Family Camping Trip

Growing up, I fondly remember my family's camping trips. Fresh air in the mountains, fishing with my dad, exploring the forest with my cousins, playing various outdoor games, and roasting s'mores over a roaring fire. These family adventures allowed me to gain valuable life's lessons: how to squat over a campground open air toilet, how to roast the perfect marshmallow, how to whittle a stick, how to clean a fish (the rule was if you catch it, you clean it), and how to skip rocks on the lake. It also allowed me to strengthen my connections with my cousins, aunts, uncles, sister and parents.

We wanted to have our kids have some of the same experiences I had above. So, in mid-May, we took the kids camping up near Show Low with a couple of other families. It was one of the most beautiful campground I have ever visited. Clean bathrooms, a gorgeous view of the lake from the campsite, and a playground in walking distance from our site. The weather was chilly at night, but optimal during the day. Saturday was spent mostly relaxing and eating grilled meats while we watched the kids entertain themselves with various outdoor activities -- catching bugs, skipping rocks, etc. As a group, we did enjoy a small hike to the nearby playground. We couldn't have asked for a better experience. Hopefully, the kids loved it as much as we did.

On the way up north ...