I am a city girl. I love the boutiques, espressos, gelatos. bistros,and people watching. Having said that; my husband's family decided to that for their family reunion, we would meet at the Grand Tetons National Park in Wyoming and camp for a week. I have never been camping.So we shopped at Costco, packed coolers, bought a tent,sleeping bags, lanterns,tarps, rope, bug spray, fishing poles, horse shoes, deck of cards, bio degradable dish soap, packed a million totes and bags with everything we could possibly need for 1 week, with the closest store a 1 1/2 hour drive away. We packed a trailer, and the travel bag that goes on top the car. We packed very carefully and precisely; tight as a drum. After 4 hours asleep we hit the road and drove for 9 hours. I am the only driver as my husband has poor vision and can't pass the vision test to get a driver's license. Was I ever glad to pull into camp where I could finally get comfy and sprawl.
That is not how it works. It is time to "set up camp". I am so naive. Unpack, unhitch, unload, open, secure, make safe, start a campfire and be "Bear Aware", "A fed bear is a dead bear". We are surely going to be killed.
"In the unlikely event that a bear approaches you, play dead, and hopefully he will leave."
"Whatever you do, don't run. If you do run, you don't have to be faster than the bear, just faster than the other people running away with you."
I already have 23 mosquito bites. Yes, I counted.
Who is calling this event "vacation?!"
Six year old nephew searching the Tetons for wildlife.
Beautiful lake area.
Cousins living states away get to know each other.
A trip to Old Faithful. It really does blow every 63 minutes. When it is nearly time, it starts to spit and the crowd goes wild. Oh, there is more, it is just warming up.
Camping does a 14 year old pampered girl some good.
Our group caught a few trout and 2 suckers that eat the scum off the bottom of the lake. They were all thrown back. Obviously, I was not baiting the hooks. I am way too sqweemish for that, at this point.
The fresh air and appreciation of God's creation is all there.
I think I would do it again for a weekend. But, really,...if you like mosquitoes, being dirty and a hassle everytime you have to eat or go to the bathroom, then camping is for you. All of you natural-born campers, I admire you! Those of you who can relate to my feelings, I appreciate the understanding.
