Family Camping - Fun, Educational for Kids and Great Bonding Opportunity

The KidzAustin clan (of KidzAustin.com (http://www.kidzaustin.com)) recently joined friends for a weekend of camping at Inks Lake State Park in Burnet, Texas. An hour-and-a-half drive to our destination, I wasn't entirely sure of the outcome as it had been some time since our last camping adventure with the kids. My son is a product of the digital age -- impressed with video games, interactive graphics, and kids shows that feature science beyond my dreams -- as well as an avid lover of Bakugan and Pokemon games. My daughter, on the other hand, is driven by the arts -- a steadfast colorer and painter -- who happens to be consumed by fashion, looking good, and can't get enough books, stories or items related to princesses and the like. So, I couldn't help but wonder how well the weekend featuring a campsite, a tent, lots of dirt and grass, and everything else that comes with the great outdoors (which in their world means NO TV, video games, mirrors, private showers, or the need to wear trendy clothes). would go over.

Getting There

The drive out was pretty pleasant itself. My son found interest in the fact that many of the small towns we drove through lacked the presence of many of the big chain offerings we see everywhere in the city -- no Burger King, Sonic, Applebees, etc. And, once he got to thinking about food, we all found ourselves thinking about finding a place to pick up a tasty bite to eat. So, as we drove along, we sought to find something that fit the theme of the moment, a place that didn't fall under the everyday variety we see in the city - which, in our case, turned out to be "Star Burger." The building was reminiscent of the size and setup of a Short Stop. The atmosphere definitely felt like a hometown eatery. We ordered a couple of burgers for the adults and got kids meals for the kids. The burgers were wrapped in wax paper like I remember from "way back when" including a just a drop or two of grease oozing from the edge. One bite proved to be a pure taste of freshness. I believe my husband used the word "old school" to describe the experience as he bit into the juicy burger complete with toasted buns and all the "fixings." The kids, one with chicken nuggets and the other with the corn dog, inhaled their main course and fries and then pulled something out of their bags that I don't know that I've EVER seen in a kids' meal before -- a homemade cookie, imperfect in shape and filled with "home cooked" goodness. What a treat! Granted, this meal probably wasn't the healthiest, but offered a nice break from the mundane we often accept in our busy city lives and provided a fun first adventure of the day for all of us.

As we packed away the trash from our tasty lunch, we realized we weren't all that far from our destination. Arriving at the park, we checked in and then headed out to our campsite where our friends, "J" and "S," were waiting.

A Day of Outdoor Activity

What did we find when we got there? Well, just a picture-perfect campsite lay before our eyes. It was situated just off the lake -- where ducks were swimming (and my kids were soon feeding them) -- nestled under trees and including a nice clear flat space for us to perch our 3-room tent (which our friends jokingly referred to as a "mansion.")

Our day turned out great. This particular park had so much to offer. It had been awhile since our last visit and every visit seems to get a little better (not sure if it's the park or just me -- I've been camping here since I was single, so I would guess my "perspective" may have changed as well). S and J along with me and the kids decided to take a walk/hike to the store which was about a mile away. In addition to being a store, it offers canoe, kayak and paddle boat rentals. My husband decided to meet us there via van in case something happened (when you have kids - you just NEVER can be too prepared) and someone needed a ride back. As we walked, the kids sang, told stories to our friends and studied the scenery. We found some pretty cool cacti that happened to have heart shaped "leaves" as well as an interesting bug (we heard stories about the spiders that come out at night) or two. We also had the chance to walk by the cabin portion of the campgrounds, also close to the water's edge, that featured a playscape and basketball goal in the middle (these are GREAT during the warmer months or if you're just not up for sleeping on the ground). Before we knew it, we were at the store.

We rented a paddle boat so all four of us could be together and J and S went with a two-person kayak. Both provided a good time. If you should choose to try the paddleboat, thought, I might suggest only the 30-minute rental. We purchased a one-hour rental and later realized that the area that the paddle boats were required to stay within really didn't warrant that kind of time. My husband and I started out "at the controls" paddling and steering. However, when our "peanut gallery" chimed in about our lack of speed, we were quick to take advantage of the opportunity. We all VERY carefully switched places which provided some needed education on the need for balancing weight when floating on water. A video of the activity that ensued would surely have been entertaining, but we did manage to remain afloat with the boat staying right side up. Whew! The kids finally took over and seemed to have a good time. We, the parent, sat back to enjoy the ride. The breeze blew gently through our hair as we glided over the lake. Granted, we did hit or tree or two near the shore, but for the most part, it was all good. We even stopped to watch a bird bathing nearby, flipping the water excitedly through his feathers.

