Camping—a curse or blessing?

My family are big time campers. We’ve camped in the San Bernardino mountains of California, the High Sierras of Northern California, and also the mountains of Utah.
But I have mixed feelings about camping.
Don’t Love:  Sleeping in a tent because I never sleep well. Even with the air mattress the guys are filling up. No sleep equals cranky Cynthia.


Do Love: Seeing my kids have fun without any technology whatsoever. Nathan loved catching (and eating) these trout at Navajo Lake. Ilene loved roasting marshmallows each night. And Hallie loved the dirt—no pic unfortunately of that.


Speaking of dirt…..Don’t love: Dirt and Grime. I didn’t get a picture of how absolutely filthy the children were but I’ll see if any of my extended family did. I just barely finished doing all the laundry created from this trip (3  days of laundry!) and some of the kids’ socks need to be washed multiple times to get rid of the grime.
This is my sis Carolyn drying a pair of grimey socks by campfire. Disgusting. Just drop ‘em in the fire sis.

Do love: The scenery! I’ve been going to Cedar Breaks since I was a teenager. Love it!



See? Here’s proof I was there as a teenager. Why am I wearing a collared shirt with a sweatshirt? Oh the agony of the 1980s. How cute was our one-eyed dog Popette?


Nonetheless….the Harrington family is a family of campers. Always have been, and I should just accept we always will be.  (The below pic is evidence of grimey children while camping, circa 1983, Heart Bar Campground, San Bernardino, CA.)
Left to right: The Harrington Brats Children: Mike, Me, Patty, Carolyn and Mark. (Dig the fringe Carolyn on your faux-Western pink leisure suit!.)

Ok, I’ll shut up now about camping. But I have the feeling there is more in store before the summer takes a bow.