Whip-O-Will Campground

Alan's top Father's Day activity...camping!  We decided to do a last minute camping trip, which in the summer, can be slim pickings if you want to be able to camp right by a lake in a state-run campground.  However, I was able to find a private campground in the Catskills, Whip-O-Will.  Prior to having Sally, we were generally not drawn to campgrounds with tons of kids, a pool, or a playground.  As with most things in our lives, it all changed once Sally came along.  Now, the more activities the better, and this place fit the bill.  We were able to have a private shaded campsite surrounded by woods, right on a lake, BUT ALSO a playground and a pool.  

When you pull in, there is the classic camp store, horse shoes, mini-golf, the lake...the works.  To get to the tented campsites, you drive through a less-than-charming series of trailers, then around the lake where there are a number of well spaced out sites.  The sites were lovely!  They comes with the regular stuff – a picnic table, a fire pit, and a water spigot at our site, which later made cleaning pots and pans a breeze.  

We spent our first day hanging at our site.  Our friends had gotten us a massive tent for our wedding before we were even pregnant.  We were wondering when we would put a 6-person tent to use with just the 2 of us, but with Sally it soon became the perfect family tent.  I can't recommend the Coleman Weather Master enough, especially if it's rainy.  There is more than enough room for an air mattress, our bags, toys, etc.  There is also a screened-in porch to hang out in when the weather isn't ideal.  We found the porch to be a useful spot for our travel crib during nap time when Sally was younger because we could easily see her while she took a nap as we cracked open a beer and took a breath.  

The next day we made good use of all the extras the campsite had to offer.  We relaxed in the pool, Sally and Alan played a little b-ball, and we all took a pleasure cruise on a lake complete with lily pads as far as the eye can see.  Sally even had her first ice cream treat in the snack shack!  

Sally was 15 months during this camping trip, which admittedly is not the easiest age to take camping.  She was full-on walking everywhere and did not yet have a healthy fear of fire, so it took an extra amount of vigilance to keep her alive this weekend.  Can't wait to camp again next summer when she will be able to enjoy exploring and learning about nature!