Pretending To Camp

A month or three ago as Doug and I were looking at our summer calendar we realized that there was only ONE weekend that didn't have some kind of commitment attached to it and I said, "We have to go camping" because last year we didn't go AT ALL and I was sad about that. So we scheduled our weekend to go camping.

As the weekend drew closer Doug and I got to talking and decided that we'd rent a trailer to camp in and see how we liked doing that. In my family growing up we had a 13' travel trailer (that's what they called them back then) and we eventually upgraded to a 19' trailer! WOW! That was so spacious for the SEVEN of us! I have really great memories of our family vacations spent traveling all around whatever area of the country we were living in at the time (Air Force father) and seeing the sights and learning the history. I credit my love of history to the exposure I had, as I was growing up, to the real places where history happened. But at the campgrounds where we'd stay I'd look at the people in tents and always feel like they were really camping, and we were kind of faking it. I decided that when I was an adult I'd have a tent and do real camping.

(Yes, well, now that I'm a 54 year old adult I'm good with fake camping.)

So we decided to rent a trailer.

A 26' trailer! With a queen bed in the master bedroom! With an air conditioner! With 2 satellite hookups for TV. With a space for a microwave! (which the rentals don't come with.) Come on! Is this really camping??

Okay, I gotta admit, it was pretty nice. So, okay, it was really nice. But I also have to admit that I felt bad for the truck having to haul all the weight. (??? Isn't that what trucks are made for?) And because I wanted to be comfortable driving the thing I drove it up to the camp ground. And I was a nervous wreck and drove waaaaay too slow (yes, I drove slow. I, the one who is always pushing the speed limit edge...)

But we had a great little weekend. Even Old Luther came and had more fun then he knew what to do with.

We did our fair share of relaxing and eating. Doug was very excited to try out my Mother's Day present--a double burner camp stove (don't worry, I asked for it).

But here's the thing about camping with Doug: it isn't about making PB&J sandwiches or opening a can of beans. Nooooooooooo. This is the man who went to France on his mission, remember? This is the man who delights in good food. This is the man who will sacrifice something in order to have good food. This man is married to a woman who says, "Great. If you want to go to that kind of work then it's all yours."

But, in my defense, I did make homemade cookies to take up, and I did make Pioneer Woman's Steak Bites out there on my Mother's day present. Yes, I did! That was the one thing I cooked while we were there so that I didn't seem like too much of a flake. It seemed like the least I could do.

And they were very good, if I may say so.

But that 'ol Doug, he really shone (shined?). He had a recipe for Cafe Rio's pulled pork and the cilantro green dressing they use. So he whipped up the dressing before we left and he cooked the pork in the Dutch oven all afternoon while we went horse riding so that we could have a variation of Cafe Rio food for dinner one night.

And oh boy! Was it ever good!! Man, oh man, it was good!

So, yes, I can see how fun it is to eat really good food while you're out fake camping. But still, it is a LOT of work. But if someone is willing to do the work, well, then...okay.

In addition to eating really well, we also enjoyed splashing around in the river. The water was pretty cold, but in a refreshing way. I, myself, only stuck my feet in.

Abbie, Luther and Doug were the brave ones and got all the way in.

We also enjoyed Nick and Jake playing around on their guitars.

We also enjoyed yet another trail ride in a different direction than last time.

And this time we had Nick and Jake with us.

Nick didn't want to be mistaken for a real cowboy, so he wore shorts and looked like a City Slicker. He was okay with that.

Abbie is getting to be a natural on a horse going up and down the mountain.

We live in a breathtakingly beautiful area and it is good to get out and be part of it now and then. Be one with nature, commune with the universe, watch out for bears, etc.

For Nick and Jake that translates into a) not shaving and b) letting their hair go au natural (what? no gel?).

But here is where big fun started happening: when we built our fire. And roasted marshmallows. And wrote our names in the air with the smoke from a burning stick.

We kept that fire burning for a good while, and roasted up that bag of marshmallows

and then we got serious. Our favorite "oh, what should we do with the next 3- 4 hours of our lives" activity? We play Settlers of Catan, the expanded version. I won't even try to explain. If you play, you'll get it. If you don't, then you won't. It is that simple.

We played outside on the table under our canopy with our citronella candle burning and our lamps giving us light and the fire keeping the creatures away. We played while it got cold and we had to get our jackets. We played while all the other campers hunkered down for the night and we had to be more quiet. We ate whatever food we had at hand.

We traded and bargained and maneuvered and schemed.

And ultimately Doug won. Again. errrgh.

And just after 1:00 AM we put away all the game pieces and woke up Abbie (who had fallen asleep in the chair) and went into our 26' trailer and slept in comfort.

It was a terrific family adventure. We have such a great family and we have such a good time together! I am really grateful that my kids are good friends and that we all like each other. We didn't get to have Sam and Fred along on this trip and we missed them a ton. :(

There is something wonderful about spending time together as a family out in the mountains doing simple things. It helps me remember what we are about and why we keep working at it, even when it is hard. It was a wonderful weekend.

Even if we were fake camping.