Don’t ask me how to pronounce it. I don’t know. I just say Keji but even that I pronounce differently each time. I may not know how to say it, but we went there, and it was beautiful!
Now let’s go back. Back to FEBRUARY, which is when we had to line up (virtually) to get these reservations for the middle of the week in July. Wow, how camping has certainly changed in the last few years. The days of rocking up day of, and getting a site, are long gone.
My friends and I agreed that renting the oTENTik’s there would be a good camping compromise (we aren’t all campers, and we all have young kids) but they are quite popular, so the second the website opened for bookings we were all in que to reserve our spot. Despite refreshing the page the second the bookings opened up, we were all still 3,000-something in line. But we managed! And 5 months later, and only a few days after our Cape Breton Summer, we were off…
It had been a couple years since we all camped together. Two years ago we spent a couple days in very tiny cabins (we preferred the term ‘sweat lodge’) during a heat wave on along the Cabot Trail. Despite the heat, we had a blast and vowed to make it happen as often as we could. Friends who are family, nothing better am I right?
Two years and five newborns later, we were all back together again. Twelve adults and twelve children. We were the first to arrive, and as military members (and veterans, or anyone with a CF1 card) we got free daily entrance to the park, so we made use and arrived early to head for the beach. A small lake right next to the oTENTik’s was the perfect spot. Not many people there, right next to a small playground and large, well maintained comfort station. We set up there and waited until it was check in time, and for our friends to arrive.
The first night we stayed up late, camp fire going, catching up on our lives the last few years. The kids were great for us and slept well that first night. The cabins are set up great in that it’s wall to wall beds so it’s pretty safe for the toddlers and little ones. We brought sheets to cover the mattresses (provided) and then sleeping bags to go on top of the sheets – and of course our own pillows, too. I also packed a portable sound machine, which ended up being very useful as we ended up having the fires outside our cabin each night. The oTENTik’s also had a table and chairs, and plenty of space.
The Rangers dropped by each night to chat – we were up late and they said there were no noise complaints (and I hope that was true!) but had just popped by to say hi. We found common ground with our Mount Allison connections.
The next day, and our only full day at the park, we went back to the beach. The kids all played, in and out of the water, and at the playground. Two of the kids got leaches – or ‘water worms’ as they called them. They laughed at their matching bandaids. The parents had cheeky coffees with Baileys and held babies for naps. It’s such a hard season with so many of us but being all together makes it so much easier: everyone looking out for everyone else’s kids.
We returned for lunch and more hang outs at the cabin, and that’s really the best part about being with such close friends. We could be anywhere doing anything but when we’re all together it’s lots of laughs and lots of fun.
We promised to do it again next summer, and I can’t wait!
1 thought on “Camping in Kejimkujik”