pirates and memories

Nothing screams "camping trip in Michigan" quite like a pirate ship! Or maybe it doesn't?! We were able to drive a few hours away to Michigan for a quiet little camping trip. Minus parts of the drive through Chicago, it was a good drive with lots to see. Northern Illinois is so close to so many great vacation spots that a short drive is worth the haul.

Camping for this family is the usual: grilling, hiking, biking, games, and an outing of some sort. We hit up a lighthouse in a quaint little town and as we secured prime spots on the docks for pictures that were socially distanced, this pirate ship rolls past. It was huge and everyone did a collective gasp as they stared in awe.

Add this to the ice cream stand we found on the beach and it was a successful sightseeing outing from the campground. The beauty of Google is that you can stay in a rustic campground and feel tucked away from society, but still whip out your phone for a quick outing (and check the rising temperatures!).

I hope my daughter still embraces the nature first, low tech camping trips we have established as she grows up. There is nothing more bonding or refreshing as cold ice cream paired with silly giggles and nighttime smores over a roaring fire with campfire games. These are the memories that we are creating. These are the memories that will last. 

Not to mention all the life skills, cooking lessons, fire safety, and camping tips that we have taught her along the way. And, sometimes if you're lucky, you'll see the occasional pirate to top off a great, low key vacation. 

Tent camping in October

We used to have this awesome pull behind camper that had heat, air, a TV, a shower, you name it. Then, after three years, it started to break down and we decided to sell it and take a year off. There was only ONE camping trip left that we had booked way back in April and since it was only one town over, we decided to tent camp it. Well... anyone who knows the midwest knows our weather is highly unpredictable. We had high 60's and low 70's ALL WEEK. Until Friday, day 1 of our camping extravaganza. It was rainy, cold, and windy until about 2:30pm. We left for camping at 4pm. We arrived to find our campsite was flooded in parts. Fortunately, we packed the extra big tarp which went down before the tent did. An extra bonus was that our friends were coming to camp with us in their even bigger, even more amazing camper that had heat! So, we set our 2 room tent up complete with a cot, a queen sized air mattress, a cooler, a bin of supplies, and a dog. Then we lit a bonfire that lasted most of the 48 hours. If you haven't camped while trick or treating, you are missing out. Sugar River Forest Preserve has an excellent camping area and their regulars do Halloween right! People were making haunted houses and had scary, interactive stuff to see and do. The whole campground is one big loop, so the kids were able to ride and walk around with a walkie talkie while the adults enjoyed the fire. There were games, a magician, a costume contest, a campsite decorating contest, hot chocolate each morning, and lots of night time fun for the adults. I cannot believe I have lived down the road from Shirland most of my life and was unaware of the coolness that is the Sugar River campground Halloween extravaganza. It got down to 35 degrees each night, but the small space heater we put in the tent, plus the queen sized comforters kept us comfortable. We will most definitely be going back for the festivities, regardless of whether we are in a tent or not!
                          The girls enjoying some old fashioned potato sack racing.

         It was GORGEOUS weather until the sun went down, then it was bonfire time!

         We managed to get a child sized hike in and let Charlie boy run off his energy.