At least in theory, having kids at camp makes life easier — it’s fewer people to manage at home. But the kids have to get there and home, which — especially if they aren’t going for long — can add a lot of driving to summer weekends.
That was basically my experience these past few days. On Friday I drove down to Maryland to collect my daughter and a friend from their camp on the eastern shore. Theoretically the drive is only 90 minutes but I-95 on a Friday afternoon can get a little backed up. Fortunately I made the pick-up window (4-4:30 p.m.). They had a really good time, though apparently my daughter was quite cold at night. When we’d been packing, the assumption was that it would be warm but the nights wound up getting down to the low 60s, which could be nice, but not if you only have thin blankets. She’d sleep in a sweatshirt and leggings, and now we know to really pack for the possibilities next time.
Then on Saturday I was in the car around 8 a.m. to go get my 10-year-old at his camp. I drove north for this one, up to the Scranton exit off I-476, and then winding through various rustic points of PA from there. This was a 2.5 hour drive. The gates opened at 10:30 a.m., and you were supposed to pick up by noon, and I got there slightly before 11 a.m., but he was still the last one in his cabin to get picked up! Apparently the other parents are there when the gate opens. Guess I know for next time. Despite his one letter saying he wasn’t sure he wanted to come back the next year he told me when I picked him up that he’d actually thought about asking to extend for a week, but he didn’t want to miss our family beach trip. He did all sorts of activities right up his alley, including quads, riflery, and paintball. Indeed, he had quite the paintball injury, but it was still one of his favorite activities.
So anyway, I’m glad both kids had a good time and managed the time away from home well. But after another 2.5 hour drive home on Saturday, when I drove on Sunday to the beach and it was only 90 minutes, it felt so short!