Making memories is your greatest job as a parent. You can make money later. You can sleep when your kids grow up and move away. You can only make memories with them now. One amazing way to make memories with your kids is with family camping trips.
When you unplug and go off the grid in the great outdoors, everything feels a little more exciting. You’re able to connect with each other in a way that you just can’t during the usual grind of life.
The trick is finding the right family camping vacation spots for your perfect adventure. It takes some energy the first time, but once you find the perfect family camping vacation spots, you can return year after year and make new memories. Here are a few ideas for finding the perfect family camping vacation spots:
- Hit up the local forums.
You probably know of all the big touristy spots and camp resorts that everyone stays at when they take a family camping trip. However, many of the best family camping vacation spots are the places that only the local yokals would know about. You don’t want to miss out on the amazing local spot you could have only because you don’t know about it.
Before deciding on a place to take your family camping trip, do some research. Post on Reddit boards in the areas that you’re considering staying at. Ask your friends on Facebook. Remember that friend you had from high school who now lives in the area you’re thinking of visiting? Reach out to them for suggestions. When you talk to people who know and love the area you’re considering, you’ll find those quaint little camping spots that don’t have crowds of people because no one knows about them. The locals can give you ideas that you just won’t get from a tour guide. - Take a day trip.
Sometimes, the best way to find exactly what you’re looking for is to see it yourself. Before investing the time and energy into a full fledge camping trip that your family might or might not enjoy, take some time to get to know the area in person. Pack a picnic lunch and visit your potential campsite. Get a feel for it during a day trip, so that you’re prepared and know exactly where you want to stay when the time comes.We know, we know. If your camping destination isn’t close enough to do this, this might be impossible. However, even if you just have to book a trip on the word of other people, you can use your experience as a chance to survey the area for your next trip. In this way, each family camping trip is not only a chance to make memories now, it’s a change to improve your next camping trip.
- Turn to the interwebs.
Maybe the goal of your family camping trip is to unplug and get off the grid. That doesn’t mean that you can’t use technology to plan it. There is no question in the universe that can’t be answered on the internet. Use the resources available to you on the internet to identify the most amazing place possible for your family camping trip.
Here’s a unique approach for identifying the perfect camping spot: Go to Google and enter the name of the area that you plan to stay in. When you get the search results, go to the top and select “Images.” You will get thousands of pictures of the area that you are interested in camping in. When you see a photo that is particularly picturesque, you can use it to drill down and identify the area where you’ll get the most enjoyable camping experience. It’s sort of like scouting out the perfect campsite in person, but not. - Learn what you want through trial and error.
Maybe the first camping trip you take your family on is nice but could be better if only this or that were different. Each time you take a camping trip, you’ll learn more about what you want from your next. Eventually, you’ll be your own camping trip expert.
Do you have any other great tips for finding a great family camping trip spot? Please share in the comment section below!