We met our friends back at the store where we all enjoyed our various selection of ice cream bars -- nicely priced by the way. (We sometimes reward the kids with a trip to the convenience store for these same tasty treats where they cost at least twice what we paid at the Park's store.) S and J were excited about their own adventure on the kayak (which have a much larger area on the lake to explore) so much that J was already planning another venture (this time alone) the following day.

We finally headed back towards the campsite, but decided to make a "quick" stop at the playscape where several kids seemed to be having fun. While there, we struck up a conversation with a Mom from Blessing, Texas who was there with her three kids. As the kids played, she told us of another cool feature offered at Inks Lake. Apparently, they employ a position called "Interpreter." While they were currently in transition as a new Interpreter settled in that week, she explained how the Interpreter allows campers to better "understand" nature. She told of one event there where campers gathered at night in total darkness and total silence. The interpreter played a recording of various "calls" of different species of owl. After each recorded call was played, the vast trees all around would come to life with the replies of the live owls in the wild to the sound. We also found out that the Interpreter regularly holds similar nature education types of events at the Park's amphitheatre -- definitely worth checking out on another visit!

After enjoying the playscape, as little freeze tag and at least 10 rounds of "Red Light, Green Light" with other kids at the playground, my kids and S, red faced and sweaty, were ready to head back to the campsite for refreshment. After downing their waters as soon as we got there, the kids headed back to the lakeshore where they fed the ducks again. This time, though, they made an additional discovery - shells on the shoreline! It wasn't long before they also realized there were shells in the water and they "might be bigger or prettier." See where I'm going here? Within a span of minutes, they went from dry and somewhat clean to wet and somewhat muddy (Note of advice - bring plenty of extra clothes and shoes). My daughter scurried towards where I sat on the picnic table to show off her "treasures" and slipped, falling wet onto the dirty ground. This is my "princess," remember? To my surprise, she bounced right back up, brushed off what she could and quickly proclaimed "I'm OK" while she displayed her handful of shells -- not one word about "not being pretty." I was amazed.

And Then There Was Dusk

As night neared, the skies filled with the cries of our local Grackle. A black cloud of them descended on what looked like a small grassy "island" just beyond our campsite shore. It lasted 10-20 minutes and then as quickly as it came, it disappeared, which brought back memories of my days on campus -- thankfully, without the droppings that are generally associated with these vocal creatures.

As our light diminished, it was time for roasting hot dogs on the fire -- a real treat. My daughter was so proud to have cooked her first meal (and "cooked" it WAS). My son couldn't wait to follow up the hot dog with the traditional s'more. Out came the marshmallows. A fun side discovery was the fact that marshmallow are incredibly cool to watch burn if they happen to fall into the fire -- putting off a bubbly, lava-type appearance!

A Fun Time Had By All -- You've GOT To Do This With Your Family!

I'll stop here with the detailed portion -- as suddenly realize my "blog" has gotten to novel-sized proportions. All in all, the experience was great and we're soooo glad we did it. Not once did I hear mention of video games or computers no did my daughter announce "this doesn't look good." -- well, there WAS the one time when she had to put on the life jacket for the paddle boat and it just didn't "go" with the outfit. We banded together as a family -- putting up and taking down the tent. My "princess" even jumped in and helped S & J with theirs.

The great thing about camping is that it's relatively inexpensive -- so you can get the family away from the hub bub of your real world and breathe for a moment. It's like a mini vacation that won't break the bank and even offers opportunity for education whether it's learning about nature or just how to live without all the amenities. All in all, I highly recommend a jaunt into nature, if just for a weekend, for any family to Inks Lake or otherwise. Find a campground near you and start your own adventure. If you live in or around Austin, Texas, we've got a page on our website (at http://www.kidzaustin.com) under CampingSpotz (http://www.kidzaustin.com/CampingSpotz/index.asp) that can help you locate other family friendly location whether you prefer tent, cabin, RV or otherwise. Check it out and Happy Camping!!!

My kids are already asking to go AGAIN!!