dinner, sometimes a pot af noodles. If you didn't like what was being served, town was that-a-way, all were present most meals. We'd end up looking like the "Grapes of Rath" Can't imagine why the neighbors, all set there chairs looking in our direction, waffle ball, or line dancing in the road (very bad dancers) but great fun !!!
Most memorable was a weekend where the dates had changed several times, Went over all set up then came the rain, tents collapsed, cups in air mattresses, filled with water, we stood under 2 canopies throwing things at each other most of the afternoon, "want a soda sure catch wet marshmallo anyone" cleared just enough to get the fire dry and hot enough to cook on that night, umbrellas took lots of trips to the restrooms. never had rubber boots before then, not so bad and great fun!!
Funny part was the weekend we were suppose to go they ended up with 8 inches of rain ours was much less!!

We used to camp out in a tent quite a lot when my kids were very little. However, when my youngest son raced BMX bikes (ages 9–17), we traveled and tented at the various tracks... That is until one time at the Pittsburgh BMX Track when a storm came in... lightning struck the metal flagpole, jumped to the starter gate and metal fence surrounding the track, knocking people to the ground, and wind blew away our tent. No one was seriously injured, but it was an eye opener for us. We decided right then and there to continue the BMX bike tour going from motel to motel, where we got much better sleep, and didn't have to worry about the weather. Thanks for helping me remember those fun times.

Funny how that works out, huh? lol We get to do all the packing, cooking, etc and then get to 'undo' when we get home. How much fun is that? One time we had been traveling all day in our motor home and found a state park to spend the night at a campsite. We cranked up the generator as I prepared supper, a knock came on the door and a woman had the audacity (?SP) to ask us if we were going to run the generator all nite! DUH, Im sorry, its a National Park- for everybody. Who made her the campground police? It was an area clearly marked for campers and motor homes! Some people can ruin it for all.

In a state park where usually there is electricity anyway I don't care if people run their generators but that is why I go to a rustic campground with none of that is available, I go to enjoy nature and get away from the noises of everyday life. They did finally make all the dirt dike campers move to a certain area away from the families with small children, I love camping but I love the peace and quiet of it the most. Silly me!

When our girls were teenagers we took a week camping trip to southern Indiana. We were camping in tents and it rained every day most of the day until our last day. We spent our days in a screened in tent. Needless to say, we were glad when it was time to go home.

Our best was a vacation to in Glacier National Park where we hiked the many trails. It is beautiful and it could not have been better.

I remember the days of camping when I was younger. We did tent camping, then when I got married we bought a tent and took our 3 daughters. NO TV, radio. Showed them how to fish, make a fire, and had loads of fun. Now that they are grown and married we bought a used 5th wheel trailer and husband and I go with with several different friends and have a blast just sitting around a campfire at night, walking trails and literally doing nothing. DD and SIL also borrow the trailer and camp..

This sounds almost exactly like my camping experience except we had 4 small children that had to be watched and bathed and dressed and entertained. DH is OCD and I had to keep the campsite and the travel trailer in a certain order. I decided that camping just wasn't for me, now when DH wants to go camping with the grands I go along and stay at a local hotel and the kids that don't like the bugs and "camping" experience come stay with me at Nanna's campsite.

We decided to take a tenting trip to Lake George, NY. The first night at a campsite in VT we thought it would be smart to put the tent under the trees because it was raining. Well it poured all night on our tent, even after the rain stopped, because it came off the trees. Then I got the intestinal flu and had to hike 30 times to the bathroom through the woods that I was sure contained a bear about to eat me. We were city folk then. The next night we arrived in NY and picked out the nearest motel and never looked back but still joke about our camping adventure. I should mention I had two young ones in diapers at the time as well.

when we first got married, we tent camped all the time, loved it. then 12 yrs later started a family.. would go camping a little, was fun.. kids got to busy with summer sports quit going for a while.. thought we'd start back up 2 yrs ago.. hubby went all out. big beautiful camper with a/c. sleeps 10. so we load up the 8 kids we still have at home and headed out.. I went that weekend and quit. talked the hubs into going a few times more with the boys.. Then he quit...haha too much work. would rather be at home where I can send them to their rooms or somewhere not right up my rear.. maybe when we are empty nesters...not that I see that for a long time..

That's a lot of kids! I think the most we camped with was 5 kids, one being just a baby. I have such fond memories of those trips though...we've played croquet in amongst the trees, we've played hide and seek at night and sung around the camfire and have played lots of card and board games that got everyone laughing and having a great time! It's quieter going with just DH, but just as enjoyable...am looking forward to many more outdoor memories before I'm done!

Camped for many years when I was married.
Tent to pop-up to 21 ft. travel trailer.

Camping now is MOTEL, A/C, & restaurants.

