Let’s just say my daughter was less than enthused we were spending 2 nights on the property. I disagree. What better way to connect to the land and each other as a family. We hiked all the gear to the site about 700ft off the road. 8 round trips later and all the gear was back. We set up camp on the hillside as close to the potential build site as possible. Having never camped as a kid (I was definitely not deprived as a child), we set up camp in about an hour. I dug a nice fire pit while the kids did some exporing.
When exploring the woods in SE OHIO, one must respect mother nature. We were not fully prepared for the ticks. It was in the 40’s at night and didn’t think we were targets. Over the weekend we pulled 20 ticks off of us. Gross I know, but research suggests removal by 36hrs does not allow for transmission of tick borne diseases. After this experience and doing some of my own research I found Sawyer spray (amazon link below). The next visit during peak tick season we had zero ticks. I was sold. Just spray it on your clothes a few days prior, in a well ventilated area. It is odorless when dries and lasts for 6 washings. Keep it away from your cats. Interestingly it can be sprayed on dogs. We left the dogs at home for this trip.
Ultimately the kids (and parents) survived their first family camping experience. No better place than a future home site to make additional memories.
