Perhaps it was a social media meme, but the suggestion to try something new every summer was planted in my head in June.
Last month, I found myself sitting with my children and my daughter’s boyfriend at Mountain Springs Arena in Shartlesville, Berks County, for Monster Truck Battlegrounds. With my son enjoying cars and trucks and the event price reasonable, I decided that we’d watch the trucks rev up, catch air and crush beat-up cars. In between, there was the Tough Trucks competition, with drivers completing a course in their fastest times.
Needless to say, we enjoyed ourselves. It was definitely noisy but fun watching these drivers doing their thing. Prior to the event’s start, spectators could walk the arena to see the monster trucks up close and meet and greet the drivers for photos and autographs. My son proudly sported the four drivers’ signatures in Sharpie marker on his arms (yes, that’s what the drivers signed, in some cases).
Sooo … would we do it again? Sure. The mammoth machines made for an exciting evening. More importantly, it made for great memories and gave us another option for things to do not only during the summer, but other times throughout the year.
Mommy message: Take that trip, be it day or longer, to a road less traveled. It just might surprise you.
The mom of a dancing teen and a tween who enjoys scouting and hockey, Katie Campomizzi-Clews is a copy editor at The Republican-Herald. She began her career at The RH as a staff writer following graduation from Lycoming College, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in mass communication with a minor in psychology. She shares her experiences of balancing work and parenting and takes a look at issues, events and trends concerning parents and children.
