The Camp Solution

My husband has been coming to the same campground for vacation for almost 30 years. At first glance, this place isn't much; a bunch of wood cabins with minimal lighting, no hot water or showers, and bathrooms the equivalent of holes in the earth. All of the doors have screens and none of the windows do. The outhouse showers only have hot water between 5:00 AM and 5:07 AM. They have a dance every Monday night where they do the Virginia Reel.

I had never ever heard of the Virginia Reel before I started going to camp.

Camp is a big deal. You don't just get invited to visit camp. Families here have grandchildren and great-grandchildren who now come every summer, and the cabin waiting list goes on for years. 

You heard me. People actually pay for this no-hot-water outdoor living experience. And love it. And come back for years. When we were in high school, none of my husband's girlfriends visited camp--including me. When I came up to visit a year after we started dating again, it was something of a shock. You do NOT get invited to camp unless you were going to be around for a LONG time. It is a test of sorts. If you like camp, you are eligible for marriage. If you don't--Sayonara baby. Literally, if I did not like camp, that was going to be a deal breaker for my husband for getting married.

Lucky for me, I loved camp. So I was in. 

This year is our first year at camp with Anna (last year I spent it throwing up in the bathroom after the camp dance - woohoo morning sickness and twirling!). It has been an experience in packing/vacationing with baby, so like any rookie parent I went looking for little vacation "hacks" or tips to bring only the necessities or make life as easy as possible.

I found only one: baby powder helps remove sand.

That's it.

Not as helpful as I had hoped. 

So here's my first personal travel with baby vacation hack, should you be crazy lucky enough to have our camping experience:

What to do when your baby really needs time on her activity mat but you have wooden floors with nail hazards?

Redefining Pack and Plays since 2013.