It’s time for the latest installment of “Let’s Go Camping!” on Suburble, and this one is going to feature the highlights (and the lowlights) of our very first camping trip of this year. I know that I promised that the next post in the series would be a tour of my super-organized and completely efficient trailer set-up… but…well…. I’m still ironing out some of the wrinkles.

I think you can see what I mean. Our camping “footprint” was a bit larger than I anticipated. I promise to do a Trailer Tour soon, though. It’s coming along!

Colourful plastic litter aside, this is our trailer set-up. You may notice a lack of dirt and wildlife in this photo. This is because we went resort camping for our first trip. Resort camping is sometimes “poo-pooed” by the more traditional camping set, but to them, I say, “Pffttt… you poop in a hole in the ground, and I will flush. To each his own…”

Resort camping isn’t the only way we camp – we stay in Provincial and State parks in both Canada and the US. Those sites, for the most part, are decidedly more woodsy than a resort-style campground. However,  resort camping has its perks that cannot be denied. There are amenities like flush toilets and showers for people over 5’6″ (have you seen how tiny trailer shower stalls are?). Oftentimes, there are camp stores and restaurants. There are pools and kids’ programs. There are power and water hook-ups at each site (fab-u-lous, in my opinion!).

Some of the perks of this particular campground were:

The  playground – it was a the perfect size for our 4-and-under set.

With sand that was perfect for digging and scooping. We camped with our friends, Callista and her family from A is for Apple, B is for Ball, C is for Cocktail

This campground was next to a working river – not suitable for frolicking near or swimming in.

There were walking trails, with lots of nice places to stop and take in the view.
I’m checking out another view here… studly Hubby.

The picnic table was something that we brought along (and it was worth the space in the trailer). The girls coloured and played with stickers together while escaping the hot afternoon sun. It’s pretty awesome to be doing art in the great outdoors.

However, some other things don’t always go as smoothly in the great outdoors. I mentioned in my previous Let’s Go Camping! post that sleep was a bit of an issue last year. Welllll…. I’d say it’s about 25% better this season. So all in all, I’d give it 45/100. An F. Sleep was definitely F ‘ed. Oh, I’m punny.

The girls are not accustomed to sleeping in the same space. I’m actually considering practicing this skill at home – impromptu slumber party, anyone? – in order to prepare for the next trip. Each kid had to be put to bed separately, and if that meant that one kid fought sleep in the trailer, then the other would be wide-eyed and enjoying the grown-up talk around the campfire until it was WAY past bedtime.

Lucy was also a particular breed of pain-in-the-neck when it came to wake-ups. One morning, she woke at 5:30 in the morning. Five thirty. Not awesome. I slipped into bed next to her and reminded her that it was still nighttime. She fell back asleep, but her dreams must have been about judo or cock-fighting or running an obstacle course. I was bruised and kinked by the time seven o’clock rolled around.

Despite the sleep issues that plagued us, Hubby and I could not deny how much fun the girls were having in the daytime. They stayed outside from morning to bedtime. They ran, screamed, leaped, jumped, and laughed all day long.

We played together. And there were less tantrums and arguments than any day cooped up in our house.

In place of that? A lot of fun.

The Suburble Family Maiden Voyage was all-in-all, a success. We’re working on planning our next trip, but for now, I’ve got to get to work on my Trailer Tour. I know that you’re dying to see where I stack my Corelle plates and how I organize dishcloths in a giant cabinet that has no shelves and no walls dividing it from the next six cabinets.

I’m serious. Who designs these units?

Don’t want to miss any of the next Let’s Go Camping! posts? Follow along!