Rita Reviews

living my best possible southern life

Camping + June Vibes Giveaway Hop

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June is National Camping Month which makes sense because it is the beginning of summer. Are you a summer camper or more of a fall camper? Maybe you are an all weather camper. We go camping from time to time throughout the year. We haven’t been as much in the last couple of years as we have in the past. It is something that I would like to remedy this year. I also have an amazing giveaway hop thanks to MamatheFox for y’all.

I will never forget the first time I went camping. I’m talking more than sleeping on a cot out on my grandmother’s porch too. Although my grandfather did put the cots in the yard one time and set up an old MASH unit tent that he had but I’m not sure that counted. It would have really helped had he had a resource like https://www.globosurfer.com/best-budget-tents/ to get a much better tent. I was in high school and a bunch of friends including the guy I had a crush on all went.

No one told me about the showers that were nearby. I mean that would have been too easy I guess. Maybe they didn’t know but we discovered them the day we were leaving. We used the river water and bottle water we had brought with us. We pitched our tents near the water fall so I sleep wonderfully. During the hiking though while crossing the river jumping from rock to rock, I slipped and fell in.

It was horrible and I swore when I came home I was never doing it again. Then once I was an adult I decided to give camping at the state park nearby a try. I loved it! It was so much better when I knew where the amenities were and in a camp site setting. We go there a lot as a family and my siblings and I occasionally venture out into other wilderness as well.

UPDATE: Thanks to everyone who emailed or left me a message about the issue. I was planning and drafting ten different giveaways when I put this one together and then I had a huge issue (that’s coming in another post) and I crisscrossed everything. I got this fixed now.

Enter the Giveaway

ENTER BELOW FOR YOUR CHANCE TO WIN A $200 AMAZON GIFT CARD. GIVEAWAY IS OPEN WORLDWIDE AND ENDS JUNE 15, 2020 AT 11:59 PM EST.

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Hop on over to all of the other blogs that are taking part in this amazing giveaway hop. MamatheFox and all participating blogs are not held responsible for sponsors who fail to fulfill their prize obligations.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. I haven’t really gone camping but I did go to a cabin in NY and it was a lot of fun to be staying in the woods!

  2. As a kid the family went camping in Tallahasee florida. We went fishing and I caught my first fish.

  3. We always went camping as a family and I always enjoyed hanging out with my cousins, playing mini golf and swimming.

  4. My favorite camping memory was going to the Boundary waters with my dad and brother. We saw moose, a bald eagle and beavers! It was a lot of fun.

    • I’ve never seen a moose in person. I really want to! Which I know sounds a bit crazy but I just want to see one.

  5. I live for camping.. The entire family went all the time when I was growing up, which completely turned me into a camping nature nut today.

    • We didn’t really go when I was a child. My dad had been in the service so I’m sure his idea of camping was a bit different than mine. However, one I started as an adult I just fell in love with it.

  6. my best camping was when my school went in 4th grade. i had never been camping before because my folks are not camping people. i enjoyed fishing and sleeping outside, it was awesome! i am a lifelong camper now!

    • I am so thrilled that you got into it at such a young age. My kiddos love it so much too even the little ones.

  7. I don’t have a favorite memory. I love camping and I enjoy every time.

    • That is so good. For me some trips are awesome while other ones are just okay. I have had a few trips that I hated.,

  8. I’m a big fan of camping. It’s especially great for kids to go exploring.

    • You should give a try. You may find that you love it. I would suggest a state park or campground for your first time though.

    • I was one of those kids that was mixed about being outdoors. I hated it until I got there and then, depending on what I was doing, I loved it.

  11. I have never been camping, it was just not my families thing. I think it could be fun as long as I didn’t have to sleep in a tent. LOL

  13. When my boys were younger their father & I would take them up north to camp for a week. So many memories of boys being boys splashing in the lake and exploring the woods.

  14. One of my favorites was the day we watched osprey diving for fish in the lake, then saw a deer swim across.

  15. Never been camping, I have always been afraid of bugs and being out in the woods after dark.

    • I don’t mind the woods but I’m not crazy about the bugs. It is something I’ve had to adjust to.

