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~ Kathy M.

Thursday, July 19, 2012

Retro Camping:

 


Hello, Friends!  I am so off topic this week for Sepia Saturday, but I think that you will really enjoy this post.  Instead of concentrating on the "School Health Fairy" in the prompt photo, I went with camping.  There is a difference between bringing a fancy R.V. to a campground and camping.  In many ways, I think that camping is much more fun.  I can't argue about the comfy beds and good bathrooms in the R.V.'s though.

When I was growing up, we tent camped.  It was probably easier when we were with the relatives and tent camped along side their trailers, campers or motorhomes, but actually, tent camping isn't very hard.  No fuss, no muss, just throw some food, clothes and towels into the little camp utility trailer and off we went.  Dad, Mom, us four kids, the dog; and perhaps a cousin or a friend along for the experience.  When you are done here, please check out my friend Jessa Irene's blog post about what to pack for a camping trip by "clicking here".

This was our rig ... a Jeep Wagoner and our camping gear.


When it was just our family, or with my Mom's side, (without Grandpa and Grandpa's fishing boat, or Uncle Red and Aunt Vete's water-skiing boat), we would go to a river campground.  Look at this.  Just set things up, start a fire and you are done!  Our little camping utility trailer had a kitchen at the end with a Coleman stove and a place for the dishes and food. 
 
My Little Bro and my Mom are hanging out, relaxing and I'll bet you anything Mom has a book in her lap.

Home, sweet home!  It looks like somebody was camping under the stars.

Dad loved to cook, so that part wasn't left all to Mom.  We ate a lot of trout.

Getting ready to eat!  Dad, Little Bro, Julie and Angie.


Dad has the  fishing pole in his hand.  I'm not sure who that is beside him.  That person seems to have a long stick in their hand to help keep balance on the slippery rocks.  I think that this was the Willamette River, at Paradise Campground.

My sister Angie, with her friend Miaja standing on the log.

Looking good, Mom!  Love the halter top.  I swear, she read to block us out, lol.

Dad loved to read too.  I guess that I come by it naturally.


Many times, we would get together with my Dad's side of the family and go to a lake.  My Aunt and Uncle had a boat, and Uncle Red was so patient in teaching us all to ski.  Beginners sat in an inner tube on shore and maneuvered their skis so the tips pointed out and the foot part pointed in and we would say, "hit it!" and WA-lah, we were skiing!  It was thrilling the first time you stayed up, on top of that water.


Angie helps to pull the boat in.

We have some double action going on here.  I'm sure that they spent most of their time outside of the wake. 

Ryan,  Robyn, Julie and Cathy pose with their work of art.



The back of the picture above says, "Gary's birthday cake."  Without t.v.. and with new friends, it wasn't hard to find something imaginative to do when we were camping.






These were all the kids that were in the group when we went to Prineville Resevoir in 1975.  Little Bro., my cousin Terry, Gary, Me in the Daisy Duke shirt, Cathy, Angie, Julie, Robyn and Ryan.  We had so much fun on that trip!





And here are the folks that made it happen:  Gail, Gary, Uncle Red, Aunt Loveta, Mom, Dad, Charlene and Revus.  And, that is what camping is all about ... having fun, making memories and relaxing.



We let our kids camp in the garage.  Actually, my second husband and I took them camping a lot, but this time we set up the tent inside the garage for a sleepover.  Peter, Kristin, Gabe, Oliver and Kari settle down for the night.  Even if they didn't settle down quickly, the garage door was closed and I couldn't hear them.

This 1963 Rand McNally Book shows what it was like to go tent camping.  What gets me about this book is how loose everybody was in the car.  That is what it was like though.  No seat belts, no car seats, hanging your head out the window ... ah, those were the days.  How did so many of us ever survive, anyway?  I hope that you guys enjoy this little book as much as I did.  I enlarged it for easier viewing, so just scroll along the bottom to move the picture over.         


















For another Sepia Saturday post that I previously did about camping, please check out this link, "Camping in the 1940's".     

Last, but not least, the video below cracked me up!  I love how they made sure that we knew they were drinking Coke.  Thanks so much for your visit.  Please leave me a comment and I'll make sure to stop by and see you too.


~ Kathy M.





So, there you are, my friends.  If you enjoyed this story, please visit my Sepia Saturday friends by "CLICKING HERE" to find other neat photos and stories.  To read more about my family and other stories featuring old photos, memories and more, please look for this picture of me and my dad on the left-hand sidebar and read whatever else catches your fancy.  Also, there is a list of my Sepia Saturday friends blogs below the football stuff, if you want to find some more like-minded and wonderful people.  Thanks so much for visiting!


Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews




At Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy, if you miss a day, you miss a lot!  All material on this post is copyrighted and not for use without my permission ...Please click here to go to my home page and see what is happening in Mayberry today.
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25 comments:

Little Nell said...

It all looks idyllic Kathy but I’ve never been one for camping. We once had two weeks in a tiny caravan with an awning attached in Sardinia, and that’s about as near to nature as I want to get. When we were children our holidays were usually in tiny caravans too. These days I like to have all the facilities :) I see the book has another family of well-behaved children and lovely parents.

Wendy said...

I recognized you from that smile! My family never camped. In fact, my mother never liked doing much of anything outdoors - must've been a germophobe or something, I don't know. But I enjoyed camping with the Girl Scouts.

Arkansas Patti said...

Tent camping is REAL camping. The true way to enjoy the outdoors. Of course with age, I have learned to appreciate RVs and their creature comforts, but it is not the same. Nature gets left out when the door closes and the A/C cuts on.
Your post brought back good memories.

