My parents only car camped - now granted we were pretty poor, so it was free car camping (drive the car as far out into some out of the way state forest and camp there - I was traumatized as a small child that there wasn't any bathroom facilities.)

However, I think the big reason I like to hike and camp was my Grandma's and my aunt's. Both just set me free year around - I only came in when I got hungry. So I was building forts, dams, whatever by myself for days in a row (I had to come in at night, though in the summer at the aunt's I could sleep in the tent.) Even at my dads I would hike out back, and bicycle around the country-side until I had to hurry back for dinner.

I know of few people (in person) in the lower 48 who had that kind of freedom - more common up here, because what else are the kids gonna do?

Heather (born in Michigan (troll))