I will remember…
His thousands of questions on the ride up, how he asked to “see the d’rekshuns” over and over, and used the tourist map to guide us home…
The way neighboring campers treat you as… well, neighbors…
How people smile when they see little kids camping…
The mushrooms we watched growing day-by-day next to our site (there were no smurfs)…
Glowing coals, crickets chirping, and the sudden chorus of tree frogs late late at night…
Breakfasts al fresco. He still doesn’t eat anything. So much for fresh air stimulating the appetite…
Tempting the little “munk-chimp” to come try our breakfast…
Hot chocolate on cool mornings…
The toddler-sized fire ring… a screen house that couldn’t contain two little boys… and dirt everywhere!
Outdoor baths before bedtime… (for the kids!! not us!)…
How he couldn’t wait to get to the lake, then never went in… so unlike the last time we were here…
Picnics by the lake and running on the grass and digging rivers into the sand… promises of paddle-boating when he’s older…
Rumbles of thunder at night, and the slow, steady shushing of rain approaching…
Rain hard as bass drummers on the tent roof… and the inevitable pouncing of our toddler onto the air mattress that follows. Our poor baby waking to cry out into the night – on the wrong side of the playard – facing the storm…
That four people really can fit on a “queen” air mattress… and we actually slept some…
How I tried to wake our oldest up to look at the impossibly brilliant frozen shower of stars in the night sky… but he was fast asleep at last…. maybe next year…
That I wished I”d taken more pictures…
How there’s so much more to see than what can be captured on camera… and some memories have to be just that…memories…
Good-bye, summer! You will be much missed. [Summer 2013]
Crunchy Beach Mama
Friday 6th of September 2013
Your park is beautiful. Your words make me want to join in the fun...but just a little. Don't think I want to go anytime soon. :)
Trisha W.
Thursday 5th of September 2013
Julie, I love your descriptive writing. Have you thought of printing out a Google map for A to follow along? When my parents gave us their old GPS my little boys loved to follow along. Before technology I had a small Atlas for my son to look through as we traveled. If he asked where we were we could find it on a map and show him. Thanks for bringing back my own memories.
Kathleen
Thursday 5th of September 2013
AWESOME post! Thanks for sharing. I LOVE to go camping and it seems like another activity that has somehow been put aside for the lame excuse of having a "busy life". =( I have fond memories and too few pics as well. Savor the time your boys are little, it really does FLY BY. My three (girls) grew up in what seems like a flash. They have memories of our camping trips also and THAT warms my heart. It's what it is all about; making LASTING, LOVING, FAMILY memories...
Bonnie
Wednesday 4th of September 2013
What great memories this brought back! I miss camping so much! Nothing is better than a weekend of dirt, sticky-s'more fingers, and sleeping on the ground! Really!
Carrie Phelps
Wednesday 4th of September 2013
What a great area! I raised my children in the Rutland area because we were able to ski Killington. I also lived in Dorset & worked in Manchester. You got to see some really pretty Vermont areas.