Happy Camping- Our May Long Weekend

I’ll be honest- we have never actually gone camping for the May Long weekend before.  The weather always seems to be crummy and we always are planting our garden. Well, this year the garden was in by early May and we bought a trailer to handle the bad weather, so we ran out of excuses to try it out.  And before you start saying “camping in a trailer isn’t real camping” let me clarify that we bought a 1972 vintage Boler. It’s basically like sleeping in really cute our fibreglass tent. We’ve been renovating it since the fall, and although we are still working on getting it a new coat of paint, it’s pretty darn awesome.

So back to camping. Yes, it did rain nearly all weekend long.  Yes, it was cold.  And yes, I got a little grumpy on Sunday morning when my sleeping bag got soaked from a leaking window. But here’s the thing, the kids didn’t want to leave. They didn’t seem to care it was raining and certainly didn’t mind having to cuddle around a campfire to stay warm.  They loved playing Uno on our bed and loved jumping in puddles. They loved getting ice cream in the rain and tracking animal footprints in the mud. When it was time to go home (a day early, cause I’ll admit I’m no super woman) Violet cried because she was having “the best time ever”. Turns out you don’t need perfect weather and a pristine lake to have great camping experience.  All the kids wanted was just to spend time together. Walks along the beach and through the forest in the rain are some of Violet’s best memories of the weekend. It was the perfect time to slow down and just enjoy being together- and it centred Tim and I before a few busy weeks of work ahead.   And while I’m hoping that indeed we have good weather for the rest of our summer camping trips,  I certainly won’t be cancelling any over a little rain.

So what did I learn over a weekend of rainy camping?

Be prepared– packing extra clothes and rain gear were an absolute must. The girls recently chose Encanto Boots from Keen Footwear and I have to admit that they are the best kids boots we have ever owned. I actually brought along 3 different pairs of footwear for each girl in case their feet got soaked (nothing worse!) but they only wore their Keens all weekend long. They are made from super durable synthetic material and are lined inside making them the perfect kids boot for spring or fall. They weigh next to nothing so they’re great for hiking around the trails too.   The best part was the bungee cord on top to keep the inside dry while puddle jumping. They never got their feet wet or complained once.  #winning.

Research the town closest to your campground for extra activities. Small towns often have quirky festivals, markets and museums.  In our case there was a indoor farmers market nearby on Saturday morning to enjoy some time out of the rain.  Also a local swimming pool with a hot tub is also the perfect way to warm up in the evening and have great quality time together (and enjoy a hot shower!).

Stay Close to Home. If you are really wanting to get out for a weekend and the forecast looks dreary, consider staying at a campground near home… just in case the weather puts too big of a damper on your trip. Close campgrounds to Edmonton are Miquelon Lake Provincial Park, Elk Island National Park, and Wabamun Lake  which all around 30 minutes from the city. These nearby campgrounds are also great to book early or late in the season if you’re not sure if your kids will enjoy camping if it’s a bit colder then they’re used too.

Decide to just enjoy the rain. Creatures like frogs and worms come out in the rain making for great childhood experiences.  If everyone is warm and dressed appropriately, being outside in the cold is actually (gasp) even relaxing. The sound, the smells, and even colours of nature are all better in the rain.  I packed the girls winter jackets when I saw the forecast for the weekend and they were perfect for exploring in the evening.  However, if we end up making a habit of rainy weekend camping, I may end up buying them these suits from MEC which I have heard are worth every penny.

Bring along some “indoor activities”.  While we love being outside in nature and exploring every chance we can get, our primary purpose with camping is to spend time together as a family. Most weekends the exploring IS  the spending time together, but sometimes there’s a crazy thunderstorm and you just need to stay inside the tent. Packing family friendly games like Uno,  a simple Memory Match game,  and a few board games gave us what we really needed, more Technology-free family time.  I know I’ve said it a million times, but these years are short. I’m going to squeeze every little bit of quality time with my kids that I can.  Luckily for me, some of this time is spent sitting crosslegged on a sleeping bag eating way too many treats,  playing way too many games and enjoying it all way to much.

Here’s some very quick (and mostly iPhone) images from our May Long Weekend 2016 at Thunder Lake Provincial Park. It was perfect place for our maiden voyage with the trailer-  less the 80 minutes outside the city which made it easy to come home early. The beach was sandy and the lake was beautiful. There was also a extenstive trail system for hiking. The best part was our site, B-50, was lake front with gorgeous foggy morning lake views. Worth it.