What kind of camper are you – Hermit or Socialite? Are you the type of camper who prefers the solitude of the wilderness or are you the type of camper that likes being around friends and family?
The reason I ask is because I just got back from a family camping trip to Stateline CampResort in East Killingly, Connecticut. Well, first I have to admit that this wasn’t the typical camping trip. At my wife’s request/demand, we rented a cabin that had it’s own bathroom and shower. On top of that, the cabin was air conditioned, which I actually appreciated since we had three very hot and humid days. Unfortunately, the site we rented was too small to accommodate an additional tent therefore I was forced to take another step down the path of the dark side and left the my dome tent at home. I was able to get my wife and kids out for another camping trip. Score another one for the me.
Overall, I thought that Stateline was pretty good, especially for Socialites. The campground was clean and well maintained and the staff was really nice. The owners had a weekend full of activities for adults and children alike. Included in full agenda were kickball games, an ice cream social, as well as a honkey-tonk on Saturday night. These are the type of activities that Socialites love. Despite my strong hermit tendencies, I see these activities appealing for family campers who don’t have enough activities planned for their children. The true highlight of the campground however was their swimming pool. It was L-shaped and had a nice 9 ft deep end along with plenty of seating for all the campers. This is where we spent the majority of our time.
True hermit campers on the other hand would feel claustrophobic at Stateline. All of the sites were pretty small and right on top of each other while tent sites were somewhat hard to find among the sea of RVs. Hiking trails were non-existent which added to this campground’s not-so-outdoorzy feel. They did have row boat and canoe rentals, which my family took advantage of for two out of the three days.
In summary, StateLine Campresort wasn’t for me, but if you’re a socialite camper I’d suggest you give them a try.
I’m not sure if you noticed, but last night marked the return of the now infamous show “John and Kate Plus 8″ on TLC. Last year, I posted about their first backyard camping excursion and I enjoyed how they worked as couple to get all of those kids camping for the first time. This year it was clearly different with John apparently out of the picture (in case you hadn’t heard) and Kate braving the backyard alone with all of her children.
After their big blowout and all the related press, I’ve lost interest in the show but I couldn’t help but watch this episode to see how Kate would rise to the challenge of camping alone with the 8 children.
If you haven’t seen it, here’s a little clip of it:
If you’re new to camping and can disregard the media that surrounds their marriage difficulties, I strongly suggest watching this entire episode of John and Kate Plus 8. I found myself admiring Kate’s ability to overcome her lack of camping experience and create a memorable experience for her children. She proved that camping truly isn’t difficult. With some basic gear, simple planning and just a dash of optimism, you may find camping truly enjoyable for your family as well.
Do any of your children own a Nintendo DS? My son received his a couple months ago and has been addicted to it since. We do limit his playing time, but I must admit it is kind of nice to have some quiet time while he’s chasing after Bowser in Super Mario Bros. However, I just booked my next camping trip (at Stateline CampResort in CT) and I’m waiting for the inevitable question about whether or not he can bring his DS along. My gut tells me that this is not a difficult question and that Mario and the rest of the Nintendo games should be left at home but the more I thought about it the more complex the question became.
Being a somewhat logical person I decided to write down the pros and cons:
Pros
Entertains your child without much parental supervision and is great for rainy days
Small and easy enough to pack
Can include family interaction when multiple DS systems are linked
Cons
Entertains your child without any family interaction
Small games are easily lost in the outdoors
Technology can overshadow the subtle enjoyments of the outdoors in a child’s mind
Requires charging which if truly roughing it may not be an option
After looking at this list, I think my gut was correct and Mario should be left at home. Although bringing the Nintendo DS on a camping trip would be a nice convenient entertainment source, especially during rainy days, there are plenty of better alternatives that the entire family can do together easily. We’ll continue to bring old fashioned card and board games. In the end, I expect my son won’t miss his DS after listening to some of my corny jokes over a game of I-Spy Go Fish.
Thanks again for your visit and your patience while I figure out this somewhat perplexing question.
What kind of camper are you – Hermit or Socialite? Are you the type of camper who prefers the solitude of the wilderness or are you the type of camper that likes being around friends and family?
Overall, I thought that Stateline was pretty good, especially for Socialites. The campground was clean and well maintained and the staff was really nice. The owners had a weekend full of activities for adults and children alike. Included in full agenda were kickball games, an ice cream social, as well as a honkey-tonk on Saturday night. These are the type of activities that Socialites love. Despite my strong hermit tendencies, I see these activities appealing for family campers who don’t have enough activities planned for their children. The true highlight of the campground however was their swimming pool. It was L-shaped and had a nice 9 ft deep end along with plenty of seating for all the campers. This is where we spent the majority of our time.
True hermit campers on the other hand would feel claustrophobic at Stateline. All of the sites were pretty small and right on top of each other while tent sites were somewhat hard to find among the sea of RVs. Hiking trails were non-existent which added to this campground’s not-so-outdoorzy feel. They did have row boat and canoe rentals, which my family took advantage of for two out of the three days.
Do any of your children own a Nintendo DS? My son received his a couple months ago and has been addicted to it since. We do limit his playing time, but I must admit it is kind of nice to have some quiet time while he’s chasing after Bowser in Super Mario Bros. However, I just booked my next camping trip (at 
