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Growing up in the Pacific Northwest, camping is a summer right of passage. Every June after school lets out the number of cars on the road full of camping gear and kids go from none to almost every other. It's nostalgic for me when I see these cars roll by packed and headed out for the weekend because I remember doing the exact same thing as a kid.
My parents would load the car with what seemed like everything in our garage, we'd pack coloring books and car snacks, fight over who had to sit in the middle seat and eventually end up on the road playing '20 questions' or my dad's version of 'who wants to be a millionaire'. We never ventured too far, an hour to a lake here, or a couple hours to a national forest there, but every time it felt like we were venturing into another world. The world where eating hot dogs cooked over the fire is okay and spending the whole day outside was encouraged.
As I've gotten older my siblings and I try and keep up the tradition. Now it's us getting our parents out, rearranging our work schedules, and doing all the packing. We're old enough to drive our own cars so there's no arguing over the middle seat anymore, but the world of away from town is just as exciting as it was when we were kids. There's something so magical about sitting around a campfire with your family or friends, telling stories and roasting s'mores under the stars.
If you haven't made s'mores around a campfire yet this summer, try adding your favorite flavor of Wild Friends peanut butter in with the chocolate and marshmallows you won't be disappointed!