Brett Payne said...

That's my kind of camping, which we still do every summer, even though the kids are getting a bit older. It's the best way to get away from it all. Thanks for sharing your photos.

Kathy A. Johnson said...

We went tent camping occasionally when I was a child, but we've only taken our own son once. Somehow, it's a lot more fun when you're a kid and the grown ups take care of pitching the tent, providing the food, etc.! I feel sort of wimpy, but I am not a camper any more. I'd much rather have the comfy beds in an RV. (Of course, I was in CA when I camped as a child and now live in FL. The climate here, in my opinion, is much less comfortable for camping, and there are far more bugs! Maybe that has something to do with it.)

Postcardy said...

I used to like camping with scouts and clubs. I never went camping with my family.

Lynn said...

I was lucky enough to go camping with my neighbors, who were also my relatives. I wish I had pictures like you do! Looks like you all had tons of fun.

North County Film Club said...

Our family was big into camping. My most memorable trip was to Yosemite. So much fun.
Camping is a great family tradition.
Nancy

Kathy said...

Loved your post. Enjoyed your family pictures, the story book, the video... all great. I have to say, I'm still trying to come up with something for this prompt. Yours is the 2nd blog post about camping in 2 days - maybe that's a sign.

21 Wits said...

This was so cool! Your pictures and storyline just awesome! I too remember those camping family trips with the Wagoneers! They were the SUV's of today! This retro video just makes my day! A real treat!

Alan Burnett said...

We used to go camping as a family when I was young as well - there must have been an international revival in camping in the mid-1960s with the arrival of frame tents. You therefore brought back some glorious memories with your post - just what Sepia Saturday is all about.

Sheila @ A Postcard a Day said...

You've made it all look such fun. I never did go camping as a child and in fact the only time I've been was on a budget holiday through Europe when we were first married. Never again. :)

I recognised you straight away in that photo. Your smile is still the same. :)

Mike Brubaker said...

Whoa, I'm wore out from all this outdoor activity! Too much fun and open air can't be good for a person. Give me the all-natural internet. :-)

Helen Killeen Bauch McHargue said...

All the kids in the tent look like they're having a great time. If my father couldn't wear cuff links and tie, he was uncomfortable - no camping trips for us. But I've always enjoyed other people's pictures of the experience.

Kristin said...

We never went camping when I was a kid. We went to my uncles cottage and went swimming and roasted marshmellows etc. there was plenty of outdoors. I took my kids camping a few times, but since we lived in the country couldn't really see the need. Your photos make it look like fun.

Joy said...

The camping trips look idyllic and a lot of fun from the photos. The snake in the book reminded me of a friend visiting north America whose Canadian cousins took him camping and thought it was hilarious when he panicked on seeing a snake. (something rarely seen in England).

Connie said...

I loved this post . . . it was just packed with wonderful photos and that storybook is delightful. The last time that we camped with a tent . . . we pitched it up in the late evening . . . slept in it for two nights and then when breaking camp we discover a small nest with a mother snake and her babies, right under a corner of our tent. If I had of know this . . . I would have been running for cover. Me and snakes do not mix well.
Thanks for your lovely visit, I know what you mean about the Ice Road Truckers . . . what a way to make a living. Scarey!!! Have a great weekend, Connie :)

Queen Bee said...

Thoroughly enjoyed your post - looks like your family had so much fun together and made lots of memories. My family went tent camping only one time - my dad was all excited and bought a brand new tent, camp stove, etc. and after he talked my mom into going. His mistake was taking us camping for the first time during the hottest time of the summer to the beach. We stayed at St. Andrews State Park in Panama City, Fla. It was so hot I remember every now and then we would get in the car and ride around with the a/c on! I'll never forget my sister and I going to take a shower and coming face to face with a tree frog in one of the stalls! Later that night we heard something outside the tent and it was a raccoon looking for food, but all our stuff was packed up so he moved on. None of us were impressed with camping after that trip, although my dad still wanted to try it again. The tent never made it out of the workshop again!

Sharon said...

I enjoyed your post Kathy. It brought back memories of some of the wonderful camping trips we did as kids. Unfortunately I am not much of a camper these days so our kids have missed out.

Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy said...

Oh, you guys, I enjoyed your comments so much! I had fun reading about your camping or non-camping experiences very much. Connie's snakes under the tent gave me the heebie jeebies though.

Barbara Rogers said...

Ah what fond memories your camping pictures brought back to me. Thanks. I did it a lot, but don't have pictures.

forgetmenot said...

Kathy, How is your summer going? Love all your old pics--such fun to "relive" the "good old days". Hope it is not too hot and dry there--it is here for sure. In the 100's and the worst drought since 1956. I'll be glad when summer is over. Take care. Mickie :)

Bruno Laliberté said...

While you seemed to have enjoyed yourself there, this would be my personal nightmare. I remember camping once, in a large camper, with my parents and godparents. I didn't enjoy the lack of privacy, especially since I had to share my bunk bed with my [obnoxious] cousin... Camping is definitely not for me!!! But great post!! Looking good in that shirt BTW...
:)~
HUGZ

Tattered and Lost said...

You're right, camping with a tent has enormous charm. I loved it as a kid, but admit now my arthritis prefers the forced air heating, inside bathroom, and mattress of the RV. Still, I look out the window at people cooking breakfast around a camp stove and wish it was me.

Wonderful children's book. I've never seen this one.

Teresa Wilson Rogers said...

What wonderful family memories you have - love the camping photos. The scenery is especially beautiful, you were so lucky to have lived in such a wonderful place. The Little Campers book was a great touch as well!

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