When I’ve been bogged down, busy with work and kids and everything starts to feel a bit chaotic, I get anxious and start daydreaming of getaways. Usually, these daydreams include picturesque scenes of me sipping hot tea and smoking a [medical] spliff post-massage whilst sunbathing on a tropical beach (after I’ve run away from everyone and everything). But.. for a young entrepreneur and mom of two, a more realistic idea is to get out of town for a couple days and do some grounding with my boys.
What does this grounding look like? More often than not.. tent camping and outdoor activities. Why? Well, camping is arguably the most affordable and natural alternative to expensive hotels since..like..forever, so it’s a go to when you’re on a tight budget. Plus, my kids absolutely love being outside and I love that it gives them space to run around unbridled, being as loud and as sticky as they want to be. I know...Not exactly a close knock-off of that picturesque beach scene I was painting, but I assure you, it can be just as beautiful and good for the soul.
We camp for the bonding experience and the space it allows us to ground and interact with Mother Earth.
As a child I loved being outside, camping, exploring and getting to know the nature around me. There were many nights spent fishing and sleeping under the stars on a boat with my mom, or RV camping trips and roasting marshmallows with my brothers and grandparents while my grandpa told his hilariously flawed campfire stories. (There was one in particular about a girl they called Pee Leg who had to swim with one leg to escape her enemy, need I saw more?)
I hold memories of those experiences close to my heart, and I know the residual value of bonding with my kids away from it all. So, I’ve always made it my mission to give my kids experiences over everything else.
photographed on a previous trip to Beaver’s Bend c. 2010 with my first DSLR, a Canon Rebel & kit lens
Fall Break 2019
With tent camping, it’s always a good idea to plan around the weather. This is why Late Spring/Early Summer and Fall are our favorite. The temperature is usually not too hot, and not too cold. I’m kind of a weanie about extreme conditions. Like..on a scale from Roughing It to Glamping, I def prefer something closer to glamping. I like to bring rugs and lights and lots of blankets to make it comfy. Extra points if we don’t have to bring a fan or a heater. So, Fall Break in mid-October is usually a great time to plan a camping trip to one of Oklahoma’s most scenic parks.
I was originally planning to take the boys to the Wichita Mountains in Lawton over Fall Break, but because the weather forecast changed and predicted rain for that area I decided last minute that Beaver’s Bend near Broken Bow was probably our best best bet. Otherwise, we would’ve had to stay home.
For a reason I can’t recall, we left for Broken Bow later than I wanted and I knew that meant we were going to be setting up the tent in the dark (I REALLY miss our Instant Tent). I thought ehh, we have headlights so it won’t be too bad.
When we arrived, I pulled up a map of their campgrounds and found a nice site after a quick drive-thru. I was so relieved, it was even right across from the restrooms and showers! Brylan and I talked about having manifested it. Awesome…but as I went around to get things out of the trunk I noticed something.
It was reserved. I need a stale faced emoji here to accurately convey my disappointment. This is the part where I start to get anxious and slightly irritable. Guys, it took us another HOUR to find a campsite…which by the way, wasn’t even a a designated site!
We drove circles through each of the campgrounds multiple times. The first issue was really the lack of light. Aside from a few campfires and red chili pepper lights, there wasn’t much to guide us. We almost gave up and went to a hotel around 10pm, but after taking a few minutes to defuse, I decided to do ONE last drive-thru. There wasn’t a single open site. But, lo and behold, I saw remnants of an old stone fire ring between two campsites, so we pulled in like we didn’t know any better. Such rebels we are.
Pitching a tent in the dark - WTH was I thinking
First of all, I’d like to emphasize the importance of preparation when camping. I usually run through a checklist to make sure we have everything we’ll need. I even have it stored in my iPhone notes, so why I didn’t do a double-check this time? I have no idea. I guess I thought I had it all in my head. You don’t have to buy every item you see on that blog article you read that lists “57 Must Haves for Tent Camping”, but please - BRING LANTERNS and FIRE STARTERS.
Tent set up was a nightmare, and I’m pretty sure my oldest son would attest to this, because it was just him and I who put it together…in the dark…with sleeping neighbors who were way too close for comfort and very awake thanks to our late set up. Then, after apparently spending a little too long running the headlights, my car battery died…anddd immediately after, my phone. We didn’t even have the tent set up yet. WTH Ladye?!
