As a child.. We went the 15 miles all the way to Sooke..(from Victoria ) My parents were Not camper types .( by the time I was 6 or 7 they were in their mid forties and had not experienced camping… so . we had a small cabin.! (forties in those days is today's 60's ) . My mum , a friend of hers and me.. were at the cabin during the week.. while my dad worked in town and came on the weekends.. It was considered too far, on the old Sooke Winding Road, to commute daily ! Our trip was cut short when a horse stepped on my foot.
A ''real'' camping trip was when my m and d and I went with another couple and their two girls…. To Parksville.. I was tented with the other family (so I could have the camp experience..) while my parents ''camped'' in a tiny motel room up in the town .. In the night I came down with croup.. necessitating.. pots and pots of water being placed in the 46 Studebaker. ! front seat floor to keep it steamed up.. to keep me breathing.. ! !
Another trip also cut short..
Thus ended the camping efforts of my parents to satisfy my desire to ''go camping''
Moving from Arizona back to Canada had lots of camping but that only was experience for the older three…we were as a modern day wagon train…progressing at a snails pace and a camp fire each night
Camping on Hornby Island on the Smallwood's property… was a good memory.. dragging drift wood to the site to build tables chairs and a cooking center.. this was in the early 70's . was with my own. I loved the building of this furniture and somewhere I have photos of the boys dragging up the logs with me and jill doing her art work on the makeshift table !
Camping on Hornby Island on the Smallwood's property… was a good memory.. dragging drift wood to the site to build tables chairs and a cooking center.. this was in the early 70's . was with my own. I loved the building of this furniture and somewhere I have photos of the boys dragging up the logs with me and jill doing her art work on the makeshift table !
Next trips were also with my own children and the Richards. Only a couple of times tho .. at Parksville and Qualicum… I don't remember much. But doing the same chores I did at home but with with more difficulty.. and having concerns ….many concerns,,, about little ones wandering off and bigger ones off on the expanse of beach un attended. ! Must have been fun tho the campfire and moon lit nights.. I liked camping… and strangely we did very little.. Rustic cabins seemed to fall in our path and this could be why the tenting didn't happen..
Some where in this order was a ''family camp''thru the United Brethren church that we went to.. Organized and such a treat for mums as well as kids.. meals were prepared and we were called ! ! activities arranged and craft supplies provided… yes almost a retreat ! for mums of large families.. the Richards went with us.. a most memorable event was the spider bit on nova that had her face swell into the snout of a dog.. sorry I don't have a photo.
Then there were lots of back yard tenting and camp fire pits to help meet the requests to camp.
Does a converted School Bus trip to New Mexico and another to Arkansas.. count..
With morning sickness , frustrated toddlers and teenagers… confined to a bus on a golf course parking lot.. from am rising till physics quitting time. in Los Alamos….. when we could gallivant a little…! Gives rise to memories…. To this day I have apologies that hang heavy on my heart for Jim…
In 1982 , I took off without Dad ! and with the four youngest after a Sons of Scotland picnic.. in Duncan.. We traveled to Hornby Island for the first time in about 12 years.. We camped without preparations at Parksville and Rathtrevor.. on the way..
Slept in car huddled.. ate left overs from the picnic and bought a cabin on Hornby Island . !
Thus endeth camping… as we now had the g''waydumbee cottage…
A great camping trip in Oregon Tree tops.. hosted by John.. was another of our camping's that was a great experience… but also doesn't fall into the 'true art of camping "".
In 1997 ….A five day grand hiking camp was an adventure never to be forgotten.. The TREK across Wyoming.. that simulated the Mormon Pioneers in their trek to Salt Lake City. Many stories to go with that trip.. One closely related to a ''camping'' experience when a huge wind storm came up ….blowing away many tents ! and then the scramble to place children in foster tents for the night ! !
I think the next camping trip was to Flagstaff Arizona traveling with Nova family to meet and greet with Barbara Weston and her family.. a half sister for our five… and five cousins for the twenty grands…This was a proper tent and fire camp !
Another camping outing with Nova family and Jim and Johnny and Denny, Nana, Memo and Tree and Mackenzie and Cooper…….. in Down town Salt Lake City ! on a small farm that had been surrounded by a growing metropolis .
Lots of non camping camp fires at Jill 's Mount road haven… wonderful bon fires and dinners, with people sleeping all over the lawns and decks and grandma camping inside on the comfy couch !
I look forward to reading the reports of others.. as I'm sure I've forgotten other ""Memorable "" camping adventures… ….I appreciate the jogging of my intermittent memory
My 8.. found opportunities of their own to camp… from brownies to teen trips.. I wish I'd given more..
I hope Uncle Lloyd will submit his camping expediencies….over his years… His calendar for April and Sept 2009 already has camping trips planned. I got to enjoy his outdoor camp stove cooking on a trip to the North end of the Island.. as well as in camp grounds all across the us..
Nova, this was a challenging question.. I did a life time of pseudo camping experiences… not what you asked for.. sorry , but now that part of my bio is done !
p.s.
The Novis Brownie camper who suggested this topic
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