Variety

When I was a child, our family took camping vacations. It was a fun time for all of us. The necessary closeness that a family derives from all sleeping in the same "room" can develop bonds that last a lifetime and nurture feelings for the outdoors that you'll want to pass on to your children when the time comes. It's also a relatively inexpensive way to get that vacation for the parents. Nowadays, things have changed somewhat. Kids take off on bikes, seclude themselves beneath a tree to play video games and sometimes will have their own curtained area in their RV. The rates have gone up considerably for a night in a campground, as well. There are, of course, lots more amenities such as hot tubs, Wi-Fi, game rooms and water and electric included at each campsite. During the Meredith show, we stayed at Twin Tamarack on Rte 106 in New Hampton. It was a great family oriented place that was having a Halloween Party for the horde of children in "residence". A strictly enforced speed limit and noise curfew added to the family atmosphere. The place was clean, well kept and relatively inexpensive at $32.00 per night. We will be planning to stay there next year. On the other side of the coin would be Seven Maples in Hancock. This quiet out of the way place was also reasonably priced at $30.00 per night but the facilities have seen better days and the pool had already been closed. Our campsite smelled of dog manure and when it rained ( boy, did it rain ) our entire site became a small lake which drowned our cache of firewood and ruined my chance for a romantic evening beside a quickly snapping fire. Now, the owners aren't responsible for the rain but their lack of grading and upkeep certainly are to blame for my not having a fire that evening and even though the staff, in the office, were pleasantly outgoing and helpful in getting us directions, we most likely will not stay there next year. And, completely in the other direction, we have the event coordinators at Quechee Gorge Village who allow anyone with a camper to stay in their overflow parking area at no charge, with no hook ups and no amenities. There's a lot to be said for free.