Going crazy indoors? Go camping in the winter

It’s been quite a first two months of 2017.

The high-pitched frenzy coming out of the other Washington has most of the country keyed up beyond belief. Recently, I was sitting on the couch reading the newspaper on a quiet Sunday morning and my wife piped up from behind her own wall of newsprint.

“We should get out of here,” she said.

“Sounds good to me,” I shot back. “I’ll get our papers in order and start looking for real estate in Vancouver. How are the schools in B.C.?”

“No,” she answered. “I’m talking about going camping.”

I wasn’t sure which idea was crazier: Camping in winter with three kids or high-tailing it to the land of maple leaves.

Turns out winter camping isn’t so crazy after all. In a recent study of winter camping’s effect on circadian rhythms, it was found that campers who spent a weekend in the woods in February had raised melatonin levels and had shifted their sleep cycles two hours earlier.

That was good enough for me — plus it would keep me from the talking heads screaming at each other on my TV for at least a day. So earlier this month we booked a small rustic cabin at Kitsap Memorial State Park for a weekend, packed up and headed for the ferry.

Of course, it’s winter so weather is a bit of a wild card. The day before we left was windy and rainy and it looked like we’d be staying indoors for much of the time. The trip across the Sound was rather exciting as the wind-whipped whitecaps lashed the side of the boat. My youngest son, Teddy, ooh’d and aah’d at the rocking boat and the big waves.

When we got to the peninsula, the weather started to brighten up and we headed toward the campground. After a scenic 25-minute drive, we arrived to a nearly empty camp. There were about a half dozen RVs and camping trailers lined up near the entrance and a camper van in one of the sites, but other than that it was rather vacant.

As my wife and I unpacked the car and started to set up the cabin, our three kids gleefully ran across the large grass field in front of the four cabins toward the playground equipment on the other side of the park. The sun was peeking through the late afternoon clouds, which were releasing sporadic rain showers to remind us that it was in fact still winter.

That night we headed into Poulsbo to dine out and do some shopping. Later we played games and tried to get some sleep — not an easy task with amped up little ones. It was like trying to get some shut-eye in the middle of a White House press briefing.

The next day we wanted to get outside. The night before in Poulsbo we stumbled across Craig Romano’s new book, “Urban Trails: Kitsap,” in a local bookstore and bought it with hopes of good weather the next day. That’s exactly what we got. After a quick breakfast, we headed to Hansville for a quick hike out to Foulweather Bluff, which, along with Point No Point up the road, is one of a number of depressingly named landmarks in the area.

What wasn’t depressing was the view. The hike spit us out on a large sandy beach with sweeping vistas of the Sound. Despite bulky gloves and winter caps, the kids played on the beach like it was summer. We sat on rocks and soaked up the sun. I could almost feel my melatonin levels rising.

Winter camping tips

Be prepared for any weather. It’s winter, so anything can happen: rain, wind, hail, snow. I wouldn’t recommend tent camping if you’re taking kids unless you have a great tent and you’re confident in weathermen. Also bundle up and take plenty of layers. Over a 36-hour period, I wore everything from a T-shirt to a rain jacket and Gore-Tex. The kids were bundled up most of the time like it was snowing.

Indoor fun. If the weather is bad, which it likely will be, bring plenty of activities that can be done inside. We brought games and books for us and the kids and planned to spend some time in town shopping.

Get out. The point of all of this is to get some time outside, so don’t spend all your time holed-up in the cabin. We took the kids on a short hike, but there are other opportunities like snowshoeing, kayaking or beachcombing.

Visit the local haunts. Research places to visit that are near where you’re staying. We stopped at CB’s Nuts outside of Kingston on the way to the campsite for a treat, Sound Brewery for a late-night pint and the Port Gamble General Store, where the kids had a chance to check out the assortment of sea life and sea creatures on display upstairs.

Places to stay

Kitsap Memorial State Park. The 58-acre park has 1,797 feet of saltwater shoreline with sweeping views of Hood Canal. The four cabins have kitchenettes with mini refrigerators and microwaves.

Pacific Beach State Park. The 10-acre camping park has 2,300 feet of ocean shoreline. The two yurts are within walking distance of the beach and have bunk beds, a full-size futon and heater.

Wallace Falls State Park. Winter is a great time to take in the splendor of Wallace Falls, the 265-foot waterfall located just outside of Gold Bar. The 4,735-acre park has five cabins within walking distance of the trailhead.

Cama Beach State Park. Located on the southwest shore of Camano Island, Cama Beach has plenty of recreation opportunities even in winter. There are 24 standard cabins and two beachside bungalows, which were recently moved to the south end of the park and will be available to rent in March.

Deception Pass State Park. Whidbey Island’s gem has plenty of trails and seashore to explore. There are five cabins in the park and, for the truly adventurous, a cabin on Ben Ure Island, only accessible by beachable human-powered watercraft such as a kayak.