VENTURA, Iowa - After two months of homeschooling and hunkering down in their homes, happy campers at McIntosh Woods State park in Ventura are thrilled to be able to spend the weekend outside.

"We've actually never been to Clear Lake camping. So we found a spot that was available for memorial weekend and we like to camp and so we thought it would be a good opportunity to come visit," said Susan Whitney.

The Whitneys hail from Vinton and are glad they were able to reserve a space at the busy campground.  Getting out of town and getting back to nature helps them shake the COVID blues.

"It does make you feel a little bit more normal again. I work at home, I step out of my work office into my home and not a lot of commute time there, it saves good on gas, but you just got to get out of the house once in a while and nature is the best way to do it," said Joe Whitney.

While toasting marshmallows and enjoying some smores, the Joyner family is also getting the holiday weekend off to a good start.  Heather Joyner is thrilled to be out of coronavirus confinement.

"I'm praying that we can have everything open. I'm ready. I'm ready to go back to work full-time. I'm ready for the girls to have a life outside of the house and you know, just be back to normal," said Joyner.

The family had planned some traveling across the country this summer, but those plans have been put on hold.

"We were going to Virginia. We were going to go to South Dakota.  We want to see our family. We miss our family and I have mine but I want to go see my mama and his mama and we're just ready. We want to go," she said.

For Joyner, missing out on time with the family is hard, but she's glad to savor the time she's spending in the woods this weekend.