Ultimate Mother Daughter Camping Weekend

This summer we finally got back into camping, previous years there were always excuses – we were too busy, all the weekends were booked, my daughter was too young, I wasn’t ready to just camp with her alone. But this summer we just ignored all the excuses of previous years and booked a few weekends and went for it. Every camping weekend became the ultimate mother and daughter weekend – each one better than the last.

Together as a team we pitched our tent, set up our camp kitchen, and prepared meals together. Long evenings spent sitting at the picnic tables playing card games and just talking were a refreshing break from the usual at home – where we would spend more time looking at our computers and hand held devices than actually talking.

Camping with just the two of us was not without it’s challenges – forgotten flashlights, broken tent poles, and burnt dinners were all issues that challenged us this summer and we managed through all of them – using team work to restring our tent pole, improving a lantern with a glow stick and water bottle, and deciding that maybe it was ok to just skip the dinner and head straight to the s’mores instead. These are the moments that make a great camping trip – the moments when you realize that it’s ok to change plans and that missing flashlights and burnt foods aren’t going to ruin a trip, they’re just part of the trip.

We came home each time a little grubby and tired (and not looking forward to unpacking) but each time we had new stories and a better appreciation for each other.

Although the camp season has pretty much wrapped up for us this year, we’re already looking ahead to next year, looking into new sites and revisiting one of our favourites from this year.

Written by: Heather Gardiner

Published: September 9th, 2015