We recently went on a camping trip with friends from our Bible study. Rather than pay for space at a public camping ground, we found a secluded spot on the hilly, 200-acre property owned by the parents of one of our friends. The photo above shows the family’s log cabin off in the distance.
Growing up, my family didn’t do a whole lot of camping. When I was 14, my dad and I took a 6,000-mile road trip through western Canada and the United States and pitched a tent at a few campgrounds along the way, including Yellowstone National Park. Other then that, the only camping we did was when my friends and I slept in my family’s suburban backyard.
I am by no means a seasoned camper, but thankfully there were a few individuals in our group who were, so we had a great time. We cooked burgers over an open fire and then sat around singing songs and chatting until 11pm. The only downside was that the overnight low was 44 degrees. Here’s a video I made at 6am…
Anonymous
Ugh, my idea of roughing it is a Holiday Inn. We have houses with indoor plumbing and electricity, so I don't see the attraction of trying to survive somewhere without. Nature is pretty to look at by day, but there's no need to spend the night out in it. BTW, the "pioneers" would have had a stove or fireplace or fire going. They knew what to do.
nashvillewife@gmail.com
Lol. π
Anonymous
Hopefully later (in a couple years) you look back on this and it will be more amusing. Lol. Where I live 40s deg. is warm…next week it will get to the low twenties at night. Thanks for having a great blog!
nashvillewife@gmail.com
Haha, hopefully you're right! Yikes, that's cold. 20 degrees would make for some pretty rough camping.
Thanks for being a loyal reader. π
Ellie
Anonymous
We've done it in the 30 degree range.
nashvillewife@gmail.com
Wow, I'm not sure I could do that. You must be tough. π
Ellie
Anonymous
"rather then pay for a spot at a campground"?? I don't think it's generally that expensive to camp. I'm not sure how it is in the states, but it's usually only $20 around here in Canada. And next year for all of 2017, all of the national parks will be free for our 150th anniversary!
If my parents were so frugal to not pay for camping spots, national park fees for hiking and skiing when I was a child, I would have not been the person I am today, and would not have such great memories, with skills and activities to pass down to my future children, to boot. I want my children to enjoy the outdoors, even if it costs a bit. For example, I wouldn't want my children not being able to grow up downhill skiing!
nashvillewife@gmail.com
That's good to know! I've been wanting to take my husband to Canada, as I was born there, so maybe 2017 is the time to go so we can get into the national parks for free. I also grew up skiing and really enjoyed it.
Ellie
Shela G
It is really not fun being super cold!! You will remember it as part of the adventure. Growing up I went camping a lot with my mom. Those are some of my best childhood memories. We had a small camper which was easy to warm up if it started getting cold.
nashvillewife@gmail.com
Sounds like some great memories. Did you go to campgrounds far away or did you stay close to home?
Ellie
Shela G
Mom and I had our favorite place to camp by the Wilson river in Oregon. It was not a camp ground just a nice place in the woods. It was not a very long drive from home. When my mom died in 1987 we scattered her ashes there because she loved it so much.
nashvillewife@gmail.com
What a sweet thing to do. Based on what we saw on our recent trip to Oregon, camping there would be lovely. Do you do any camping these days?
Ellie
Shela G
My husband and I used his parents camper a couple of years ago and went camping at a near by state park. We had a great time. We both would like to do more camping.
nashvillewife@gmail.com
That sounds fun. My mom used to go camping in a camper growing up. Having the extra space (and heat, like you mentioned) would make it much more enjoyable than a tent. Wish we had someone to borrow one from. π
Ellie
Anonymous
Maybe they're trying to save for whatever future plans they have, and I think it's more fun to camp in some hideaway, as long as there are others with you for safety concerns. Anyway, Ellie, you are a beautiful young woman sans makeup! National parks, hideaways,they are all great to enjoy! God gave us a beautiful world to enjoy! And I'm glad that He didn't create cookie-cutter people! Variety is the spice of life, so I hear.
nashvillewife@gmail.com
Well thank you! You made me smile. I agree that God gave us a beautiful world to enjoy. Its fun to discover new places, whether near or far.
Blessings,
Ellie
Anonymous
Really good blog post this time Ellie! Thanks very much, seeing others put themselves out there a bit is interesting to me. I tried that this summer and fall and felt like you seemed to in this video at times. It is those times that puts respect of nature and into us.
nashvillewife@gmail.com
I'm glad you enjoyed it!
Have a great day.
Ellie
Anonymous
Do you feel guilty about eating dead animals?
Anonymous
I've never been camping. I only put a tent in are backyard but me and my sisters never last outside for every long we came inside around midnight.
Glad we did come inside because the next morning when we got up their was raccoon sleeping inside the tent. LOL Luckily he didn't hurt the tent.
nashvillewife@gmail.com
Oh my! Now that would be freaky. Raccoons can be quite nasty. How did he get inside the tent?
Ellie
Anonymous
It walk right in. Are tent just had a flip didn't have a zipper to close it shut.
Anonymous
Ellie I bet it was cold going to the bathroom
nashvillewife@gmail.com
Sure was! Lol
Ellie
Anonymous
I loved the video, I laughed the whole time. My husband and I went tent camping before, but not when it was cold. Is there something that you wouldn't be game to try? LOL
nashvillewife@gmail.com
I'm thrilled to hear that it made you laugh! I don't think I would be game for skydiving or bungee jumping. Haha. What about you?
Ellie
Anonymous
I won't get on anything that goes fast on the water, and I won't get on anything that goes to far off the ground. Because I'm scared of height.
nashvillewife@gmail.com
I'm also scared of heights. π
Ellie
Taryn Ferguson
I love this! You are so cute,Ellie! Haha
nashvillewife@gmail.com
Thank you, Taryn! π
Ellie
Anonymous
Ellie did you get invisible braces? Just wondering because in the video your mouth and voice seem a bit different than past videos, but maybe that was just because you were shivering π
nashvillewife@gmail.com
You're very perceptive. π I wear clear retainers at night. As a kid I had braces for 4.5 years. (My teeth were pretty crooked…)
Ellie