This past weekend we were camping at Presqu'ile Provincial Park with my parents and friends from my church back home. We've been doing it for 21 years this year! (I haven't been to all of them, but the majority of them!). I'd like to share a brief (or as brief as I can make it) overview of my years family camping.
Childhood Years
We started out going to Balsam Lake Provincial Park and getting a group camp site and everyone would tent camp. It was so much fun as a kid. Those weekends are some of my favourite ones from my childhood. The camp site we used to get when I was a kid was surrounded by forest and lots of secluded spots, so we used to play in the woods and these secluded spots from the time we got up til the time we went to bed.
Granted, that was when we weren't down at the beach, which basically was most of the afternoon on Saturdays. My dad used to throw my sister and I over and over again in the water until he got too tired to throw us! And then we always had a football or another type of ball that we threw back and forth in the water, usually the dads with the kids. The campground used to have a chip truck that we would always go to in the afternoon and get french fries or ice cream as our Saturday afternoon treat.
We also used to play a ton of games, kids and adults alike! I remember playing hours of Dutch Blitz with 2 decks, meaning their were twice as many hands flying around! Playing the classics of Uno, Yahtzee, Skip-bo etc. And then there was Wizard. In this group, Wizard is a big deal, its the game that is played whenever this group got together, family camping or not. I can remember the adults playing it late into the night (ok, some of that may have been stories I heard) and then I remember learning how to play and getting to join games! I found this to be a big deal, as everyone always played and I wanted to be apart of it!
Then came the time when the kids started getting older and were able to have their own tents. Let me tell you, as a pre-teen, there is nothing more you want than having your own tent or sharing with a friend instead of your family! (no offence Mom, Dad or Keren!)
The worst memory of this is the vault toilet. Have you ever smelt one of those? Or tried to use one without breathing in or gagging? Let me tell you, it's not easy and it's not fun.
Years of Change/Teen Years
I only have vague memories of my teen years family camping, as the years sort of smooched all together, I forget what happened when. But I do remember that during this time I missed my first family camping *tear* and that while I was working at camp, my lifelong bud, Michael and I would either get picked up or train to and from family camping by a combination of Tim and Sabrina, my grandparents, and both our parents. As you can see, this was very important to both of us!
During this time we had to start trying other campgrounds as, Balsam wouldn't let us camp on the group camp site anymore due to the new park warden following the rules (they need to have X amount of children for X amount of adults...psh...).
Other campgrounds I remember:
Emily Lake Provincial Park - All I remember is that it was like 15 minutes away from home, so when Mom forgot the lunch meat, Dad was able to drive home to get it and the beach SUCKED! I'm sorry Emily Lake, but you are the last lake I want to swim in.
Sibbald Point Provincial Park - all I remember is that the group sites were almost right on top of each other, there was a large group of teens that came and blasted their music all day and night and I think this was when we had the fireban where the fire had to be put out by 9pm and "Fireman Doug" would put it out at the stroke of 9pm. I also believe that policeman Doug was working so he would go to work and come back to camp.
Fenelon Falls Campground - this one wasn't too bad, but there was no beach, only a pool and the group campsite had no shade, so it was sun 24/7 (or until the sun went down). We went there twice.
Finally after these not as fun experiences, we returned to Balsam on individual sites in the same area, as we all enjoyed Balsam the best and we could have water and electricity on each site. Now this was the beginning of a the end of true family camping I would say (i.e. no hydro, no water, vault toilets and sleeping on the ground in tents - which I'll admit this year, I caved into). Once we got our electricity and water, toasters, plugged in kettles and stereos were there, then my parents got one of those beds which raises them off the ground, then one couple got trailer, then my parents got a trailer - basically everyone got old and needed more comfort! It has changed the dynamic a bit and gave me a reason to bug my parents, which was is always needed, I think.
Presqu'ile Provincial Park
Enter the Presqu'ile years. Last year, my friend, Sabrina, and her family weren't going to be able to go family camping because they had to go to visit her in-laws in England for a family wedding, so we started talking and decided to plan a different weekend to go camping and look around for somewhere else to go. We found Presqu'ile, which had group campsites! We invited everyone who normally goes family camping and ended up having to family camping weekends! Not everyone could make it, but out of those who did, we found Presqu'ile to bring back the fond memories of the group campsites, being able to bond better and let the kids run around while the adults hang out. We decided that this would be our new home for now. This weekend we had our first "official" family camping weekend there, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. All these memories were coming back and I felt like we were better able to enjoy each others company, which I think was the whole point from the beginning!
Now one of the best things about Presqu'ile is the "Presqu'ile Wanderer". He likes to prowl at night to see what he can find, once he found a box of smore's fixings, which just kept bringing him back! While some are scared of him, others stand up to him and scare him away! Can you guess what he is?
Adult Years
Childhood Years
We started out going to Balsam Lake Provincial Park and getting a group camp site and everyone would tent camp. It was so much fun as a kid. Those weekends are some of my favourite ones from my childhood. The camp site we used to get when I was a kid was surrounded by forest and lots of secluded spots, so we used to play in the woods and these secluded spots from the time we got up til the time we went to bed.
