camping in Acadia.

Memorial Day weekends, most of them in my childhood, were spent at a campground teeming with kids. A lot of whom I knew from school, town sports, church, and some of whom I didn’t. No Moms, just Dads and kids. My Dad organized this trip; its inception was when I was in grade school I think, and at a time when kids were old enough to be away from Moms without requiring too much of the Dads, but young enough that I can’t actually remember the first time. It grew, and grew, eventually having over 100 in attendance. It’s no exaggeration to say it was the highlight of the year for my friends and me. We went to Hickory Run State Park, Ricketts Glen (a favorite), Belleplain. Always within about a three hour drive of the Philadelphia area. No Moms, (mostly) no rules, it was a free-for-all of play, s’mores, campfire stories, and utter exhaustion by the time Monday rolled around and it was time to pack ourselves up. It became something of a legendary trip, so much so that it even made the cover of the weekend Philadelphia Inquirer. The title–“No Moms allowed”–with a picture of my Dad hanging an American flag at our site. I have a copy somewhere still, I know.What is it about leaving home to go sleep outside in a tent cooking all your food over a fire (or a Coleman stove), and being without a shower and a bathroom at your fingertips that’s so exciting to kids and (some) adults alike? Since marrying Steve we’ve done a little bit of camping. It wasn’t something I had to introduce to him, as he did some before me, but we’re eager to do more of it together. There’s something, at its core, that feels a little silly about it. Here we are leaving the comfort of our own home, and actually paying money to rough it while our house and beds remains empty. And still, when’s the next trip??The last time we visited Acadia was probably 12+ years ago. Steve and I weren’t yet married, and we took the four kids (and our yellow lab Aly) camping for the weekend. It was October, it was cold, and it was fantastic. I brought chili that we warmed up as soon as we arrived, and chili never tasted so good as it does camping in the Maine woods in the fall. We’ve done a little bit of camping in the Adirondacks too, one of those trips on a site that many of us refer to still as the best campsite ever. A small island, all to ourselves, that we had to canoe to. But, since Parker and Anders were born, camping has been on the back burner. Our last time, in fact, was when I was nearly nine months pregnant with Parker (who remembers these pictures taken the next day?). No longer! With each cozy night in the tent–Anders actually zipped into my mummy bag (yes, it was a tight squeeze)–they were sold. Camping really is the best. To book a spot at Mount Desert Island, you really need to be on the ball. As in, I had a reminder in my phone six months in advance to book it the morning it was open to do so. It’s easy to see why, the campground is really fantastic. Anders and I are sitting here on a rock, right at our site. It borders Somes Sound, and the serenity of water views everywhere sets it apart from a lot of other places I’ve camped. You have water views? You have peace. It’s also 15 minutes from Bar Harbor which is a nice treat. You’ve got the roughing it, and then you’ve got some great restaurants and shopping were you to want it.This rocky coastline at our campsite kept the boys occupied for hours. Little Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn. It is life-giving to me to see my kids playing this way. The tide would come and go revealing snails all over the rocks that they’d pluck off and look at. Seaweed to discover, which rocks were most slippery, or best to climb, and where the best place to take a quick outdoor pee was. Boys.  The water was so unbelievably still. Lake Winnipesaukee or the ocean are the two places I go again and again, and neither has water like this. It was a perfect reflection of the trees above it, and so calming. We brought two tents. This is a two-man that Nathaniel slept in, and we had another six-man next to it. This site is fairly limited with how many people you’re allowed, so we couldn’t bring the whole family, but honestly, we get so little time with the older boys (somewhat) one-on-one, so it was really nice to do it this way. And it allowed William and Lindsey to work a bit over the weekend–they both desperately need to make money! Nathaniel introduced us to Dungeons and Dragons which we spent about two hours playing around the fire. I don’t totally understand it, but I’m getting there. Cold nights and mornings at the site made down jackets and winter hats a necessity. On a cold Maine woods morning, coffee stays warm in an enamel mug for approximately two minutes, give or take.Bubbles hike! Great recommendation. Loved by all, and Anders was able to do it without being carried by anyone. He’s the wild card. Too little to be expected to do any major hike but too big to be carried on said major hike! (Speaking of recommendations, we did not make it to Jordan Pond House for popovers. I’m sorry! Next time!)  Check out that precarious boulder. Cool, huh?Prettiest shade of green I’ve ever seen. Favorite guy to travel the world (or to Maine) with.We were at Thunder Hole here and kept all eyes on Anders and Parker lest they go plummeting off the rocks into the ocean here. Parker had a little too much confidence under his belt with his recent rock climbing adventures, so much so in fact that he was bouncing around these rocks like he’s as surefooted as an ibex and Steve and I had to continue keeping him in check.  A moment on their bums when Mom and Dad could rest for a hot second.Isn’t that so beautiful?  Back at the campsite and here to introduce you to hobos! I’m not sure why they got that name, but Steve introduced them to me the first time we camped together, and friends, they’re one of the best parts of the whole trip. You slice up various veggies–the latest mix was my favorite: potatoes, peppers, carrots, cauliflower, onions. Drizzle of olive oil, a generous pat of butter, and a sprinkle of Creole seasoning. Fold them up in your foil, and put them on the fire-grate or even right on the fire. After they’ve been flipped and are thoroughly cooked, open them up to reveal the most delicious buttery perfectly cooked vegetables, where you’ll then put a dollop of sour cream and cheese on top. Enjoy! And finally, the view at night. Anders took that picture!Post still to come with some camping lists, tips, tricks, and gear, written by Steve. I highly suggest you all go camping! Plan it, do it, it’s such fun.