You're watching the wrong shows. By way of analogy, if you got all your impressions of what cycling is all about by watching the Tour de France, you wouldn't get those great rides you describe.

Yes, getting away to backpack for a week at a time is wonderful. I had backpacked for about 15 years before I could do that. Why? Because I had young kids, work, etc. But I took a lot of one and two night trips - and took one or both kids along, as they got old enough. I also backpacked locally - state parks, national forests, etc., within a couple of hours of home. Some of my trips were "simulated" backpacks, in that I parked at the car campground, locked the car, put on my pack, hiked 8 or 10 miles, and ended up back at the campground, using backpack techniques to camp by my car - and not unlocking it until Sunday morning. This worked really well in the winter, when I usually had the campground all to myself. But, as author Harry Roberts put it, "backpacking is everywhere, and it's good everywhere. Don't sit home dreaming about the Wonderland Trail while missing the wonder of the land around you."

Was it spectacular? No. Was it fun? Did it meet my needs to hit a counterpoint to my structured life (work, kids' events, etc.)? Yes, to both. Did it take some creativity? Yes.

It also took an understanding with my wife and family. I explained that backpacking was important to me, that it was something I really needed as part of my life. I told them that they could come along, if they chose, but that I needed to do it whether they came or not. Once they realized it, we struck a compromise: I would limit myself to 6-10 weekends per year, with certain weekends excluded: major holidays, birthdays, Mother's and Father's day, etc. I would also be allowed to take up to 3 days of my 3 weeks of vacattion each year to extend a weekend trip to a long weekend. I had to admit that the AT or other months-long adventure would probably not be realistic at any point - but that, as the kids got older, the mortgage got paid, and I earned that 4th week of vacation, a week-long trip every few years would be do-able (that's when I went to Isle Royale for the first time.) It also meant that my wife got a few girlfriend weekends each year.

Eventually, my son did hike with me for a few years; he eventually moved on to kayaking. My daughter went out several times, too, but just never caught the fever.

And here I am, 35 years later, still getting out 8 or 12 times a year, one to three nights at a time, and still getting a real boost out of just walking all day in the woods, and sleeping outside for the night.