There are so many reasons to go camping! But don’t just scroll to the bottom to read about sleeping in poop. There’s more to love than just that…

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Camping Love

One of my family’s favorite vacations we’ve ever taken was a camping trip. We drove from northern California (where we lived at the time) up to Vancouver, British Columbia. We tent camped for 12 days and 11 nights. That’s where we discovered the kids were old enough to enjoy camping, so that helped my husband and me enjoy camping. Before the kids were born, he and I camped at different times and liked it okay. But seeing the kids enjoying everything so much caused us to enjoy it all the more. So without further ado, here are our top 8 reasons to go camping.

8 Reasons to Go Camping

Being outdoors

I asked my kids why they liked camping, and here are their top responses, all of which fall under being outdoors. They said, “I like feeling the fresh air every morning. We enjoy looking at the mountains when we wake up. I enjoy listening to the birds singing as you are waking up. It’s fun having nature right outside your tent.” I love that they like being outside and enjoying nature. It’s so much easier these days to roll over and turn on your screen, but to raise kids who value birds singing is priceless!

Sleeping in the tent

For kids, sleeping in a tent and a sleeping bag is so much fun. It totally hurts my back. But for young people sleeping in the tent is so much fun. Laying there talking, hearing insects call to each other, maybe looking at the stars. There’s just something magical about it.

Campfires!

S’mores, hot dogs and kids. Need I say more? Of course, these aren’t healthy eats, but the time with my family overrides my healthy side. I love sitting around the fire, chatting, watching the fire, seeing people walk by. Perfection.

Family Time 

As our kids get older like mine (now a teen and tween), we realize how fleeting and fast our time with them really is. But camping trips give us time to reconnect without distractions that come with normal life. We can open up and talk more, giggle in the tent, play games, and make fun memories.

Hiking

We love hiking, and we plan our camping trips around hiking spots. We’ve never been backpacking, and we have only stayed in campgrounds with toilets and showers (yay for water!). But still many campgrounds are close by to good hiking destinations, waterfalls, and mountains. So during the day we hike, look for animals, drive through the mountains, and stop at pull-offs. It’s great exercise and gives you fun times with those you love.

Car rides 

This was one of my kids’ reasons for liking camping. They both like car rides. Funny, huh? They like reading, playing together in the back seat, and looking out the window. It’s so simple but so nice. At other times we put on an audio book and all listen to it, chat, or just have quiet. And we are together.

Bison

One of the camping trips Kevin and I went on before having kids was a cross-country trip with a few days in Yellowstone. My favorite memory from there was waking up early one morning, and right outside of our tent was a mom and baby bison! It was scary but so beautiful! I needed the restroom but couldn’t pry myself away from looking at these majestic creatures amble through the campground, stop and eat. Look around. Wow! You never know what will pass through…

Of course, camping doesn't always mean sleeping on the ground! Instead of camping, you can also glamp. That is when you camp in style. Our family doesn't particularly enjoy the ground, so we (in a way) glamp. We have a pop-up tent that hooks on the back of our van. We still get all of the experiences, but it's much more comfortable for us. We have also stayed in an RV, which is really fun. If you are going to go glamping, you can rent an RV here!

Memories

Ahhh, so many fun memories! Memories with the kids, campfires, meeting other campers, etc. But one memory trumps them all… sleeping all night on top of goose poop. That’s right. Goose poop.

On our cross country trip (mentioned in #7), Kevin and I arrived at a campsite in Butte, Montana after the sun had already gone down. There were a few sites available so we just set up our tent and went to bed, unable to see much. If we had had a nifty head lantern, I doubt this would have happened!

The next morning, it was freezing cold. The ground was frozen, and as we got up to go to the toilet, we slowly realized that there was goose poop all around our tent. My husband quickly put away the tent, which was crunchy with ice and frozen poop. The more he rolled the tent up, the more we realized we had been sleeping on top of goose poop.

All. Night. Long. Yes, it was gross, but I wouldn’t trade the memories.

Your Next Trip

So, if you haven’t been camping lately, I would highly recommend it! It can be really refreshing and fun for the whole family. You may also enjoy reading 11 Health Benefits of Nature or Get Outdoors for Your Uplifting Free Green Therapy here to help get you excited for a camping trip!

And if you are planning a trip to Colorado anytime soon, please also check out the Best Unique RV’s in Colorado and 10 Family Friendly Places to Go in Colorado Springs.

Plus, if you are like me and have trouble sleeping while camping, you may want to try CBD oil. CBD Oils and Edibles is organic and has <0.3% THC, meaning it doesn’t make people “high.” It is calming and works quite well. There’s also plain lavender essential oil if CBD isn’t your thing.

What fun memories or stories do you have from camping? Please comment below, and don’t forget to share on Pinterest or with a friend.

Green Therapy, also known as Nature Therapy, is a wonderful key to emotionally healthy living.

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In generations past, our ancestors were always outside. It was the way of life to farm, to sit around the fire, to be nomadic, and things like that. But in the last few decades people have moved indoors (some pretty much exclusively), and it is taking its toll.

