What I've learned camping...
Submitted by mmiller on 22 May 2006 - 4:29pm.
Family
The Good:
- Babytalk. Madelyn and Anabel communicate and seem to understand each other very well considering they are respectively 15 months and 11 months old.
- The .08 mile hike. It only took us 6+ years at this campground to actually hike this trail to Lake Michigan from our campsite.
- A camping sink. It's near the bathrooms. Erik and Julie and Dave had to point this out. Again, we've been camping here for 6+ years.
- Rain. It doesn't damper the plans. It turns 6 grown men into the problem-solvers-of-the-universe (see shelters in gallery pictures).
- Coyote yipping. In the middle of the night, this is haunting and cool.
- Platte River Campground. With 4 walk-in campsites on the C path, it's perfect for 10 peeps + 2 babes.
The Bad:
- High 30s at night. A 4-season tent doesn't mean it comes with a heater.
- High 30s at night. Sleeping on the ground in one position with a 20 pounder on your stomach is comfortable for about 10 minutes...not an entire night.
- High 30s at night. For goodness sake, zip your stinkin bags together when it's this cold.
It's good when the good outweighs the bad. Check out these pics (and more in our gallery):
Anabel in her campchair.
Anabel and Madelyn 
Anabel in the sky.
Empire Bluffs
Whelen shelter
A father's perspective
I should add: gear plays a major role here. It rained steadily for 2 hours saturday night. The tent stayed dry thank goodness. It was downright cold Saturday and Sunday mornings, but the supurb full-body fleece-bunting-thing that Anabel and Madelyn both wore kept them nice and warm.
Don't try baby camping without: