For the past couple of months, my husband has had this itch to go camping. I personally have never been camping so there is definitely some ground rules that need to be set before we head off into the so-called, "wild". Not that I oppose roughing it for a couple of days, but a girl's gotta draw the line somewhere.
#1. I'm not sleeping in a tent on the ground - bugs in my hair or sleeping bag is something out of one of my childhood nightmares.
#2. I'll settle for a tent trailer - however it MUST have a toilet because I'm not venturing out at 3 'clock in the morning in pitch darkness to accidentally squat next to Yogi the bear.
#3. I will not kill anything for food- that includes anything with gills, antlers, or hooves unless I have a personal chef along and even then, DON'T tell me what I'm about to eat.
#4. I will kill anything that flies, crawls or stings - PETA be damned, I call it self-defense.
#5. Camping out does not translate to "mom-does-everything-just-like-at-home"-if that's the case, I'll hire a maid to go with you guys while mom enjoys 3 days of peace and quiet at home.
So as novice campers, we headed out to see some trailers at a place called Little Dealer Little Prices in Mesa. Not much to look at from the parking lot, but once you go inside it's like stepping into a log cabin museum. A cave-like tunnel leads into their indoor showroom that looks like you've stepped into a forest campground at twilight. (Not that I know what a campground at twilight actually looks like, but let's just pretend I know what I'm talking about.) I've got to say, it's pretty cool. They really try to give you that outdoorsy feeling. Even the salespeople are dressed up like Park Rangers! All they need is Yogi Bear to show up to take souvineer photos!
Anyway, after darting in and out of all the trailers, we left the place with our wallets intact. No impulse purchase, thank goodness, although I must say we were tempted. The place is a real kick in the head and the kids absolutely loved it. Next we headed off to Bass Pro Outdoor World in Mesa. If you have never been to this place, you have to go at least once. I've never seen a bigger collection of camoflauge in one place! (They even sell camo pacifiers!) The place is designed like a wildlife museum on steroids. It has more stuffed heads, fish tanks, shooting galleries and NASCAR enthusiasts then a redneck wedding. Needless to say, the boys loved it.
So now all the planning needs to take place. We've decided to rent a trailer and try it out first before we make the plunge. So...first have to reserve a trailer, outfit our minivan with a hitch, find a suitable campground in the middle of summer that hasn't been overrun by campers, then I have to plan what to take, what to not take and how to keep my sanity with two toddlers, one overgrown toddler and an 85 lb. Labrador.
Wish us luck. If we even make it out of the driveway, it will be a miracle. :0)
No comments:
Post a Comment