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Anatomy Of A Vacation.

camping-rates

You are looking at one of the things that recommends camping over other vacations: Bossy and her family are paying $16 a night to sleep less than a hundred yards from the lakefront, and a short car’s ride from many New England destinations—including that very famous New England destination, Montreal.

Bossy and her family have gone on cheaper vacations—for instance free—but those vacations tend to go up in smoke a few minutes after the host says,
“You people have been here for ten days—when are you going to paint my master bedroom?”

Some of the other things that recommend camping are this:

exchange-rates

And this:

seashore-rental

But Bossy has a secret about camping: she is very selective, where selective equals picky. Bossy doesn’t like scabby, buggy, shady campgrounds:

shady-camping

And Bossy doesn’t like crowded campgrounds, especially those that are scabby, buggy, and shady:

crowded-camping

Bossy likes her campground sites open, and rolling—kind of like a Civil War battlefield minus the bloody bodies.

When Bossy was first married she tried and failed to enjoy many of the camping opportunities closer to her crowded, buggy state — before locating the first campground to meet her guidelines:

camping-pregnant

The campground was located on Florida’s west coast and featured a manicured lawn that ended in white sand that ended in the Gulf of Mexico. Bossy and her son discovered they liked camping so much they stayed for an entire month, even though Bossy was pregnant.

And then five years ago Bossy and her family discovered their bucolic Vermont State Park quite by accident, where accident means they made a reservation at a different Vermont campground and drove through the front gates and saw crowds and shade and bugs and one mother backhand her little girl against the picnic table. Which is when Bossy and her family drove back through the gates at 60 miles-per-hour and situated themselves on the floor of a local camping store, where they combed through books researching nearby campground alternatives.

And for the last few years Bossy has been content with their bucolic Vermont camping vacation except for three things:

  1. It’s becoming increasingly difficult to engage in a vacation where you can never stand fully upright in your shelter.

  2. Rainy days are really a wash-out. Heh. And

  3. It’s becoming increasingly difficult to house the many supplies necessary for camping when the entire health of your marriage is hinged on the state of the basement.

For all of these reasons, Bossy was interested in exploring the functionality of pop-up trailers, but she had one problem: Bossy’s Honda isn’t weighty enough to tow anything.

OK, she had two problems: Bossy’s Honda isn’t weighty enough to tow anything and Bossy doesn’t have anything to tow.

Enter Bossy’s boyfriends at Saturn, who kicked into high gear—and see how Bossy did that? Made a gear reference right in the middle of her plug for Saturn?

saturn-outlook

Saturn kicked into high gear and facilitated Bossy’s relationship with Viking, a company that won’t be caught trailing the competition—and see how Bossy did that? Made a trailer reference right in the middle of her plug for Viking?

trailer-side-view

Anyway. Regarding her latest camping experience, Bossy has a few things to report plus another secret:

First the secret:

sink-area

Bossy totally underused the many available features in her Viking. For instance this kitchen area. Bossy likes to keep it real, where real means buying fat steaks at the local camp store and grilling them on the campfire griddle, accompanied with a glass of Chianti—which is to say Bossy’s version of camping is a little like Goldie Hawn’s imagined version of the Army, which includes exotic locations, lunches out, and sandals.

So Bossy didn’t use the stove or the running water or the refrigerator in her pop-up trailer—just like she didn’t use the available electricity, the hot-water heater, the overhead lights, the fan, or the attachable outdoor shower.

But in terms of Bossy’s full report, she can tell you this: pop-up trailer camping still feels very much like camping. The expanse of every vinyl wall unzips to full screens:

through-trailer

airy-bunk1

And compared to airline tickets and hotels and rental cars and beach tags and daily restaurants, the initial investment of a pop-up trailer is minimal and allows proximity to areas otherwise unaffordable.

And pop-up trailers solve many of the problems associated with camping, such as not being able to stand upright inside the tent, not having a place to hang out comfortably when it rains, and not knowing where to store the camp accoutrement: Bossy’s Viking has ample storage and when not in use, most of these items can live in the trailer, freeing up the basement and saving the twenty-year marriage.

Tons Of Information About Traveling In A Recreational Vehicle.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  4. That looks like SO much fun. I am ready for a pop-up adventure. Apparently, however, there isn’t anyone who rents ’em within 200 miles of me!

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  5. I think this has pretty much talked my very British hubby how HATES camping with a passion, into PERHAPS (and perhaps ALWAYS means YES MAYBE DEFINITELY!) purchasing a tent-trailer. I grew up with them and being that I couldn’t put a traditional tent up to save my life (it always ends badly…swearing and consuming much alcohol), and don’t want a big behemoth trailer/RV, its the perfect solution!

    And provided I had lots adult beverages, I’d be quite content in that there little Viking!

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  6. That looks like a lot of fun. My husband grew up camping. My family – not so much!! We did a little tent camping when my son was small, and had a good time, although for me, its all about the BATHROOM situation!

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  8. I have grown to love your blog just like I grew to love camping in my pop-up. My husband is no longer with me but I have such fond memories (that are coming back alot as you camp) I think you should ask your Saturn husband and your Viking boyfriend if you might extend your relationship just a bit to try these two parks. You and I seem to have the same taste in campgrounds and these two don’t require the drive through NY that requires a massage to get there, not saying massages aren’t great, just saying… I am from South Jersey and love the beach. The Depot is the only campground that I am aware of that is on the island and not on Rt 9. Assateague is an easy drive as well. And well there are horses and ocean right out your pop up door. Hope this helps for the sake of the marriage.

    http://www.dnr.state.md.us/publiclands/eastern/assateague.html
    http://www.thedepottravelpark.com/

    Oh, and hurry up and make your reservations cause now everyone in the world knows the secret little gems.

