Have you
been on a trip with your nestlings to the great outdoors? We have been on a
number of day walks and overseas adventures but until last weekend hadn't
actually taken on the camping experience. Some might claim ours was not the most authentic version of camping as we weren't in a tent and were in fact quite comfortable, warm and dry but it was authentic enough for a first time.
So it was
with some trepidation, but also much excitement that we borrowed a caravan and
set off. We packed lots of warm clothes (including jackets, scarves, gloves, tights and bed socks!),
hiking boots and a few games in case of inclement weather. Our nestling also
took a journal to record the details of our trip and an iPad for photos.
After a 3-4
hour drive we arrived at the caravan park and located our site. Getting the
caravan in exactly the right spot, unhitched from the car and level, took a
little bit of time but eventually we were ready and could open the doors to our
home away from home. We set up the beds and, after hitting my head at least
three times on the overhead cupboards, treading on each other's toes and falling
over each other we headed out to explore.
With no-one
much around (obviously camping in the middle of Winter doesn't appeal to
everyone - who'd have thought!?) our nestling quickly identified the best
"tracks" (gravel paths), "cliffs" (a medium size rock) and
"caves" (small clearings among the trees). Unfortunately, there
weren't any other children around, but luckily our little one has a fabulous
imagination and was soon playing all sorts of fun games and leading us on
expeditions to the best bits of the caravan park.
After a bit
more exploration - made more fun by the fact it was getting dark and, even
though the park was well lit, a torch could be used to enhance the experience -
it was off to the local eatery for dinner. After dinner I went back to the
caravan while the others went on a nature walk to the beach.
When they
returned we grabbed our toiletry bags and headed to the amenities block to
brush our teeth. Then it was back to the caravan and into our pyjamas and sleeping bags for
a read and then sleep. Whilst there was almost no-one else in the park we still
had to put on boots and coats to trudge up to the amenities block (twice) in
the middle of the night so that was a bit of an ordeal, especially as it was so
cold and took a while to warm up again once you got back into bed.
After a
fitful night's sleep we headed to the amenities block again for a shower. This
actually wasn't as bad as I was expecting. The shower stalls were big, the
water was hot and strong and there was no-one else around. We cooked some toast
outside for breakfast but drew the line at coffee so I slipped to the shop for
the obligatory lattes!
We met up
with some friends from the US and all went for a walk along the wintery beach.
It was very cold but we were rugged up and spent hours walking, collecting
shells, inspecting the shoreline, drawing in the sand and talking non-stop
about any and everything. We heard great stories about the life stages of
lobsters, the native animals of North America, and saw some cheeky butcher
birds and other wildlife. Before we knew it the day was over and it was getting
dim. Reluctantly we parted company, had some dinner then returned to our
temporary home.
While I
tried to warm up in the caravan the others went on another night walk - the
highlight of which was seeing a shooting star. The following morning we managed
to fit in one more beach walk (whilst certain members of our party went on a
quad bike ride!) As well as collecting more shells and jumping over the rocks
to avoid the waves (not completely in my case, but luckily I had spare socks!)
we heard about camping in the US from our walking buddy. We listened avidly to
stories of stargazing, dodging bears and being "treed" by a moose.
Apparently this is not, as I thought being pinned to a tree, but rather being
forced to climb a tree to escape!
All too
soon it was over and time to pack up and drive home. What a great weekend we
had. We will definitely go again, hopefully soon, but maybe Summer might be
more pleasant - especially for those night time toilet trips!
I would
highly recommend taking your nestlings out for a trip whenever you can and with school holidays coming up now could be the perfect time. Whatever happens you are sure to come back with some great memories and stories
to share.
