A Little Getaway Planned

We’re getting ready for our camping trip on the Skyline Drive/Blue Ridge Parkway.

I’ve always loved to camp. As a young family, my Mom and Dad would haul us five kids all over the place in Virginia and West Virginia. Sometimes we got a cabin, other times we roughed it. One thing I will always remember is an expression that my Dad used that we all still use to this day. With five kids in the car (four girls and a boy), we had to time our pit stops. It was Dad and only Dad who decided when we stopped, so you had better be good at “holding it”. When Dad finally decided that it was time, he would pull the car off to the side somewhere and we would all scurry out to the closest tree to do our business.l Dad’s words to us as we left the car:

“Ok, everybody drain their lilies !”

LOL, we still refer to going to the bathroom as “draining our lilies”, though my little brother might not be able to relate. He probably had his own term, just not sure what it was.

So, I’ve always been a camper. It’s cheap and you don’t have to look good. A few years back when we had money, Chainsaw and I did a week of fishing in Lake Okeechobee, and went a couple of times to Camp Suwannee. Some girlfriends at work one day were talking about their vacations to Cancun, Aruba, etc., and one turned to me and said,

“And where was it you went, Shirley? A swamp ?”

I tell you I’d much rather be sitting around a campfire with Chainsaw than on a fancy cruise. And I can pee anywhere, it doesn’t bother me none. In fact, I’d rather go behind a tree then in one of those gnarly bathrooms they have at some campsites. You just have to watch out for poison ivy.

So, we’re leaving Thursday, heading towards Front Royal, VA. We’ll be staying at Mathews Arm Campground which is at Mile Marker 22. We’ve been there before, and it’s pretty primitive. Chainsaw wants to do a hike from the campground to Overall Run Falls. Not sure I’m ready for that, but I’ll give it a try. We’ve been reading the trail notes and it is considered to be a “moderately difficult” trek, but that turns into “very difficult” for two middle-aged smokers.

We splurged and got a stainless steel camping stove a few weeks ago. It retailed for $75, but we got it off of E-bay for $55 with free shipping. I had always thought that Coleman was the best, but Chainsaw tells me that Coleman makes their real money in selling parts, and people have to keep replacing things. So, this stainless steel stove was a little more expensive, but it should last us a good long time.

Another good thing about camping? Four nights at $15/night = $60.00. Not bad.

I’m taking these few days to wash all the equipment and get things together. Sounds like it’s going to be muggy and we may be rained on here and there, but that’s OK. The bike trailer will probably be packed to the gills with stuff that we won’t even use. We keep telling ourselves to minimize, but it always tempting to throw one more t-shirt in, even if you don’t wear it.

I’m looking forward to our adventure, and hope to have some good pictures and video when we get back !