The Tradition Continues: Camping 2024
12 years later, the tradition continues.
For years, my dad, my brother, and I would embark on our annual summer camping trip to the breathtaking Allegheny National Forest. It was a cherished family tradition that we rarely missed. However, life got busier with marriages, houses, and babies, and our last trip together was in 2012.
This year, we decided to revive the tradition and settled on a weekend in the middle of Garrett State Forest, Maryland. My parents scouted extensively to find a spot remote yet accessible by our stock SUVs. Typically, we camped near enough to have an exit strategy if needed—my parents' place at Deep Creek Lake, Maryland, was just 30 minutes away in case of emergencies. (In the past, tornadoes and overly friendly black bears had interrupted our woodland adventures.)
It's amazing how quickly a family can grow. What used to be just the three of us, with occasional guests, had now expanded to include eight Naretto guys on this trip alone. When my boys and I arrived, my dad, brother, and his son were already at the campsite, having set some things up ahead of time. Soon, the entire crew was together, and everything was set for a weekend of forest fun.
Of course, we've weathered our fair share of storms, and Mother Nature decided to give us one that first afternoon. Luckily, we were prepared, and it didn't spoil much, aside from discovering that our spare tent wasn't as reliable as it used to be. After that initial storm, the rest of the weekend blessed us with clear blue skies, lush green forests, and perfect temperatures.
We ate well (as always), shot BBs, fired arrows, whittled sticks, hiked the orange trail, enjoyed frosty beverages, sat by the campfire, made s’mores, ate some more, listened to our favorite songs, and slept like babies. There were countless other moments packed into that weekend—I even found myself strumming cowboy chords on my old guitar around the campsite.
As the trip drew to a close, goodbyes were said with murmurs of doing it all again next year already circulating. This trip not only reminded me of the importance of spending time outdoors but also of the joy of capturing memories through photos, something I've always loved. Spending a weekend in the woods with my guys was nothing short of amazing. Here's to the next adventure! ➸
The Naretto Camping Crew
(Joe, Joe, Nick, Nick, Atwood, Rade, Henry and Anders)
