Why We Camp: One Family's Journey from New York City to Rural New Jersey

When my husband and I first got together we lived in New York City in a teeny apartment with a huge dog, and an infant. We enjoyed the hustle and bustle of city life, but knew that once we started a family it would be back to nature for us.

We had dreams of buying or renting a house in rural New Jersey - not too far from where my parents lived, and not too long a drive so that my husband could scoot into the city if he needed to. Most folks think of New Jersey as a pit for factories and smog, but the truth is that once you get out of the Newark Airport area, the woods are your playground, and there's plenty of land, farms, an camp grounds to be enjoyed and explored.

After a few months of searching, we found the perfect spot. 40 acres of land, forests to play in, a garden, a pool for swimming, and a pond for raising ducks. Our home would be our own natural retreat, and the best part was that it's location was driving distance to some fantastic camp grounds that we hadn't had the chance to check out before.

My husband and I have been active campers since we both started dating. We have been camping all over the East Coast [New England, PA, Jersey, rural New York...] and most recently completed a two week camping trip to Arizona.  Spending time outside, under the sun and stars is in our blood.  We both look forward to sharing our love for the outdoors with our toddler, and this summer will mark her first official camping trip...at least one that won't take place in our backyard!