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| Slow and easy does it–even on a quad! |
Happy New Year, everyone!
Holidays are a time for visiting. Families and friends get together to catch up on each other’s adventures during the previous year.
So it can be during camping trips. It’s easy to combine visiting family or friends who live in different states or even countries with your vacation plans. You build your camping trip around the parameters of the visit.
You must remember, though, that you can’t assume your relatives or friends will be able to accommodate your family. This much I know. I have seven. It is a burden to the hostess to expect her to provide shelter for your family. So when we visited my cousin in Michigan, we camped at Metamora-Hadley State Park. This is a beautiful park available even in the winter for cross-country skiing and snowshoeing. There’s a cross-country ski trek by candlelight on January 23!
We visited in the summertime and one evening our son—ever the fisherman—caught yellow perch and catfish in Lake Minnewanna. Ohmygosh! There is nothing like fresh fish prepared and eaten within an hour of catching. Since we were camping, we coated the fish with egg and crushed cornflakes. It’s true. When camping, there is no need to crush the cornflakes.
Camping and vacation are for trying new activities. This can be done while visiting friends and family, too. At my cousin’s home, she has over an acre of land…and an ATV. Immediately, six people lined up in her driveway to ride. Luckily my husband, who has a motor cycle license, decided not to get in line. It took memost of the afternoon to get my turn! The children enjoyed “driving” the ATV—albeit slowly—through a field complete with manmade hills and bumps. Yes, I drove slowly too. You couldn’t see all the moguls through the tall grass.
Another good reason to visit people when camping? Delicious food prepared by someone else…who has a full kitchen and oven at her disposal to bake homemade macaroni and cheese (my children’s favorite!), and whose husband has a fully operational barbeque grill that cooks in less than an hour what would take us days to cook on a propane stove, barbequed chicken, with zesty homemade sauce. We ate like we had been camping for two weeks eating only hot dogs and hamburgers prepared at the campfire or on a propane stove. Wait…we had been camping for two weeks by the time of our visit. Aside from our son’s fresh catch of the day, this meal was a godsend!
Visiting family and friends while on vacation can be beneficial for other reasons. No one knows an area like the locals. My cousin tipped us off about another great Michigan state park in the Upper Peninsula, the Tahquamenon Falls State Park. She pointed out that there was nothing like the tawny brown Tahquamenon Falls. And she was right! This state park is also open in winter for snowmobiling, cross-country skiing, and snowshoeing with breathtaking views. They’re having a snowshoe race in February!
I hope your holidays are full of family and friends and visiting. Enjoy!
I always look forward to your camping tales because I feel like I am there with you on your adventures.
I have never heard of fish being coated with egg and crushed cornflakes Victoria Marie – I assume it must taste OK?
I can see how difficult it must be for your relatives to feed 7 of you never mind accommodating you all, so camping is the ideal solution. To
Bill
http://www.walksintameside.co.uk
Thank you, Marie! It would have been nice to have an extra set of hands with my brood. All the best in 2016, my dear. Thanks for visiting my Camping with Kids blog and leaving a note.
Really, Bill? Do you coat your fish in any kind of batter before cooking? I usually use scrambled raw egg and then dip the fish into seasoned bread crumbs to bake. While camping my only choices of coating for the fresh fish was smashed…er…crushed corn flakes or powderized Cheerios. I chose the corn flakes. Of course the cereals didn't start out that way. It was all the miles of driving and the rummaging through supplies once the camper was set up and being lived in. Camping is the ideal solution when trying to see the world with 7 people. All the best in 2016, Bill. Thanks for visiting my Camping with Kids blog and leaving a note.
It does make it nice to visit family or friends on vacation, especially around the holidays. My holiday was nice. I hope yours was just as nice.
Beautiful, Michelle, just beautiful! Thank you for asking, and thank you for visiting my Camping with Kids blog and leaving a note. It is always appreciated. All the best in 2016, my dear!
Hope you had great holidays. Happy New Year!
Thank you so much, Nas! All the best to you in 2016. I hope your holidays were wonderful, just like you. Thanks for visiting Camping with Kids.
Teaching the kids to enjoy two of the greatest things in life, the outdoors and family. Will definitely be doing this as well when I have my own kids.
Recreation Space
Happy New Year, Lisa, and welcome to Camping with Kids. Yes, I am a firm believer of taking the family outdoors to enjoy this beautiful world of ours. Family is very important to us. All the best to you in 2016. I'm going to check out your Recreation Space and connect with you there. Thanks again for visiting Camping with Kids and leaving a note. It is greatly appreciated.