The debate between my husband and me goes something like this….

Him: “How do you feel about looking at camping trailers this year?”

Me: “So. Much. Work.”

Him: “The girls are getting older, it won’t be that bad.”

Me: “Maybe next year, when we don’t need to have an eye on them every second and have more time to pack it up and things like that.”

Me: “But I REALLY do want to camp.”

Him: “Ok, let’s talk about it again next winter.”

We’ve had the same conversation every year for the past 5 years. We both grew up camping and so want to give that experience to our girls, but for one reason or another, we haven’t taken the plunge yet to buy a trailer. It mostly has to do with me and the feeling like it’s going to be one more thing we have to pack and clean. I know I’ll get there one day, but for now, I’m just not ready.

Late this winter as I was doing a bit of googling to start planning our summer vacations, I stumbled upon comfort camping at Alberta Parks.

SOLUTION!!

Camping without all of the hassle. I grabbed my wallet and booked 2 nights at Pigeon Lake before I lost it to another family having the same debate we were.

The comfort camping at Pigeon Lake Provincial Park is in the form of yurts. Little round huts that are off the ground, waterproof and full of everything you need to ‘glamp’ your weekend away. We rented a medium, which had queen bunk beds and a pull out couch, and even had enough space to put the playpen up without it getting in everyone’s way. All you have to bring is your bedding, clothes, food and campfire stuff. Everything else, like dishes, pots and basins is there waiting for you. Another huge bonus is that the campground is just over an hour from Edmonton. That wasn’t even enough time for the kids to get antsy in the car!

The yurts are nestled into individual campsites, surrounded by tall trees. I expected all of the yurts to be together in one big area, but instead was pleasantly surprised when we arrived and saw they were interspersed amongst traditional sites which were occupied by RVs and tents.

We spent the first night and most of the next day in the rain. There were many dance parties in the yurt and conversations with a certain toddler about taking rain boots off before getting into the beds. Then the skies cleared and we were able to hang out at the beach and explore using the adventure packs that are available for rent at the park office. It was a great 2 nights that were low stress. It was so enjoyable that once we came home we booked another 2 nights for later in the summer.

If your looking for camping without the tent or without need to buy a trailer, this really is an awesome solution. And if you find yourself renting a yurt for a few nights and want to have it documented, so years from now your kids can see how much fun they had looking for bunny tracks or attempting to eat the marshmallow that was still way too hot, let’s chat about a camping photo session.

And because it often seems like my kids were on vacation without me, when in reality I was only a few feet from them at all times, this time I set the camera to auto and passed it to my husband. To show my kids that yes, their Mom was there having fun with them too.

 

P.S. We’ve also stayed in the oTENTiks at Elk Island National Park.

P.P.S. I like to travel light, so I left the DSLR at home this trip. All of the images above were taken with my small Fuji X100T.

 

Fiddle Leaf Photography offers documentary style family, newborn and breastfeeding photography in Edmonton and surrounding areas. Drop me a line and we’ll chat about your family adventures and how to best preserve your summer memories to pass down to the next generation. 

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