I’ve loved camping since the first time I went with Dale 26 years ago. I love the relaxation of it and the forced time outdoors, the campfires and the food and the reading and hanging out. It’s something I’ve pretty much exclusively done in the summer.

Until last weekend.

We planned this trip for a few reasons. One, it was an opportunity to get out there with Huck again and have it be just the two of us. Two, it was right after my birthday and seemed like a great way to celebrate. And three, Dale had a half day on Friday so he was home from work at 1 instead of 4. We stayed close to home (only 30 minutes away) and that meant we could stay over on Sunday night, too. Dale was a champ and got up Monday morning, drove home and did his morning bus run, and then came back and got me and Huck and brought us home.

It was such a great weekend. The weather was comfortable but cool with low humidity and blue skies.

We had our usual Friday night snacks by the fire.

We hiked around the campground. No photos of that, just use your imagination to picture me huffing and puffing my way up a couple of rather steep hills.

We read books and hung out.

We ate delicious pot roast that I cooked in a crock pot all day Saturday.

We watched football and hung out inside.

And we relaxed. A lot.

Getting ready for a trip is . . . work-ish . . . but it’s all worth it when you can kick back and hang out and just enjoy a beautiful weekend.

Hey there . . . I’m back from vacation with stories and photos to share. Grab a drink and a snack and let’s get right to it.

We spent the first weekend at home and then last Sunday we headed to a local campground for 4 nights. This was double the length of our previous excursion with Huck and, while it was still not quite long enough, it was a great time away.

This was also our first time setting up on our own and it went pretty well as we figured out things like water, electricity and sewer hook ups without too much trouble. In other words, we were relaxing before we knew it! We took a walk around the campground, finding the small pond, the camp store, and other areas of interest. And then we settled in at our picnic table with drinks, snacks, and dominoes.

Except. While I remembered the game, I forgot the trays we use for holding our dominoes. So, we improvised with leveling blocks. Clever, for sure. It wasn’t ideal but we managed.

We had a delicious dinner of grilled chicken and local corn, our first meal inside the camper. It was cozy and special and we watched some tv (roughing it, you know) before heading to bed.

It rained pretty much all day Monday and I’m not complaining about it because we needed the rain so desperately. And also, it gave me an excuse to stay inside and read. We played cards in the evening and, while I had planned a meal of meatball subs, I realized (at about 7pm) that I actually forgot the meatballs. Whomp whomp. Thank goodness for the emergency box of macaroni and cheese I had stashed in the cupboard.

On Tuesday, the kids joined us. They had a separate site that Jess, Jackie & Hannah shared. Eryk and Mikey were around off and on but both had to work so neither was there the entire time. No sooner had the girls gotten their tent and EZ-Up set up than the rain came down. Hard! There was thunder and lightening and it was like giant buckets of water were being dumped right on top of us. The road was a river of watter, and Jackie was a little nervous about the thunder, but once we were all in the camper together it was kind of fun. Crowded. But still fun. I had originally planned hamburgers and hot dogs for dinner but I wasn’t about to cook in the deluge so we sent Dale out for pizza instead.

Jackie fell asleep on our couch after dinner and the rest of us had a fun time just hanging out.

I also snapped this photo during a break in the action between storms. The colors of the sky were amazing.

Wednesday was a beautiful day. Warm and sunny with the occasional puffy cloud. Dale cooked fried dough for everyone for breakfast and then the kids headed to the pond. They swam and I hung around the campsite, puttering and reading and knitting and enjoying the peacefulness of the whole thing.

There was a ban on camp fires when we arrived on Sunday but they lifted it on Wednesday and we had an enjoyable and relaxing time around the fire that night. We toasted marshmallows and told stories and hung out. It was really pretty perfect.

On Thursday morning we packed it all up and headed home to these two. They were very glad to see us and I think they are getting used to us being away for a few nights. At least I hope they are. I’d love to bring them with us but I honestly think they are happier at home even if they do miss us.

We spent the rest of the week and weekend just being home. Catching up on yard work, picking tomatoes (about 20 ripened while we were away!) and cucumbers, puttering around the house, and planning for the return to work. (Tomorrow for me and Wednesday for Dale.)

I made pizza on Saturday night and we had a perfect little fire on the deck to end the week. I’m content with everything we did and the time we had together and I think this camper thing is going to be pretty awesome.

After dreaming about it for several years, trying out different styles of camping, and perusing used sales since last summer, we have finally taken the plunge and purchased a camper for ourselves. It’s a 2022 Coleman Lantern, it’s 25 feet long, and it’s got all the amenities we wanted: a permanent bed, a couch, and air conditioning. It’s got plenty of other things, too, but those were the things we identified as most important to us.

Let’s look at some photos!

This is to the left of the door. Kitchen and dinette on the left, sofa and bathroom on the right.

To the right of the door is a queen sized bed. I’ve already got it set up with our own bedding, including this quilt that I made with my quilting group many years ago. I love it in this space, it adds a lot of color to a very neutral color scheme.

Directly opposite the door is the bathoom, which I have also already personalized with a colorful shower curtain and towels. It’s tiny. Really tiny. But it’s got what we need and it will do.

A detail shot of the kitchen area. The sink is silly big, I’d have preferred more counter space. But there’s a 3 burner stove and an oven and a microwave overhead, plus a decent amount of cabinets.

A dinette was something we had decided we could take or leave. As it turns out, this floor plan included it and I’m not sorry. It will be a good place to sit and eat but, even more importantly, a good place for playing cards and other board games.

A couch was something we really wanted. It’s perfect for coffee in the morning and cocktails in the evening. The center back cushion folds down and has 2 cup holders and a flat surface, perfect for snacking while watching television – which is directly opposite the couch and above the dinette (you can actually see the edge of it it in the photo above). And the refrigerator is there to the right of the couch. It’s nice and big and there’s a tall cabinet next to it that will serve as our pantry.

There are a lot of features to learn and we haven’t towed a camper in quite a while but I think it will all come back to us. Plus, a lot of things are automated now like the stabilizers and awning which will makes things easier. We don’t have definite plans yet for a camping trip but we’re hoping for at least one short and one longer getaway this month plus a weekend in September and hopefully October, too.

And if you’re wondering about the name, here’s the story. Our song is Moon River and there’s a line in that song about my huckleberry friend and wherever you’re going I’m going your way. Huck just seemed like the perfect name for our new camper and all the adventures we plan to have.

We’re very excited!