Vacation Stories

Daughter and I went tent camping to the place we visit most years.  It's in the north, so the weather is generally comfortable.  It can get down into the 50's at night, so we often end up snuggled into our sleeping bags.  Campfires feel good at night.  We may need sweatshirts in the morning.  It usually is comfortably warm during the day-- with highs in the upper 70's to low 80's.  There is water near by, lots of hiking trails, and a wonderful concert venue within walking distance.  For rainy days and hot days, there are museums, movies, and a shopping mall within a 30 minute drive.  In short, I consider it the ideal vacation spot for us. 

There is one week that is especially busy, so I like to avoid that week.  We avoided it this year.  Problem is, the economy has improved, and so there were more people there.  Traffic was heavy and parking was challenging.  Places that are usually quiet were busy.  Then, the heat wave hit.  I stopped cooking at the campsite.  We stopped having campfires.  We quit hiking.  We visited museums, saw 3 movies, took some tours, and sought out air conditioning.  This year's vacation was more expensive, and I pondered whether we should head further north next year.  We just love this area so much, I doubt we'll change our plans. 

Our tent camping is not necessarily roughing it.  I choose campsites relatively close to the restrooms, which have flush toilets and hot showers.  I seek a place close enough to run electricity to our tent.  I need it for my c-pap machine, and it also enables us to keep our cell phones, ipods, and my kindle charged.  We have good air mattresses, and mine is thick enough I don't have to struggle to get up off the ground in the morning.  We have a screen house, propane stove, and various other things that make camping less challenging. 

Daughter was generally cooperative and in good spirits.  She'd be in bed asleep by 9:00, and then I'd sit up and listen to lectures and sermons from the Festival of Homiletics while playing games on my cell phone.  I'll share some stories over the next few days, it was a good vacation, and we enjoyed ourselves tremendously.