Campfire E-Mail

by Mary Ann Romans | More from this Blogger

20 Jul 2007 06:18 AM

Graham crackers? Check. Marshmallows? Check. Bug spray? Check. Laptop? Uh Check.

Remember when camping meant getting away from it all? Camping is a sort of mini vacation from life, when you leave your phone and other modern conveniences behind to bond with nature. Well, times they are a-changing. These days, roughing it may mean living without a modern bathroom but not without e-mail.

That is because more and more campgrounds are catering to those of us who are wired up to our laptops and other technical devices 24/7. Increasingly, people are wondering, what is a campground without Wi-Fi Internet access? Wi-Fi has been a big drawing point for campgrounds all over America, and potential campers look for the ability to e-mail straight from their campgrounds, showers optional. Often, campers can check on e-mail and surf the web without even leaving the comfort of their sleeping bag; there isn't even a short hike to a special area for the purpose.

As someone who doesn't even own a cell phone, I find this just a little bit disturbing. Yes, I guess that the access is nice to have available, but I would hope that when going camping we could all truly get away from some of the more pressing technology of life.

When I wake up in the morning and roll out of my tent, I'd like to be greeted by the sound of birdsong, a rushing creek, a soft breeze riffling through the trees, not the sound of someone clicking keys on a laptop. And do we really need to interrupted a rousing campfire song to check and delete 37 e-mails that tell us how to live longer, make hundreds of thousands of dollars by sending a personal check to Nigeria, get the person of our dreams and grow or shrink our chosen body parts?

But it seems that I may be the only one who feels this way. Kampgrounds of America says that their guests expect WI-FI availability at their campsites. If you do too, you can check the following websites for a list of campgrounds that are wired up for your pleasure.

http://www.wififreespot.com/rv.html

http://www.koa.com/wireless/

Mary Ann Romans also writes for the Frugal Living Blog here at Families.com, where she shares money saving tips for today's families.

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Learn more about Mary Ann Romans

Mary Ann Romans is a freelance writer, wife and mother of three children. She lives in Pennsylvania with her husband, the kids and a 16-pound cat.

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