We used to take our 2 boys camping and really enjoyed it. We started out with a tent. I was young enough then to just enjoy the weather, whatever it was. Then we went through 2 pop-ups and a motor home. We now have a 33 foot travel trailer with full kitchen, bath, and AC. We have a ball camping. Just the two of us! Now and then we take DGK.

Don't be concerned about us running our generator near you, Donna. As I said, we rarely go to primitive campgrounds. In fact, it has been at least 15 years since we've been in a place without hookups. Even there we get inconsiderate folk who start their big diesels at 7 A.M., and don't leave till 9! By then, I'm not only awake, I'm barely able to breathe. We all have our problems when camping.

Camping! Love it. Leaving this weekend for a 4 day camping trip - just hubby and I...still doing the tent thing.

Years ago, when the kids were little, we also camped with our beloved Basset Hound. Poor thing. She was perplexed by the whole experience but we took her along anyway. Best memory I have is of her curled up in the tent sound asleep while we could hear racoons rummaging around outside right where she was sleeping...of course, she just slept through the whole thing :) Not much of a watch dog, but we loved her anyway!

Of course we do, I am sure my kids and my grand kids annoyed the heck out of people. It is just a pet peeve I have!! LOL In fact one of our best camping friends was one that ran their generator, That is how we met!! It is still our joke!! I wasn't rude just asked him what time he was going to turn it off! LOL He had forgotten it was even on! There are only 17 spots in the part of the campground we camp in There are a lot more farther from the lake. Sometimes we have to sacrifice for where we want to camp. I just called my son to OK a site I may be able to get in the morning. Our Pop Up is toast so it is back to the tent this year. Oh Oh that means breakfast over the campfire!! I wish every one could have camping experiences we sure have a lot of great memories and have made a lot of great friends!!

Oh the memories of camping. From a very young age up until about six years ago. My favorites times are when we were older and brought out our guitars. Seemed as though the whole campground would find there way to our site to sing by the campfire. Met so many wonderful people camping. I am still friends with someone that I met 40 plus years ago while camping.

My DH and I went on a back pack trip in the higher parts
of Yosemite Valley on our honeymoon!! That started the
whole thing for our long marriage. He was more than willing
to do most of the work just to be able to go camping.

The very worst trip we took was when our older kids were
visiting family, and our 4 year old was with us. It was in
Nevada at a camping spot. Of course my husband had brought
everything, but I forced him to leave the kitchen sink at home.
During the night it started raining, and rained and rained for days. We woke to our son's delighted yells that he was going swimming. Needless to say, 2 inches of water was running through our tent. That's when I thanked DH for bringing his latest toys, 3 small fold up Army cots. We stayed in that tent
so long that our son grew bored with fairy tales and we started
on what he says he still remembers, the magic of the old Greek gods. I wonder still if he confuses them even now, with them hurling thunder bolts at each other and doing whatever magic things they did, all the while sloshing through deep water!!

It was so bad that on the same road we came in on a huge bolder slid down and pushed a car into the lake, driver not found
till some time later. We never went back to that place!! Though I'll admit that DH's constant lists were handy things to have when you're distracted with getting ready to go camping. Once our garage freezer somehow got unplugged, with a lot of just bought meats and fresh frozen fruits I laboriously fixed for winter. We stopped storing pup tents near where they would fall over near the plug-in. But now it's fun to remember all the fun and love we had as a family, and the kids, now grandparents themselves, claim to remember our family life with love.

Broke Foot.....this is how I did it. . . On June 11, 2010 My husband & I went in our fairly new camper trailer, pulled it only 35 miles from home. We enjoyed it for 2 days, on the 3rd day one of my daughters brought our 4 yr. & 12 yr. grands. Only 3 min. after they arived, I stepped out the camper & POW....I was so excited to have the grands there & rushed out the camper and missed the bottom step! OUCH, I broke my ankle in 3 places, One plate, 10 screws, & a WHOLE lota money later I am casted in neon pink with rhinestones. I don't even feel like quilting. Pretty bad hu!
I would say this was the worst for me. The best time has to be, every other time.

well one year my mom wanted to go canping really bad. SOOOO i talked my Dh into taking her . But she didn't want to hike, fish , grill outdoors. she just wanted to sta inside and play cards. My Dh was bummed out . He treated her wonderful but said never again :)

Hehehe... I'm the wrong person to ask. I do my very best camping in the nearest Marriott. :lol:

My husband and I just had our worst. We had been seeing carpenter ants all evening, the first evening. When we went to put the sheets on the bed, we saw a few more, then more, then more. My husband started digging further kind of under the mattress, and he said "Oh my gosh." Then, "OH MY GOSH!!" The bed was absolutely infested with carpenter ants. Thousands of them.

