My camping experience is very limited, being held to an overnight camp 100 miles north of me in 1979. What little I remember about it these days included the fact there were very few modern conveniences offered there, such as television & phones. Now at that age, I became homesick very easily, and the absence of those items made the feeling worse. I was glad to come home after just one night there.
But I wasn't old enough to realize that the lack of those conveniences were part of the point. You were near a lake with a beach, there were many sporting opportunities, times for arts & crafts, sing-a-longs, and even a good old-fashioned Tarzan Swing above one of the creeks. If I would take the trip years later, I might have appreciated the rustic settings more. These days, pure appreciation would be an understatement, as I always seek an escape in my mind from the hectic world of today.
A simple week at somewhere secluded would be a bonus - nobody to bother you, no signs of the outside world intruding. Many people own tents & campers these days, and camping is like a religion to most of them; the highlight of their summer. But just glancing through an article on campers recently, some of them decide to bring forced conveniences with them. Their work comes with them. Some Winnebagos are even seen with satellite TV dishes sticking out of them.
My question: How do you consider that a vacation? I've heard of some places advertising their grounds "with all the conveniences of home". Does it have to resemble home that closely? You could even argue that the term "vacation" has lost its primary definition in today's world.
Why does the world have to follow you wherever you go? I'm sure a workplace can survive one long weekend without the cellphones & briefcases accompanying the sleeping bags. But the satellite TV was something else. Perhaps it might be the first time a family really gets to experience a wooded setting, like my second grade camp. Don't you get away from the house to get away from the routine, which can mean kids in front of the TV non-stop? They can certainly watch "SpongeBob" at home... this is supposed to be a lot different than home. They should be taking advantage of the walking, hiking, nature appreciation & more.
I would like to think there's a shred of truth to the term "The Land That Time Forgot." But if people can't forget their routines & leave them at home, how should we expect "time" to forget anything?
We can't be on the clock forever.
