For Dawn:

I have been meaning to write this post for a long time. My friend Dawn always asks me about my camping trips and especially our pop up camper.

So Dawn, this is just for YOU:

We have a Coleman (now called Fleetwood) Carmel. It's not the smallest Pop up out there and by no means the largest. It has a king size bed on one side and a full on the other. The mattresses are pretty thick. We have added the "egg crate foam" to our bed and it is quite comfy. We also have a dining table that easily seats four for eating or playing games. A sink, small fridge and three burner stove. hubby bought me a porta potty and now LIFE IS GOOD. (The newer models have potty and shower built in.) Under the seats is lots of storage. Our little pop up has power outlets, running water, lights and A/C built in. We have added a table lamp for evening reading and crafts, fans, space heaters for winter, an alarm clock, portable shelving and some throw pillows to make it feel more like home. Outside we add some lights, recliner chairs, patio cover (so you can go out in your bare feet,), and solar covers on the bunks (emergency tarps from Cabellas that reflect light/heat).

This first photo is our adorable camper all set up in our site. This is Thanksgiving weekend at the Thousand Trails campground on Lake Texoma, so yes, it's a bit dark and bleak but we had a WONDERFUL time.


Next is the camper in Pop-down mode. It usually takes us about 45 minutes to get completely set up/take down. But that includes loading the car, cleaning out the camper, and putting everything back in it's place.

Now we are wrapping it up. Hubby and I each have our jobs with set up and clean up. Sometimes we forget and get in each others way but most of the time we work like a "well oiled camping machine".


And finally the camper is all popped down, then we hitch it to the truck and we are on our way....


So a bit more enlightenment for you non-campers....a typical weekend goes like this for us:

I start to pack and plan meals on Wednesday or Thursday. We load up the truck as soon as we are home on Friday, then head out of town. I used to travel, set up and cook on Friday nights....but now we grab food on the way....sometimes I am smarter than I look...

As soon as we arrive we unpack, set up and get the heat or AC on, then head out for a walk or I sit and knit while Hubby gets a bit of fishing done before the sun goes down. We usually go to bed early on Friday nights. If we camp with other folks we'll sit around a campfire or sit outside for a bit before turning in. If the skies are clear and Hubby has packed one of his scopes he'll head back out for some Astronomy....I don't usually join him as I lack the patience and interest in millions of "little white dots" (except when visiting the National Observatory...WOW). But if he finds a galaxy or planet, then I come out and have a look.

Sat morning, we wake up EARLY, Hubby goes fishing and I stay in my Jammies with the dogs. We cuddle up and watch movies on my computer (in the photo, the dining table is down and the computer is up on the cooler which is how we watch movies together. When it's just me I sit at the table and watch) and knit or listen to podcasts and knit until he returns. Then we go out to breakfast, make coffee etc while I hear all about the fishing adventures. My husband is a great storyteller so this is usually the highlight of my day.



Next we work on crafts, chat with other campers, take a walk, play boardgames/cards or go visit the town that we are camping in. I love to go to small town shops, play golf, or sample local cuisine. Occasionally if the weather is bad we'll go walk around wal-mart (there is always one close by and many campers say you are not camping if you have not made a trip to walmart). Then it's time for a nap.... This is my next favorite part of camping....'nuf said.

Sat evening we'll cook, go out to dinner or just snack. Hubby returns to the water for fishing, I knit and watch another movie and then more astronomy, visiting neighbors or just going to bed early.

Sunday we wake up, repeat the Sat morning routine and then pack up to get home.

It's BILSS! Pure and heavenly bliss.....