a camping conundrum

Growing up, my family did a lot of camping during the summers. This kind of camping:

...the kind where you sleep in air-conditioned campers next to the lake. The kind where there are public showers and bathrooms available whenever you want them, access to electricity, and plenty of feeling like you're 'roughing it'...without things actually ever getting too rough. 

I loved it. There was so much for kids to do! We rode our bikes everywhere, went skiing and swimming all day, and ate smores by the fire every night. My parents did all the hard work (like cooking without a lot of normal appliances) and I was happy to mooch off their labor and have a delightful week by the sea lake. 

During college, I experimented with another kind of camping: backpacking. This was not nearly as cushy. My girlfriends and I would pack all of our gear into backpacks, drive a few hours north to the Appalachian Trail, and take off for a weekend of walking, walking, walking, and eventually setting up our tents, eating some crackers, and passing out on the hard ground from exhaustion. Then we'd wake up and do it again. Although this was not exactly a relaxing way to spend a long weekend, it was a lot of fun. We were Wilderness Women! (I have awesome pictures, too, but they're all on my computer at home- boo) We were hardcore! We could start our own fires and pitch our own tents and carry our own bear spray and it was awesome! So that kind of camping was really fun too.

Then the years go by, my bones get older, and Matt and I decide to join my parents on one of their camping trips. But being old, married, and independent, we decide we will bring our own tent and have our own sleeping quarters...while still having access to my parents' amenities for cooking and such. But ya know. We'll sleep in the tent.

That lasted for about... one night. Are you kidding me? Who would sleep on the hard ground in a freakin' hot tent (WITH A FIFTY POUND DOG) when there's a bed in the air conditioning merely ten feet away? Not this girl, that's for sure. Not at this stage in life. Sleeping in a tent is misery, and don't let anyone try to convince you otherwise. We quickly moved into the camper with my parents and all was well in the world again.

My parents are still frequent campers. In a camper. I still enjoy tagging along occasionally...as long as there's room in the camper. I feel like I can safely say that my days of sleeping in a tent are all behind me, unless I ever happen to go backpacking again. But in general, I would have to say camping isn't really my favorite form of recreation or vacation. It's a lot of work, and I feel like as an adult, I need to help with the work and not just let my parents do it all. And when I'm on vacation, I'd rather be slothing and letting someone else slave away...not sweating over a campfire and beating flies away from the grill. So we don't even really join my parents camping very much. 

But earlier this week I was checking out this girl's blog and she was recapping a family camping vacation at the beach, and I must say: holy cow. I want to go camping there. It just came over me-- this burning desire to camp! In a camper, of course. I didn't go completely insane. But her pictures are so gorgeous and the ocean so pretty and the camping amenities so complete (still got electricity, bathrooms, and running water!)...I thought, man, I could do that! It's just really weird. The desire to camp. But I keep thinking that it would be worth it...so close to the water! So cheap! Dogs are allowed! Literally sleeping within earshot of the ocean! And if we took my parents along (which would be a requirement, since we probably couldn't figure out their camper without them), we'd still have plenty of help with the 'hard' parts of camping (cooking...wanting to play board/card games with more than 2 people...). So I checked out the state park's webpage and learned all about their camping stuff and the more I read, the more I want to go. I mean, it's only about 7 hours away from us. That's not terrible if we did a 4 day weekend or something. It would be super cheap. It's the Florida Gulf Coast, which is GORGEOUS...And just...it could be fun! I feel like it would be fun.

But maybe I'm crazy. Maybe it would still be sweaty, stinky camping. More trouble than it was worth. I'm worried that I have on rose-colored glasses. That I can't see past the white beaches and clear blue water and wonderful breeze coming off the water...so I don't know. What do you think? Given my history and my feelings, do you think I would actually like this? Have you ever been camping at the beach? Be sure to go check out that blogger's pictures before you vote. They are very compelling.

That's all, folks. Have a happy Friday and weekend! Maybe I'll get around to posting the rest of Fashion Week this weekend, but then again...maybe I'll go to the pool.