Tuesday, June 26, 2012

#96. or, a camping we will go

  So, we went camping this past weekend. It was nice to get away and relax and spend some time with some friends. I just wish the weekend had been longer.

  Now, you should know, it's not really "camping" it the sense of sleeping in a tent and tying your food in a tree to keep the bears out of it, sort of camping. My wife and I are fortunate enough to own a holiday trailer. We have pretty much, all the amenities of home when we go. But there's always campfires and being able to wander around in your pajama pants until noon without looking like a schlub. (because if you don't, you sort of look out of place.) But we also take a portable generator. Just in case we feel the urge to make fruity blender drinks. Because as manly as i am, occasionally, i like to get me some fruity blender drinks. I'm comfortable in my sexuality that way.

  My wife and I have gone through three distinct stages of holiday travel in our lives. We started out using an eight foot truck camper. We took our honeymoon in one of those. As our family grew, it became a space that was  entirely too small to accomadate all of us. You can fit 5 adults into an 8 foot camper, easier than you can fit   2 adults and 3 children. I know that seems unreasonable if you take into consideration the mass of the bodies and divide it into the square footage of avaliable space. But if you have boy children, stop reading right now and go take a peek into their room. (I'll wait while you do that.)  If you are a woman with children, you probably don't need to do it..........you just know.

    Stage two, put us into a mid-sized, bumper pull holiday trailer. It was laid out quite well for a family with small children. We got to see a lot of country in that trailer. It was the first one that my wife and I actually owned for ourselves. The bad thing about that trailer was that it didn't have much outside storage access. I don't want to brag here (maybe a little) but I became a master at confined space storage. Everything we owned, that we used on a daily basis, was easily accessable through the only door to that compartment. Everything had it's place. When that hatch closed, there wasn't room to wedge in another item. Occassionaly, my wife or kids would try to help with the packing of that compartment and i would have to stand to the side twitching with a dry mouth, willing them to put the things in, in the exact proper order that they belonged. I might have a touch of OCD?

  Eventually, we outgrew that trailer and now we travel with a 5th wheel trailer. There is a bedroom in the back for the kids (that still travel with us) and my wife and I have our own bedroom on the other end of the trailer. The bed is actually bigger than the bed we sleep on at home. It's a little older and we bought it used but it is still quite luxurious compared to where we started out from. The thing that impressed me when we bought it was ALL of the doors to outside storage. We would never be able to use all of it. It appears though, that we must have aquirred a few items because it seems, that my master of confined storage space skills seem to still come into play.

  The plan, when we got this one, was that we would have everything stored and ready to go. But that never happens. Every time we  go somewhere with it, my wife will say we are leaving at a  particular time. We always leave about 4 hour after that. I'm running around checking things, trying to clean all the crap out of my truck, checking wheel bearings, and generally freaking out. I think, the last 3 hours before we actually leave, may be the most stressful time of holidays. I lose about half a day winding back down from that. Blender drinks help.

  So, we don't really rough it. Although, because i do most  of the campground cooking, thing like this happen.

BACON.........NOM  NOM  NOM
......and pancakes
   And there was also fried eggs. But because fried eggs on an open fire require ALL my attention, alas.....no picture.

  While at the picnic table, eating fried eggs, bacon, and pancakes. I was stricken with this little decision.


Nutella or Peanut Butter on my pancakes?





  Actually, I was rather surprised that we even had Nutella in the trailer. Our son used the Nutella. I used the Peanut Butter. Because, of course, Peanut Butter is the correct answer. It can be used on just about everything. On warm pancakes, it melts and runs into the low spots and has a wonderful appeal. Then I pour syrup over it all and everything is right with the world.

  ................we are now planning to go again some time in the beginning of next month. I should be ready approximately 4 hours after that.


24 comments:

  1. Man I miss camping. Can rarely afford it these days. The closest we get to camping is my backyard.

    But you should see my campfire when I'm cooking. You would think you'd died and gone to heaven!

    So do I get a tractor? lol

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    1. In my head Dan, i can see your campfire......and it is glorious!

      I will make a draw today and try to post about it tomorrow.

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  2. Lol, loved how you threw the peanut butter/Nutella bit in right at the end. That was just a great touch.

    Your way of camping sounds much more to my liking than the traditional tent sort. I definitely think I could handle it if it meant sleeping in a bed with walls around me ;-)

    This was a fun post and I loved the image of you running around and trying to get everything ready. I know that feeling so very well!

    Glad you guys had fun!

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    1. The image in your head is probably a lot more pleasant than if you actually had to be here. :)

      I'm not sure my tired old back could stand sleeping on the ground in a tent these days.

      It was a lot of fun. I wish i was still there!

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  3. We had a camper when I was a kid. My Dad built it onto the back of an old GMC truck. I mean and old one from the '50s. My Mom made the curtains and cushions and everything. It was cool. But I really wanted to sleep in a tent. :)
    I really miss camp fires.