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  12. So does this mean Bossy’s buying a Viking? I can’t figure out why you didn’t use the electrical or hot water. You have a Bossy cooler so I get not needing the frig or stove..grilling outdoors is the best.
    Happy trails to the Bossy family!

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  13. I’m not a big fan of outdoor staying of any kind. But Bossy, you’ve actually made that look fun.
    And Saturn and Viking are definitely good ones for this. 😉

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  14. Camping? Ugh. Unless it involves a hotel and electrical outlets, I can’t think of a worse way to spend even 5 minutes. Make that one minute.

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  17. A great site in the middle of VT is Lake Champagne (no, not Champlain, CHAMPAGNE) – seriously – it’s in Randolph Center, VT. Lovely, lovely place.

    AND if you love butter, and you are visiting that country to the north – try their soy margarine – mmmmm (Mirage brand is a good one, or there is a brand that begins with an “L”, that’s good, too)! Durn, if I knew you were going to Canada, I would have given you a cooler and a shopping list!

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  23. Manic Mommy camped a lot in her youth. Now she prefers room service. Manic Mommy’s husband had a cottage growing up. Frankly the MM’s camper was quite a bit nicer.

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  25. Well, this little sweetie is just PERFECT for me! I vant to be alone, if you know what I mean. Me & books & CDS & my cat & maybe not even the CDs, maybe just silence & the cicadas & treefrogs singing outside. I even have the perfect spot. And hey! If my ever-wonderful significant other wants to visit, he can. Or maybe he could get one also & we could just park ’em side by side. I am SO liking this idea.

    🙂 Debi

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  27. I find tent-trailers really cozy…except when you have to crank them up just enough in the church parking lot right before a wedding so you can get out of your camping clothes and into wedding clothes just in time for the actual ceremony.

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  28. I can totally picture Bossy rockin’ the Army Goldie-Hawn-style!
    I grew up in a pop-up trailer and LOVED, LOVED, LOVED it – and it wasn’t half as nice as Bossy’s Viking.
    My sister just got a pop-up, but camping in Texas requires a few more amenities – like air conditioning!!

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  33. Sign me up! I want a Saturn and a Viking and a happy husband!
    Can I order those, or are they custom made?

    I so want to climb right up in that airy bunk, plop down with a book and enjoy the day away!!

    You…you make camping fun…(sing in Fleetwood Mac style, please…)

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  34. Underused??? Really. Past tense? Is it over? Didn’t we just get there…beautiful bucolic Vermont?? Where did summer go? Elementary school in the south starts this Monday. I’m aghast (& sorry for posing TOO MANY questions!)

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  36. i was taught at a very early age: camping = 42 foot motorhome with hot water, electricity, t.v., TOILET, mircrowave, and a/c

    yeah, i was pretty much a very spoiled child when it came to “camping”

    Reply

  37. Either you are using a fisheye lens or that pop-up is HUGE! Try a trip across Canada sometime. Start at Niagara Falls and go either east or west. The provincial parks have got some of the most amazing campgrounds I have ever seen. But you know…I bet they would look even better with a Saturn and a Viking in them.

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  39. Would Bossy consider sharing her top few campgrounds in Vermont with FOM? I can’t tell you how much time I’ve spent looking at guides/websites/etc. So much conflicting info! We don’t want crowds or campgrounds where someone dressed like a chipmunk takes the kids to activities. We haven’t upgraded to the pop-up yet—later this month, we’ll take three kids and our two-room tent to NH for 5 days. Wish us luck (and no rain).

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  41. OK – I’m dying to know what park you are in. Northern VT is my former ‘hood and most of my extended family still lives up there.

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  43. Bossy brings back memories with those photos. Many memories. Mostly noxious ones of camping with the brother who would become SPTLM (St. Paul the Lutheran Minister)

    However, Bossy has cracked me up with her Google Ads lineup. Jayco Popup Trailers, Coleman Popup Trailers, USED Popup Trailers, and Photos of Wedding Cakes.

    One of these things is not like the others…

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  52. Bossy’s camping expedition has me seriously considering renting a pop-up next summer and vegging out at a campground for a week. Or twelve.

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  53. Bossy – glad everything has worked out for your trip. I just got back from taking my Viking P/U to the amazing beaches of Western Michigan. Its a great way to vacation!

    I think your next trip should get you back in a Sky Red Line Turbo.

    Mike
    One of “Bossy’s Saturn Boyfriends”

    Reply

  54. The Dr prefers to solve the standing upright problem by buying a tent so large it looks like we’re part of the park service. And that’s the one we sleep in. The other “day tent” well that is the one with multi rooms and porches.. we sort of qualify as our own tent city.

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  55. Even with the Bossy cooler, the fridge is a vital ingredient. When we go (in our truck camper), we never even have to take a cooler. It’s so nice to have a freezer and cold beverages whenever necessary. Definitely the way to go. Hubby is complaining now, because sons want to go to the beach and he has to shell out $2,000 for a condo. Spoiled children don’t want to camp.

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  56. We bought an old school viking trailer this year. 20 years old. They totally stand the test of time. This is the best way to camp, especially with kids, no gross dirty shoes or socks tracking over sleeping bags on the ground.

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  57. Camping… I shudder…. Camping after reading the logical choices of camping with a pop up. Oh CAMPING! Cool!

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  59. We spent most of yesterday looking at the same beautiful Vermont clouds. Local told us this has been the rainiest summer in 50 years.

    xoxo, SG

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  60. Serious camper envy here. Pop ups are a microcosm of everything you need at arm’s length. What if everyone in the world had to live in pop ups all over the world. Pretty soon, some of us would be more equal than others and get a primo spot by the white sand. Nevermind.

    Reply

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