There’s nothing quite like a long weekend camping trip to close out the season. This year, we decided to spend Thanksgiving weekend at one of our favorite campgrounds in the Parks of the St Lawerence, Farran Campground. The plan? A trailer, some good food, outdoor adventures, and, of course, making memories with the family (dog included). Here’s how our holiday camping trip went—from forgotten potatoes to unexpected encounters with wildlife.

Getting Ready: Naps and Potato Surprises

I took Friday off to prepare our trailer. It had been sitting idle since our summer road trip to PEI. The plan was simple. I would load groceries, grab my son, our pup, and head down early. My wife would join us after work that evening.

The morning started as usual. Kissed Meg as she flew out the door for work. After seeing my son off to school, Checkers and I went for our walk. I figured I’d have a quick coffee, double-check the shopping list, and get moving. But one minute I was sitting on the couch, and then bam—I woke up an hour later, oops A pre-lunch nap? Must be the magic of long weekends!)

After that unexpected snooze, I hit the grocery store. A few substitutions later (because, of course, they were out of half the things on my list), I was still ahead of the holiday crowds—barely. With the truck now full of food, I headed to the trailer.

Then came the first hiccup. I tried to extend the trailer slide, but… nothing. The motor groaned and quit like it had given up on life. No problem, no need to panic. I backed up the truck and connected it to give it a bit of juice—success! The slide open, crisis averted.

I started unloading groceries into the fridge, then came the moment every camper dreads: a mystery smell.  Digging around, I discovered a bag of potatoes we’d left behind from our PEI trip… let’s just say they were no longer in edible condition and were well past their prime. One deep breath and a quick ejection later, the rotten spuds were history.

Setting Up at Farran Campground: Dog Antics and Burgers

With the trailer sorted, I picked up my son once he was done school along with the dog, and headed back to the trailer.  We hooked everything up, and hit the road. It was smooth sailing all the way to Farran. Dylan—my son—helped me back the trailer into our spot like a pro. He took charge of hooking up the water and power.  Once they were done, we were ready to chill.  Quite literally as the sun was going down, so was the temperature. Happily we have a nice furnace to keep us warm at night.

I took the dog for a walk and he was ecstatic.  There were so many other dogs to see at the campground. He bounced around like a kangaroo when he spotted a poodle, and in his excitement, he yanked me off my feet. I’m not sure what hit the ground first, but I know the world looked upside down.  I may have scraped my hands and knees, but at least he didn’t escape. (Small victories.)

After a long walk to tire the dog out, it was time for burgers.  My sons camping meal of choice, followed by an old movie. Later, my wife arrived under the cover of darkness, and we guided her in with flashlights, looking like airport ground crew landing a plane. A bit of post-hurricane wind rocked the trailer, but nothing too crazy— just some “Hurricane Milton” leftovers.  Apparently, my snoring added to the storm, as my wife reminded me to use my breathing machine.

Biking Adventures and… a Snake?

The next morning started slow, with some delicious pancakes and fresh brewed coffee courtesy of my wife. Our son eventually crawled out of bed to grace us with his presence.  He’s starting to enter teenager mode, which means trying to get him out of bed before noon.  He scarfed down blueberry muffins, and reluctantly got dressed—thanks to my wife’s magic touch encouraging him to.

Soon we were off on a family bike ride. The fall leaves painted the trail with gold and crimson, and our dog, Checkers, was learning how to jog alongside my wife’s bike.  There were no squirrels, thank goodness or she would have hit warp speed and left us in the dust.  Our destination was the bird sanctuary, which is one of the other nearby campgrounds. The ride was stunning, with fall colors painting the landscape. To keep the momentum going, we promised ice cream at the bird sanctuary store if our son didn’t quit halfway. The reward worked—barely. We found the campground store running low on stock, but we managed to score some ice cream and drinks.   Ice cream in hand, we recharged before heading back.

The ride was peaceful… until the snake appeared. Yep, a snake slithered onto the path, causing my family to swerve and scream. Naturally, I did what any dad would do: I stopped, picked it up, and held it until it calmed down. Surprisingly, the snake decided it liked me, soaking up the warmth from my hands. My son was fascinated—he petted the snake and held it for a while before we let it slither away into the grass. From that moment, our little explorer was on high alert for more critters, and we even found a caterpillar that he carefully escorted across the trail.

Campfires, Fajitas, and Cozy Nights

Back at camp, we rested before dinner which involved me studying the inside of my eyelids. My wife whipped up some fajitas, and I kept the dog occupied with a bit of leftover hamburger—because why not? After dinner, we gathered around the fire. Even Checkers was snoring by the end of the night. It was the kind of peaceful camping night you dream about—full bellies, a warm fire, and cards with my son (who, by the way, destroyed me at Go Fish and Crazy Eights).

The next morning was slow and cozy. Coffee in hand, we took one last walk along the trails. The geese and ducks were gathering for their migration south, and we made our usual stop at the park office for—you guessed it—more ice cream.

The Sad Goodbye: Winterizing the Trailer

Unfortunately, all good things must end, and Thanksgiving weekend signals the end of our camping season. My wife had to leave early for work, so we hugged it out before cramming her gear into the car. As she drove off, it was just the boys—me, my son, and the dog—for the last night in the trailer

We slowly started getting the trailer ready for winter storage. The dishes were washed.   We stowed the bikes, chairs, and gear just in time to beat the forecasted rain.

With nothing left to do we had one last relaxing quiet night. My son snuggled into his sleeping bag with YouTube on his tablet, and the dog napped on the couch.

The next morning, we made a final breakfast, did the final dishes, and hooked up the trailer to take it to the storage yard. All food and liquids came out (no freezing surprises, thank you very much). Winterizing the trailer was straightforward—draining the water tanks and lines, flushing everything out, and putting in the antifreeze —and before long, we parked it in its winter spot. Just 225 days until May long weekend… not that I’m counting.

Looking Ahead: Winter Dreams and Summer Plans

With the RV hibernating for winter, I’m already itching to plan our next adventure. Perhaps it’s time to upgrade our rig with solar panels or custom-built drawers. Or, maybe I’ll channel my inner explorer and hunt for some more four-leaf clovers or get the family involved in geocaching.

How do you handle the winter break? Do you take your RV somewhere warm, or do you hunker down and plan for next season? I know what I’d do if work didn’t mind me migrating south with the geese.

Let me know in the comments—how do you prepare for winter? Got any tips, tricks, or funny stories from your own camping adventures? I’d love to hear them!