Oscar Scherer Weekend Camping Trip Feb 2011

Osprey, Florida: We decided to plan a last minute camping trip for the weekend. This was our first family camping trip and my first time camping since growing up in Pennsylvania. Since this was the first time camping, we picked a state park close to home, Oscar Scherer State Park.

We checked in and were assigned Site 55. We made our way back to the campsite and began to set-up our camp. The tent we had was a breeze to set-up. It was a Coleman Instant Tent and only took about 5-10 minutes to get ready.

Even though we were camping, we still decided to eat out for dinner and breakfast to limit the amount of stuff we needed to bring with us. So after the camp was set up, we left for dinner. We ate dinner at Gator Tails near Sarasota Square Mall. The sports bar had a menu that had something for everyone. I had a cheese steak, my wife had fish and chips and our son had a cheese quesadilla. The food was very reasonably priced and filling.

After dinner, we headed back to the park. We stopped by the gatehouse and picked up firewood. We then went back to the campsite to build a campfire. We spend the evening by the fire, making S’mores and roasting hot dogs. As the evening got later, the cold front moved in and it began to rain. So we headed inside the tent and called it an early night.

As the rain continued through the night, we quickly learned two thinks. First the tent had a small leak. It wasn’t very big but it was allowing water to get into the tent. Once the morning light hit, I went outside and found that the tent must have leaked from the factory since there was already a patch placed on the location where the leak was coming from. The second lesson learned was how unforgiving the ground can be. Despite walking the campsite before setting the tent up, it was amazing how many stones and hard objects you can feel in the middle of the night but yet not see when the tent was taken down.

When morning came, it was still very wet and muddy, so with a 5 year old and two dogs just dying to get muddy and more rain on the way, we decided to tear down camp and head home. Taking down the tent was just as easy as setting it up, just much messier thanks to the rain.

On the way out, we stopped at First Watch for breakfast. This was the first time we had eaten here. Very good food. My wife had an omelet, I had biscuits and gravy and our son had fruit crepes. All of which was very delicious.

When I got home, I called Target and told them about the leak in the tent we just purchased from them. Rather then messing with the manufacture for repairs, Target offered us to return the item and get a new one. So we took it back to the Port Charlotte store and exchanged it, but they were out of this particular tent so we upgraded to the larger one. We loved the tent, just didn’t want to pay almost $200 for the tent and have it leak right out of the box. Its one thing if I would have tore it myself, but to have it already patched from the manufacturer, that is not right. We also got an air mattress so we are ready for the next trip.

Despite the rain, everyone had a good time. We are approaching some of the busiest camping times in Florida due to vacationing Northerners, but we will definitely go again before the weather gets too hot and miserable.