How our family enjoyed RV camping – the kids enjoyed summer camp, and the adults enjoyed a little alone time – in one fun-filled week in Ithaca, NY.
How We Chose to RV Camp at Summer Camp
Many factors played a role in our decision to take a week-long family camping trip so that our 5 and 8-year-old sons could attend a summer day camp last year. These factors included: 1) limited opportunities in a rural area, 2) an obsession with Disney’s “Bunk’d” and Camp Kikiwaka, 3) parents seeking fun, diverse opportunities for their elementary school-aged children, AND 4) a small, (possibly more selfish) desire for a little bit of adult date time. It was my husband’s idea, but our boys were on board from the first mention of the idea, and before we knew it, we were headed to “RV camp at summer camp”.
Just an hour from home, we chose a well-loved, familiar spot: The Ithaca’s Children’s Garden. Offering a half-day camp for our 5-year-old, and a full-day option for our 8-year-old son, Ithaca Children’s Garden Summer Camp promised our boys free play, cultural activities, agriculture experiences, a little bit of anarchy, and a LOT of fresh air.
We pulled our camper to Spruce Row Campground – right off Route 96, just a tick above Ithaca and a tick below Trumansburg. At a rate of less than $50 per night for a full hook-up 30 amp electric site, we set up camp on a Saturday night to allow us a free Sunday as a family to enjoy the fishing pond and a bike ride on the Black Diamond Trail before the boys began camp on Monday. With camp wrapping up on Friday, we planned to leave the following Saturday – but the week flew by, and we were having so much fun (and the rates were so affordable), that we added another night to our stay!
So – what does a family (and the parents of young children who have enjoyed very little alone time in the last decade) do with themselves for 8 days and nights in Ithaca, New York? Plenty. Plenty barely scratches the surface of all that Ithaca has to offer, but here I’ve broken down our week for ideas for your own camping adventure in Ithaca.
Bicycling While RV Camping at Summer Camp
Spruce Row Campground is conveniently situated right next to an access point for the Black Diamond Trail. We used this trail for couples riding time while the boys were at their day camp, and for two separate family rides. The trail is 8.5 miles of well-maintained crushed stone and weaves through the woods on the western side of Cayuga Lake. Throughout the week we biked the entire path more than once, with easy access to the trail from our campsite and from the Children’s Garden. Our boys loved stopping to explore a small waterfall next to the trail just north of the Ithaca Children’s Garden.
The city of Ithaca is bike-friendly, and Mike and I also biked from The Children’s Garden through town to East Shore Park one morning during summer camp.
Fishing While RV Camping at Summer Camp
Our youngest is an avid angler and was thrilled that Spruce Row Campground had a well-stocked fishing pond a short walk from our campsite. We fished at the pond every single day of our trip.
Our young fisherman’s camp was only a half day, and so one afternoon after we picked him up we went fishing at Taughannock Falls State Park. We didn’t have any fishing success, but enjoyed watching other anglers reel in giant fish, and were bummed when we realized that we had missed the annual pro-bass fishing tournament on Cayuga Lake by just a few days. After fishing, we enjoyed the park’s awesome playground and even took a quick dip in the public swimming area before picking up his older brother from his camp that afternoon.
Hiking While RV Camping at Summer Camp
Living as close to Ithaca as we do, we’ve been fortunate to do a lot of hiking in the area, but during our week-long camping stay, we found previously undiscovered trails. Our favorites included a couples-only hike up the Cascadilla Gorge Trail – we parked at the bottom, and hiked to the top (it leads you right onto Cornell’s campus), where we enjoyed a Collegetown Bagel breakfast together at a table outside before hiking back down
Along with the boys, we also enjoyed a hike through Cayuga Nature Center where we could see and read about the rescued animals, and climb to the top of TreeTops, an impressive six-story treehouse built deep in the woods at the top of the park, open to visitors for viewing and climbing daily.
Eating: What We Ate While RV Camping at Summer Camp
We don’t generally eat out very often while camping, preferring to cook at the campsite and save money for other adventures. But Mike and I reenacted one of our favorite pre-kids traditions – “Tour de Breakfast”. It involved riding our bicycles – to breakfast. We found a couple of nice coffee and breakfast establishments, and our family found two dinner spots we enjoyed.
Our breakfast stops included Waffle Frolic – an Ithaca Commons gem that serves – you guessed it – a lot of waffle options. While Mike enjoyed the classic buttermilk, mine came slathered in lemon curd and vanilla ice cream. Both were delicious. We enjoyed hot coffee and scrumptious bagel sandwiches at Collegetown Bagel after our hike up the Cascadilla Gorge Trail in a light rain one weekday morning. And we ate delicious omelets on the deck of Kelly’s Dockside Cafe overlooking the lake.
After a recommendation to eat a great meal while catching live music lakeside on Friday night at The Boatyard Grill, we were a little disappointed to find the wait for a table to be nearly two hours. At 6 pm on a Friday in the summer, we should have guessed that would be the case – but, as highly recommended as the restaurant came, there was no staving off the hunger of our little guys, so we headed to the Ithaca Beer Co instead. The wait was nearly as long in the end, but a large yard to run in, cornhole to be played, and Ithaca Brewery’s own root beer to drink occupied everyone until our table was ready. The food was good and the atmosphere was fun! And Mike and I made it back to The Boatyard Grill for a date night soon after – before a Langhorne Slim concert at The Hangar Theater. A Saturday night this time, the restaurant was just as packed as it had been on a Friday in August. We found two seats at the bar, and enjoyed a fantastic meal, and equally outstanding service from the bartender.
Will We RV Camp at Summer Camp Again?
The week turned out to be a success for all four of us. The boys loved their camps, made great friends and memories, and were sad to say goodbye on Friday. Mike and I enjoyed our adult-only mornings spent bicycling, hiking, and enjoying leisurely breakfasts.
There is a nautical camp on Cape Cod that our older son is interested in, and we’ve considered camping for that – sadly, that camp doesn’t offer an opportunity for our youngest. Ithaca’s Hangar Theater also offers day camps in various theater, dance, and film themes, and for ages that would accommodate both of our boys. With so much to do in Ithaca, so many free and cheap activities for the family, and so many low-cost campsite options to choose from – we may just head back to Ithaca to camp at summer camp as a family again!
