Tag: camping with preschoolers

Happy Camper

by disneywonderlandgazette, posted in camping, family, family fun, Family Vacation, Pittsburgh, Toddler, Toddler Travel, Uncategorized

This past weekend we decided to plan a small weekend getaway.

We were looking for something close to home, but still something that made us feel like we had escaped reality for a little while.

Luckily the Uniontown KOA is pretty close and was the perfect fit for us.

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We rented a a cabin for the weekend that had a large bed in the main room and a bunk house off to the side with a sliding door that could be closed or kept open.

On Friday it unfortunately rained all night and we weren’t able to cook out. So we went out to eat and then stopped at a restaurant and then went to get groceries for the rest of the weekend.

Saturday morning it started of a little cloudy but turned into a beautiful day.

We started off the morning making pancakes on the fire pit, However, we just couldn’t get the logs to catch fire so we decided to move the griddle to to the grill to finish everything.

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They actually turned out really well after we got the hang of how long we had to cook them. Even Lily enjoyed her plain pancakes that were made before I added the blueberries.

One of Lily’s favorite things was the playground that was in the campground. She made several trips throughout our trip to the playground where she would spend so much time exploring everything and just enjoying the finally beautiful weather.

After paying a visit to the camp’s gift shop and purchasing a little disk of wax with wood shavings, the fire started right up.

Luckily we were able to make our dinner of veggie dogs with crescent rolls, foil pack veggies and grilled cheese for Lily right over the campfire. It was delicious and I am so happy we were able to do that.

Afterwards we made s’mores which Lily just enjoyed eating the graham crackers with chocolate.

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It was the end of a perfect day.

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The next day we woke up to a beautiful morning and ate breakfast before we left to join our mothers for a great Mother’s Day meal later in the day. 

Breakfast was made on the grill again that included oatmeal and cinnamon rolls.

We had a wonderful weekend and we can’t wait to do it again sometime soon.

How did you spend your Mother’s Day weekend? Leave your comments below.

“Daddy, Can I Stand Near the Crocodile?”

by disneywonderlandgazette, posted in camping, family, family fun, Home, Pittsburgh, Uncategorized

This past Saturday the weather was so depressing. It was raining, cold for May and just a horrible day.

Luckily, we had some fun activities planned for the day.

The first stop we made was to the huge Cabella’s store in Wheeling, W.V.

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When we walked in I didn’t realize that there would be a bunch of animal dioramas and an aquarium.

Lily loved looking at the aquarium the best. She thought that the fish were swimming over to say hi to her. She loved them so much she just had to have a stuffed rainbow trout.

We were also really into all the different animal displays and wanted our picture taken near the crocodile. She was really upset that she couldn’t get closer the crocodile.

Our main goal was to get some stuff for our upcoming camping trip. We grabbed a wire cook top and a griddle we could put over the fire and a few other odds and ends.

Lily also got a Mickey Mouse fishing pole that came with some foam fish and a foam fish hook that she has been using in the house, but can also use it to fish in her Nana and Papa’s pool this summer.

We are not hunters or fishers, in fact as I have mentioned before, we are both vegetarians. But, I can still appreciate all of the great camping options that Cabella’s has to offer and the fact that they are very serious about conservation.

After a long day I think we were rather tuckered out.

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Where is some place that you have never gone before but were happy that you tried it out? Leave your comments below.

Smokey the Square

by disneywonderlandgazette, posted in camping, family, Family Vacation, preschoolers, Toddler, Toddler Travel, Uncategorized

If there is something that a lot of people know about me is that I am not outdoorsy.

Actually, that might be putting it lightly. I hate bugs. I am terrified of snakes and I think bears are lurking around every corner just waiting to eat me like a tasty cake.

In actually, in my deep down, I know that these things are very least likely to be a threat to me, so I am trying my best to step out of my comfort zone again and try to go my version of camping.

We recently booked a stay for a weekend at a local campground next month. We booked a cabin with a bathroom because I am still not that adventurous when it comes to camping.

Indoor Camping
Our first attempt at indoor camping.

Last fall we had our first foray into camping when we stayed in a cabin at Old Mill Stream Campground in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

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Located right next to an adorable family amusement park, Dutch Wonderland, Old Mill Stream is a smaller campground but is big on charm.

The cabins are really clean and spacious and were a perfect option for our very excited toddler.

There was a bedroom, bathroom, kitchen and dining area with a futon and lots of space.

Outside each cabin had a grill, fire ring and picnic table.

My only complaint, which is really minor, was that there wasn’t a TV in the bedroom. For a person that needs to have the TV on to sleep it was a little of an inconvenience. We were able to hook up our tablets and stream Netflix overnight, so it ended up working out alright.

However, the scenery couldn’t be beat with a sweet little creek running behind the campground, to pie deliveries by the Amish, to receiving a discount at the neighboring amusement park.

In addition to the cabins there are RV hook ups, tent camping sites and you can even spend the night in a tepee.

OldMillStream2 I would highly recommend this campsite for those both experienced in camping as well novices.

The setting is peaceful and the coziness of the campground makes you remember the simple summer pleasures.

Do you and your family go camping? If so, what do you look for in a campground? Leave your comments below.