To Camp Or Not To Camp, That Is The Question

So I'm visiting with some friends the other day and they tell me how they just recently purchased a tent and have started to get into camping - and they think it would be fun if Suzette and I came along sometime.

Oh, joy!?!

Don't get me wrong, we used to do a lot of camping when the kids were young - today, not so much.  That was a long time ago.

Back when we did camp, it seemed like whenever we went out, we would get home late Sunday night and everyone would go running into the house leaving you know who to unload the van and clean up the camper.

I think Dave Berry probably said it best,

"Camping is nature's way of promoting the motel business."

So true.

Back to my conversation with my "tenting" friends - they then proceed to tell me about how camping has "re-sparked the romance back into their marriage."

Yuk!!!  There's a mind picture I could've done without.

Golly, there's nothing more romantic than when your true love is covered with bug spray and sun screen and wearing coveralls.  I'll pass, thank you very much.

So, I get home and start to tell my wife about my conversation with these friends, and she then springs on me how she would like to buy one of those big RVs when we retire so we can travel around the country - GULP!

What do you say at a time like that?

"Oh, honey, that sounds like so much fun!"

One thing that always irritated me when we had the pop up camper was just about the time I would find my peace and quiet, some well meaning but unwelcome person would stop by to "visit."

I once heard of a guy having a sign made up that he would hang from the door of his camper that said, "Insurance Agent.  Ask me about term life." - I'll bet that would take care of the problem.

My all time favorite memory though was when we took the kids camping out in the Black Hills.  They're were pretty young at the time.  It also just happened to be the same time as the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally.

The couple in the tent next to us were obviously newlyweds and they were having a passionate time of it after lights out - if you know what I mean.  The next morning my daughter said to me, "Daddy, did you hear that lady in the next tent last night trying to hold back a sneeze?"

Still makes me laugh to this day.

You know, now that I think about it - maybe camping again does sound like fun!