The Great Camping Road Trip

We are back!

Back from Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore.

Back from Mammoth Cave National Park.

Back from the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

And back from a week-long, camping road trip that included one flat tire, a kind Kentucky state trooper, a cantankerous old lady, dozens of ticks and an abundance of family bonding.

Some people are surprised I even attempted the trip. A 1500+ mile road trip and a week of camping, alone with 4 boys?? But you know what? Life is simpler on the road.

On the road, we only had each other, and without our external obligations and distractions, we reconnected as a family. (Don't think we abandoned our electronics, though. I highly recommend iPad-, iPod and laptop-use during long road trips!) For one week, all we had to do was survive and experience the wonders of the world. 

Now that we're back home, I'm a bit overwhelmed by all the stuff that's a part of our normal lives. Here, I have an entire house -- 2 toilets, 2 staircases, multiple rooms and all kinds of furniture and accessories -- to care for. When we were camping, we had 5 folding chairs and a tent. (Well, two tents. Boy #1 preferred to sleep in his pup tent) Here, I have an entire kitchen, fridge, freezer and local grocery store. Camping, we dined on what we had in our cooler and carry-along tote. Here, we each have more clothes than we need, and sooner or later, it all ends up in the laundry. Camping, we wore clothes again and again, and no one minded.

Back home, I wonder about the ways we complicate our lives, adding in more stuff than we can ever need, even as I realize that I'll do little to change it. I may make attempts to whittle down clutter, but let's face it: I'm not going to give up my house or modern conveniences, and I'm certainly not going to ask the boys to give up their recreational activities, just so we can have some family down time. I may be tempted, but I know that we've carefully considered these decisions again and again. I know that our regular, modern lives include an awfully hectic schedule, lots of juggling and a ton of supportive friends and family members.

For one week, though, it sure was nice to get back to the basics.

What did you do while I was gone? Do you have any camping or road trips planned this summer?

Back

It's good to step away from the computer.

Last week, I took my four boys camping in northern Wisconsin. It was a first for us, in a way -- our first long-term camping trip. (If you can call five days long term. Since I was alone with four boys, I declare that you can!). It was also a first in that it was probably the longest any of us have been without screen, TV or computer in, oh, about five years.

Sad, isn't it?

We've gone up North (Up Nort', as my fellow Wisconsinites tend to say) for years, but in years past, we've rented a cabin. And in years past, we've always packed along my laptop computer. In case of rain, we said. You know, so the kids could watch a DVD instead of driving us crazy. And generally, they did. I also had a bad habit of bringing it out to do "just a little work," while their Dad pulled it out at night to play Solitaire.

But last week, camping on a simple, non-electric site in a state forest, we had no electricity. My laptop -- still infected with a virus it caught over a month ago -- remained home. And you know what? We had fun. We biked. We hung out at the lake. We played mini-golf, went go-karting and toured the area. We spent time around the campfire. (Did you know that 1) boys are more likely to eat food cooked over a campfire and 2) more likely to remain in the vicinity while you cook if you cook over a campfire?) Five days without TV, computers or Wii, and no one missed it.

Ok, not no one. Boy #4 *did* pretend my back was a TV while biking behind me down the trail.

Have you gone screen-free, even for a short time? How did it work out for your family?