Now that the summer is here, the weather is perfect for all the outdoor activities we’ve been craving to do. One of my favorites is camping. I used to go camping every summer with my dad, and I’ve tried to keep that tradition alive. We camped in every national park in the country, and I loved every minute of it. But after coming to Emerson Valley, I firmly believe there’s nowhere in the world better for camping than Blackwood Forest.

I know the forest has gotten some bad publicity as of late, but let’s try to remember that this town has sat on its edge for hundreds of years. Anything’s bound to have a few missteps in that length of time. Yes, a fair number of people have gone missing and a couple were murdered, but I’ll bet you dollars to donuts that far worse has happened at Disneyland.

When you’re lying out beneath the clear night sky, little pinpoints shining across the black void far above, and feeling the soft earth engulfing you in its warm embrace, you’ll forget anything else in the world even exists. You can get truly lost out in Blackwood Forest. In a good way, I mean. Obviously.

Camping lets us go back to our roots, when our ancestors gathered around a roaring fire to stave off the dangers lurking in the shadows just beyond the reach of the light. It’s always a grand adventure, and the experiences you’ll carry back with you when you return home will last a lifetime. You can take your family, take your partner, or take a coworker. Camping is truly an activity that everyone can enjoy!

-Martin Fitzgerald, Activities, Emerson Valley Gazette