It can be hard these days to find a destination for a cheap vacation. With both people and places still struggling to recover from the credit crunch you may not have the money to splurge on a trip. With a combination of hotel costs, restaurant prices and entertainment, spending can get out of hand pretty quickly. The other problem with this kind of vacation is that everyone wants to do their own thing, so instead of coming together as family you may find yourself pulled in a thousand different directions. For people looking to vacation cheaply and bond as a family, camping is an excellent option.
One of the great things about camping is it can be done literally anywhere. Sure to truly be at one with nature you may have to venture out into the middle of nowhere, but for a family just looking to spend some time together there are campsites dotted all over the place. In fact, if you live in a big city you may be surprised at just how close your nearest campground is.
Camping is a vacation experience that needs to be fully embraced to enjoy properly. If you decide that the family should go on a camping trip, make sure you go all out. An RV is allowed as a place to base yourself out of, but you are NOT camping if you spend all day in the forest before going to a hotel at night! Try to spend at least one night in a tent if at all possible. There is something about spending a night sleeping under the canvas that brings out the adventurer in a person. It is an experience everyone should be able to have, especially children.
Lakes are a great place to find a camp site. Make sure to look into borrowing or renting lake equipment, be it a boat or a jet ski. Take plenty of charcoal to take advantage of the barbeques that most campsites will provide. Sitting around a fire after a meal of hamburgers grilled over an open flame while sharing stories and quality time with family and friends is one of the greatest American traditions, and melting marshmallows for s’mores afterwards is a must.
The best aspect of a camping trip however, is the quality time you get to spend with people you love spending time with. There are no video games to distract the kids, and no work emergencies to distract the adults. It is just you and your family sharing stories and experiences together that will last a lifetime.
Photo via iPhotograph
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