By Dallin Saurey

REXBURG, Idaho—When I was a small child, my dad took me fishing for the first time at Henry’s Lake. When I was five years old, he taught me how to bank fish from cliffs. When all the family was together, we went to Jackson Lake in Grand Teton National Park. There I learned to sink a minnow on a jig, to the bottom for lake trout. I hooked a big one, but we didn’t have a net. My brother-in-law used his own bare hands to pull up this lake trout. One of the fish bit him and his hand was bleeding.

Spending time in the wild outdoors creates those types of memories and is an important part of spending time with family. My mom’s side of the family would have family reunions while camping or going fishing.

I remember during one reunion, I was bored and walking outside the camp when my uncle Danny decided to go fishing. We went to the Blackfoot Reservoir and had a bunch of bites. I discovered my pole didn’t have much line when I hooked into a big 12-pound carp that ran with my line. I was so grateful it didn’t break. That was my very first carp and I was so proud. In camp, we had to hide the fish (and the smell) so no bears would come for my prize.

Then there were the memories of the karaoke machine. We would sing for part of the night. The sounds of the music and the sounds that come out of my mouth are two different things but the exercise of including everyone brought people together.

I spoke to Wes Belnap of Rexburg about his experiences with family recreation. He said, “I grew up in a family that went camping many times a year. We had a favorite place that was within 30 minutes of our home. On many Fridays, my mother would get all the camping gear ready so that when my father came home, we would load up and go camping. It was a beautiful campground with a small creek running through it. We would camp right next to the creek. My dad would help set up the camp and then head out fishing. I would tag along and throw rocks and wade all over. Dad usually caught enough fish for dinner. Us kids would play games and run around everywhere. Sitting around the campfire was tons of fun. We roasted marshmallows, talked, and laughed a lot. Our tent was a one-room tent that all five of us slept in. It is a lifelong memory I will never forget.”

When the adults will let go of all their cares and work worries the children can too. Recreation implies relaxing.

Belnap also remembers bigger groups of family. Relating a few experiences, he said, “For several years, we would get together with some cousins in Oregon and spend a week camping and fishing. We also went to the Washington/Oregon coast and camped on the beach. We would take walks at night on the beach and watch for airplane lights, NASA satellites, and falling stars. Life seemed so much simpler in those days. There were no electronic games or cellphones. We became interested in one another and began to visit others in the campgrounds. The simple things were so enjoyable and rewarding. We also had a friend with a waterski boat. We would head out skiing whenever we had 2-3 hours.”

(Imagine convincing children and teens to pretend like their cell phone is not an option during a camp out! Can you enjoy the simple thing in life when your phone is not a distraction?)

Belnap continued, “When I get together with my siblings, those are fun memories to talk about and laugh about. We have tried taking our children on outdoor activities to create those memories for them.”

This should also create the habits of watching our children closely and protecting them.

I asked for Belnap’s favorite kid-friendly outdoor locations.

“There are so many places in our area (Eastern Idaho) to spend quality family time. One of our favorites is Meadow Lake. It’s within two hours and is a gorgeous, glacier-fed lake. It has hiking trails, clear water, and is stocked with fish several times throughout the summer. Our daughter and her husband enjoy going with us still. With the changing times, we have purchased a small camp trailer so the younger children can be more comfortable and enjoy being together. We have found that day trips can be just as fun and memorable. I think the hardest part of doing these things is making the time to do them.”

I wonder why automated jobs, technology and instant messages has not given us more time and the ability to make less money? It’s just a decision to make time and take time away from work to be with family.

Belnap’s advice to help families get back into the outdoors more was, “It’s a time to remove distractions, focus on each other, and create casual teaching moments. If you have an opportunity to get out into nature, I strongly encourage you to GO!!!”

I also suggest a camp gear list. It helps in packing before and after a camp.