What are the sights, sounds and smells that bring on a flashback of fond memories of camping at a Virginia State Park?
Burgers sizzling on the grill over an open flame
I am not sure why my memories of camping always go back to food, but they do. Somehow food tastes better outside by a campfire. When I think of all the work to actually get out of dodge and into a camp spot, the "divorce tent" as I have nicknamed it, or the "marital counseling tent" may be a better term, where you know, it actually takes cooperation and patience to set up the tent! And all the planning and packing and unpacking…
But the food, always the food…going back to my own childhood how I relish the smell of burnt Jiffy Pop. Perhaps it was not the taste or smell of the burnt Jiffy Pop I enjoyed as the fact that for that one weekend we were allowed to play with fire! I think about the marshmallows on the end of sharp sticks that we swung through the air trying to mate them up with the graham crackers and soon to be lava hot Hershey's chocolate squares.
S'mores the ultimate camping food (and you get to play with fire, supervised of course)
What is it about the smell of bacon when you are camping? I asked a group of people on Facebookwhat was their favorite camping memory and hands down it was the smell of bacon frying!
It is proven that smell is central to taste. Of the three chemical senses smell is the main determinate of food's flavor. I guess it goes back to how we thought as kids, "If it smells good it must taste good!"
Bacon and eggs my all time favorite camping memory
"Good food ends with good talk." Geoffrey Neighor
"If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world." J. R. R. Tolkien
“Strength is the ability to break a chocolate bar into four pieces with your bare hands – and then eat just one of those pieces” Judith Viorst quotes
So what do you think, how does sitting around a campfire sound? Are there more stories, more laughter and overall well being around a campfire? How can the very same people who were at work just this morning with a cluster headache, nagging boss and stressful deadlines drop it all at the door on the way out when they visit a Virginia State Park? Is this nothing less than miraculous?
Is it time you planned your next camping/cabin getaway to decompress and enjoy life a little bit more?
You’ll find plenty of programs, events and activities at Virginia State Parks. Our 35 parks have thousands of campsites, hundreds of cabins (open year-round), more than 500 miles of trails and convenient access to Virginia’s major waterways. Beaches, picnic shelters, family lodges, meeting facilities, festivals, concerts, nature programs, cultural happenings… the list goes on and on.
From Cumberland Gap to the Atlantic Ocean, there’s something for everyone at Virginia State Parks. Whether you’re after a relaxing picnic or a two-week vacation, leave life’s daily pressures behind and reconnect with nature and your family at a nearby state park.