by Joanne Watching the sunset by the fire with the kids while they roast marshmallows and cook spider dogs! Nature trail walks to pick up treasures (rocks,leaves and twigs)! Watching a chipmunk steel our peanut butter toast! These memories are all part of our family summer adventures!

We love to camp! My husband loves the smell of his Coleman stove coffee, the sound of crickets and frogs and the crackle of the campfire! He loves it all… but I won’t stay in a tent! I won’t sleep on the ground and get that close to nature. We can’t afford an RV right now… so you may be wondering how we do it… no, we don’t camp in the backyard – I will let you in on our little secret. The KOA!

A few years ago, we found the perfect comprise to my husband’s desire to be close to nature and my desire to sleep on in bed. Most KOA’s have these wonderful cabins for rent – one room Kabins (for up to 4 people), two room Kabins (for up to 6 people) some have cottages and lodges for even more amenities, some include picnic tables and fire grills.

They are wonderful – one year it rained – we had a blast staying dry in the cabin doing crafts, napping and watching others pack up and head home.

KOA’s are great for families – most have hiking trails, some of pools and jacuzzi’s or lakes and there are lots of organized activities for the kids.

They are also located all over – we stayed at a KOA when we visited Storyland and also when we visited the 1000 Islands. All you need to bring is a sleep bag, bath and hand towels and your toiletries. If you are going to eat at the campsite, you may want to bring your camping stove if one is not included in the rental.

We always have an amazing time and we are looking forward to our next camping adventure – this year with our new puppy!

Joanne the proud mom of Amélie (8 years old) and Mathieu (5 years). She is new at blogging and you can find her at Our Money Pit.