That sounds like such a great idea, Mamapinky! I have never done anything like that, so have nothing to offer. Your part of the country is so beautiful, there are bound to be amazing cabins to choose from. The boys will absolutely love the adventure of it all. What a great family vacation.

I found this place on Airbnb. It's in West Virginia, near Martinsberg.

https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/988079?location=West%20Virginia%2C%20United%20States&s=v9N6PXAI

Obviously, you may have access to better deals than Airbnb, but I could not help but look. Also, if you ever want to visit Northern California, you know who to call.

That would be my idea of camping....staying in a rustic cabin. I love nature but I don't want to sleep out in it. It does sound like a great idea.

Sounds like fun, as long as the roads were accessible.

LOL. I was trying to imagine camping in winter....not me! But a cabin with heat, functioning bathroom, lights....that I could do. There are several places within 4 hours of here from rustic to luxurious, but priced for skiers so a little spendy.

That sounds like a nice vacation, bet your family could enjoy it. My climate isn't cold, but in the rain forest less than an hour from here I could spend a week in a cozy cabin watching it storm on the lake. There's even a resort with a 5 star restaurant channeled for that kind of getaway, no TVs in the rooms, never has been.

I'd go bonkers, I think. As much as I appreciate nature and find all aspects beautiful, a week in a cabin doesn't sound fantastic to me. Will the kids be bored and whiny? You're probably a more fun mom than I was.

We used to stay in rustic cabins all the time on vacation when I was a kid. Little wood ice boxes, old iron bedsteads and bring your own linens type places. But we didn't call it camping. My mother would never camp. In the 50s my dad helped a friend set up a lakeside "resort" with simple 2 or 3 cabins built of plywood. In the early 90's I found they were still standing. So I had DH drive me up there and leave me for a week. Just to relive the experience. I didn't want transportation or anything to ruin the back in the old days feel of it.

Camping is done outdoors in a tent or under the stars or maybe at most a camper. If you are cooking indoors you are not camping. JMO My friend's dad was a trout fisherman and he would take us to the most primitive areas. You dug a hole for a latrine and you built your own fire pit. I would love to do that today but no one I know will join me. Plus I doubt you find an area that allows you to any longer.

We vacationed summers in rustic cabins in Maine, and once in Nova Scotia when I was a kid. We loved it.

Only once did we spend a week of winter in Maine in a cabin, I believe over Christmas. We did enjoy it, except for the fact it always got dark too "early".

I never have problems going without TV, although these days I admit to being sucked into the internet. GW, general surfing, a creative writing site I'm involved with. But with planning, I could do without, again.

Sounds like the Poconos?

I wouldn't call it camping either... but it sounds like a GREAT idea.

That is not what I consider camping. Here rental cottages are closed up for the winter, but ski chalets are available.

Do the boys get a week off school in January?

Yes, winter camping as I know it is sleeping in a tent - in the winter. I know someone who does this frequently. I'll have to ask her about the particulars.

You'll be making memories your kids will have with them forever! Great idea!

When I was little, we did this. The cabin had a bobcat pelt on the floor & bear. Moose, antelope & deer heads mounted on the walls.

That's a fine idea for reconnecting with the family and the experience, but I would not call that "camping". Being inside with a fireplace or heater is more like "rustic", the same way I lived as a kid on the farm. I have done winter tent camping with the Boy Scouts and it can be brutal when the temperature goes below 0 F. The next morning, My camp stove was the only one that worked. It was an old Coleman unit with a naptha fuel in a tank pressurized with an air pump. All the other modern butane burners failed; the butane condensed and had little to no pressure.

So, how do you keep from being bored in a cabin? Everyone does chores. Cooking over a stove is a project and so is the cleanup afterward. Breakfast can consume a couple of hours if you are not efficient. During the day, go outside and romp/walk/snowshoe, cross country ski in the snow. In the evening, make popcorn and popcorn balls and play card or board games. Listen to the radio. Read a book. Do jigsaw puzzles. Build with erector sets or Lego blocks. Try your hand at water color or oil painting. Attempt pencil/charcoal drawings. Do portrait photos in front of the fireplace and other locations with your digital camera. Try to make a hand sewn article. Stitch a sampler. Crochet a doilies. Knit a cap or scarf. Color in an adult coloring book.

