Father’s Day is an excellent opportunity to show how much you appreciate your dad. It should not be expensive gifts, lengthy golf outings, or luxury steak dinners. Many dads will value and cherish a simple card or hug from their kids, showing their love.
In my case, my lovely wife had planned a family weekend, sending the dogs off to the local dog kennel. It would be an exciting family weekend with limited access to social media.
We were off to the Pocono Mountains, camping for two nights and enjoying a family rafting trip. I wonder how the teenagers would react to being disconnected.
No-so-Wild River Adventure
This was the first camping trip we ever did as a family. In the past, my wife went camping with the girls with the Girl Scouts, and I went camping with my son through his scout group.
We have most of the basic camping equipment, and hopefully, the girls can set up their tent and help around the campsite. But, given their enthusiasm to help around the house, I have doubts. You never know. I might be positively surprised.
I packed the truck with all the essential camping gear (tents, cots, sleeping bags, mattresses, etc.) and my cooking kits consisting of my 17″ Blackstone griddle, firepit grill, and a shitload of wood logs for the fire. We packed the essential breakfast and dinner stuff in the Yeti cooler and found our box with essential supplies for making it a pleasant experience. You know, toilet paper, dish soap, cutlery, cutting boards, etc. I was as ready as I could be.
My son and I pack light for camping events. If we are lucky, we might change the T-shirt, but otherwise, we can survive in the same clothes for two days with no problem.
My heart dropped when I saw the amount of stuff my three girls packed. It was as if they were going on a survival trek to the Himalayas for 10 days. One backpack even contained extra books, drawing materials, and makeup. Who puts on makeup when camping and rafting?
With some jumping and repacking, I could fit in the extra large backpacks AND close the bed cover. The truck was loaded and ready to go.
About halfway there, an hour into the journey, we realized we had forgotten the burger patties and smores. Thankfully there’s always a Walmart around, so we had a quick pitstop to add to our supplies.
We knew it would be a hectic first evening at the campsite. We couldn’t leave until the dogs had been dropped off at the kennel and until our youngest adventurer returned home from school. So, by the time we left, it was 5 pm, with a 2+ hour journey ahead of us.
We arrived at the campsite around 7.30 and quickly scrambled to set up the tents before darkness hit. We succeeded, barely, but at least we could sit and relax while eating the sushi and pizza we had brought. Making food on the first evening is too stressful.
We woke up bright and early, around 6 am, to the sound of nothing except nature calling. It looked to be a great day to meet our maker as we would embark on a “wild” river run.
The family walked up to the rafting check-in and got our Deadpool outfits, although we did not fit them as well as Ryan Reynolds. Mine had strange bulges around the hips and midsection, while my son had to roll up sleeves and pants to walk and move.
Nevertheless, we felt invincible and awesome.
The bus left the campsite after completing the registration and safety training. We had an approx 30-minute drive to the launch location. The atmosphere was good, but I sensed some nervousness in my girls.
Because of my Viking look and honest communication, I was “selected’ as the captain. I had the most rafting experience, which is doubtful, given I’ve only tried it three times.
Our raft departed safely, and we spent the next 5 hours on the river, gliding 7 miles down the river and stopping for lunch. We encountered a few rapids along the way; although none were scary or deep, the kids enjoyed the rushing water.
After 5 hours on the river, bathing in the sun, swimming in colder waters, and working hard paddling, we got back on dry land and returned to the camp. The ride was about 40 minutes, and most passengers fell asleep. I guess they were all exhausted.
After removing the wet suit and taking hot showers that evening, we got ready to relax around the campfire.
The kids went off to the activity center to play ping pong and explore other games while my wife, son, and I sat around the fire to chat about life.
I value these quiet moments with my family, around the fire, just chatting and laughing and not being disturbed by social media and streaming TV.
Cooking While Camping
When camping, we have two choices for preparing food. 1. use the firepit and a grill, or 2. heat the trusty Blackstone griddle. Sometimes we use both, depending on the mood.
For breakfast, I made some mandatory bacon, egg, and cheese bagels and discovered that heating water on the griddle is not quick or efficient. We brought instant coffee, but getting the water hot enough on the griddle took a long time. When I had eaten my bagel, the water was getting lukewarm.
I heated the same kettle on the fire that evening, boiling within minutes. What a difference the heat source makes.
I made some easy camp food consisting of white wurst, burgers, and Doritos in a bag. The latter is a fun camping meal where you fry some ground meat, open a bag of Doritos, mix the meat and some lettuce, cheese, and sour cream, and eat out of the bag. Very popular dinner option, and the kids ate two bags each!
Later, we had grilled bananas with marshmallows, chocolate chips, and the mandatory s’mores. All in all, a super unhealthy but nice camping dinner.
I invited the family out to a lovely brunch at a local place Sunday morning instead of cooking. It gave us time to pack up the campsite and leave early.
Lunch & Dinner
| Lunch | Dinner | |
| Monday | Juneteenth Day – no school | Father’s Day over-the-fire cooking |
| Tuesday | Friday BBQ Extravaganza | Simple Cajun shrimp and sausage with pasta |
| Wednesday | Halfday school – no lunch | Gumbo with rice |
| Thursday | Halfday school – no lunch | Freezer Surprise – found a bag of left-overs that we need to eliminate |
| Friday | Half-day school – no lunch | Friday BBQ Extravangaza |
One day, I might get so organized that I will link the meals below to my recipes. We can only live in hope!
Have a fantastic week, my friends. I hope you enjoy these meal plans. It is much easier to make food in advance, although you must invest several hours preparing meals during the weekend.
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The Viking Heart Within 