  17. My favorite camping memory is going with my parents when I was little and we went fishing it was so much fun.

  18. My favorite camping memories is when I went camping with my daughter’s Girl Scout troup. Sitting around the campfire making smores and watching her catch her first fish were highlights.

  19. My favorite memory of camping is when we took our two boys ages 3 and 5 out west to Colorado mountains, on the 4th of July we woke up to a snow story. The boys had fun in the snow.

  20. When I was a girl scout, we went camping. My favorite memory is cooking breakfast on the coffee can stoves we made! I remember my eggs tasting the best ever! lol

    • They always taste better when you cook on something you made. I love that memory! I wasn’t in the Girl Scouts but if I had been it may have fostered my love of camping earlier.

  21. I’ve never been camping and I’m not sure if I would like it because I like my creature comforts.

    • I like my comforts as well but for me there is just something about camping. It makes me feel alive and free.

  22. My favorite is from my internship in Alaska. We camped for our orientation,

  23. In high school, I went camping with a friend for a week. It rained the entire week so we weren’t able to swim, hike or enjoy the outdoors.

  24. Catching small fish with my custom made bottle trap at the lake, made lots of friends too! I released the fish after.

    • I love the idea of trapping them rather than using the line. I just can’t when it comes to fishing.

    • It is fun! I wouldn’t suggest you do it by yourself because it could be dangerous but find someone to go with you and give it a try.

  28. My favourite camping memory was when I was in my early 20’s and camping at Kauri Mountain on the beach in New Zealand. Warm nights and romantic company…bliss.

  29. I did not grow up camping. NO ONE would mistake me for a tomboy! The mere thought of sleeping in a tent with creepy, crawly things is revolting. I love being outside and exploring nature. I just want to do it in the daytime. I’ll go back home at night (or to a plush hotel).

    • I love that you are so honest about it! 🙂 There is nothing wrong with wanting to sleep in a plush bed. Sometimes I take a weekend and spend it at a hotel in town just to get pampered a little bit.

  30. I have a lot of favorite camping trips with my grandparents. Like the time we went camping near Crystal Springs Fl and swam with the manatees the next day

  32. I loved camping along the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon with my friends.

  33. I haven’t been camping in decades so I don’t have any memorites to share. I like to camp just don’t like the bugs or the outdoor toilet situation

    • Yeah, the toilet is a bit of an issue. It took some getting use to. I’m not crazy about the bugs either.

  34. Best camping memory was last year. We recently adopted a little girl and since there was no scouts around for her, I started a girl scout troop for her and her friends. So last August was our first official Girl Scout camp! The girls swam in the lake, made s’mores, went hiking, painted rocks, learned to cook on a fire … it was amazing! Most of the girls had never camped before or been out of the city. It was so much fun getting to share those firsts!

    • Oh! Congratulations both on the adoption and starting a troop! What a wonderful mother! I love this memory and I’m sure you are going to make many more.

  35. One of my favorite memories is the year my family and I went camping with my brother and his 5 kids. With all my brothers kids and our kids, we had a blast. We went fishing, cooked together and most of all had great story time at nights together. My brother has a wonderful sense of humor and when were with him, it seems like all we do is laugh. My family and I go camping often and we usually go with other families, but I think the most fun for all of us was when we went with my brother and his kids.

    • It sounds like y’all had a blast. I love going with other families but like you there is something about going with my siblings and their children. They get me in a way no one else does.

  36. My wife and I love to camp. We live in SoCal so the weather is usually perfect for being outdoors. Too bad that so many campgrounds are closed due to COVID, we have really missed camping!

    • I’m sure! We’ve missed it as well. Hopefully we will get to do it again soon. If nothing else we are going to camp in the backyard.

  37. I don’t really have a favorite memory, but our family goes camping once a year in December with another family and we always have a wonderful time!

  39. I’ve only gone camping a few times but I so love the hiking and enjoying kombucha from a mountain top!

  40. I used to love camping, but now tenting and sleeping on the ground are just too hard on my body.

    • I know what you mean. Some mornings I get up when camping and feel like my poor body just won’t move.

