I was raised in a small town in Louisiana (well, actually a few small towns) in a solidly middle class family where fancy vacations were not a priority. Camping and cabins by lakes in the surrounding areas/states were what we did. We always had a good time, but I was never a die-hard camping person. Later when I joined the Army, I did eough field time that camping was definitely not an activity to pursue for fun. However with that said, we did send our son on one particular Audubon program at least twice and I think it was three times, where they spent a number of days on an island with no television, no electronic games, etc., – a chance to enjoy nature as the entertainment it can be when we allow it to be. They did have rustic cabins, electricity, and running water, but stories and songs around a campfire at night as their evening activities. Now, our son also attended Space Camp multiple summers so it was definitely a contrast, and in truth, he had a great time in both environments.

I was at a breakfast earlier this morning at a place called Miami Everglades Resort and Campground (www.miamicamp.com) and it brought back a lot of memories. Florida, the tourist mecca of incredible theme parks, also has a large number of places where nature is the theme instead. With more than 1,000 miles of coastline, it makes sense that beaches are popular, but as with the incredible Everglades, there are other non-ocean spots as well. The Everglades Resort has almost 30 acres set within the area we call the Redlands, close to the Monkey Jungle that I posted about not long ago. While there is no water nearby, there is a large pool and lovely landscaping. There are cabins, RV, and tent pads, so whichever mode suits you is available. There is a club house with one computer and free WiFi, but the emphasis is on non-electronic past-times like horseshoes, shuffleboard, volleyball, trails for walking. The bird life is tremendous and there are of course geckos, butterflies, etc., It is not too far from the Everglades National Park, and as dark as it gets in the Redlands, I am certain that the stars must shine very brightly out there. Considering how “plugged in” most kids are these days, have these old-fashioned approaches gone by the wayside? Perhaps, but maybe not. There are a lot of RVing advertisements, but then again, I’m not sure how many families that speaks to or if it is predominantly retired and semi-retired people.

Anyone out there want to share experiences?