The Evolution of Our Camping

Having just spent three months in South Texas in our motor home, I began to think back on our camping and RV experiences.

As a child, I don't remember our family ever "going camping".  We went on quite a few vacations but we always stayed in a motel or rented a cabin.  After I grew up and left home, Dad and Mom did get a travel trailer and spent a great deal of time traveling.

When I married Louise, our first vacation together was a camping trip.  We had moved to the Detroit area because of my job and decided to go camping in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.  We rented a tent, bought a lantern and portable cook stove, and took off.  It was one of the most memorable trips of our life!

Later, after we had returned to the Tulsa area and started having children, we did quite a bit of camping, starting with tents and camping with our friends, Richie and Leann and Grover and Barbara.  We soon graduated to an old Ford van which we used for a while, then an overhead camper in the pickup truck.

Eventually, we acquired an old 22' bumper pull travel trailer and pulled it all over the United States, including a trip to Virginia to see our old friends, Jerry and Marlene.  In 1986, we were part of the group which purchased Tulsa Winch and sold the travel trailer for two reasons: first, we needed the money, and second, we weren't going to have any time to go camping.

At this point, I was reasonably sure that our camping or RVing days were over.  In fact, my standard comment on camping and RV's was that I would do all my future camping at a Holiday Inn.  After my retirement in 1998, however, that changed.

Some friends who were RV'ers said something about us going on some trips with them.  I thought it might be wise to rent an RV to see what it was all about.  After I checked some prices for rentals, however, I decided I didn't want to do that.  We wound up buying a used Sprinter fifth wheel trailer from a couple who were giving it up.

The Sprinter was a good trailer but you couldn't stand up in the bedroom.  To exit the bed, the person closest to the front of the trailer had to crawl over the other person.  We also decided that we needed more room.  This was about the time we started going to South Texas in the winter and, when you spend three months in an RV, you appreciated all the space you can get.  We traded the Sprinter for a brand new Everest fifth wheel.

We pulled the Everest all over the U.S. for several years and had a great time in it.  I was towing it with a 1999 International and it was a good looking combination.  Eventually, the International grew tired and I was faced with the prospect of replacing it.

In about 2010, Louise and I decided to try a motorhome instead of a trailer.  We traded the fifth wheel off on a used Holiday Rambler bus and used it for about five years.  Last year, we traded the Holiday Rambler off on a Tiffin Open Road with four slides.  It has more room than any RV we've ever had and we are really enjoying it.  In fact, we just returned from Roaring River in Missouri where we spend a week.

I don't know how long we'll be able to continue to RV but, for now, we are gonna go every chance we get!

Our Bermuda Vacation

Louise and I just returned from a week-long vacation to Bermuda.  I had thought about a trip there for several years and I guess you could say that I had it on my bucket list.

We flew from Tulsa to Hamilton, Bermuda via Chicago and New York.  We had to spend a night in New York because all the flights to Hamilton leave in the morning and arrive about noon.  Naturally, all the flights were delayed and otherwise messed up but we got to Hamilton about when we thought we would.

The island of Bermuda was discovered by the either the Portuguese or the Spanish (I think they are still arguing about this) in the 16th century but no people were left on the island to stake a claim.  In 1609, an English ship headed for Jamestown got off course and was forced to land in Bermuda.  The island became a British colony and remains part of the British Commonwealth today.

We really enjoyed our vacation.  The island is full of neat beachs and quaint, small cottages.  We used the bus system all week to get around and it worked well.  Plus, we didn't have to drive on their narrow, winding streets.  Most people who live in Bermuda get around by riding scooters.  It's not unusual to see a well dressed businesswoman in a skirt and high heels tooling down the street on a scooter.

Bermuda shorts really were created in Bermuda.  The typical businessman there wears a jacket and tie, Bermuda shorts and knee high socks.  Most of the shorts are of pastel colors, coral, yellow, pink, and green as are the houses.

One thing we were warned about but still surprised at anyway was the cost of goods in Bermuda.  Louise and I typically spent $60-$70 together for breakfast and about the same for lunch.  Dinner was upwards of $110 for a couple.  There are no fast food chains in Bermuda; the government has banned them.

Although Louise and I flew to the island, there are several cruise lines which have Bermuda as their destination.  There are three cruise line ports in Bermuda and we saw cruise ships at all of them.  We decided that, if we were to return, we would take a cruise there where we could go back to the ship for our meals.

The trip home was similar to the trip out except that we went from Bermuda to Washington Reagan to Charlotte to Tulsa.  And, like the trip out, all the schedules were messed up.  We got home the other morning at 3:30 a.m.  Needless to say, we slept very well when we got home.

I think we will try a destination a bit less expensive next trip.  We've talked about Belize or Costa Rica.  I'll let you know.