We have a sleep number mattress in our RV. We had to take the mattress completely apart. Then we had to take the platform that it sits on completely apart. Then we did battle FOR HOURS vacuuming them up, spraying, shaking things out, until we finally went for five minutes without seeing any more. Then we put things all back together. Only then, at 2:00 a.m. were we able to go to sleep.

I thought I might have the creepy crawlies all night, but I didn't. And it seems that we completely defeated them in that night. We saw maybe half a dozen more over the week, but now none. Definitely the worst camping trip ever.

My worst camping trip was in the San Juan Islands. My dad took all us of Me, my sister, brother, step brother and step sister, along with the wicked step mother (LOL), to Turn-Around Island. It's a VERY SMALL island off close to Friday Harbor. The 'beach' was rock covered. The only thing on the island was an out house a LONG ways into the woods. My dad pitched the tent. That night it rain as only it can rain in July in Washington. My brother kept getting up during the night and moving around waking me up periodically and of course annoying my (I was 15 yrs old). In the morning we all woke to about 5 inches of rain inside the tent! My dad had put a plastic canvas under the tent but left it sticking out all the way around the tent about a foot and a half. Of course he and step mom were nice and drive as they had the cushions from the bow of the boat. We loaded up all the camping supplies and put them on the boat only to go out about 200 feet from the island so my dad could "whip" my step brother - WHO totally deserved it is all I can remember. That ended our camping trip. We spent hours at the laundry in Friday Harbor washing and drying out sleeping bags and then moved to the youth hostel for the remainder of the trip. I still don't camp to this day and that story is from the early/mid 80s.

Gives me the shivers just reading your story.

Me too ... Did a picnic not long ago about 30 min in to putting somthing on the table were overran... decided to try somthing rather than worry on it, brushed them off, followed the trail and fed them down stream of where we were, little later they were all off the table, munching much closer to their home. Couldn't believed it worked !!
Glad you scared'em off !!! :)

When I was a kid we had a cabin in the Sierra Nevada Mountains outside the tiny town of Markleeville, CA. No TV, radio or phone, but we did have hot and cold running water, tiny bathroom, two bedrooms and an upstairs loft. It was heaven! A few miles down a dirt road was a rustic hot springs swimming pool with moss growing on the sides and bottom, usually a lovely 102-105 degrees...perfect for a bit of a sit every night before bed, even in a howling blizzard where we all wore broad-brimmed hats to keep the snow off our heads!

Camping for us (never knew there was any other kind when I was growing up) was backpacking in the Sierras, definitely roughing it cuz anything you wanted you had to pack in and pack the trash out! Ah, those freeze-dried meals! The first night we always ate well - frozen steaks that were thawed by the time we got where we were going.

Those were the days!

Hung out at Edison Lake some years ago, yukie drive, but nice once you were there, one afternoon were hanging out at Mono hot springs, it started raining w/lightning, Hot bubblin water, cold beer, light show, what more could you ask for... Told Mom about it later, she said TG he watches out for children and fools. Kind of amazing we made it to adulthood !! :)

I made many camping trips but there is always one,you never forget, I left with a girl friend,a pup tent for which the poles had been replaced by cut hockey sticks and the ropes by sisal rope, Our first night at Crawford Notch N.H, we set the tent in a depression, it started raining during the night so we had to move in the car, When we woke up the next morning, the car was surrounded by the other campers worrying what had happened to the two French Canadians girls.We were treated with an excellent breakfast and lots of advice. Campers and quilters are very similar, always ready to help you

I love to camp, do it quite often and have for much of my life. Many experiences, good and not-so good. I love all your stories, please keep them coming. I'll share some of mine later. I need to get on my exercise machine then do some laundry and making quilt blocks for a swap before I can do that though.

We loved camping and RVing with our kids as they were growing up. They are now looking forward to doing the same when they start families.

I've always thought if a family is having trouble, they should go camping together. Leave all the electronics and financial worries at home and just learn to enjoy each other - playing cards, biking/hiking, cooking over the campfire and sharing stories from long ago. Nothing is better!

I'm with some of the others...my idea of roughing it is a motel without turn down service! ;) :lol: That being said...my ex decided our honeymoon would be a backpacking trip five miles UP a mountain in Colorado...complete with 45 pound packs on our backs to stay for a week. NOT a good plan....

William loves camping, fishing, hunting, etc. In an effort to compromise, I told him that I would NOT go camping in a tent anymore...I'm just too old to be able to sleep on the ground anymore...but if we could get a camper, that I'd go...providing that I didn't have to spend the weekend eating hotdogs and hamburgers...so now we have a little 17 Starcraft Hybrid... It's a hardsided camper with foldouts on each end that cover with canvas for the beds...has a potty and shower, stove, oven, double sink....cute little thing!! It's no big motorhome, and it doesn't have A/C (yet!) but I actually like the thing! We take dutchovens and have a huge dinner party every year...invite all of our friends and family for dinner...and usually cook stuff like a cranberry glazed pork loin with rice pilaf...orange/honey/ginger glazed turkey breast with wild rice...pulled pork enchiladas with green chili sauce....that kind of "stuff"...all done in cast iron dutchovens with charcoal briquets...we usually end up with anywhere from 12 to 24 people for dinner...