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  4. LOL. Great post Ken. We have gone through the camping phases too. First a tent, then hubby came into my life and being a city boy he was not too keen on the tent. So we upgraded to a lovely 1970s truck camper that my dad now uses for his male bonding weekends (aka.. hunting etc). And a few years ago we bought a fifth wheel too. Love it in most ways but since my kids are now tweens I am starting to feel there is not enough space in it. But guess what? It is now THEIR turn to take over the tenting domain. Yeehaw! Mommie freedom! Lol!

    ~ Sheri THE BESTEST bridesmaid. :)

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    1. Thanks Sheri. As long as Mommy is happy, that's all that matters.:)

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  5. The camping post! Yay! Love it. We have never owned a camper of any sort, but my in-laws are camper/RV aficionados so we have borrowed theirs a time or two. I have tent camped and camper camped, and I love both for different reasons.

    Incidentally, I had to check my spelling on 'aficionado' and this site was in the Google list:
    http://www.cigaraficionado.com/

    Funny! Thought I'd share!

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    1. We have never really tent camped. It had quite a bit more appeal when i was younger. Now i'm quite happy to close the door when i go to bed!

      I think there's a couple ways to spell aficionado. I've had to look it up in the past as well. I actually have that site bookmarked in my cigars file. And camping, is also a wonderful place to enjoy a cigar in the evening. I try to bring a selection along. :)

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    2. I quite enjoy tent camping and have done it out in the desert and on the beach when I took my solo road trip adventure in '09. Love it!

      This has inspired me to post about a time a camped with my best friend and I enjoyed a lovely cigar there out under the stars! :) Post forthcoming!

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  6. You camp exactly the way I would camp. When I go home on vacation we stay on the beach in an RV and it's absolutely perfect! I'm hoping this year we will get a spot. Rumor has it they were booked this year. Glad you guys had such a great time!

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    1. Here, it's getting quite difficult to just drive up and get a spot. Especially on the weekends. Often, people have to book months in advance, just for the best sight. If i lived on a lake, i'd certainly look into starting a campground!

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    2. Same thing there. They were told the spots started filling up in the winter!

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  7. I love camping and dream of one day owning a small classic (read antique) Airstream trailer. I want to paint it bright happy orange so that hunters will always know where I am (because you never know if hunters will one day invade a state park). But for now, I'm all about the tent camping (with blow up mattresses of course because I am far too old to sleep on the ground). I dabbled with the notion of camp cots, but since we only have a mid-sized sedan to travel with...trunk space is at a premium!

    Also, what is it with men and peanut butter on pancakes? Only syrup or maybe homemade flavored butter belongs on top!

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    1. OOOHHH, Excellent choice! There's something about an Airstream. I always wanted one of those.

      I don't think tenting is so bad. We work with what will fit everything else. :)

      Maybe it's the peanut butter that makes fellows want to shoot things?

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  8. Oh I loled at 'I should be ready approximately 4 hours after that.' HA! Yeah, after years of laying in my crappy Walmart tent I moved to my farm and told my husband that we were going camping my way. Where we could still eat picnics down by our scenic creek, look at a wonderful mountain view and have our campfire, but then at the end of the day I would have my shower and my computers and my bed. Ah life in the mountains.

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    1. There are benefits of having a stay-cation. Especially if you live in natures playground. As long as all the day to day chores don't interrupt your holiday? :)

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  9. I was rooting for the Nutella on the pancakes! Actually, they taste really, really good mixed together. Like a Reese Cup. Anyway, what a great story and no, I didn't have to go look in my son's room. I knew.

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    1. Oh, wait, let me rephrase that. Nutella and Peanut Butter taste really good together.

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    2. Perhaps i should try them together some time? The Nutella and Peanut Butter. I'm quite fond of peanut butter cups.

      I think there's a ratio for how many adults can live in the same place as one messy boy. But they can smell really bad and can be unpleasant to live with in that regard as well.

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  10. Oh, yeah, pancakes with peanut butter and syrup...delish!

    I like camping, but I'm more of a remote place kind of gal. I can't stand going camping where they basically give you a parking spot for your tent and then you get to listen to the guy in the next tent snoring all night long. Doesn't feel very 'wildernessy' to me :)

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    1. You certainly do have a point about the crowded campground lots. We try to find ones that are somewhat secluded but you can never be truly alone unless you strike off into the wilderness with a tent. I'm a little soft for that anymore.

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  11. Aw, this post made me miss camping. My parents owned a TINY pop up hitch trailer when I was little. As you mentioned, I'm not sure how we survived with the 4 of us in there (kids are amazing space stealing ninjas!) but we did, and it was awesome. I've tried to talk Daddy G into some camping experiences, but he's more the "If the hotel doesn't have Wifi, we're actually camping" types. :-) I am all about the bonfires though. Nothing like sitting around one in the evening, shooting the breeze with fun people and a fruity drink in hand. Or a beer if you aren't organized enough to bring a blender, like me.

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    1. You could always go with the bed sheet tent in the living room if everyone doesn't have the same idea of roughing it? :)

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