  41. I have never been camping and it is not something I ever wanted to do. Sleeping in a tent is not my idea of fun. Give me a hotel room with a bed and bathroom.

    • There was a time that I was the same way. Sleeping on the ground sounded awful but then it wasn’t. I always tell the kids it’s an adventure and try to thin of it that way myself.

  42. The family went camping in Yellowstone when I was a kids, I just loved it, Best family time.

  43. I’ve never been camping and honestly don’t think I’d like it. Not my cup of tea!

  44. I’ve only been camping once with Girl Scouts. I just remember being homesick LOL

    • Awe! I can only imagine. I remember the first time spending the night away from my parents and not staying with family. All I wanted to do was go home.

  45. I have never been camping and would rather spend a weekend in a good hotel

  46. I used to go camping pretty often when I was a kid. I live in SC now though and it is so hot and muggy here I wouldn’t consider it unless of course it was GLAMPING!

    • We camp sometimes in SC! You’re right about it being hot and muggy, it’s that way here in GA as well. I haven’t been Glamping but I think I could get behind it.

  47. I’ve only really been camping once – this probably tells you why I haven’t tried again – awoke to a deflated air mattress, soaked in water (the tent leaked), cold beyond belief.

  48. My dad would always take my and my brother and sister camping at least once a year growing up, it was always one of the things I looked forward to the most.

  49. When we went camping it was the old fashioned tent, cook on a open flame, it was very minimal. I sure do appreciate the camping life because you just need to get away from everything, put your electronics down and just put all the stress aside

  51. I like the idea of camping, but I think I’d have to go glamping because I would probably get eaten alive by bugs if I stayed outdoors the whole time.

    • I use a lot of bug repellent and we have a citronella plant that I usually bring with us. IT helps keep them away. It’s in a pot and I place it just outside the tent.

  52. We normally go camping three times a month. We have a travel trailer, so we can enjoy the outdoors as often as possible.

  53. My favorite camping memory was taking a 3 month road trip across the U.S. and staying in a cot tent along the way.

  55. The one thing I love about camping is getting away from the city. It allows you to recharge your batteries and find peace with nature, as long as there aren’t any poisonous animals or bugs.

  56. I’ve never been camping, but I’ve always wanted to go! It seems like something I would enjoy.

  57. I love going camping! I don’t have a favorite memory, because almost every camping trip I have been on has been a lot of fun.

    • I bet! I went to camp once when I was a kid. I honestly, hated it even though I was less than thirty minutes away from home.

  60. When I was a kid, my family’s tent got an inch of water in it from a heavy rain. My parents and I bailed it out with tiny Dixie cups, laughing hysterically. It was the first time I understood adult humor.

  61. I’ve never gone camping but would be open to the idea of camping in an RV or cabin. I wouldn’t like “roughing it” in a tent.

  62. In my early twenties I went camping and fishing in the middle of Wisconsin with several friends for Labor Day weekend and had a blast.

    • I bet it was fun! We haven’t camped much during holidays because the campgrounds tend to be busy.

  64. Always fun relaxing and drinking, but not cool to fall asleep by fire and wonder why your face is all red in the morning

  66. I camp out every year in Yosemite. Just getting away from the city and fishing and sleeping under the stars is sooo therapeutic!

  67. I’ve never been camping properly. We mostly do a sleepover on the backyard with my nephew & my sister! We do the whole hot dogs & smores by the fire thing, too. It is a lot of fun! 🙂

  68. We camped when our daughter was young. We took along our Irish Setter and we all really enjoyed.

  69. I’ve never been camping but I would like to go one day with my family. I think it would be a fun experience but I don’t like the no bathroom and shower option so we’d go glamping lol

    • Not having those can be a problem. That is why, with the kids, we camp at the state park. They have bathrooms and showers available.

  70. I have never been camping. I have lots of wonderful memories of making bonfires and roasting marshmallows while being able to see a peaceful view and the stars clearly when up north. I’d imagine you could have the same experience when camping.

    • You can! We do all of that when camping but some of best bonfire memories are out at my grandparents house. They have a bunch of pasture land around and we would do bonfires when the whole family was there.

