Lessons in Camping

 

Did you know that camping season in Florida is actually the winter? Even after growing up here, it didn't occur to me until chatting with another Mom in the outdoor playgroup I set up after moving here. But if you think about it, it makes perfect sense! Winters in Florida are beautiful- they're cooler, less humid, even a little less buggy. It's why we get 'snowbirds' all the way from Canada weathering out their winters here. 

Peter had a couple vacation days that were going to expire, and I was itching to explore a new part of Florida- camping seemed like a natural fit. So I threw together a quick plan and we were off. 

We chose the campsite (Long Point Park in Sebastian) purely from the recommendation of another parent. It's a nice little organized campground, but you definitely don't feel like you're out in nature- most folks have RVs with hookups, and there's a pretty clean bathroom/shower area that we were thankful for, plus a playground for kids. It was great- just not exactly the quiet set up I was expecting. That being said, we'd love to come back, maybe with kayaks or canoes, since our campsite had a spot for launching small boats!

On day one we arrived in time to set up our tent and cook dinner before it got too dark. E was SO excited to sleep in the tent- we had opened it on a test run the day before in our yard and she asked right away if she could sleep inside it. So I guess she gets it? 

That being said...sleeping in a tent proved challenging for our girl. I kind of expected it- apart from the occasional car nap and if she's overtired, E does NOT sleep well on the go. I joke that she is over-sleep trained because she really does struggle outside of her dark, cozy room and bed (or pack and play.) The white noise machine did help, a bit. So definitely bring that if you've got littles. The silver lining: she loved seeing all the stars at our camp site.

The next day we spent the morning/mid-day at the beach. We packed a picnic lunch and E loved digging in the sand. We didn't swim (most of the beaches have dangerous rip currents, huge waves, oh- and it's man-o-war season!) but it was honestly not too warm and we all just enjoyed getting some sun. There is a smaller cove-type beach in the park just down the road that is great for littles to splash around in. 

By the afternoon it was too hot to swim (or to nap inside the tent,) so we went for a drive. I was secretly hoping that E would fall asleep on the way down A1A, but no such luck, so we visited a small treasure museum (McLarty, more info here.) It was not at all expensive and an easy way to escape the heat. This part of Florida is known as the treasure coast because a number of shipwrecks from the Spanish colonial era have been found here. The staff was really knowledgeable- we got to chat with a ranger who grew up in the area and described moments where you'd just put your hand in the sand and pick up Spanish coins- so cool! It was a nice way to kill an hour and escape the heat. 

The second night was a little warmer, which meant a LOT more bugs. It didn't help that our independent little gal was a little bit slow getting herself into the tent- unfortunately that combo meant lots of bug bites that night :( note to self, re-apply deet at bedtime!!) 

Overall, we had a great time, with lots of valuable lessons learned about bringing small kids along for the ride and how camping in Florida is different from other parts of the country. Here's a few:

- Start with a game plan. I made a planning template for our first camping trip with E back when she was a baby. In addition to reservation dates and details, it included a packing list, meal plan, and list of local activities and hikes. I basically adapted the same template, tweaking it for Florida. And we'll definitely adjust the packing list slightly for our next trip

- get organized before you go. I got this tip from another blog/instagram Mom, Cali Wolf - in addition to having all the camping gear in one place in the garage, we keep the smaller odds and ends in two bins- one for kitchen stuff (the bin doubles as a wash basin) and one for miscellaneous smaller items. It makes packing 10x faster!

- adapt for littles. This is really true of all trips- pre-kid, I was definitely the travel that was always on the go- I wanted to squeeze as much as I could and see as many places as I could into a single trip. That really does not work for kiddos. We've found since having E cutting the pace by 50% and leaving afternoons open for quieter activities (or the occasional precious car nap, haha) works much better for us. Oh! and don't forget to add a few things to your packing list for the baby- namely, a place to put them down, like a pack and play, potentially a travel high chair and bassinet, and any other small essentials you need.

- prepare for all weather. Especially in Florida, winter doesn't mean consistent cold- a chilly evening and morning can swing into a hot afternoon. The key is bringing light layers so you can easily adapt.

- bug defense! This was the toughest lesson for us- even though I lived here in Florida for years, I forgot how bad bugs can be, even in the winter. We brought deet, which helped, but just one night without applying it meant we went home with dozens of bug bites. Next time we'll add citronella candles to the packing is. We have an insecticide-treated mosquito net too, but I'm not sure if we'll use it. Lastly, permethrin treated clothing is another good way to keep the bugs away- I had a scarf I was wearing the first night that I ditched because I was too hot, and I'm convinced it helped. 

Thoughts? What would you add to this list? If you've camped with littles I'd love to hear your tips!