As a kid and teenager, I went camping all the time with the Boy Scouts and Explorers. And I almost always had a blast--hiking, building fires, goofing off, being out in nature...good stuff!
My favorite trip was actually my last--summer of 1992 at Indiana Dunes State Park near Chicago. We built sand sculptures that drew crowds, climbed the massive dunes, and admired the view of the Chicago skyline. That was great...here's a photo from that trip (though the skyline in this one is actually the Gary steel mills):
In the past year or so, I've had a strong desire to head back out to the woods. And this time of the year is a great time to do so. Sure, it can get rather cold, but you don't have to generally deal with a lot of bugs and critters.
Is anyone in this part of Cellarland interested in doing such a thing? We could chip in on a campsite (or maybe someone will be gracious enough to let us stay on their land) for a weekend...build a big-ass fire, cook over an open flame, drink, smoke, and have a blast.
Anyone?