Camping Trip 2010 (A Tale of Rain, Wind and No Socks)

This past weekend was our first family camping trip. The 14 of us spent the weekend at Indian Lake State Park in Lakeview, Ohio.



I have to say this one thing...none of our trips ever go easy. We always have some sort of trial that (hopefully) makes us stronger and more united in the end.


Day #1- Saturday Rollout And Arrival Day- I really wish I had taken a picture of the amount of stuff that we took on this camping trip. We looked like we had 50 people going instead of 14. We filled the storage area of the van and the trunk of the car and still had to stuff stuff in every available nook and cranny. It took about a half hour to get our gear loaded up. Then we were finally able to hit the road.

We arrived at the campground a little after 3am. It was humid and warm but it wasn't too bad. Rain had been threatening all day. We immediately set to work putting up the tents.

My daughter Pinky has developed an amazing talent for putting up tents (and taking them back down, too) She put up one of our larger tents almost entirely by herself .

We spent the rest of the day getting familiar with our surroundings. Some of the kids headed to the beach for a swim, others went up to the camp store for basketballs for a quick b-ball game.

Dinner was hamburgers and hot dogs, we were hard pressed to get the kids to eat something. they played until they wore themselves out.

The wind had started to pick up late in the evening, but there was no sign of rain. The rustling of the trees was non-stop. By 2am the rain had started. Torrential rains, heavy winds, thunder and lightning...everyone was concerned but nobody said anything. The tents held up amazingly well. They barely moved in the wind, maybe that's why we weren't as worried as we probably should have been. We found out the next day a tornado had hit a city 34 miles from where we were.

About 4am I had to make a potty run. I NEVER have to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night. The storm was churning around us and I had to go to the bathroom. I tried to wait it out, but the sound of the rain hitting the roof of the tent was making matters worse. Finally, I had no choice... I threw on my shoes and raincoat and hiked over to the bathroom. It wasn't a long walk, but it was long enough. By the time I got back to the tent my socks and shoes were soaked.

It was at that very moment that I remembered that I did not pack any socks. Neither had any of the kids. Now I have wet socks and shoes and cold feet.

By morning we were just glad we made it through the night.

Camping Trip 2010 (Part 2-Day 2)

Day #2 Sunday

Sunday was our first full day at camp. We started off with some issues... mainly no socks, needing bigger pan to cook pancakes in, and a few other small things. So we headed off to Wal-Mart while my niece figured out a way to cook pancakes and sausages for 10 hungry kids.

By the time we got back to camp my niece had finished cooking breakfast and the kids were off playing ball and swimming. We decided to rent some bikes for the gang and they were off... tearing around the campground, having fun, smiling and laughing.

'Cole drove a car for the first time. She did pretty good. She really enjoyed herself.

We finished off the day with a ghost story and the kids retired to their tents happy, content and a bit leary that an indian ghost might come by in the middle of the night.

Camping Trip 2010 (Part 3-Day 3)

Monday was Packing Up Day. After another breakfast of Pancakes and sausage we got to work taking down tents and cleaning up camp. Once everything was done the kids went back to the beach for one last time and swam until it was time for us to leave.

I really enjoyed myself and I'm sure everyone else did also. It was amazing looking up at the sky and seeing it filled with stars. Simply beautiful. I have to say the dark at night was really dark. I can't ever remember being anyplace so dark. It's funny the amount of noises you hear at night. You want to get up and check and when you do you can't see anything.

Looking forward to doing it again soon.

Tent Set-Up Day

Monday was the day we drug out the tents and did a run-through. I've never assembled a tent before so I was excited and leery at the same time. I read the instructions a few times. Looked at all the parts, read the instructions again and Pinky and I started working on Tent #1.


It went up like a dream. It only took us about 15 minutes. Judy came by to help and that's probably why we got done faster. I cannot believe the amount of space this puppy has. Wow !

Next we started on Tent #2...




We were almost done with Tent #2 when we discovered an issue. The brackets (or hubs) that attach the legs to the tent on one side were wrong !! All wrong !! So we studied the the tent to make sure we hadn't assembled it wrong, but it wasn't us. The tent had the wrong brackets. So we pulled out Tent #3 (same as Tent #2) to inspect its parts. It had everything it was supposed to have. That's when we realized we were going to have to contact the manufacturer for replacement parts.

After checking online and finding nothing, I knew I was going to have to call. I called this morning and was amazed by their customer service. The rep knew the product and pulled up the parts we needed instantly. I ordered my parts ($4.50 each), selected 2-day delivery and I just got the e-mail stating my order has been shipped.


So here's what I learned...
#1. We need about 20 minutes to set up each tent.
#2. Two people can do it, but three is better.
#3. They come down easier than they go up. lol
#4. I (heart) the company that makes Northwest Territory tents.

Camping Trip Shopping

My dear sister (who drove pass gas that was $2.34 a gallon) and I hit up the yard sales in search of equipment for our camping trip. I think we did an amazing job and I'm sooooo happy with what we ended up with.

We got...
3- 8 person Northwest territory tents (sold at Sears retail price $200)
10 gallon water jug (sold at Home Depot for $29)
1 queen air bed (sold at Cabala's for $129)
3 sleeping bags
4 flashlights
12 hot dog skewers
1 two burner camp stove ($49 retail at Dick's Sporting Goods)
1 one burner camp stove

Total Price we Paid.... $ 200

Dear Judy went out the day before and found
1 small tent
4 Nice sleeping bags
2 fishing poles
3 hot dog skewers
all that for $50

"Life is either a daring adventure....

