#53: Go Camping

Some people might think my kind of camping is not actually camping - people who go for the full-on caveman experience. Catching fish, Swiss Army knife, crap-on-a-tree camping is not for me. 

My kind of camping is going to a designated Provincial Park camp ground, preferably somewhere near a town with a grocery store/pizza place, setting up a pop-up tent, hanging around a campfire with a big group of people, falling asleep warm in my sleeping bag to the sound of nature and a podcast on my phone, waking up to pancakes, bacon, and coffee, and taking a warm shower at the Rest Area 100 metres down the lane.  

This is me first thing in the morning after LIGHT camping. Me after caveman camping would be even more tragic

So that's what I did this summer, and we had a great time despite chilly weather. We went to Presque-Ile Provincial Park on Lake Ontario - which, I learned, is where a notorious great-great-uncle of mine lost his life on his final rum-running spree across the lake. They even had an exhibit about him in the nature centre. FAMOUS!  

Ben Kerr, the Rum-Running Man! Lookin all cool  

My family used to go camping every year with a big group of friends when we were little; we'd reserve 7 or 8 camping lots together, and have basically a big, weekend-long, outdoor party. It was great. 

As the kids all grew up though, the camping tradition faded out. Until last year, that is, when the now adult 'kids' collectively realized: "Hey, camping when we were little was awesome. Now, we can camp and drink beer and stay up late!"  

A tradition we inherited: "Six at Six" (the McMartin family serves Caesars at 6pm) 

The parents all came too, but half of them are too old/cool to do the sleeping on the ground thing and stayed in a nearby motel instead. They came for the food and campfires, and left around midnight.

Dad sleeping with his favourite Tinker Bell blankie 

So for the most part, it was just my sister and me, living out in the woods together for a weekend. We did a pretty good job I think. My proudest moment was making breakfast on the confusing propane stove - bacon and pancakes, and coffee in my French press from Ikea. All the extra effort it took to make just made it taste better. 

My mouth-watering pancakes and bacon breakfast extravaganza!

Jas trying to set up the BBQ