My Smokin’ Hot Wife Carla, along with our Standard poodle Darby and myself, are camping for a week. For those of you who do not camp, have never camped, and have taken a solemn oath never to be caught dead in any kind of camping situation, I get it. I never saw the appeal of being out in the woods, surrounded by insects and nature, with nothing to do. My idea of roughing it was a black and white TV at a Holiday Inn.
As I started getting older, the idea of getting in a motorhome and traveling all across America was a great idea, but then I realized that for the price of that motorhome, I could still see the country and stay in really nice hotel rooms as I went.
Then our best friends got a pull-behind camper and asked us to go with them to Gatlinburg, Tennessee. We had a phenomenal time, hiking, cocktails by the fire, and meeting some really nice people. When we got home, we decided we at least needed to try it and see if we loved it or hated it. We bought a used camper from a couple that had had it for a year and wanted something bigger. Our idea was that if we hated it, we could sell it and get most of our money back and move on. We loved it. We averaged at least one trip a month for the first year. After 2 ½ years, Hurricane Helene took it out, so we decided to upgrade.” In for a penny, in for a pound, as they say.
We are now and will forever be campers. For real campers like Sheri and Kevin, I need to use the word Glampers. We have some comforts that they do not use, like heat and AC, running water, and toilets. THAT is camping in its truest form. Mrs. Smokin’ Hot requires a few things of comfort, like a King Size Bed, climate control, running water, and there is one thing she is not going to do in the woods, even if bears do.
Besides the quiet, the relaxation, and doing absolutely nothing if we choose, it’s also the people. We had a few people over for Carla’s birthday while camping this week (by the way, thank you for all the well wishes), and it rained before everyone got there, soaking all of our chairs. A camper across the way came over after the rain and said he had plenty of dry chairs in his camper that we could use. We’ve never seen this man before, and will never see him again, but he generously helped us out just because.
I generally walk my trash to the dumpster because I like to walk, but on the way, I get multiple offers from people who have no idea who I am but still offer to let me use their golf carts to take the trash. I’ve yet to meet an unfriendly person while camping. I can’t remember, but there must have been some sort of questionnaire that we filled out that filters out all the “Karen’s and Darrens” because I’ve never met one at a campsite. Campgrounds might be the last place on earth where people can allow their children to ride bikes and play outside of their parents’ eyesight.
If you are looking for me and my wife, you can find us sittin’ at the firepit with a glass of wine and a tumbler of brown liquor, “Cheers.”
We’ve been camping for years, a seasonal campsite. Lots of friends we would have never met if we hadn’t camped. Love the show, been a listener for about 20 years, on Presque Isle Maine station, 96.1
We live across the border in New Brunswick, Canada.
You do make it sound appealing.
If you ever end up in sw Virginia come visit hungry mother state park. It’s a beautiful park and bonus points you can get a shirt or hoodie that says hungry mother lol
Lamar you hit the nail straight on the head.
Camping is amazing
Wait till you wake up to your camper rocking not knowing what is going on but to find a large cow using the corner of your camper as a scratching post.
Oh the memories. Gail D of Colorado
It sounds great, but SOMEONE still has to drive that big monster!
My husband & I caught the camping bug about 5 years ago. We go to the Superman Celebration in Metropolis, IL every summer. We would always stay in one of the local hotels & spend a lot of money. It used to be nice, but then we noticed the quality of the hotels was going down every year, while the prices were going up! Then we heard that several people were camping at the local campground for $20 a night! So we thought, why not! We bought a tent & a blow up mattress, because my husband I were in our 30’s at that time. We camped in a tent with 2 kids, for a couple of years. We LOVED it, but the set up was so hard. The tent stakes didn’t want to hammer into the hard ground & it was either too hot or cold. My anxiety would ramp up, thinking about a poisonous snake or spider coming into the tent & killing one of us in our sleep!
The allure of continuing to camp was traveling to different camp grounds & sitting by the water or relaxing with a beautiful view of a forest or mountain. So we finally decided to try a travel trailer!
We started out with a little one that “slept 5 people”. It might have slept 5 people, but 4 could barely fit in it! We kept that for a year & couldn’t do it anymore!!!
So, then we upgraded to a beautiful Grand Design Transcend last year. Our camping adventures are so much better, now that we have those amenities you mentioned! Plus we all have room to relax.
It’s more expensive now, with the monthly payment, but we don’t have to haul our luggage from the truck up flights of stairs. We have our own towels & toilet paper. No more harassing the front desk at a hotel to refill anything…… no more fear of spiders or snakes in the night!
Lamar, I love listening to your camping stories with Carla! Please keep them coming!!!!
We love camping too Lamar! We are glampers also – I’m with Carla on that! You are right, the people we meet are so nice and it just seems like a simpler time….(the best time!).
So glad you like it!! It still does not appeal to me, but, I am so happy so many love it!!
Where do you camp? My husband and I bought a Sprinter Mercedes Van during Covid, thinking that was the only safe way to see our transplanted ski instructor (from Charlotte?? wtf) physical therapist daughter and her husband in Utah. Packing up our golden retriever and two, yes TWO, Ragdoll cats, and all our shit, we have made no less than 4 trips across country. You are right about the people – all nice – and some campgrounds are better than others. Fans of KOA. Words I never thought I would utter. Ever. It certainly fulfilled our needs, but sleeping with 4 other souls hasn’t been so fun for me. And then there was the time both cats had streaming shit episodes. On. My. Lap. That was fun. Or the time the battery was a hair away from lighting us all up. It’s truly amazing what heros you can find in the middle of fucking nowhere. We are headed out again next week and I am both dreading it and looking forward to it. Traveling miles and miles through barren, uninspiring, fucking TRUMP country can be excruciating. (Kansas). But there is beauty to be seen too – even in cornfields and windmills! I’m with you. Running water, heat, AC, and a toilet. Havetohaves. Running into you and Carla would be a welcome delight! I will try to adjust my shitty attitude and embrace the camping life surrounded by things that love me and i, them.
We absolutely love camping. You are right – you find the nicest, friendliest people at campgrounds – weather they are rustic or resorts. We also have a “glamping” 5th wheel. Probably better looking than our home. Happy trails – Enjoy! We are headed out to Bar Harbor, Maine for the Labor Day Weekend.
Great story Lamar! I love being outdoors in the cooler months! Fall is my favorite! I’ve never been camping but it sit by lots of fire pits! I know I would like it if I felt safe but I don’t have many friends who do. My husband is a musician and has not shown me any interest. Thanks Lamar!
I love camping.