Psychology Today ran an article stating that green therapy is just as effective against depression as traditional psychotherapy or medication, and it’s free! That is amazing!

Growing Up Outdoors

I have always enjoyed being outside, enjoying it more in some seasons of life than others. I grew up on acreage with woods. My mom had a horse and I had a pony (pictured below). I loved riding with her, as well as the smell of the horses and sweet feed.

I remember watching my grandfather kill a copperhead snake, looking forward to the cherry blossoms coming out each spring, and driving around in my family’s golf cart every chance I could. There was something so simple about that season of my life, and looking back I really cherish those memories.

And then…

Life went on, I got married, and eventually moved to the suburbs. Our yard was tiny, and we could barely plant tomato plants without them falling over into the neighbor’s yard. We maintained family walks, and I always loved them, but I was losing connection with nature.

Then we ended up moving from the East Coast to Redding, California. If you’ve ever been to Northern California, you know how beautiful it is. The ocean, the Redwoods, the rivers and mountains. AHHHH! I found nature again, and this time green therapy had its grip on me for good.

I loved our years living there, in large part because of the beauty that surrounded me. My heart was alive, and Redding was my happy place.

China Blues Needing Green Therapy

A few years ago, we found ourselves living in China. One main hesitation I had about moving there was living in the “concrete jungle.” Never mind we didn’t speak a word of Chinese, had never been there, and didn’t know one person there.

But where would nature be? I knew the city we were moving to had over 7 MILLION PEOPLE!! And they all lived on top of each other. Our time there was good, but lack of nature continued to be a challenge for me all the time we were there.

Back to the US

Then when my family and I moved back to the US from China after our 3.5 years living there, all I wanted to do was receive from my Green Therapy.

Our move back was difficult as most transitions are. We spent the first few weeks living in an RV in places like Yosemite and Sequoia National Forests. I could have stayed there forever it seemed like.

We had been under a lot of emotional stress before we returned, and the way my mind and body knew to make sense of it was to be in nature. My mind grew peaceful, the worry began to leave, hope began to be restored, and I was so thankful.

Watching the waterfalls, hiking, looking for bears, and seeing the wonder in my kids’ faces helped ease the pain for each of us in different ways.

What Green Therapy Adventures Do You Love?

Nature can be so simple to receive from, and the possibilities of what we can do are endless. Your style may be fishing, golf, or laying on the beach. Or you may enjoy things like hiking, biking, or even a drive through the mountains.

You may enjoy my post on 11 Health Benefits of Nature here. Or if you enjoy camping, here is an amazing post with some ideas of how to help you find the Best Unique RV to get you closer to nature.

Whatever your style, make it a priority. It’s great for your mental, emotional, and spiritual health.

And if you are too busy or live in a concrete jungle, I recommend you to scroll through Johnnie Lawson’s amazing videos on YouTube. His nature videos are not as therapeutic as being out in it, but it’s a close second.

My kids even like to have these videos on in the background while they do homework. It helps their attitudes, and it likely helps all of our attitudes if we are honest!

And if you want a thorough list of 25 of the Best Travel Movies to let you “travel” around the globe to get refreshed, this list is super fun!

Please post your comments and pictures below of your favorite ways to get green therapy in! And don’t forget to share on Pinterest!

The benefits of nature are endless! Which of these 11 do you most identify with?

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We Moved to Colorado to Enjoy Nature

The older I get, the more I appreciate being outside and feel the health benefits of nature. I am SO not into snakes, bears, spiders, and other creepy crawlies. But I love the mountains, trees, rivers, and lakes so much that I am willing to risk all the critters.

My family loves the mountains so much that we even moved to Colorado just so we could enjoy nature. We love taking hikes, sitting by a river, camping, RVing, or even just seeing mountains every day while we are driving around town.

There is something so pure and free and just like you can take a deep breath when you are in nature. In fact let’s all take a deep breath now and pretend we are outside while you read these amazing benefits of the great outdoors as shared by Business Insider: All of these have more information and research studies in the article.

11 Health Benefits of Nature

1. Improves short term memory
2. Restores mental energy
3. Relieves stress
4. Reduces inflammation
5. Helps vision (at least in children)
6. Improves concentration
7. Sharper thinking and creativity
8. Possible anti-cancer effects
9. Immune system boost
10. Improves mental health
11. Reduces risk of early death

This article also says that “One study found that people’s mental energy bounced back even when they just looked at pictures of nature. (Pictures of city scenes had no such effect.)” I know for me this is totally true.

I can be going through a rough time, get in nature, and all the sudden everything seems better somehow. This is one reason why I’ve chosen for this blog to have beautiful scenery on it. It’s great for your health, even if it’s just a picture!

If you are interested in reading more about eco-therapy or green therapy, you can read another one of my posts on that. And if you would like to go camping in Colorado, here are some super fun RV’s and small campers you can rent throughout the state.

And if you are traveling with children, here’s a great post about the Best Gear for Travel with Kids that may be helpful!

Let’s get out and enjoy nature today. It’s great for our health! Please post below where your favorite nature spot is and please share on Pinterest!

Get Out in Nature with One of These Rental RV’s