Thankfully, we had my son’s phone flashlight…and I had a few emphasis words to ease the frustration. I just hoped our neighbors wouldn’t be too pissed about the commotion because I was already planning to ask them for a jump the next morning ….siiince I ran the car battery dead with no jumper cables handy or any sort of roadside assistance to call on. Did I mention you should be prepared in these situations?
BTW, the family next to us was really nice and got us back up and running, and we didn’t even talk about my lack of patience and potty mouth that woke them the night prior.
Another positive note - It turns out the park rangers really don’t care where you pitch a tent, as long as you pay your fees the next morning when they make their rounds. I think it was $12 per night since our site was considered primitive - lol. And thankfully, just after our stay they enabled online campsite reservation, so you can reserve a site here before you make the trip!
While I made breakfast that morning, Brylan went down and fished a bit, as our spot was within “hollering distance” of the river bank (that might be a Southern thing..always gotta be within range so if Mom hollers “You OK?”, you can hear her and respond). Dre explored closeby, and made friends (and enemies) with a few critters.
Over the next two days we hiked, Dre got to canoe for the first time, I took lotsss of photos, and made a few friends back at the campsite. One of the guys who was fishing nearby even taught Bry to fly fish! For mid-October, it was pretty warm and the boys even got in and waded around in Mountain Fork River.
Other activities offered at Beaver’s Bend were kayaking, pedal boats, golf, and a nice swim area that was IMO way too chilly for use, but some others were enjoying it. My favorite part was simply taking in the scenery and seeing my kids have fun. I enjoyed relaxing by our campfire with a book and my journal in the mornings. Drinking tea and hearing the sounds of the birds, frogs and crickets is so relaxing.
One con for me was how crowded the campground was. We camped at Grapevine, but I imagine the other campgrounds were just as lively. I enjoy meeting other families and having a sense of community in the woods, but we could hear several different conversations going on simultaneously because we were in such close proximity to other campers. This isn’t uncommon for the busy Fall season, so if you like a little more privacy (and don’t like doing battle with tents, or prefer sanitary bathrooms) you can rent a cabin or stay in the lodge perched on the hill just before you enter the campgrounds.
By Sunday afternoon, all of the other tent campers were gone and we were left with the whole area to ourself. Weeknight camping is usually just for the retired RVers and those who don’t have a job to get back to on Monday, so tent campgrounds were essentially emptied. I needed to work myself and couldn’t access my hotspot from the campground (didn’t have great service in this area with AT&T), so we drove into Broken Bow Sunday evening to grab dinner and allow me a bit of time to jump on my laptop and do vintage listings. I wanted to knock those out so we could enjoy our last day without my anxiety kicking in, telling me I needed to be productive.
After about an hour in town, we noticed the sky was getting unusually dark. Waddya know?!…a storm was hovering and pouring rain over the campgrounds to the north of us (insert facepalm emoji here). So, we stayed at Subway watching it pour down endlessly for well over an hour before it let up enough for us to head back to camp. I knew we were in for a treat because we had left several items outside of the tent, and even if our personal items weren’t water logged, there was no way we’d be able to build a fire after all that rain. Maybe everyone else that left Beaver’s Bend that day wasn’t heading back to jobs? Maybe they, unlike I, had actually checked local news to see that the forecast had changed and rain was coming here, too.
But it got even better than that….
You see that small pond just this side of the cut tree stump? Yeah well, that is where our tent was (insert ALL of the facepalm emojis here).
As soon as we pulled in, I realized our tent was surrounded by what looked like a mote swarming with crawfish (literally - there was a bucket full of live crawfish Brylan caught earlier, and they were now everywhere), wet supplies and food scattered around because apparently the local raccoons helped themselves while we were gone.
So Bry and I went to work, wading and retrieving all of the soaked clothing and bedding from our tent-turned-water bed. By the time we got all packed up it was almost midnight and we were covered in mud. What a way to end the long weekend! I think the rain might’ve been karma for all the huffing and puffing I did during our tent troubles the first night. I gotta say, the four hour drive back to Oklahoma City in the middle of the night drenched and dirty is the least fun road trip I have made to date.
Would I do it all over again if I had known how everything would go? Probably not. But will I take my kids on another random camping trip and encounter more unexpected troubles for the sake of giving them fond memories? I’m sure of it. And I’m sure we’ll be back to Beaver’s Bend to enjoy more beautiful scenery and trout fishing….but next time our accommodations will be an RV or cabin!
What’s your favorite place to camp or getaway? Have you had to face any challenges that gave you valuable experience? I’d also love to hear from anyone who has stayed at state parks and what activities are your fav. Drop a comment below!
Love and light,
Ladye