Now that spring is here it is time to think about summer vacation.  Every year we wait until the last minute, and end up scrambling to make plans, so this year we are trying to be proactive!  Our main goal for vacation is to experience excitement, fun, and something new and preferably relaxing.

This year we are thing about going camping.  Camping is a fun and cheap outdoor activity, and most children enjoy it.  Some people think that camping isn’t a real vacation, but my family and I would disagree.  In this country, camping is not as popular as it used to be, which I think is a shame.  There are many public campgrounds and state campgrounds which can provide family fun at a reasonable cost.

If you  have never camped before it is a good idea to do a trial weekend run at a local campground, so you can get a better idea of how your family will react and what to pack.  It is easy to make reservations, and most areas have plenty of campgrounds available.

For our family one of the most important factors is the layout of the grounds. Campgrounds can be crowded, so we want one that puts space between the sites.  Of course the ultimate site for us is a lake front site, but those sites reserve quickly!  Even if the site isn’t on the water we want to be sure we can walk to the beach.  It is also good to find one with lots of activities.  Boating, swimming, hiking, biking and a nature program are all big plusses, because those activities keep the kids from becoming bored.

State Parks are great and we usually end up camping at one.  In our state there are many to chose from, so we can go to a different one every summer and see the entire state.  It would be fun to visit some in other areas of the country too, but with the price of gas that is probably not happening this year.

Camping in the outdoors is a great way to spend a summer vacation, and there are so many campgrounds available it is sure to be a fun family experience.