Pioneer Christian Monthly - July, 1977

The Best Of All Vacations
John P. Drost

Over the years our family has been on a variety of vacations. However, I believe our camping trips have been the most successful ones. The reason is not because we have such fine equipment. We haven't! The first equipment we ever owned was a collection of second hand things which someone sold to us for $75.00. It consisted of a tent, a few sleeping bags and air mattresses, a camp stove and a handful of self made articles which were to facilitate our camping ventures. The tent was an old fashioned one held up by two wooden poles inside but we still praise that tent for it never let the rain through and it provided enough room for two adults and a play pen for one child (in those days).

I become nostalgic when I recall our "tent days" - not because of the tent but because of those early tastes and touches of family camping. A few years ago we bought a tent trailer and it gave us comparative joy and pleasure on a trip to the West. Again however, our preference for this kind of vacation was not in the equipment for the equipment wasn't deluxe by any means. What was it that made and makes family camping such a successful way of vacationing?

In the first place I believe it provides for an interesting action packed time together. I have come to realize in all my attempts at successful vacations that a meaningful one is not an easy assignment. What do you want out of a vacation? I agree it depends a little bit on your temperament and your interests and needs but there are some things that all of us look for. I believe we want a diversion - something different - but we want the diversion without having to surrender our leisure for after all, we went away for a rest.

Again, I believe, we want a vacation with some measure of involvement especially where it concerns children and youth.

A less successful family vacation is a sightseeing vacation, and that for two reasons. For one, a sightseeing vacation interferes with the leisure principle. Hopping from sight to sight is bad for the nerves (you have recognized my temperament!) and makes you restless. The second reason why I would discourage this format of vacation is because it makes for little involvement. If you want to attract and hold people's interest you have to involve them in the action. you have noticed of course that many commercial or other exhibitors are providing opportunity for people to be involved. Active involvement especially with family vacations is another important principle to be observed when you consider your holidays.

My point, dear friends, is that family camping has all of these principles built into it, and therefore is the best vacation to undertake.

Camping if planned wisely will steady the nerves, give you any measure of diversion, and have you and your children constantly involved in an unending adventure. Wise planning is necessary. It takes into consideration the age of the children. When your child is under 10 years old your best camping strategy is to find a beautiful spot not too far from home with a puddle of water (or maybe a whole ocean full) some sand and plenty of sun.

For children a lot of driving is a punishment. Your involvement as parents is to get the best out of camp life: make your fires, have your roasts, play your games, explore on occasion the community and read a good book.

If the children are older, you can be much more daring. A longer trip, well planned (traveled ten times before you actually travel it) and with certain objectives in mind.

We took our trip out West a few years ago and had several objectives that we wanted to fulfill. We wanted to visit old friends, but we also wanted to stay a week or so in the Waterton Lakes National Parks. It turned out to be a beautiful trip. It was action packed, yet we were wonderfully rested when we returned.

I believe family camping holds the interest also of the older children if planned in accordance with their interests.

The second basic reason why I believe family camping is the best way for a successful vacation is because of what it does for the family. The fact that family camping has become so popular during these last decades is a good sign in a society in which the family is often so badly fragmented.

I believe the family camping experience strengthens the family solidarity. You are bound to give time to one another. There is no way to escape and retreat in one's own quarters as we do so easily in our homes, for there is only one room. There is the sharing in adventures.

In our home we still talk about the bears who kept us awake one night and caused us anxious moments, and then turned out to be raccoons. Or the time when we lost our way in the foothills and traveled what seemed like hours without seeing a soul, and wondered when the mountains were going to swallow us up (they didn't).

To strengthen the family solidarity means to strengthen their faith. Whereas other vacations sometimes make family devotions and other times with the Lord difficult, in family camping there is time and occasion (under proper planning) to be still before the Lord and to make each special time with Him a time of celebration.

It is my wish for all families to spend their vacations together as long as they have opportunity to do so. One sure way to a successful vacation is a camping vacation. It's the best diversion, the best kind of leisure and the best way to strengthen family ties and faith.

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