I was ten years old.
Three families,including mine, decided to try a new adventure. The fathers rented camping trailers and we headed out.
The lunch stop along the way looked like this:
Yes, that’s the trailer my Dad rented. No that’s not me in front. That’s my friend who many years later became my step-sister. That’s her Mom on the left and her Dad in back. My Dad is on the right.
When setting up, each end of the trailer is lifted causing the ends to unfold from inside. Once those are locked in place it looked like this:
The canvas roll you see near Dad’s feet is one of the bunks waiting to be fitted into sockets on the ends. There were three on each side. It became my job to make up the beds–bed rolls made from folded blankets on this trip.
Dad snapped the tops of the canvas sides into place then my brothers helped snap the sides and bottom until we got this:
If you look closely you can see the awning that extended from the door end of the unit that had sides that could be clipped to the awning. It was just big enough to hold a picnic table which was good because it rained all weekend.
Here are the three units set up for the weekend at Giant City State Park:
The other family with three kids rented a unit just like ours. The family that only had two kids rented a more standard type–one that had a foldout bed on each side.
There was a creek right behind our rigs where we kids played most of the weekend. After all, we were already wet from the rain so why not play in the creek? The adults spent most of the weekend playing cards at one of the inside picnic tables.
Apparently, they enjoyed this trip as much as we did because the fathers all bought those rigs when we returned home. And we camped from Memorial Day to Labor Day every summer for the next five years. Sometimes with these same three families. Sometimes with members of the Central Illinois Family Campers, an organization we soon joined.
Usually the first trip of the season was at Weldon Springs, a park close to home where we could take a shake down cruise to relearn how to do this. We got so good at setup that we could have everything done and be sitting down to supper 10 minutes after Dad parked the trailer.
One summer we took the trailer and headed to California. We only made it to Arizona though before we ran out of time and money so had to turn back towards home. I have fond memories of that trip and many other shorter ones.
Many years later, after Dave & I became empty nesters, I talked Dave into renting a Class C motorhome to drive out west by telling him we could follow the Burlington Northern RR tracks as we went west then the UP tracks back east. We had a great trip!
Which is probably why I pushed Dave to go full time RVing after we retired. And I’m not sorry he gave in. We saw all 48 contiguous states in the 3+ years we were out there. So I added lots to my stash of memories to replay in my mind now that my body says I can’t travel like that anymore. It’s been hard to give up that addiction. But, it is what it is.
TTYL,
Linda
Wow. What a fun story and great memories. My life has been full of camping memories that started out in tents. I don’t remember ever seeing a snap-in tent though. So, all three families camped for years together. We didn’t get the story about how your friend ended up your step-sister. That’s the one that really has me wondering now.
I love old pictures! and old wonderful memories like this one.
like you… that option is off the table for me now but oh! I keep reading wonderful sites like
enigmatic nomads! and others. there is just something about it.
you’re right. I think it could become an addiction. and I never did it like you did!
our family camped always though. it was a cheap vacation.
I remember the marine and me lying in our sleeping bags in the tent at night hearing my parents and their friends sitting around the campfire talking and laughing quietly and drinking coffee into the night. I felt cozy and safe and wonderful.
Love reading your story because it is so different than mine. I grew up in a family that never camped. My Dad never fished or hunted or did anything outdoors and neither did we. In my late 30’s I married Jim who lived for the outdoors. But we didn’t get a trailer until we had been married for almost 18 years. Then I was introduced to RVing and fell in love with the lifestyle. It does give us so many memories.
So glad you kept all those photos. What awesome memories. Those you will never lose.
I am sure Dave is as happy as you are that you did travel this gorgeous country of ours. I must say though, you two must have really booked it to see all 48 states in 3 years.