Camping memories...

Well hello there!  I can't say that I'm much less tired than last night, but I do have a bit more vim and vigor so I think I can manage something better than a smoking monkey.  Though I have to say, he's pretty darn cool - other than his hair.  His hair is disturbing.  But we shall move on now.

Camping has been a big part of my life ever since I was a child.  When I was quite young my parents bought an Apache tent trailer, much like this one ~

Looks sort of like a funky moth, doesn't it?  I like it.  Circa 1969.  I have vague memories of trying to get to sleep, and my parents having to leave a lantern on in the trailer because I was afraid of the dark.  I was one of THOSE kids, unable to fall asleep unless there was some light source.

LEAVE THE HALL LIGHT ON!

I am happy to report that phase in life is long gone.  I prefer the dark now.

Anyhow, we had many happy family trips with our little Apache, and eventually moved up to a larger Jayco tent trailer, complete with kitchen.  That rig lasted until both my brother and I had left the house, and my parents bought a 5th wheel - which they lived in for about three years!

But where did we go, what did we do all those years with our little tent trailers?  We had a few long trips, to Chicago and California.  But for many years we did a yearly trek to Eastern Washington, and camped with several other families.  Most years we went to Pearrygin Lake, but we also hit Potholes and Sun Lakes.  I think it was at Potholes where I walked barefoot on hot asphalt just after we arrived and burned my feet to the point of blistering!  Great excuse not to water ski.  Heh.

I have a few scanned photos from those trips.  Good times.

Teenagers camping, what to do, what to do...?

Pearrygin Lake, 1982!

Intrepid hikers on Freezeout Ridge.

In which we meet the mountain guru!

Yes, that's a moss beard.  This has got to be one of my all time favorite memories and photos.  He went ahead of us, and we came up the trail to this sight.

We slept outside on lawn chairs... and got yelled at for being too loud too late at night.  The duck ladies were around back then, too!

It's fun to think back on these trips we took every summer.  It's no wonder Pearrygin Lake was my favorite spot on our recent trip!  So many good memories from camping there.  Good friends, good people, good times.