  71. I love camping with my family. We try to go on a trip every year. It is so much fun to spend the down time together.

  72. We go “glamping” in our RV, and even though I don’t know if I can pick just one special memory, I love bonding with my family friends and just sitting by the bonfire or BBQing or drinking! Having fun and relaxing is the best thing to come out of camping.

  73. My husband and I went out in the desert camping…we stayed up all night watching the meteor showers. UNBELIEVABLE! You could not only see them, but hear them, too, streaking across the sky.

  75. Not a fan of bugs, spiders and snakes and I like my hot showers. I’ll leave camping to others, thank you.

  76. I have never camped before but I would love to near a beach if I ever get the chance.

  77. When I was a kid, all the neighbor kids would put down blankets under the clothesline (this was a LONG time ago!). and drape blankets on the clothes line to make “tents”. We had so much fun. Generally, though, I don’t like camping at all!

  79. The last camping trip was when I was in Girls Scouts, I enjoyed canoeing and building a fire.

  80. Thank you for a great prize. One can see so many more of the beauties of the US by camping.

  81. I loved going camping as a child. However my mom was right – mother does all the work while the family has the fun. So I actually hate going as an adult.

  82. My favorite story is the time we were camping in the Tetons in our 15 foot camping trailer. During the night the trailer started shaking and my dad said there was probably a bear scratching his back. The next morning we went up to Yellowstone for breakfast and all everyone was talking about was the big earthquake.
    Thanks for the contest.

  83. When I was in College I went camping with a guy I was dating and a group of our friends. No one checked the weather and it was calling for really bad storms. We even had a tornado warning put for our area. We all ended up sleeping in our vehicles. It was very scary!

  87. I had a fun camping trip with friends my senior year of high school. Tents and everything. Just some girls from basketball.

  88. I haven’t gone camping in years.
    So miss it – the relaxation and natural beauty.

  90. We used to go camping at the beach with my parents and our little girl. I remember riding on the golf cart so my dad could show my daughter the ducks, fireworks, etc. They were two peas in a pod.

  91. My first camping experience that I can remember is going camping with the Girl Scouts. We had a lean too building that had 3 sides and we slept in our sleeping bags.

  92. I remember getting up very early in the morning, it would be cool and would wear a jacket. It was relaxing to see the mist before the sun had a chance to warm things up. Missed those days.

  93. I love camping and I am so excited that prime camping season is finally here!
    My favourite camping memories are going camping with my family as a child. It was so exciting and fun.

  94. A couple years ago with my cousins and their kids, my brother, and sister and her kids, mom, aunts and uncles and got camping sites together. I arranged for all the kids to bring a white shirt, and provided the rest of the supplies for them each to make their own tie-dyed shirt. We hung them all on a line to dry after I rinsed them all. I got pictures with them all standing next to their creation. It was a great memory!

  95. My favorite camping memory was when I was 15 years old. I went with my sister and her hubby to Colorado and we camped out in the mountains. If I would have known how dangerous that was, I wouldn’t have gone, but luckily, I had no idea! I had a wonderful time and it was so beautiful!!!

  96. I love camping with my family. I have so many good memories, it’s hard to choose just one. We go fishing and swimming whenever we go camping as well, so we usually camp near a lake.

  97. Living rurally, we went even more off the grid by loading everything into our little motor boat and just finding any ol’ island that we though looked good out on the Ottawa River and just stopped there and camped therefor a week. The best part was going from island to island, scouting out where our next adventure would begin. We were so overloaded with gear that the boat barely went anywhere.

  98. It has been about twelve years since I last went camping. We went to a state park, cooked hot dogs, and rented a canoe. It was a fun weekend with the exception of mosquitoes.

  99. We have had some really camping trips. I always love cooking over a campfire and most of my memories about camping are about the foods we tried on trips, like foil packet meals, They were always so good and now I make them on the grill at home.

  100. We went camping with a group of old COLLEGE friends When our Daughter was a baby. Most of them also had small children. We soon found out that Camping with young kids was not nearly as fun as when were carefree 20 year-olds.

