Lakewood Ranch campout becomes a neighborly adventure

By Liz Ramos
| 9:00 a.m. February 25, 2024

Lakewood Ranch's Phil Thibodeau takes his wife, Nicole, 7-year-old son Lochlan, 5-year-old daughter Zolana and 4-year-old son Dexon camping at the Adventure Park.

East County
Neighbors

For 13 years, Lakewood Ranch's Nicole Thibodeau has been asking her husband, Phil Thibodeau, to take her camping.

To celebrate her birthday Feb. 24, Phil Thibodeau made Nicole Thibodeau's wish come true.

The Thibodeaus took their kids, 7-year-old Lochlan, 5-year-old Zolana and 4-year-old Dexon, to Lakewood Ranch Community Activities' annual Community Campout at Greenbrook Adventure Park.

Nicole Thibodeau said she loved camping as a child when she and her dad would go to Mount Washington in New Hampshire in February to brave the cold weather.

"We would spend a couple of days out there, and it was absolutely freezing, but it was nice to be close to nature," she said. "The conveniences of life make it so easy. Camping includes good skills for my kids to learn."

Harmony's Leigh Sierra participated in the Community Campout for the first time with her husband, Eric Sierra, and 4-year-old daughter Weslyn Sierra. They decide to go to the campout after hearing their neighbors Daniella and Andy Caiano had a great time with their family at last year's campout.

This year's campout became a neighborly adventure as the Sierras and Caianos pitched their tents next to their neighbors Lisa and Jimmy Reeds' family and Melissa and Paul McDermott's family.

Andy Caiano said he helped each of the families with pitching their tents.

"I didn't come here as the expert (in pitching tents), but I'm leaving here as the expert," he said.

Lakewood Ranch's Lissa Nugent, Connor Nugent and Dylan Glover use the Community Campout as an opportunity to introduce children to camping.

First-time campers Leigh Sierra and her 4-year-old daughter Weslyn Sierra, of Harmony, look forward to the nature walk.

Greenbrook's Katerina Vergnais tries on a pair of solar eclipse glasses. "This is amazing," she says.

Greenbrook 11-year-old Olivia Blitz gets cozy on an inflatable couch.

Lakewood Ranch's Nick Sutera pitches his tent. Although it's his second year at the Community Campout, he said he's still a novice when it comes to putting up his tent. "After a lot of trial and error, we're getting the hang of it," he says.

Parrish's Ismael Tanon looks forward to a night of father-son bonding with his 8-year-old son Cameron Tanon, starting with a game of catch.

Krista Carpenter with Wildlife Inc. talks about the habits of a tortoise.

E.T., a barred owl, makes an appearance at the Community Campout. Barred owls are one of the more common owls in the Lakewood Ranch area.

Justin Layman sings a song from Disney's "Moana."

The McDermott family, Caiano family, Reed family and Sierra family, who all are neighbors in Harmony, participate in the Community Campout to have a new experience together.

Lakewood Ranch Community Activities presents events such as the annual Community Campout.

Lakewood Ranch's Nicole Thidbodeau and her husband, Phil Thibodeau, get help putting up the tent from their 5-year-old daughter Zolana and 4-year-old son Dexon.

author

Liz Ramos

Managing Editor Liz Ramos previously covered education and community for the East County Observer. Before moving to Florida, Liz was an education reporter for the Lynchburg News & Advance in Virginia for two years after graduating from the Missouri School of Journalism.