Here is a part of the lake where we will be camping.
This is Lewey Lake at Lewey Lake State Campground
near the town of Indian Lake, NY
It is just a few miles north of the village of Speculator,
in the Central Adirondacks.
Camping is one of our favorite ways to take a vacation.
We have been camping as a family since 1990.
I camped from 2nd grade through 12th grade as a child. I was always in a tent at the campground that my childhood church was a part of. My family also owned a little cabin (bedroom plus great room; front porch, back porch and outhouse!) that we spent 2 weeks in July at, and one week in August at, usually. They sold the camp when I was about 15. I wish it was still in the family!
Camping is a cheap way to see the country!
We have camped in the following states:
NYS: almost every year since 1990; sometimes Memorial Day and Columbus Day weekends!
Maine: 2 times (1996, 2004)as a family; Courtney went once last year with friends
Vermont: once in 1999 (Claire was only 6 months old!)
Massachusetts: several times from 1990-1993 and then 1999(Berkshires); also 2 times on Cape Cod (1991, 2003)
NH: one time for all of us in 1999; and then Dave and Courtney camped for SoulFest 2008
We have also camped in Canada in Niagara Falls. (2002)
Our favorite campground of all time was at Woodford State Park, which is a bit north of Bennington, Vermont. We camped there for 5 days in 1999 and it was a great experience. Perfect weather and large sites. Clean lake. Pretty beach. Easy hiking trails which we needed as we had a baby in a backpack and an almost 6 year old! We have always meant to go back but so far....we haven't!
Our favorite summer vacation of all time (thus far) was when we took 10 days to camp at Acadia National Park on Mt. Desert Island in Maine. It was our first time camping in a national park although we have hiked in a couple. It offered everything: biking trails, hiking trails, mountain climbing, the ocean/beach (brrrr), mountain lakes to swim in, ponds, museums, nature walks, historic sites, a lighthouse, a penisula with hiking, and of course camping. Acadia has 2 campgrounds: we stayed in the main area one called Blackwoods. The weather in the a.m.'s was cold enough for fleece jackets. The days were just perfect. We only had one afternoon/early evening of rain so we went out to dinner in Bar Harbor. It was just a great vacation! Courtney was 11, just about 12 and Claire was 5 1/2. I highly recommend this as a destination if you like the outdoors.
One of our most favorite NYS campgrounds is Moffitt Beach State Park just west of Speculator, NY in the Central Adirondacks. It is always full; the campground itself is large, well-maintained and the lake is just gorgeous. Many mountain trails and deep woods trails are nearby the campground and the campground itself has its own hiking trail which we do every time we camp there.
Other favorite campgrounds include: Moreau Lake State Park (which is only about 35 min. north of us), Tolland State Park in the Berkshires (really nice large lake and pretty beach; challenging hiking trails on October Mt); Lake Luzerne Public Campground which is northwest of Lake George is another gorgeous campground with a very pretty lake and the cleanest showers we have ever seen. But... the weather up there is often fickle. One minute it's raining and the next it's hot and sunny. We have camped there often...more so before Claire was born.
Our least favorite campground was Watkins Glen State Park in the southern region of NYS. It didn't have a lake or river to swim in but it did offer good hiking trails in the Watkins Glen Gorge. It was also a crowded campground, meaning the sites were rather close. We camped with some friends there before our children were born. Caroga Lake State Park is also rather crowded and tends to get lots of bikers. (meaning motorcycles and all of the rowdiness that goes with that crowd!). Caroga Lake has a gorgeous beach for kids though so that made up for the noisy nites! We've only camped there once but we have been there often for day trips.
There are a few more we have vacationed at but these are the ones that stick out in my mind.
This campground we will be at next week is one that we have seen on several hiking trips but we have never camped there. It gets high grades from people I know from my ADK Club membership and from reviews I have read.
The thing that attracts us to it is that it has sites all along and around Lewey Lake and is also connected to Indian Lake by a small tributary of water so taking the kayaks out should be loads of fun. We can also rent a 2 person kayak so that the girls can join us as well.
If you camp: do you have a favorite campground? Which one is it?
What has been your most favorite summer family vacation?
If you don't camp, what do you do??
We have been camping as a family since 1990.
I camped from 2nd grade through 12th grade as a child. I was always in a tent at the campground that my childhood church was a part of. My family also owned a little cabin (bedroom plus great room; front porch, back porch and outhouse!) that we spent 2 weeks in July at, and one week in August at, usually. They sold the camp when I was about 15. I wish it was still in the family!
Camping is a cheap way to see the country!
We have camped in the following states:
NYS: almost every year since 1990; sometimes Memorial Day and Columbus Day weekends!
Maine: 2 times (1996, 2004)as a family; Courtney went once last year with friends
Vermont: once in 1999 (Claire was only 6 months old!)
