Years ago....before kiddos.....Steve and I enjoyed going to the mountains and camping for the weekend. We attempted it once after Brooklynn was born, and it was a disaster. Brooklynn was a year-and-a-half and constantly fell over the rocky terrain, and she was too scared to sleep in the tent, so we packed it up after a half-night's sleep and never looked back.
With the kids getting older I wanted to start camping again. I knew 3 kids in a tent would ruin us all, so I have been nagging Steve for the last 2 years that I wanted to buy a pop-up camper. I think he thought I lost my mind, but I assured him it'd be a great purchase and the kids would love it. Plus, I would get to sleep in a bed rather than the hard ground on a tent.
We finally found some time to look for a camper and do a little research. Luckily we found the perfect match on craigslist - a newer camper with the seller living close (and he was really nice, which always helps). So we bought the camper with no hitch, no knowledge of campers, and 3 girls that were ecstatic to start using it immediately!
Our first camping weekend was over Father's Day. The girls couldn't wait! We spent the week before preparing - packing the camper, practicing towing, and cooking ahead. We decided we'd drive outside Ft. Collins to the Poudre River. We found a spot and started unloading right away.
The first day we spent the afternoon at the playground (a nice amenity now) before cooking dinner and starting a fire. The girls loved searching for the fire wood!
Is this stick good enough to roast marshmallows?
Thankfully they were all scared of the fire, so we didn't have any close calls.
The next morning we woke up, had breakfast, and set out for our first family hike. Adaley was packed away in the backpack, but the big girls were on their own. They were awesome! We did a 2-mile hike up a steep incline with amazing views of the Poudre. We were shocked at how well they did!
We spent the afternoon, again, at the playground and hiking around the river. When it was time to search for the sticks, we decided we'd cut our own fire wood. Even Chandler got in on the action!
Back at it roasting marshmallows!
As we looked around the campground there were mostly RVs - some houses on wheels. We had a few neighbors we only saw a few times. Only a few campfires! We realized many families were staying in their campers, watching TV, relaxing in their A/C, eating at their tables. It was sad to see. Is this what camping has become? The amenities of the camper are great to have with kids - a running sink, a table to play games on out of the intense sun, and a bed that is somewhat comfortable. But the best part is being together and getting outside to enjoy beautiful Colorado. It was the best time we've all had together in a long time - right up there with Disney World.
As soon as we got home we started planning the next trip, hoping to really get good use of the camper!
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