Or nothing. To keep our faces towards change and behave like free spirits in the presence of fate is strength undefeatable."
I love that quote of Helen Keller's. It reminds me of all the things that are important to me. I need adventure the way people need water or food. I crave it like a drug. For me, adventure is not about doing crazy, daring, amazing feats, but experiencing things that some people only dream about. To be able to connect with a place on a different level.

Our next adventure is going to take us back outdoors. Someplace new and amazing. Last year when we visited Hocking Hills State Park I was absolutely in awe of the amazing beauty that surrounded us. I felt alive there, like this was proof that there are things more incredible than our little lives.

I don't know if my children will enjoy our trip or appreciate the world they are stepping into, but I feel like I have to give it to them. I have to try to open their eyes to the things that are really important... family, togetherness, memories, love. I feel like the City Kids (my four and my sister's four grandchildren) haven't learned to dream. They haven't learned to look outside of themselves.

And that shall be my gift to them (hopefully) to be able to see that beauty doesn't come from a shoe store or a supercenter. We are surrounded by it, it is part of who we are and where we are going. Always.

New York City April 2010 (Part 2)

After finally making our way to Niketown (which is pretty close to Central Park), we hiked back to Times Square Crowds waiting for the Ipad at the Apple Store.

We ate lunch at a pizza shop on Times Square and then I decided we should take the double decker bus tour. I thought it would be the easiest way to see the city.

The Bus Tour was ummmm.... 3 hours long and we all fell asleep. LOL It had to be the most boring city tour I've ever had. We did get to see a lot of the city (between nodding off) Tribeca, Chinatown, Battery Park, the World Trade Center site, the Statue of Liberty and I know there was a bunch of other places we slept through.

I was so glad when it was over. We called it a day and headed back to the hotel. We had dinner at Chipotle and went to see a movie. We were too tired to walk around, but not tired enough to sit in the hotel and look at each other.

The next day was Sunday...our last day. We had considered going back to NYC but nobody felt like dealing with the throngs of people in the city. Plus, we had to be at the bus station in Newark, NJ in the afternoon.

New York City was an experience like no other. Times Square was awe-inspiring. I understand why they call it the city that never sleeps. It was an incredible experience.

New York City April 2010

I thought I had posted out trip report about NYC... but I guess I'm getting old and forgetful. lol

We spent the first weekend in April in NYC, I have to say I have never seen soooo many people in my life. We left our city a little after midnight and got to our hotel in Secaucus, NJ about 5- 5:30 Saturday afternoon. After settling in we ate dinner at Cheeseburger In Paradise and then headed on over to the Big Apple.

By the time we rolled into NYC it was about 10:00pm. Times Square is amazing at night. The lights are so bright it looks like daytime. It was very crowded.
We hung out for about and hour and a half before the kids started complaining about being tired and wanting to go back to the hotel.

As we were headed back to the Port Authority Bus Station we found a cool souvenir store and picked up some I (heart) New York t-shirts.

The next morning started with breakfast (free) down in the hotel lobby and then we were off again. Pickles wanted to go to the Niketown store first. Niketown was about a 2 mile walk from the bus terminal. So we walked and walked and walked and took in the sights.

Daisy and 'Cole

Ice Skating at the Rockefeller Center

St. Patrick's Cathedral

To be continued......

New York City Weekend-Cost Breakdown

Transportation-
Greyhound $843.48
Cab rides to and from hotel $86
Shuttle to and from NYC $40
Hotel- Hampton Inn Secaucus/Meadowlands $299.99

Food
Dinner Day 1@ Cheeseburger In Paradise $61.51
Dinner Dinner Day 2 @ Chipotle $30.00
Lunch Day 2 @ Sabbaros NYC $29.00
Breakfast Day 3@ McDonalds $20.01

Entertainment
Double Decker Bus Tour $200.00
Movie $50.00

Other Stuff
Incidentals @ Wal-Mart $44.22
Shoes at Niketown $127.97
Shoes and a bag at Shoe Magic $120.00

GRAND TOTAL $ 1952.00

Pittsburgh Weekend Getaway (March 2010)

Cost Breakdown

Travel Basics
1 day at the Sheraton Station Square + parking $219
Car Rental + Gas (weekend) $240
Snacks, Water and Sodas $60

Activities
Pittsburgh National Aviary $30
Carnegie Science Center $89.75
Duquesne Incline $11
Movie $48.75

Meals

Dinner at Subway $25

Breakfast at IHOP $70

Lunch at McDonalds $30

Extras

Casino sidetrip for my sister and I $150

TOTAL $962.50

Travel Tip #1: Car Activities

Car activities are great when travelling with children. When you don't provide activities you get chaos. Absolute chaos. Complete and utter chaos.
A backpack filled with car activities is the best thing you can do for your sanity. Only use it for travelling and add a few new things often.

We just returned from a weekend trip to Pittsburgh. 3 hours on the road, I forgot our Activity Bag and we paid the price. The only activities we had were the games on our iPhones. The Moron Game (.99 cents from the iTunes store) was the BEST app for keeping everyone busy on our trip. When kids get bored they want to fidget, fight and eat and that is exactly what they did for 3 hours.

We reccommend filling your Travel Activity Bag with the following items:
Coloring books
Crayons
Puzzle Books (sudoku, word find, crossword)
Travel-Size Board Games
Portable DVD player
Movies ( no more than 2-3 depending on how long you're going to be on the road)
Portable cd player
Books-On-CD
Printable travel activities (road games and such printed from websites)
Craft Kits (I love the craft kits from Oriental Trading Company they are affordable and there's a nice selection)
Silly Putty (comes in a little plastic egg)

Welcome to The Great Escape

The purpose of this blog is to share our travel adventures with other families, provide information about low-cost attractions and activities, and provide helpful hints and tricks to travellers so that their trips are fun and hassle-free.