Camping

I have had the camping bug bad lately. I think I want to purchase a pop-up camper at some point to make camping easier and a little more comfortable. I love unspoiled nature, but I also appreciate running water, cold beer and hamburgers (or black bean burgers). If we ever get one I want to make this campground one of my first stops. The reason for needing the pop-up first is due to my distrust of vault toilets. But the campground sounds nice and pretty and quiet.

Here is one I might try now. I like that the campground is near a trout stream and some sites are along the stream. We'll have to bring our screen tent for dinner without bugs.

Another RV

I forgot one of our favorite RVs. The Fun Finder. We really like the 160. It has adequate space without being too large. We could fit a family in here, but moving space would be low.

The RV Show

So, Nick lived through another RV show. RV shows don't ever have the RVs that I like, tiny ones. So here are my favorites:

The Little Guy
The Little Guy tear drop trailer is my first love. It is small enough that I could probably pull it with my civic and we could park it in our carport. I love the outdoor kitchen space on the back. However, as Nick and I add more family members (don't get your hopes up, we're thinking of a second dog) this might not be the most practical. It only sleeps two, there is no bathroom, it would be hard to change clothes in and it might suck to be stuck in it during a rain storm, with your kitchen outside.

The Tada
I like this one because it is small and comes in cute colors. RVs can be pretty ugly and Tada made them a little cuter. Three drawbacks: Maybe not enough room for kids, a cassette toilet, and the interior is a bit cheesey.

The Tab
The Tab is made by the same people that make the Tada. It also comes in cute colors. It has a lot of floorplans to chose from, but no bathroom. It also doesn't really have room for kids, but would fit us plus 2 dogs.

Casita
Nick and I considered a Casita for a while. It does have a shower and would fit one extra person. We've just never been in one.

The Aliner
I like these. They fold down so they are easier to tow, but Nick and I went in some at the RV show and I don't think it will work. It doesn't have a bathroom and it's a little tight.

The Chalet
A lot like the Aliner.

Pop Up Campers
I love pop-ups. I saw some at the show that were huge, but I can't remember the brand. Pop-ups are easy to tow, they are light, they have bathrooms, they have space, but they also don't have hard walls. It would be nice to camp even when it's really hot or cold outside. I'm sure AC doesn't sound like camping to some folks, but I don't live in the mountains and you are a little closer to nature than you would be in a hotel. Whatever floats your boat right.

And finally, Nick and picked our RV at the show.
Airstream
These are just so stylish. It was the first RV we actually felt like being in. It was the only RV we sat in and talked about how cozy it was. These do come in small sizes, but we were thinking that room to grow might be nice. Also, these are very expensive, so we can't even consider buying it for the next 10 years and we probably can't park it in our carport.

Camping Again!

Nick and are preparing this weekend, for a camping trip next week. We are a little nervous because it is going to be cold at night, but the days should be mild and the leaves should be beautiful. We are bringing a lot of wool socks. Nick and I hand-picked our camp site the last time we were in the park and it is great. It overlooks the valley, so we have a great view. I am especially excited about getting ready for the trip. We are going to Gander Mountain, an outdoor store that just opened in Ashland. I even think that Nick is a little excited about going shopping for the trip, but probably just so he can see me as excited as a kid on Christmas morning.

Labor Day Weekend

Nick and I got to get out and enjoy the long weekend by spending a night camping at Shenandoah National Park in the Lewis Mountain Campground. We were lucky enough to get the last available sight in the park. Lewis Mountain is one of the smallest campgrounds in the park. Each site has a fire ring, picnic table, and parking spot. The campground has a restroom, pay showers, and a small store where wood, ice, and other supplies can be purchased. The weather this weekend was perfect. It was only about 70 degrees during the day, but got cold at night, about 50 degrees. Nick and I had a delicious dinner of Beer Brats and a salad. Breakfast was even better. We had hashbrowns, sausage and scrambled egg beaters. We only did one very short hike, about a mile, and it didn't have much of a view, but it's still nice to walk through the woods.


As is usual for Shenandoah we saw lots of deer.


Here is a picture of our campsite. The screen tent behind Nick's car is necessary if you want to spend time outside of your tent while the bugs are out, but we are hoping to find one that's easier to put up before we go camping again.


This is a picture of my tent with another completely necessary camping item, an air mattress. We couldn't make it without it. Sleeping on the ground didn't hurt so bad back in the days of Girl Scout Camp, but the first time Nick and I went camping together, we realized that it really hurts now.



This is Daisy trying to pretend that she knows how to act like a dog, just as long as she doesn't have to lay on the ground.



And last but not least, the beautiful view from Skyline Drive.

Camping!!!!!!

Nick and Daisy and I went camping this weekend at a beautiful lake in the foothills of VA. We had a wonderful time. We cooked some of the best brats I have ever had, sauteed in sliced onions and beer. I even toasted the buns. I told you I do spoiled camping. The weather was perfect, not too hot during the day and chilly at night, but we both had trouble sleeping. After reading all of the signs warning about camping in Bear Country, waking up to critters walking around your tent is a little disconcerting. Nick's imagination went a step further. The next morning he asked me if I had heard all of the animals peeing outside of our tent. Uhh... NO.

Camping

A lot of people don't understand my need for camping. Nick at least supports it. He took me on my first camping trip, outside of the girl scouts, so he only has himself to blame. I can't live without camping. I can make it a month or two in between trips before I start obsessing again. And obsessing is almost an understatement. I research places to camp for weeks on end and start checking the weather forecast as soon as it's available. I plan the menu weeks in advance and make my shopping list. I pack and repack all of my camping supplies. I think I like the preparation as much as the actual camping. Nick jokes that I just like to pack the car with all of my camping supplies, but its more than that. I still have to set up our campsite and hike around the area, search for alligators, and look at all of the RVs. Then, my favorite part, I get to make dinner outside on my little propane griddle (we had burn bans in Texas, so I gave up cooking over the fire). Camping is good for me. I think that, despite all of the work, it is the only time I truly relax. Nick and I pop open our camp chairs and some ice cold beers and we talk. All Night. No interruptions. Well, there is the occasional raccoon or armadillo, which gets Daisy barking, but other than that, there is just us talking. It is wonderful. If we were at home, we would be watching movies and I would be doing the dishes and the laundry and sweeping or mopping or any of the other chores I have convinced myself are completely necessary to do over the weekend. Camping keeps me from all that, of course, I have to catch up the next weekend, or on Sunday evening. But for a whole night, we just camp.