11/20 - Kamping at Alys

[Sarah Moss]

I agree that camping and drinking seem to go hand in hand but I am surprised that it was allowed at this "family" event.

 

[DCFinSCB]

Well college thesis' have no doubt been written about that topic (very much unrelated to the great experience almost everyone had on Friday night) much more in depth, but without getting into that topic much, I'll end by saying the focus was on an introduction to camping experience with the attending Families, all of the parents there did a great job ensuring that in an extremely safe and fun environment with their children, the event received rave reviews that night and the next morning, Alys Beach handled their responsibilities of providing space, bonfire, food, non-alcoholic drink, and festivities extremely well, all adults handled themselves safely, responsibly, and helpfully in every facet of the evening, night,and morning, and Prohibition ended in the United States in the 1930's.

 

[Douglas the Intrepid]

A few beers while camping, now there is another strange concept.

Listen Douglas, while it may not have been your and your daughter's idea of a good time, EVERYONE I spoke to at the breakfast in the morning thought Alys Beach did a fantastic job, and all of the other Families involved had nothing but praise for Alys Beach.

If you have a bunch of families getting together for camping in this type of situation, especially when many already know each other, it will become a social event. And a fun social event it was, for the kids and the parents.

But, not everyone is as social as others, and this type of event may not be for everyone. So if you enjoy camraderie with your local South Walton neighbors, GREAT story telling by some reps of the,...er, REP, movie on a big-screen (I had never seen "Up", but what agreat choice), bonfire-side conversation, hotdogs, smores, and perhaps a a couple of beers, and especially an opportunity for your kids to have an EXTREMELY FUN time quite possibly past their regular bedtime (all kids were in bed before the 10:30 time Douglas quotes), don't miss Alys Beach's next camping experience (which I hear conversations are leaning towards Spring in Alys Beach's Central Park)!

And if none of that sounds appealing to you, there are miles of forest in North Florida that you can camp in all by your lonesome without anyone to bother you. Or, perhaps your backyard suits you if you are in need of amenities.

We'll plan on being there! Thank you Alys Beach!! AWESOME, FANTASTIC, SUPER, and most of all FUN idea and execution. Special shout-outs to Kelly, Scott, the REP, and the Chef's serving up delicious "flap-jacks" in the A.M.!

Cheers!

I stated above several times that Aly's Beach did a great job. My issue was with the poor parenting of some of the attendees. See my example above regarding the little girl screaming in the hotdog line. That is what I had issues with. I also was not complaining that there was alcohol there. I was just bringing up the fact that many parents were more interested in their drinks then their children. You are correct that this was definitely not my idea of enjoyable camping and our next camping trip will be more traditional, just us and nature. Thanks for the feedback.

 

[doGooD]

I read through this thread because I originally intended to attend this event with my girls. We did not...

I hope that Alys Beach will do this event monthly- maybe not in the colder months. Perhaps this will be a new tradition in our family, and yours?

I hate to see our community divided. This was obviously an event to help build community, not divide. I am sure there are many folks, including myself, who would love to be more social but have limitations. I hope that when I do come out with my girls that everyone welcomes us.

And as far as obstinate children are concerned, we simply must not judge. That woman in line may have completely mortified, and shocked. We can assume all we want, but social pressure and raising children are difficult tasks, intertwined- they surely can stick a large spoon of humility down your throat. I observed this through two generations of "good" parenting and "good " kids. We simply cannot judge.

It is a challenge to remember this when appalled by someone else's kids behavior. We naturally want to stand proud of our own offspring.
Until that inevitable moment...

 

[Kurt]

I don't think one person having a little problem with a screaming child is hardly dividing our community.

I reserve the right to be perturbed by a screaming child even if it is my own.