Summer vacation for the Gordan family of Casco means packing up the tent, sleeping bags, kayaks, canoes and bikes, piling into the truck and taking off for a few days of camping.
Patti Gordan has two boys, Christian, 15, and Colin, 11. Gordan started taking the boys camping when Colin turned 4 years old.
In years past, the Gordans took camping trips out of state or to far-flung regions of Maine, but last year they tried something different. They camped close to home.
The Gordans decided to camp nearby because Patti was in a play and needed to go to rehearsals and performances for several weeks last summer. They were pleasantly surprised to find that camping close to home is as much of a vacation as camping far away, Gordon said.
The Lakes Region is home to a number of well-established campgrounds.
The Gordans chose Loons Haven Campground in Naples. Located on spring-fed Trickey Pond, (Route 114, 693-6881) Loons Haven has indoor and outdoor activities available on site. There are 135 campsites, each with a picnic table and fireplace.
There’s a general store, Laundromat and hot showers on site. Loons Haven also features three sandy beaches, a boat ramp, boat and canoe rentals, a recreation hall, playground, basketball, volleyball, horseshoes and planned activities such as, dances, beach parties, pot luck suppers, kids’ crafts, bingo, canoe races and tug-of-war.
Loons Haven is also conveniently located near several Lakes Region attractions.
“There are wonderful touristy things to do in Naples, but we never do them because we live five minutes away. We usually save our money and go someplace else and do the touristy things in someone else’s town,” Gordan said.
“We stayed at Loons Haven and did all the things my kids are always asking to do in Naples. We took a cruise on the Songo River Queen, we played miniature golf at both local courses and we rented the water trikes that my kids have been begging me to rent for years,” Gordan added.
How do the kids feel about vacationing close to home? “They loved it, they had a ball,” she said.
The Gordans have enjoyed staying at other area campgrounds such as Twin Brooks in Gray and Papoose Pond in Waterford. Papoose Pond has special features such as guided canoe trips, guided hikes, arts and crafts classes and a number of other activities.
The Gordans enjoy going to different types of campgrounds; all-inclusive campgrounds where you spend the whole trip at the campground as well as going to campgrounds that are used as a base for exploring nearby attractions.
Both kinds of camping are fun, Gordon says. However, she finds campgrounds that are all-inclusive tend to be more economical, she said.
Over the years, Gordan has learned what to bring and what not to bring on camping trips. Planning ahead and being organized makes the camping experience more enjoyable, Gordan said.
Up until last year, the Gordans did tent camping. Last year, they bought a pop-up camper. The camper has the advantage of staying dry when it’s very rainy as well as having certain built-in amenities such as a two-burner stove and a small sink.
“We started off with a little L.L. Bean dome tent when the boys were little. We all crammed into the tent. A couple years later we bought the bigger L.L. Bean dome tent and then last year we bought the pop-up camper,” she said.
Experienced campers agree that trying different campgrounds and different equipment – after a few years, perhaps moving up from a tent to a mobile camper or simply upgrading to a bigger and nicer tent – is that way to find the camping experience that’s right for your family.
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