  101. a local camp near me does a Women’s Wellness Weekend every year, and I went the last two years. It’s so fun to kind of have the summer camp experience – but as an adult!

  103. The only CAmping I’ve done is when i was a kid and camped out in the backyard. I’m not a big fan of camping. i’m too scared of all of the creepy crawlers that come out at night.

  104. When I was young we took camping trips every summer. My favorite trips were always when we went camping by the beach. I love the ocean and i loved walking and playing on the beach.

  105. When I was a kid (I’m guessing around 8 y.o) my parents took me to a cabin in the mountains. We went to a lodge that had music and dancing. I danced for hours and the next day my body was so sore I could barely get out of bed. Oh and My dad was helping split wood and ripped his pants while going commando. Good times!

  106. When I used to go up camping with my aunt,uncle and cousins at the lake every year growing up.

  107. I’m 58 and I prefer my comfort! My idea of camping is to go Glamping- maybe rent a cabin.

  108. What is your favorite camping memory? If you don’t have one tell me your thought good or bad on camping in general.

    i did very little MIDDLE of NOWHERE camping… i could never do WHITEOUT BATHROOM FACILITIES!!!

  110. Going camping the summer before we headed off to college was the most memorable. We spent most of the time reminiscing, and just having lots of carefree fun for the last time.

  111. We used to go with our neighbors and I remember my friend and i going around to the other campsites and meeting other kids. We stayed up late and played board games and made special campfire meals

  112. my family went camping once and we ended up leaving and going to a motel. It was bug season or something and they were attracted to the lights. It was not fun for us. P,S. Sorry about the caps. My caps lock is off.

  113. I remember going camping as a kid. My dad made fishing poles out of peeled alders and attached a line and a worm. We caught enough fish for dinner and again the next morning for breakfast. I still remember how good those trout tasted cooked on an open fire. Thanks for the awesome giveaway opportunity!

  114. We have camped a lot over the years. One time I remember clearly was at Mammoth Cave NP where the raccoons were so bad that the park rangers were walking around with nets scooping them up and taking them farther away from the camp.

  115. oUR FAMILY HAS ALL CAMPED TOGETHER EVERY YEAR SINCE I WAS BORN. A FEW YEARS AGO WE WERE GRILLING PIZZA ON THE BBQ & HAD A BEAR WANDER OVER TO OUR CAMPSITE (PROBABLY WANTING PIZZA HAHA). wE ALL WERE SCARED & CRAMMED INTO THE CAMPER WATCHING HIM. hE EVENTUALLY LEFT BUT EVEN THOUGH IT WAS SCARY, IT BROUGHT US TOGETHER & WAS A GOOD STORY!

  116. My favorite camping memory was of a cycling trip i took in middle school. Four days with three nights of camping. It was so much fun!

  117. When I was little my grandpa took me camping the 1st week that school let out every year and I loved it. I don’t enjoy camping as much as I did back then but I still go so that my kids can enjoy the experience.

  118. My favorite camping trip was camping with friends back in college at the outer banks. It was amazing to hang out and relax with no stress.

  120. I haven’t been camping, but i think it can be fun with the right people and, above all, the right equipment.

  121. My husband and I actually went on a road trip and camping for our HOneymoon. it was such a great way to decompress from all the wedding activity and to really start our new life together.

  122. My FAVORITE CAMPING story was at ft hood when I was in the ary. we had very large tents and we put down pallets to keep our bedding to keep us dry.The major’s tent was in a run off creak.it took him five more days to figure out his tent washed away. he had an rv parked about a mile AWAy, FUNNIEST thing ever.

  123. We camped with friends at a lake in TENNESSEE when my son was a toddler. Everything was perfect.

  124. What is your favorite camping memory? Going camping with my late husband in march. it was warm in south texas during the day, but it got cold at night. i remember waking up and my nose was freezing. we always had a good laugh remembering that.

  125. My best memory of camping was when I was young. My brother and I would throw a huge tarp over a clothesline and make that our tent. We did that for several summers. We eat in that tent and read. It was a lot of fun!

