Roy Scribner at camping blogger has a great post on childhood memories of camping. Here’s part of what he says:
I think I was 8 years old, when my parents bought a 1966 Dodge Van and we started exploring California in 1973. I can remember disappointment; hiking to the top of the volcano at Lassen National Park – which ended-up not looking anything like what I thought a volcano should look like, and the ancient bristlecone pines of the Inyo National Forest, which were just (to this child) a bunch of old, twisty trees.
I also remember the giant banana slugs in Jedediah Smith Redwood State Park, and the black bears in Yosemite National Park that could open the “bear proof” garbage cans, at will. On that same trip to Yosemite, I also vividly remember hang gliders going off El Capitan.
There’s a growing collection of very interesting comments, with people from around the country leaving reminisces of traveling the country with their parents and exploring the outdoors while camping. Go read ‘em (including mine) and add your own.
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I love to hike but on topic with your story. I remember hiking a simple hike in Yosemite. I stopped to take a rest and a drink of water. Up came an enthusiastic man who was probably newly married to the woman behind him who was dragging her young (about 10) daughter behind her who was complaining that she didn’t want to hike anymore, she was tiered etc…. The woman belted out to her daughter “your going to hike and your going to like it!”
I sat front row of this display and thought so many thoughts. First being that it was a sure thing that that girl was not going to “like” it and probably not like her new stepfather either for that matter.
Children though naturals to the outdoors are not always into the hiking in the same “get it done” manor that we adults can be. A pic nic, magnifying glass, hikes with water features and shorter hikes may just be all they are up to?
So far my 5 year old can only go so far, she would rather do art or play dolls using two sticks then hike “only”
Ruth Chase´s last blog ..NOTE TO READERS