It’s two weeks in, but I’m very much still in the planning stages of my 101 Adventures in 1001 Days. I’ve completed just one thing on my list – Go for a walk in the snow. Which, let’s face it, was fairly easy considering the weather we’ve had. That said, it’s still not something I do often enough.

Things will definitely start to pick up as the weather warms up (I know, I know, that’s like three months from now) but in the meantime it’s lots of planning, dreaming and imagining future adventures.

We’re currently planning our summer months, and already my 101 list is being used as a fall back when we’re thinking of what we want to do and where we want to go. All the ideas are written down already, just have to check the list. It’s looking like this summer we’re going to stick fairly close to home and spend our time with our simple favourites – lots of camping and biking.

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Our trip out west last summer was fantastic, but the trade off was that we didn’t get as much camping in as we usually do. This summer, we’re planning for Turkey Point (hello bike trails!), Arrowhead (our family favourite) and possibly MacGregor Point. The boys are only 5 & 7, but they sure have some strong opinions on which parks they want to go to. The three listed above are all kid-approved, while Grundy Lake was on the no-go list this year (all they remember are the bears!).

We tend to stick to the provincial parks when we camp, as we like the set up of most of the campgrounds and typically know what to expect from the park when we book. A big, private site is a must for us.

So how exactly do we go about planning our entire summer in January?
Well, we start like this:

Work for myself gets scheduled in first, then whatever time off Dave thinks he can take. I’m a paper and pen kind of person for scheduling – everything gets done on a photocopied calendar, and we go through about three versions until I can do up a final schedule.

Brainstorming comes next, including input from the kids (hey, it’s their summer vacation too). I use my bullet journal for a lot of it, since that is my go to method for keeping my life organized.

Big trips get scheduled first, then smaller ones as we see what extra time we have. Day trips are more spur of the moment – I’m not that organized!

Campsites at provincial parks in Ontario can be booked 5 months in advance, which combined with planning my work schedule, is why we do all of this so early. If you want a specific site, you’ll have to book early in order to get it. For some campgrounds, we have to set reminders on our phones for when booking opens, especially if we want to book multiple sites with family.

Then, after all of that, is the hard part – waiting! Waiting for warmer weather, dreaming of the longer days, and working our way through the school/work year. That’s where I am right now as I watch all the freezing rain and snow come down outside this afternoon – just waiting!

It seems like a pain to be scheduling all of this now, and it is hard to think that far ahead sometimes, but it makes our summers so much easier. It makes the summer so much more enjoyable not having to worry about if our holidays will match up or if we’ll be able to stay where we want to stay.

How early do you plan your summer? Are you super organized, or do you fly by the seat of your pants?

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Thanks so much for stopping by!  I often post about my 101 challenge and my outdoor adventure with the kids with the hashtags #101in1001 #101adventures or #asimplesomething.  You can join me on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest.  Or, you can follow me on Bloglovin or subscribe via e-mail to be alerted to each new post!