This flashback post was triggered, not just by the fact that today is Halloween, but also by our recent stay at Sterling State Park in Monroe, MI. We enjoyed many Halloween Camping weekends at Sterling State Park, as well as a few other campgrounds in lower Michigan.
When the boys were babies, though, we had not yet discovered Halloween camping . . . but we stilled dressed them up and took them out!
1996 - Nicolas’ First Halloween
I must have been very ambitious that year – I made costumes for all three of us . . . but then, I wasn’t back to work yet!
1998 -- Bryce’s First Halloween
The cow costume was just the first of many hand-me-downs! Nicolas was quite a cute little pumpkin!
I continued to make their costumes . . . I could be pretty creative with a pair of sweatpants and a sweatshirt!
1999 – Little Clowns
The next year, we discovered Halloween camping.
2000 was the first of several camping trips to Sterling State Park. The hosts there were always really good at putting together lots of fun activities for the kids, and many campers really got into the holiday, with haunted houses and over-the-top decorations.
I remember there was a local farmer that brought 2 wagon loads full of pumpkins – each child got a pumpkin to decorate, and we had pumpkin bowling. It was a lot of fun!
Bryce loved all the daytime activities, but didn’t quite make it through trick-or-treating!
2001 Brighton State Park
The next year was the first of several where we ventured out to other parks, and we continued to have wonderful, fun experiences! All of the parks put so much effort into these weekends, and the boys had a blast!
Well, Nicolas had fun with some of the neighboring kids . . . Bryce was a little grumpy and didn’t want to go trick-or-treating (Go figure – he’s a freshman in college now, and he tells me he was going out tonight to get candy!)
I couldn’t locate pictures from the next couple of years, but I know we went to the local KOA one year, and another state park the next.
2003 – Sterling State Park
We went back to Sterling State Park the next year, in the all-new campground, and this time our friends, Josh and Kylie, joined us.
Most years, we had really good weather for our Halloween camping weekend . . . the main reason being that parks in Michigan closed around October 15th, so Halloween camping was usually held in late September.
This also meant that the boys got another chance to go trick-or-treating on the real holiday, either with friends from school, or their cousins.
2005 – Trick-or-Treating with Kathleen
(I think they were ghosts!)
2005 – Sterling State Park
We were back at Sterling again, and with our friends, Josh and Kylie, too. Tom and Todd were getting into the holiday spirit!
I don’t think Bryce was thrilled with his homemade costume,
but it was good enough to get him candy!
I think we might have taken a couple of years off from Halloween camping after that, but went back to Sterling one more time.
2008 – Our final Halloween Camping trip
It was birthday weekend, so in addition to our regular camping companions, Hannah and Jensen, Tom’s family also joined us for a birthday celebration and trick-or-treating.
Nicolas and Bryce came up with their own costumes that year, and both went with a sports theme!
Our Halloween camping trips were some of our favorites, and we made some great memories! I miss those days!
HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!
WOW...that's some fun memories!!!
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