Granted, that was when we weren't down at the beach, which basically was most of the afternoon on Saturdays. My dad used to throw my sister and I over and over again in the water until he got too tired to throw us! And then we always had a football or another type of ball that we threw back and forth in the water, usually the dads with the kids. The campground used to have a chip truck that we would always go to in the afternoon and get french fries or ice cream as our Saturday afternoon treat.
We also used to play a ton of games, kids and adults alike! I remember playing hours of Dutch Blitz with 2 decks, meaning their were twice as many hands flying around! Playing the classics of Uno, Yahtzee, Skip-bo etc. And then there was Wizard. In this group, Wizard is a big deal, its the game that is played whenever this group got together, family camping or not. I can remember the adults playing it late into the night (ok, some of that may have been stories I heard) and then I remember learning how to play and getting to join games! I found this to be a big deal, as everyone always played and I wanted to be apart of it!
Then came the time when the kids started getting older and were able to have their own tents. Let me tell you, as a pre-teen, there is nothing more you want than having your own tent or sharing with a friend instead of your family! (no offence Mom, Dad or Keren!)
The worst memory of this is the vault toilet. Have you ever smelt one of those? Or tried to use one without breathing in or gagging? Let me tell you, it's not easy and it's not fun.
Years of Change/Teen Years
I only have vague memories of my teen years family camping, as the years sort of smooched all together, I forget what happened when. But I do remember that during this time I missed my first family camping *tear* and that while I was working at camp, my lifelong bud, Michael and I would either get picked up or train to and from family camping by a combination of Tim and Sabrina, my grandparents, and both our parents. As you can see, this was very important to both of us!
During this time we had to start trying other campgrounds as, Balsam wouldn't let us camp on the group camp site anymore due to the new park warden following the rules (they need to have X amount of children for X amount of adults...psh...).
Other campgrounds I remember:
Emily Lake Provincial Park - All I remember is that it was like 15 minutes away from home, so when Mom forgot the lunch meat, Dad was able to drive home to get it and the beach SUCKED! I'm sorry Emily Lake, but you are the last lake I want to swim in.
Sibbald Point Provincial Park - all I remember is that the group sites were almost right on top of each other, there was a large group of teens that came and blasted their music all day and night and I think this was when we had the fireban where the fire had to be put out by 9pm and "Fireman Doug" would put it out at the stroke of 9pm. I also believe that policeman Doug was working so he would go to work and come back to camp.
Fenelon Falls Campground - this one wasn't too bad, but there was no beach, only a pool and the group campsite had no shade, so it was sun 24/7 (or until the sun went down). We went there twice.
Finally after these not as fun experiences, we returned to Balsam on individual sites in the same area, as we all enjoyed Balsam the best and we could have water and electricity on each site. Now this was the beginning of a the end of true family camping I would say (i.e. no hydro, no water, vault toilets and sleeping on the ground in tents - which I'll admit this year, I caved into). Once we got our electricity and water, toasters, plugged in kettles and stereos were there, then my parents got one of those beds which raises them off the ground, then one couple got trailer, then my parents got a trailer - basically everyone got old and needed more comfort! It has changed the dynamic a bit and gave me a reason to bug my parents, which was is always needed, I think.
Presqu'ile Provincial Park
Enter the Presqu'ile years. Last year, my friend, Sabrina, and her family weren't going to be able to go family camping because they had to go to visit her in-laws in England for a family wedding, so we started talking and decided to plan a different weekend to go camping and look around for somewhere else to go. We found Presqu'ile, which had group campsites! We invited everyone who normally goes family camping and ended up having to family camping weekends! Not everyone could make it, but out of those who did, we found Presqu'ile to bring back the fond memories of the group campsites, being able to bond better and let the kids run around while the adults hang out. We decided that this would be our new home for now. This weekend we had our first "official" family camping weekend there, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. All these memories were coming back and I felt like we were better able to enjoy each others company, which I think was the whole point from the beginning!
Now one of the best things about Presqu'ile is the "Presqu'ile Wanderer". He likes to prowl at night to see what he can find, once he found a box of smore's fixings, which just kept bringing him back! While some are scared of him, others stand up to him and scare him away! Can you guess what he is?
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| The Presqu'ile Wanderer (Note: not the actual one) |
Adult Years
Finally, just a short note about going camping now that I'm grown up and married. First thing, is that I love being able to having John come with me and join in on these weekends. This group of friends have been like a family to me, so I enjoy seeing him interact and join the group, but also just having him see a glimpse into my past. I feel like it helps us get to know each other better.
Also, it has been interesting to join the adult conversations which either bored me as a child, I was not around for or was not privy to. I can see that some of these relationships have changed, but for the better, as I enjoy hearing some of the things or jokes I've never heard some of them say and be slightly shocked. I'm seeing them less and less as so & so's mom or dad but as them for themselves, which I enjoy but also takes a little getting used to!
All in all, family camping is one of my favourite times of the year and I look forward to doing it for another 20+ years!
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