Why Our Family Loves to Camp

One of the favorite things that we do as a family is to CAMP!!! We absolutely love it and hope to do it for years to come. When we were young my husband and I both tent camped, but when the kids came along I decided that those days were over. If he wanted me to camp, there had to be an RV involved! We purchased a used travel trailer 4 years ago and spent time and money making it our own.

We enjoy short weekend camping trips, and have also been gone for up to 2 weeks on a vacation. Since we live in Missouri, we have stayed in some of our beautiful state parks, and we also have a couple of county owned campgrounds that we like. Our trailer has taken us to southern Missouri, Minnesota, Oklahoma, Iowa, and Texas. We still enjoy staying in a hotel on occasion, when we use my husband’s points from his work travels. It’s always fun, but here are some of the reasons that we LOVE camping!!

• No loading and unloading all of our stuff into the hotel – its a bit easier now that the kids are old enough to carry their own bags, but it still takes a few trips

• It’s a house on wheels, so we have all of our own things to use, our own bathroom, and a familiar mattress to sleep on with our sheets and pillows.

• It provides a way to cook our own food. This allows for healthier options, less eating out, and endless drinks and snacks. We are able to save a lot of money, because we don’t make purchases at convenience stores…..just hop back to the camper and grab what we want.

• Camground fees are only a fraction of the cost for a hotel room, so it allows us to have a longer vacation.

• We love enjoying nature while we smell the fresh air with the open window, or curl up under a blanket with the heater going. Some of our favorite activities are hiking, fishing, swimming, boating, and biking.

• I must admit that when we camp in the summer, one of our favorite things is our air conditioner. You don’t get that when you tent camp!!

• Camping provides ample opportunities for family bonding. We spend time outdoors, but we also play games and watch movies together.

• Observing animals is also a favorite. We can sit inside and watch the squirrels scamper about, or watch the birds flying in the sky. At one particular campground, we have very friendly raccoons. They make themselves at home while stealing our food, but they often come very close!

• Sitting by the campfire and roasting hot dogs and smores is at the top of the list

• Getting away from the busy city and being able to look up at the stars or watching the sunset makes camping a relaxing and rejuvenating option.

I understand that camping isn’t for everyone. It takes lots of planning and attention to detail. I pray that my family and I have many years left to enjoy our camping trips.