Wow, I just had the revelation, I am vintage. Ok, climbing out of that pit of self-pity now. When we, my siblings and I, were growing up, before glamping was even an idea, we camped in a used pop-up camper for most of the memorable excursions we went on as a family.
The one camping trip that stands out the most to me is the almost 2 week trip we took to Oregon. My elderly grandmother was in tow, my older sister stayed home, so there were 5 of us that trip. Some key stops along the northern route across the country included an Airforce training silo, the badlands of South Dakota, a safari park that I can’t remember the location of at the moment, and I may remember more as this thought process progresses.
Let’s talk briefly about that training silo. A local guy was stationed there, so his grandparents (neighbors) had mentioned our trip and he offered to give us a tour. What impressed me the most as a maybe 15 year old, was the abundance of shirtless young men, with biceps and pecs sweaty, in a confined space. And yes, it was hot down there. Let your imagination go wild ladies.
The Badlands were awe inspiring with fantastic views and our first glimpse of prairie dogs. We camped in a campground not far from there, and it happened to be a day when there was a bad storm coming through. Me and Dad had a routine of setting up the camper, and had it down to a science by that day. So with the storm approaching, we didn’t set up right away, and we all had to take shelter in the concrete office building, especially during the hailstorm. The aftermath showed tents blown and flattened, a couple campers blown off kilter, so we set up in the dark by flashlight and slept the best we could. The next day we went to the safari area which included a reptile display. The rattle snake pit did not fare well, as some were beat to death by the hail. I remember only Dad and I watching the snake handling show, the other females of the group were not interested in the creepy crawlies. But we do have a few pictures of my younger sister, Dad, then I on a huge tortoise. That might have been the first time I was shocked by an electric fence, trying to pet a bear cub. Totally worth it.
Another memory popped up, the Corn Palace. Look it up, it was cool. The museum part had some old cars and frontier memorabilia. It’s the only time I remember seeing my grandmother do the jitterbug, and she went up a notch in my book that day.
Next, I think was Yellowstone. We were turned away at the gate for camping that night because they were at capacity, so we had to backtrack to a small pull off area along a stream, with only a water hydrant for connivence. Dad had backed the camper into that area so the slide out cot covered by canvas, my sister and I slept in, was pointed towards the stream. Why is that relevant you might wonder, well, when it came a downpour in the night, the sound of rushing water was a bit disconcerting. I remember my Mom worried all night about the motorcycle rider who had set up a tent next to us that night, for his safety. We all made it through the night without mishap thankfully. The next morning, the mist was floating up the cliffs behind us, but we were able to pick out a couple mountain goats up on the cliffs….it was …breathtaking.
Our last stop was in Oregon before returning by the southern route back to Indiana. The trip home wasn’t as eventful unless you count the speeding ticket Dad got, I think it was in Utah. I remember my Mom being so worried that we wouldn’t have the money to get home, or Dad would go to jail, lol. What stands out to me is the Officer asking if Dad knew how fast he was driving, and Dad saying “I was booking it wasn’t I”. I think there was some laughter exchanged too. He got off with a warning and comment about making it home safe with his family.
These memories were only possible due to the fact we camped in a used pop-up camper across the country. Allowing us the opportunity to work together to make meals, set up and tear down camp efficiently and control the expenses this middle-class family couldn’t afford otherwise. I wish I knew what happened to all the photos from that trip, but some images are imprinted in my brain to this day.
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