This has been an amusing topic! :lol:

We camp about twice a year in our pop-up, we all work equally hard setting up and taking down the camper. DD's love the freedom they get at the campground, as well as sitting around the campfire at night. We've camped for years and also former Girl Scouts & leader, so DD's take turns building the fire each night. We usually camp for a week and 1-2 of their friends will camp with us a day or two. Most of them have never been camping and just love it when they find out we're going, I figure it's something they'll always remember about our family. My 16 yr.old DD also puts the tent up in our backyard when her friends come to stay the night. They like that too, but miss the campfire.
A week of camping also makes you really appreciate your home & bed. :)

Camping to me is living it up in our 32 ft fifth-wheel camper with all the conveniences. We started with a pickup camper when the kids were little because that is all we could afford. Through the years we have owned several campers and enjoyed each one. The heat and a/c make it good for anytime of year. My way to camp!!

I practically grew up in a camper. My father was a career Marine, and so a lot of our equipment was Marine Corps green. I thought everybody's equipment looked like that. We traveled back and forth across the US four times moving from one place to another. Even now, decades later, I feel at home among the tall trees. We had a trailer that was sort of oval shaped, 12 feet long, 6 1/2 feet wide. There were four of us. We had a rule: "Only one person standing up at a time." It had an ice box. I slept in a little cot above my parents' bed. The dining room table slid out and the booth-style seats made into a bed for my older brother. No bathroom. My brother always said he was going to write an autobiography entitled "Fifty Yards to the Outhouse."

My husband and I started camping when our oldest was about 15 months. We camped every summer--tents and sleeping bags on the ground. I had a Coleman stove. We washed dishes in a plastic tub. No paper plates for us. We have great family memories of those days. I love thinking about our two boys sitting beside the water chucking rocks and listening to them go ker-plunk! The sound was higher or deeper depending on the size of the rock. When they were older, they skipped rocks across the surface.

When they were grown, we got our first fifth wheel trailer--a 27 footer. We did a lot of traveling. Now we are snowbirds and travel in a 32-foot fifth wheel. It has everything except a dishwasher. Very comfortable, and we can actually stand up in the bedroom. We still love traveling. We keep it fully loaded with everything but food so that we can leave in about an hour's time.

Hey Up North, we need to go camping together. I promise not to run the generator unless we want to use the sewing machine! We went with our son and his kids and their spouses to Tallulah Falls in north Georgia last fall. They all had tents, and pitched them around the Big White Bus like little chickens. We had a great time, had electric and water. The morning we left, the sky opened up and about 2 inches of rain fell in 10 minutes. They all gathered inside, and decided to get pop ups the next time! They did get their tents down before the downpour, but trying to get them packed up they all got soaked. It took me 2 days to get all the mud out, but it was worth it. Except for one's little terror of a dog who lifted his leg on my sofa! He is not welcome in the house either for the same reason! Do you take a dog?

My worst experience was when we went to the Sierra's and my husband wanted to sleep under the stars. Well, it was freezing!!!!!! When I woke up we had 2 inches of snow on our sleeping bags. The only thing that kept me warm was my dog that was sleeping inside my sleeping bag at my feet. It was horrible. I think I had every piece of clothing on that I brought. I even wrapped a jacket around my head.

My hubby and I just got back from an 11-day camping trip. We had a blast! Hated to come home. He will be able to retire in about 10 years...now we can't wait for that so we can go more often and for longer periods of time. We have always camped where there were no people, no toilets, etc...really roughing it. Now we go where there are toilets and take along our shower bag and pop up shower and port a potty in case there aren't any where we stop. Glad you still find it fun, I know we always will! :)

I remember going on fishing trips with my dad and one or two of my brothers. Mom did not like camping at all, so she always stayed home. We had an old homemade pickup camper and stayed in some of the primitive parks in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. No electricity, water was a hand pump and the outhouses were the kind where you took a breath before getting too close, held it while speedily doing your business, and gasping for air as soon as you could get away from it. The joys of standing in ice cold water up to your waist with leaky chest waders and dipping out tiny fish (smelt) in the middle of the night. Then having to clean the little critters! But oh so good, rolled in flour and fried in butter until crispy. Another time, I drove up separately and slept in the back of my car. I had a Pinto hatchback. Much quieter and could sleep better as my dad snored very loudly.