Like all great adventures, it begins with a small idea that grows! Our idea was to find something special to do this summer with our nephew's Thomas and Robbie. The opportunity to camp together was something we could not turn down and credit to their parents for being brave enough to set us loose in the outdoors with their boys!
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| Swimming area at Alice Lake Provincial Park |
In true expedition fashion, the weekend began with a team organizational meeting. I am sure you can relate to the discussions around group gear, food lists, emergency supplies etc. If you have not included a "kid" in your planning meetings, I would encourage you to do so. Children remind us all that it should be
FUN. As adults, we tend to fuss and fret over gear and logistics. Adults quickly default to Maslow's hierarchy of needs as we systematically address our most basic needs first - food (s'mores) water (or wine/beer as the cause may be) and shelter (tent). It was refreshing and thoroughly entertaining to listen as Thomas quickly summarized his needs and I quote:
- bikes
- baseball gloves
- swimsuits
Really - what more could you need or want?
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| Ready for action! |
As a team, we created a comprehensive food list, with long discussions around healthy vs. unhealthy food, and the pros and cons of bringing something not on our list.
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| Healthy do it yourself wraps made it on our list! |
With much planning and preparation the departure day arrived and we ventured off. In true Weiss fashion, we were in the car for less than 20 minutes when the heavens open up and it poured rain.
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| As with all Weiss vacations....it rained! |
Of course based on the weatherman's forecast for a week of sun, we had excitedly thrown all of our gear in the back of the truck and really did not have a rain plan. After three different road side stops we came up with the tarp burrito. Reassured that our sleeping bags would stay dry we began the road trip to Alice Lake Provincial Park.
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| Calm afternoon at Alice Lake Provincial Park |
Alice Lake Provincial Park is the perfect location for families looking for an introduction to camping. There are 96 vehicle accessible campsites located in the 396 hectare park. The sites are set back in the forest away from the lake and are quite private. The campground features a playground, bike and hiking trails, fishing and two sandy beach swimming areas. Canoes, kayaks and stand-up paddle boards are available for rent.
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| Relaxing by the swim area |
As I reflect on the weekend, I wish that more kids and teens had the opportunity to camp. It was fantastic to observe Robbie and Thomas take ownership of our campsite and come together as a team to hang our tarp, put up the tent, chop firewood, fill up water bottles, make meals etc., etc.
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| Where does this pole go? |
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| Success! |
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| Master chefs at work |
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| Boil in a bag breaky |
It was fun to be "scared" together as we walked and cycled along the trails in bear country. Watching the boys exploring the campsite, swimming in the lake, riding through the bike park and climbing trees reminded me of how important it is to provide kids with opportunities to explore and discover on their own. The boys tackled each and every challenge we threw at them. They were Rock Stars!
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| Evening dip at the lake |
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| All the monkeys aren't in the zoo |
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| Adventure playground |
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| Creative problem solving....how to dry a sock |
We had long conversations around the campfire and in the tent, answering deep questions like, "why does Rob snore, and exactly how many hairs does Rob have on his legs?" (For those interested the answer is 4,321) We had s'mores for breakfast dessert and debated why you don't usually get dessert with breakfast.
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| S'mores....enough said |
It seemed like a silly rule to us....in fact why can't you have breakfast for dinner and dinner for breakfast? We all managed to turn off our electronics for the weekend and we enjoyed being outside and being together. I reflected on how nice it is to simply chat....and I learned a lot!
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| What happens at the the campsite...stays at the campsite. |
Giggle of the day:
Naturally, we woke up bright and early (or the BOYS woke up bright and early). Rob, always an early riser, was already out of the tent and working on getting the first cup of Joe ready. As Rob worked away outside, we lay in the tent, snuggled up in our sleeping bags and chatted away. The boys were quite curious about my early camping trips with my mom and dad, and I delighted in sharing my memories with them. One of my favourite memories was of my dad, always the first out of tent, bustling around the campsite. He would chop wood, tidy and then with great pomp and circumstance announce that the HOT WATER was ready! I could never really understand why he would leave the warmth and comfort of the tent to boil water.
Our chat quickly turned into banter, wiggles and giggles and as I tried to keep some semblance of order in the tent, I heard Rob exclaim, "NOW, I know why Grandpa always had hot water ready!"
Map and Route Tips:
Alice Lake Provincial Park is located off Highway 99 just 13km north of Squamish.
Reservations highly recommended! Alice Lake is very popular with both campers and day- trippers. Be sure to make a reservation to avoid disappointment.
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