The Camping Club

Reason for an Upgrade

Reason for an Upgrade
I remember camping at Fairview State Park, just a month after my heart surgery. At the time we still had a pop up, so we set everything up, played games, and roasted marshmallows. It was time to go to sleep, and my wife and I were on one side and the kids on the other. About 3 hours later, we heard a knock on the door and someone saying “let me in!” It was our youngest daughter, she had fallen out of the side of the pop up, but we sure are glad she knew how to come to the front door! This is one memory we will never forget.....but we have upgraded to a 5th wheel now!
Submitted By: Lester White, Walker, LA

 

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My Best Camping Story

My wife and I have been avid campers since the early 80’s.

I thought we were in hog heaven until our youngest grand-daughter “wanted to go camping too”. It was a joy always for our grand children to go. God blesses us in so many ways, and sometimes we don’t realize it. She was afraid at first, to go camping and now she is always ready to go.

The best thing about camping is just watching them explore, ask questions about nature and etc. We love it, because there is no stress, aggravation and etc. Just nature, God and our children and grandchildren, they absolutely love it. So the last weekend in June we went to Levi Jackson State Park in London, Kentucky. Cassie, the youngest just started wanting to go fishing. It was such a beautiful thing to watch a four year old cast the reel with anticipation, knowing she was going to catch a fish.

 She had a few nibbles and was so excited. I could see her face light up with excitement. She has not caught a fish yet but I know she will.
Submitted By: Ray Adkins, Barbourville, KY

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Picking Up Bear Trash

While camping in the Quaker Run area of Allegany State Park, NY, there are always numerous bear sightings. During a hike, I came across a lot of trash behind our cabin. Discouraged at how anyone could spoil this beautiful land, I went back to the cabin to get a garbage bag. As my daughter and I were cleaning up, we came across a lot of pop cans. None were opened from the top, but they all had a large gash right down the side through the aluminum. It was then we realized we were picking up bear trash! It made the task much more interesting.

Submitted By: Lynn Batt, Lockport, NY

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Longest Camping Trip Ever

A couple of years back, we loaded up our two boys and set out on our longest camping trip ever, from SE WI to Minnesota, where we were to meet up with my wife's cousin and her family. We camped at Bluff Valley in Zumbro Falls. We had a great time. The days were warm and sunny--just right for swimming, and the nights were just cool enough to "require" building a campfire--like we needed any coaxing!!
The scenery around the campground was breath-taking. Huge bluffs and deep valleys everywhere you turned. We'd swim everyday, and did a lot of hiking around the bluffs as well. We didn't want the week to end. The picture included is from that week in Bluff Valley.
Submitted By: Dave Verbanac, Hartford, WI

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The Murphy’s Annual 28th Reunion

We "The Murphy Bunch" are very very lucky in that we have a large and close family that enjoys camping. We had our annual reunion campout in July at Green River Lake State Park in Kentucky and had 12 campsites in the same area so we could have a big campfire in the center and tables gathered up for family meals together. Friday night is the big fish throw down with my sister and brother in-law providing fresh crappie from Florida. Saturday breakfast always includes dozens of eggs, pounds of sausage etc. Saturday afternoon we have 4 freezers full of homemade icecream and Saturday evening we grilled some food and fed 53 people for dinner. Our parents who are now gone started this thing 28 years ago and we are now training our children to please keep it going after we are gone. They all love camping so we feel sure it will continue. Family camping...It's great!
Submitted By: Gerald Murphy, Bardstown, KY

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Wonderful Memories

I look forward to going camping every summer with my 3 boys and my sister-in-laws 2 boys. All the guys get along great together and we have a blast. We are totally relaxed as we sit around the camp fire laughing and telling stories. As cousins they play basketball, swim, bike, hike and we will plan a day trip for all of us. The ages range from 15 to 24, we have been camping together for about 6 years. As cousins they have learned to grow and appreciate each others company and friendship. I for one love to get away from the everyday chores at home, there are no schedules to keep, eat when you want, go to bed when you want and just plain have a great time! I really hate packing up and heading back home. We already have our reservations for this summer and we always accommodate everyone's schedule in order to get all together every summer. The reason why I take my kids is because my dad used to take me camping along with my brother and sister when we were kids and we had such a great time that I wanted my boys to experience the same great time I had. Besides I just love being out with my boys and my nephews they are all a great bunch of kids and they just love to see how many times they can scare us moms. They are wonderful memories.
Submitted By: Susan Sullivan

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Talk about Exaggerating!

Talk about Exaggerating!
We were tent camping with our kids, all four of us in one tent. My husband, Karl, was sleeping and felt something on his leg. He freaked out and threw whatever it was against the tent wall. The next morning he was telling everyone that it was something that was at least a foot long. We finally found it. It was a tree frog that was about 1/2 inch long! It was okay and we released it back outside. Now we always bug him about the killer tree frog.
Submitted By: Anita Weinreich

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Memorable Family Reunions

We have a family reunion every September with my brother, his wife and my sister-in-law. We all head up to Nickerson State Park on Cape Cod. There are always others that follow along, such as adults, children and others. My sisters and our Mom usually stay at a cottage on the Cape and we make sure we have one day at the campsite for steak and lobster dinner! This year, my Mom, husband and I rented a house on Martha's Vineyard and took the ferry over for the celebratory tradition. Mom got a canoe ride with my brother as the foliage was just starting to show its colors around Flax Pond. Then came the best part, the steak and lobster dinner! There were several birthdays being celebrated and a great time was had by all. We love the park and the opportunity it presents for memorable annual family reunions.
Submitted By: Lorri Shearer-Fuentes

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It’s a Small World

My husband, Rick and two children, Jeremiah and Rachel went on our second camping trip to CO. We set up camp at the Lowry Campgrounds near Frisco, CO. Shortly after setting up camp we met the couple who were camping right next to us who were from Hot Springs, AR. They happened to be the parents of the pastor at my parent's church in Heber Springs, AR. By this time, our children had already befriended our new neighbor's grandchildren who were camping a few sites away with their parents (our new campsite neighbor's daughter). After agreeing how small the world is, we all enjoyed an evening of s’mores and our children made new friends to play with for the next few days. To make the world even smaller, we found out our children’s new friends live near us in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area!
Submitted By: Amy Elliott

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Our Adventure Ran the Gamut

My family and I spent our 2007 summer vacation in SW Colorado and the adventure ran the gamut! We spent time at Mesa Verde and Ute ancestral sites, then off to Durango to ride an old coal burning train to Silverton, Cowboy cookouts, white water rafting, and driving the 60 plus mile Alpine loop which is mostly over 11,000ft and all dirt backcountry Jeepin’. Then off to Ouray to camp along the River and the towering peaks surrounding; relaxing in the hot springs, old fashioned 4th of July, small town style, then off to the mountains for the day and a snow ball fight at 12,000ft in July! Watching the fireworks light up the surrounding mountains was incredible. Mine tours, more Jeepin’, exploring ghost towns and hiking to Box Canyon Falls. I feel lucky that my two young children are able to experience all this! For being so young, 7 and 3, they travel well on long trips (we’re from California) and they are true adventurers. They continually “bug” me, wanting to know the next trip. These are the types of trips I remember most as a boy as well..
Submitted By: Chris Chase

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