This past month my partner Dane and I decided to take the kids on their first camping trip. We’re both camping lovers and this seemed like a good idea. The kids were excited, Dane was enthused, the weather looked not-as-hot, and so we set about the plans.
Around Kansas City you have many options. I have a friend who loves camping with her husband and two kids at Shawnee Mission Lake, for instance. Dane was thinking Weston. We chose to be a little closer to home for our first trip, and Watkins Mill was perfectly located. (And the countryside ended up being perfectly lovely.)
Most nearby Missouri campsites require you to reserve for two nights and Watkins Mill is no exception; but if you’re fearless like us (aka cheap and crazy), then you can just go that day and hope for the best. We got a nice little spot, but it was lucky. The sites were mostly taken– my one criticism of the campsites being that they are extremely close together. There’s a picturesque lake with walking trails nearby, and the bathrooms were right across the street and well maintained.
If you’re anything like me, you have great intentions in life. But those intentions aren’t always met with action, and that’s how the camping dinner went. We got to Kearney (the nearest town) and were at the mercy of their Wal-Mart unless we wanted to drive an extra 30-40 minutes to pick up dinner. We are also vegetarians, so it was not the healthiest meal ever cobbled together over a campsite. But we had s’mores, dangit!
All in all, it was a nearly awesome trip. A few things to note: hammocks get cold. Bring a blanket to put under you. Monitor the s’more consumption! Things can get wild when a 7 and 9-year-old consume unholy amounts of marshmallows because they’re unsupervised while you and your partner attempt to build the fire. (Another tip: bring paper scraps and get good firewood!) We brought two tents, a bunch of snackish food, a cooler, matches, toilet paper, and a little wireless speaker for campfire music. Part of the beauty of going for a night and being close is fewer things to pack.
The point of this excursion was two-fold: enjoy nature and enjoy each other, all the while making sure nobody gets killed. Ultimately, we accomplished these goals. And I think we’ll recall telling campfire ghost stories and listening to Tom Petty under the stars, which makes all the effort worthwhile.
I’ve always enjoyed your writing – you need to do more! Informative and amusing – a great combo!