The drive to our campsite just outside of Payson was beautiful. It didn’t take long to get see the change in scenery from the city to the natural landscape of rocks and pine trees. We stopped for lunch before heading to our campsite.
The campground that we originally chose had a creek running through it which was appealing to swim and fish in but was nearly full and all the campsites were very close together. We went to a different site which had more space. Once we arrived we unloaded the car and set up the tent. Everyone helped set up camp. Even Mark, the five-year-old, helped prepare the sleeping mats and sleeping bags.
After camp was set up, the boys were free to explore. They brought their magnifying glasses and binoculars to look for bugs and birds. They collected pinecones and pine needles. Later, they gathered firewood and built a fire. The kids had a good time building a roaring fire with their dad.
For dinner we prepared voyagers (hamburger, potatoes, carrots and onions) reminiscent of my husband’s Boy Scout days. We made smores (graham crackers with toasted marshmallows and chocolate inside) for dessert. We worked together as a family to prepare, set up, and clean up. No complaining like at home; instead everyone willingly did their part. Maybe being away from the usual stresses of home puts everyone in a better mood or maybe being out in nature has a calming effect? Whatever the reason, the tension that can find itself in the evening routine was absent.
After eating our “gourmet dinner”, we laid down on a blanket and looked at the starry night. It is amazing how many more stars you can see away from the smog and city lights. The kids and my husband had no trouble sleeping the tent. I, however, couldn’t fall asleep! It is so hard to get comfortable when you are used to a King size pillow top bed. Eventually I fell asleep but still woke up many times during the night. The next morning we had a nice breakfast, packed up the car, and headed home.
The next day we went fishing. We hiked down and found a small creek that was stocked with trout. Because it was so shallow we could see the fish swimming around. My oldest son was especially patient as he wriggled his worm around four fish hoping for a bite. My youngest, however, just tossed his bait on the end of a Spider Man pole and within seconds he had caught his first fish. The fishing was nice because the kids got to understand how difficult it must have been in the early days when people had to catch their dinner instead of heading over to the nearest grocery store. My oldest learned about being patient and congratulating his younger brother on his success. My youngest benefited because he was able to succeed at something that his brother wasn’t already good at. Even several days later, he still commented how good his fish tasted and made sure everyone enjoyed the feast as much as he.
Overall, the camping trip was great. It is nice to get away from the routine an away from the television, computers, and the telephone. The kids learned about nature instead of just reading about it in a science book. We worked together as a family as we each contributed to a common goal. And the worries of everyday seemed to slip away as our only concern was if we could catch a trout or if we had collected enough wood for the fire.