  126. My best memory is when I was little and I had a feeling of freedom, they let us go alone through the camping

  129. My first time camping it rained at night and everything was wet . The next morning I locked my keys in the car and spent 2 hours unlocking it. Other than that it was fun.

  131. We used to camp a lot. I liked it when webrought out the blender and made margaritas!

  132. I was 19 and me and a couple of girlfriends went camping by ourselves. we were so scared at night and a racoon got in our food during the night and stuff was everywhere in the morning and let’s not talk about the ticks everywhere in the tent! I will go camping again but maybe in a camper. haha

  135. living in maine, camping is lots of fun, we get to see moose, deer and other wildlife. one of my favorite memories is when my kids went with my dad and i and he took them fishing for the first time. while he is not with us any longer, it is a memory that we all cherish.

  137. Me and my family used to go to these campgrounds they were log cabins and we would have tons of family on each side rent on the same weekend we did and just everyone would be there in there own cabin and it was just very relaxing and fun for the kids. They had a lake and they had halloween trick or treating because that is when we would go down around that time. it was really really fun and i miss it a lot, and at night we would log our uncle which is crazy funny too and run… those were the days.

  139. My favorite memory is being asked to stand up for the campers next to us at their weddingin yosemite many years ago and being joined by a deer at the intimate little outdoor service.

  140. The first trip my husband and I took as a couple was camping and we had such a great time riding trails on our bike, canoeing and getting to know each other. Now here we are 17 years later, still loving the outdoors!

  143. My favorite camping memory is our First family trip. We had a gREat time hiking and enjoYing the campfire cooking.

  144. My favourite memory is when we went to our mother’s village. Little STREAMs trickled down the muddy mountains, there were walnut TREES everywhere,and where the dead trees fell, there was fungi growing around it in coils.
    There was a also a giant spider, the size of my hand just lounging around, very still on a wall.

  145. My favorite camping memory is when my aunt and uncle took me camping with my cousins when I was a kid. My aunt always made big, delicious breakfasts, and we had so much fun swimming in the lake.

  146. I have fond memories of my parents taking us camping in a pop up trailer – hiking, swimming, boating! So much fun

  147. mY FAV. MEMORY IS CAMPING FOR THE FIRST TIME WITH MYSELF AND MY CHILDREN AT THE TIME AGES 4 AND 7 IN pRINCE Edward iSLAND . I MANAGED TO PUT UP A TENT AND START A FIRE. tHE KIDS CLAPPED WHEN I WAS ABLE TO GET THE FIRE GOING.

  149. I’ve only been camping once and it was wonderful. We went to a local park that was hosting a Perseids meteor shower camp out. We stayed up really late and watched the meteor shower. It was so magical!

  151. My favorite camping memory IS going to my husband’s family reunion before we were married. I slept in his parents 5th wheel while he slept in a tent just outside. I was girl talking with his mom and aunt inside, he was sound asleep in the tent. we could hear him snoring loud! His aunt made a comment about what i had to look forward to and we couldn’t stop laughing.

  154. with my grandparents when I was little. MY instagram name is smeltzeramy. i accidentally put it in wrong on the conest form, sorry.

  156. mY FAVORITE CAMPING MEMORY WAS WHEN i WAS A KID AND OR FAMILY AND MY BEST FRIENDS FAMILY WENT TO THE LAKE TO CAMP FOR THE FOURTH OF JULY SO MUCH FUN.

  158. As a kid, I belonged to a group called the Indian Y Princess and we were supposed to go camping in the woods but there was a serious storm so intead, we camped out at the outside of the YMCA. We ate food out of vending machine!

  159. We have gone for 40 years to Yosemite and it is always amazing we only stopped when my son had his heart transplant. Loved always seeing the bears and when They had to catch a young bear that was getting into things we got to watch them measure and draw his blood and tag him. We were able to touch him and we filmed it.

  162. My camping days are behind me thanks to being disabled. I would love to try again but would need a camper. it’s great being away from the world and back to nature.

  163. being with my family camping in Grand Tetons and watching the sunrise
    sorry I can’t unlock my caps /camping I Love