Massachusetts: several times from 1990-1993 and then 1999(Berkshires); also 2 times on Cape Cod (1991, 2003)
NH: one time for all of us in 1999; and then Dave and Courtney camped for SoulFest 2008
We have also camped in Canada in Niagara Falls. (2002)
Our favorite campground of all time was at Woodford State Park, which is a bit north of Bennington, Vermont. We camped there for 5 days in 1999 and it was a great experience. Perfect weather and large sites. Clean lake. Pretty beach. Easy hiking trails which we needed as we had a baby in a backpack and an almost 6 year old! We have always meant to go back but so far....we haven't!
Our favorite summer vacation of all time (thus far) was when we took 10 days to camp at Acadia National Park on Mt. Desert Island in Maine. It was our first time camping in a national park although we have hiked in a couple. It offered everything: biking trails, hiking trails, mountain climbing, the ocean/beach (brrrr), mountain lakes to swim in, ponds, museums, nature walks, historic sites, a lighthouse, a penisula with hiking, and of course camping. Acadia has 2 campgrounds: we stayed in the main area one called Blackwoods. The weather in the a.m.'s was cold enough for fleece jackets. The days were just perfect. We only had one afternoon/early evening of rain so we went out to dinner in Bar Harbor. It was just a great vacation! Courtney was 11, just about 12 and Claire was 5 1/2. I highly recommend this as a destination if you like the outdoors.
One of our most favorite NYS campgrounds is Moffitt Beach State Park just west of Speculator, NY in the Central Adirondacks. It is always full; the campground itself is large, well-maintained and the lake is just gorgeous. Many mountain trails and deep woods trails are nearby the campground and the campground itself has its own hiking trail which we do every time we camp there.
Other favorite campgrounds include: Moreau Lake State Park (which is only about 35 min. north of us), Tolland State Park in the Berkshires (really nice large lake and pretty beach; challenging hiking trails on October Mt); Lake Luzerne Public Campground which is northwest of Lake George is another gorgeous campground with a very pretty lake and the cleanest showers we have ever seen. But... the weather up there is often fickle. One minute it's raining and the next it's hot and sunny. We have camped there often...more so before Claire was born.
Our least favorite campground was Watkins Glen State Park in the southern region of NYS. It didn't have a lake or river to swim in but it did offer good hiking trails in the Watkins Glen Gorge. It was also a crowded campground, meaning the sites were rather close. We camped with some friends there before our children were born. Caroga Lake State Park is also rather crowded and tends to get lots of bikers. (meaning motorcycles and all of the rowdiness that goes with that crowd!). Caroga Lake has a gorgeous beach for kids though so that made up for the noisy nites! We've only camped there once but we have been there often for day trips.
There are a few more we have vacationed at but these are the ones that stick out in my mind.
This campground we will be at next week is one that we have seen on several hiking trips but we have never camped there. It gets high grades from people I know from my ADK Club membership and from reviews I have read.
The thing that attracts us to it is that it has sites all along and around Lewey Lake and is also connected to Indian Lake by a small tributary of water so taking the kayaks out should be loads of fun. We can also rent a 2 person kayak so that the girls can join us as well.
If you camp: do you have a favorite campground? Which one is it?
What has been your most favorite summer family vacation?
If you don't camp, what do you do??
4 comments:
We do camp. One of our favorite, well mine anyway was not a "campground" but an area that we stopped, King Mt. It was such a pleasant day, and I believe it was not so much the area, as how the day just unfolded so peacefully. With five children, that is saying A LOT!
I camp now in my big comfy RV and would never go back to tenting, unless I absolutely had to. Sometimes we have to do that when I get to go hunting with my husband.
Yes, camping is a very affordable way to see a lot of the country! My husband was an Eagle Scout, so camping is one of the first things we did as a married couple. In fact, our first major purchase was an expensive dome tent... a real novelty at the time. I've been cleaning out our basement, and we finally decided to toss it... pretty delapitated after all these years. :~D
Our favorite place to camp is in the San Juan Islands here in the PNW.
What a great list Faith.....I have a feeling I will refer back to it in the future. BTW, we have been to Acadia twice now, and always LOVE it. We really wanted to go this summer, but with the cost of gas it did not work out. The park is beautiful!
hi faith
i would love to take all my kids camping (mine plus nieces and nephews). None of them have ever stayed in a tent, so would be heaps of fun. I have to do it this summer because the two older ones are getting to that age where they don't want to hang with family.
I need to buy a tent, we had a 4 man tent but gave it away. I need a much bigger one anyway. It would definitely be a learning experience.
Both caleb and riley are asleep so having a quick sit down on my pc before they wake up...actually managed to get some chores done so deserve a break.
have a great holiday, can't wait to see the new blog changes!
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