Some of my best memories of my family's camping trips involved sitting around the campfire at night. In fact, as soon as we’d pull into the campground, dad would start setting up the family camping tents and I’d head into the forest to find firewood. I’d always gather so much wood that we could never use it all but for me, the fun was in the "hunt". Then it would be my job to light the fire. I can remember boasting to my family that I could build a fire with only one match and no newspaper or fuel. Today you might want to carry your firewood with you but sitting around the campfire is still a lot of fun.

Sitting by the campfire is one of those things that bring people together. Start a fire and there’s a good chance that the family in the camping tent next to you will come by with a bag of marshmallows to toast. My sister used to roast hers slowly and make them brown on the outside and soft and gooey on the inside and she always cooked them on one of our bbq tools. I always put mine on the tip of a stick and set them on fire until they were burnt to a crisp. We met a family on a camping trip in Canada in 1970 and our families are still the best of friends today.

A campfire will be a great idea for your family's camping trip too. Once the marshmallows start toasting and you bring out the hot chocolate, somebody may start telling stories. I loved the ones that started out sounding like they were going to be scary but then the punch lines made them funny. You may also sing campfire songs and tell jokes that really aren't very funny. What your kids will love the most is that the whole family will be together and the they will have mom and dad all to themselves.

The more I think about those great days, the more I recommend that you pack your picnic accessories and camping gear and take your family on a camping trip. You'll have a great time and create memories that will last a lifetime. I know mine have.

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