As a child my parents would pack us up and we would head out each summer to camp in our pop-up camper. These camping adventures took me all over the North East and even on a trip down the East Coast to stay at Disney World’s Campground (and visit Disney of course). As I got older and my parents sold our pop-up camper we stopped camping as often (although that’s all they do these days – #thatretiredlife) however my love for camping and exploring stayed with me.
As a new couple Neil and I used camping as a way to explore the North East together on a budget. We would stay at state parks and explore the great outdoors and nearby towns and cities. From this our love of hiking and outdoor life grew and as our family has grown our desire to share the world and explore with them has intensified. For us camping is a way to for us to connect as a family, to spend more time outdoors, to explore places on a budget and to help grow a deeper love and appreciation for the world around us. 
Camping has taken our family to the edges of the Pacific Ocean, the mountains of central Oregon, to heritage sites, on hikes around the PNW, to towns and cities, big and small and most recently to the majestic waterfalls of Silver Falls State Park.
We have splashed in streams, been sprayed by cascading waterfalls, hiked the Oregon coastline, witnessed rock climbers descend of cliffs at Smith Rock State Park, learned more about this beautiful part of the world that we have chosen to make our current home. Better yet though we have gained confidence in ourselves, a deeper love for nature and connected with each other in a way that only time away from the city, busy lives, and the constant buzz of electronics just don’t allow.
As time goes on I hope that our children remember these times, and cherish them. That they see the beauty and benefit of living a bit simpler even if it just for the weekend. That they never stop being curious about what is out there in this beautiful world.
So share with us. Why do you love camping? What is magical about it for you?
