Breaking Camp

  I read an interesting article written
by a Travel writer for Yahoo yesterday.
  She wrote of having traveled some
300 miles to pick up a vintage travel
trailer she saw advertised on Craig's
List.
   It brought back a lot of memories.
The unit she bought was a 15 foot
Scotty Camper nearly identical to the
one my wife and I used while our kids
were growing up.
   We bought it because we needed a
"bigger" camper having started out with
a 13 foot Scotty.
    I remember the first time we actually
towed our camper on a trip. I believe I
actually spoke a couple bad words after
trying to back it into a space at a camp
ground in New England. I was probably
ready to sell it that same day until, after
finally getting it in place, some other
campers came over to welcome us and
invite us to an evening dinner.
     We took my Dad and our three kids
with us from Maine to Florida in that
Scotty. It was good time spent together.
     As the years rolled on and gas prices
went up we decided to give up towing,
but not camping.
     We bought a used, and much bigger
camper that we kept on a lot at Lake
Wallenpaupack for several years.
     That campground eventually closed
to make way for Condos which, by the
way, were never built. It's sad to see our
old site overgrown and unused these
days.
      But the closing of that door opened
another opportunity near another small
lake which became our camping home
away from home for another ten years
or so.
     Over the past few years we found
ourselves spending less and less time
at our getaway and more and more time
hosting tours both in and outside the
country. They came with some great
hotels with things campers don't provide.
     Things like maid and room service,
full bathrooms and large beds. Even
cable TV and Wifi.
       So it is that, as of the end of this
season, we're breaking camp for good.
We've sold our camper and packed up
everything, including the fire ring which
has been relocated to my daughter's back
yard.
     We'll share the marsh mellows and
memories there from now on, in between
the Hiltons and Raddisons.
      Hope your tent is warm and that all
your NEWS is good!