Who here loves a good camping trip?
I'll be the first to say: I do!
I have gone camping and enjoyed it every since I was younger and can remember; whether it was tent camping or travel bus camping.
To start off with some of my most memorable camping memories would be in my earlier childhood years. I was and still am a outdoorsy individual, and do occasionally hunt and fish, but not nearly as much as I did back then. Nearly every weekend during hunting season I would be at the deer lease with my dad. Whether just me and him, or my brother tagging along at times, friends of dads would arrive, or family members would stay the night and hunt themselves every other time or so. Anyways during these hunting weekend adventures we had a camp to go back to every time, something set up for us all to stay in and at during the season. One camp location contained an old school bus my family had turned into a camper of some sorts. It had been gutted, painted dark to blend in, and windows tinted over with spray paint. Inside were cots and a bunk bed to fit many people and small shelving for any items. As you walk out the bus door over time a lean to covered area was built with black tarp and wood to create a kitchen gathering type area just big enough to prepare whatever food was going to be grilled or tools and such. Once through the tarped covering lead to a firepit made of concrete blocks placed out in a square and chairs surrounding it. This was the campsite I first tried deer meat. We had several family members visiting at this time and an uncle had told me I could not eat the deer meat because it was bad for kids. I was very upset, but my dad told me this was incorrect informing me my uncle only wanted it for himself. In turn I ate the deer meat and loved it. This same day my aunts and stepmom and cousins and sister were there having fun and playing and when it started to get to late they all started packing up to leave. I was asked if I wanted to go home for the night as well. Hesitantly I said yes trying to fit in with the rest of the kids knowing they would play more fun activities once home and felt I need to be a part of. After my dad asking if I was sure I left and arrived back at my grandparents to stay the night there with everyone else. Instantly regretting my decision. Now do not get me wrong I loved spending time with them and playing games, but the moment it was time for bed and we all found spots to fall asleep in the living room I stayed up thinking about how I could have been around a fire this whole time soaking in the night sky listening to my dad and uncles tell stories and make jokes about one another and missing out being there and falling asleep with crickets chirping outside. The next morning I saw my dad and he asked if I had fun and was glad I left, I said yeah but I really wish I should have stayed at the camp, he laughed and said something along the lines of I figured you would say that. Over a year or two the camp bus was no longer used due to moving it then a storm came through and messing it up so a little blue mini camper was moved in. If I remember correctly we called it the taco, due to its shape. It it parked not to far from the river bank and many weekends we were able to camp there and trot line. We went out one morning and I saw an alligator as dad was checking a line and I tried to tell him but he did not believe so finally he looked up and I pointed it out to him and he said well guess you were right there is one.
From then on camping was just a thing that our family did, all of us.
My mom and stepdad took me and my sister and a few friends camping for a birthday when we were younger teenagers and it was fun. We were all looking forward to roasting marshmallows for smores and making hotdogs over a fire after spending several hours riding four wheelers throughout the trails that when night finally came and we were sitting around the fire on the tailgate eating we started noticing these little bugs flying around everywhere and then crawling all over us. Of course we freaked out you could say and we end up not camping out like we had planned. The next morning my stepdad told us he did not want to scare us more while out there so when we got home he informed us he saw one of the bugs burrowing into his skin which really made him want to leave and bring us home or at least inside somewhere safe.
As a senior in high school I went on a camping trip with the family that owned the movie theater I worked at. I had become friends with they granddaughter and they had invited me along and during this trip it was my first time ever going kayaking. Fortunately, even though we came very close at one point, we did not flip over nor fall in the water. However, we did have to save her mother and sibling from nearly tumbling over but speedily thrashing through the water to their side to catch them.
Once college life hit we rarely made the time for camping family trips, but when we did once again the memories made will not be forgotten.
Twice within those 4 years we went camping with my aunt and uncle and cousins in Arkansas. We searched for diamonds in the mine at one point and another time my sister and her friend decided to tent camp next to the camper we stayed in. Surprisingly they stayed out there all night even during the horrible storm that blew in with thunder, lightening, and wind. We all just knew they would get scared and come in from the weather, but to our surprise did not.
Recently me and my sister took a "Twin Trip" that involved much hiking and camping and sightseeing and that is just what we did, or minus the camping part. Due to so much rain and poor weather conditions several places had closed down their tent camping areas in the mountain regions we had visited. We did however have the chance to tent camp one day/night of that whole time and it did rain the entire time. No lie. Rain did not slack up or lessen the entire time there flooding the parks trails and ditches. The park rangers constantly checked on us and made sure we were completely okay and we were. We had fun despite the rain issue and played card games, ate cold hotdogs, and slept may be a few hours that night between roaring thundering moments of peace. But overall the trip was a major success, weather did not stop us.
To end my camp memories would be the camping I do now ever year with my husband and his family since we have been together.
Growing up in a small town of course his family knows mine and they knew me as a kid and so on, but the first time I ever really met them and sat down to talk and get to know them was on one of their yearly camping trips. They go to the same park, park in the same spots every year. We normally do not join in the whole time but will go on weekends and set up our tent to join in on the fishing and trailing and camp cookouts. One year we took Sugar and Spice with us and even though they were not fond being away from home they did love going out on the boat we just sat off the end of it while it was pulled up to the bank and watching as we perched fish. Each time we reeled one in Spice was on top of us to see what we got and to smell it all over and watch as we tossed it back and it swam away in the water. Sugar just enjoyed the nice breeze coming off the lake waters, but did like walking out into the water as we hiked along the beach afterwards. Anyways the yearly trip is here once more since last weekend. We went for the day but were unable to stay so this weekend we plan to set out our tent and celebrate a nieces birthday with a fish fry and try to fish some while spending time with one another.
As you can see camping is a way for us all to come together or was and get away from busy schedules and routine and technology and just enjoy the nature and time. There are several more memories I left out, but all mean the same.
Is camping a thing you and your family like to do?
Or is there something else that holds a big part of your memories as camping does for me?
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