Recently, we took our two families to northern Wisconsin for a weekend of tent camping at the Northern Highland State Park on Musky Lake near Boulder Junction.
It is something both of our families had been discussing to do for a while and with COVID happening, this actually felt like the right time to do it. When we would tell people that we were going tent camping — something neither of us have done in many years — we often got responses like “That sounds terrible” or “Why would you do that?”
The answer to “why” is complex and simple at the same time.
The first answer is the practical and logical answer.
We love exploring and seeing new places so very much. Exploring new places and staying in rentals can get expensive, even when finding the most affordable places. Camping in a tent cost us $40 for a weekend, and it provided the chance to stay somewhere new with the kids and be able to explore in a different way than we would if we were staying in a vacation rental or hotel. This experience also naturally made our adventures all outdoor activities that were social-distance safe.
The second answer is the more emotional answer.
We love making memories with our children and creating experiences for them. Something like camping in a tent forces the kids to be creative and use their imagination to have fun. It is a reprieve from screen time and a schedule.
Our kids spent the weekend playing in dirt (which admittedly made us cringe a little), riding bikes, chasing each other around the campsite and splashing in water. What more could we ask for?
The trip wasn’t perfect in some ways, like the toddler needing a really good nap that didn’t happen and it raining for the entire morning on Saturday. Our clothes got wet and our pillows were a little damp from the humidity, and we hovered under a tent for a few hours.
But that’s not what our kids will remember. They will remember using their umbrellas as wands while being superheroes on a rainy morning, riding their bikes down a really long bike trail and seeing a “huge snapping turtle,” watching the sunset from a pier while throwing each others’ shoes in the lake to watch them float away, talking to each other through the tents and s’mores for dinner.
This is the real answer on why we spent a weekend in the rain, tent camping with our kids. The memories.
– Sara and Katie
Photos by Sara and Katie.
This past fall, Sara and Katie started a blog and account called Gathering Twigs as a place to share their families’ “adventures,” as they like to call it. They both grew up in the Madison area and share a love for simple, fun things in life: exploring new places, trying new things, eating good food, glass(es) of wine and laughing — a lot.