Grew up in the 50's and 60's actually camping with the Girl Scouts in cabins or tents for a weekend. I have such great memories of doing this. Of course we were kept busy with 'learning something' or doing an activity most of the entire weekend, whether it was cooking our meal, learning an outdoor skill or just singing around the campfire. Some of those trips were really cold. I then was a GS leader and took my own daughter on a couple of these outings. I can remember sleeping I all my clothing one night we were so cold. The cabins were unheated.

Dh and our boys, sons, SIL and grandsons, now go camping for the weekend to go hunting. They go in November and Jan or Feb. Initially they were pitching tents, but now they have a couple of pop up campers they use. There is a lot of fun and bonding going in during these weekends.

I'd say go for it. If you think the kids can't handle an entire week, cut it back to a few days and see how it goes. Make sure there are outdoor activities they can enjoy during the day, such as short hikes, to keep them from getting bored.

Outsideplaying, I was a GS leader becasue I didn't get to be a GS when I was a child. I was envious when my classmates came in with their uniforms.

So, both my DD's got to experience camping in cabins, tents and even really rustic camping.

I think this is a fun idea, whatever you want to call it.

This form of 'camping' is called 'glamping'. I think it could be really fun if it's a change from normal routine.

Thank You everyone for your thoughts.

I know its not technically called camping lol.

The cabins I'm interested in have a stove and oven standard size and old, but works. Also has a wood burning stove for those that like that...I will make bread in it. Lol. There's also a toilet room with of course a toilet and tiny sink. Showers are seperate building. Old wide plank wood floors, old wood table that seats 6, wood rocker, a few other chairs and sofa..and table lamps. Its very rustic LOOKING* but it does have electricity and running water in a kitchen sink. Its all open except a bedroom with 2 sets of bunkbeds off the back of the kitchen and a huge loft that sleeps 4. One wall is a fireplace. This is at a State park and they do offer park planned activities including a lodge where everyone can assemble to meet people and kids can get together to play games.

I don't see the boys getting bored since they love family time and game nights. We will also take nature walks..

No the boys don't get a week (5) days off school in January but with their great grades and being quick to pick up I feel its worth it. The school will only approve a week off for vacations if there's going to be a learning experience from the vacation and the child has to do a short report of the vacation due within 5 days of returning to school.

As for cooking I figured a big breakfast in the morning which the kids need because they will be fairly active during the day than a big evening dinner. If they are hungry at noon/mid day they can have pb&j or cheese and fruit nuts ect.

I have some recipes for refrig bread dough that can be kept in the frig a week just pulling off how much you want, let it raise and bake. Easy. The boys father being along will make my life during this trip so much easier. I can putter in the kitchen in fuzzy slippers wearing my apron to my hearts content. Lol.

Tim want to play charades one night and make campfire pies and Chip wants to play Sorry one night and make smores...I'm gonna gain 50 pounds.

Amiee wants to play Apples to Apples and have scones with strawberry jam and real whipped cream. more later

Gatlinburg, Tn fits your criteria. Plenty of rentals, indoor plumbing, nice kitchens. Shop for price. I think you'll all have a great time.

Sounds like family fun -- turn off the tv, radio, and electronics for a week! Do you want snow? What's your lower limit for cold?

My grandparents had a cabin on a lake in northern Wisconsin. Rustic, "open concept" before HGTV made it cool, lol. We only visited in summer. Those who visited in winter said it was beautiful but even with the oil furnace going full blast, if they spilled their coffee it would freeze as it hit the floor. That's way too cold for my taste.

My parents owned 2 acres of land in the middle of BC. We lived 10 miles outside of the city limits. We didn't have cell phones. We didn't have internet. We did however, have tv (dad limited our tv use and back then there were only 2 channels), and a telephone (party line so dad would not let us talk for more than 5 minutes. He would actually hang up the phone if we were longer than that). We also had a fireplace. So what you call "camping" we called living. LOL

My kids call what you are mamapinky is referring to as glamping. (Glamourous camping)

Still would be fun!