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DCRunningDiva
Look at me!!! ©
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Joined: 10 Oct 2003
Posts: 9344
Location: Washington DC Metro
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 Posted: 05/30/05 - 14:32 Post subject: Camping is GREAT!
It's been a long, long time since I've been camping but last night was our first time going as a family. We only spent one night at the campgrounds just to get our son (and our friends' three kids) used to the whole idea.
The day started off great with a "1 mile" trail that ended up being about a 4 mile trail. No big deal you say? Try doing it with 2 toddlers on their dad's back, a 4-yr old, two 6-yr olds and a 7 year old (we had another family end up coming with us). It turned out okay, though...just a long walk.
We got back to the campsite and started making dinner while the kids continued to play. We had an early dinner and then my son decided he wasn't feeling well. I made him go to the tent to get a litte rest where he immediatly began throwing up! I thought we were going to have to come back home but after a second throwing up (boy, he sure did remind me of my marathon experience...  ) and a shower he ended up starting to feel better.
The kids went down around 9 p.m. and the adults hung out around the campfire chatting until time for us to go to bed.
Around 2-3 a.m. some drunks came walking down the street of the camping area and were scared off by a car coming (probably thought it was the park ranger) and ended up running into our campsite and trying to hide behind my two-person tent (which is where my son & I slept). My husband ended up sleeping in the car for numerous reasons 1) he didn't have his C-pap with him so he was snoring like a freakin' freight train and 2) the two person tent was much smaller than we thought it would be. Anyway, after a little while the guys left our camping area and went to the bathrooms. Well, being the pregnant woman I am I had to really go pee but I could hear the drunks over by the bathrooms breaking bottles and all kinds of stuff but I couldn't wait any longer so I decided to get out of my tent and take my husband to the bathrooms with me. I went to wake him up and it startled him so much he almost did a TKD move on me!  I'm like, "HONEY! IT'S ME!" I think it scared him so much he decided he needed to go pee as well.
Anyway, someone had a dog barking most of the night, I could hear moaning from  which was probably from the drunks (they were just a few tents away and VERY loud!), cars were going by all hours of the night, and then morning came. I'm a little sleepy now, obviously!
Once everyone woke up we had our breakfast and then packed up to leave. My son (even though he puked and ended up with a bloody lip from playing football) had the time of his life and can't wait to go again!
Looks like we'll have to invest in our own tent now. 
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TOsteve
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Joined: 08 Dec 2004
Posts: 1468
Location: Out for a run
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Posted: 05/30/05 - 14:49 Post subject:
You just described the exact reason why I refuse camp in public campgrounds. If you don't need a canoe to get to your campsite, I'd rather pitch a tent in the back yard and call that camping.
At least your son had fun and props to you for being tough enough to willingly sleep in a tent while pregnant!
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JACKED UP
PRESIDENT
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Joined: 06 Jun 2003
Posts: 21238
Location: www.johnnydu.com
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Posted: 05/30/05 - 14:59 Post subject:
Glad you had fun. I hate camping. 
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kristin31
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Joined: 15 May 2002
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Location: Caught in the crossfire of childhood and stardom
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Posted: 05/30/05 - 15:22 Post subject:
Wow. My idea of camping the the Hyatt in Wyoming.
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robp
Pyromaniac
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Joined: 26 Jul 2002
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Location: Waiting in line at the beer store...
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Posted: 05/30/05 - 15:38 Post subject:
I'm kinda with Steve on this one but since that kind of camping is almsot non-existant in Ohio we venture to the public campgrounds. Around here though the loud drunks get silenced by one visit from the ranger - if the shenanigans continue they'll haul them out. The few places we do camp the sites are spread apart pretty well and everything is wooded. Biggest problems stems from the 1/2 tame coons that raid each site looking for handouts. If they don't get a hand out they resort to stealing your food even if you're sitting right there. I had a mama racoon show her two coonlets how to steal a bag of hamburg buns right out from in under my lawn chair with me sitting in it.... after the kiddies had failed miserably she just strode in there, grabbed the bag and hightailed it. They then spent the next 1/2 hour fighting with each other over who got what bun....
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Kimba90
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Posted: 05/30/05 - 17:35 Post subject:
 Oh my gosh you should have posted this as your workout under Race Reports.
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DCRunningDiva
Look at me!!! ©
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Joined: 10 Oct 2003
Posts: 9344
Location: Washington DC Metro
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Posted: 05/30/05 - 18:14 Post subject:
| kristin31 wrote: | | Wow. My idea of camping the the Hyatt in Wyoming. |
Uh...yeah. Up until last night that was my idea, too. I forgot to mention we had to not only borrow a tent but also sleeping bags. WE.DON'T.CAMP!
...until now.
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j1miller
Puppy Love!
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Joined: 07 Jul 2002
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Location: Lost on trail.
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Posted: 05/30/05 - 18:18 Post subject:
I have a camper and three tents! I love to camp, just no one to go with lately. 
I like to go to the state or National Parks. I've never had a bad experience with drunks or other strange people.
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robp
Pyromaniac
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Location: Waiting in line at the beer store...
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Posted: 05/30/05 - 18:32 Post subject:
| j1miller wrote: | I have a camper and three tents! I love to camp, just no one to go with lately.
I like to go to the state or National Parks. I've never had a bad experience with drunks or other strange people. |
Uh could it be the folks in the campsite next to yours who was complaining about drunks and strange people?
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j1miller
Puppy Love!
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Joined: 07 Jul 2002
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Location: Lost on trail.
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Posted: 05/30/05 - 18:32 Post subject:
| robp wrote: |
Uh could it be the folks in the campsite next to yours who was complaining about drunks and strange people? |
not I... said the spider, to the fly....
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DCRunningDiva
Look at me!!! ©
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Joined: 10 Oct 2003
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Location: Washington DC Metro
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Posted: 05/30/05 - 18:39 Post subject:
| robp wrote: |
Uh could it be the folks in the campsite next to yours who was complaining about drunks and strange people? |
I like the way she said "other" strange people.
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j1miller
Puppy Love!
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Joined: 07 Jul 2002
Posts: 15447
Location: Lost on trail.
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Posted: 05/30/05 - 18:43 Post subject:
| DCRunningDiva wrote: |
I like the way she said "other" strange people. |
Hey NOW!
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DCRunningDiva
Look at me!!! ©
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Joined: 10 Oct 2003
Posts: 9344
Location: Washington DC Metro
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Posted: 05/30/05 - 18:44 Post subject:
You said it, not me!
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Ms. Jenn
Fresh, Hot & Wild
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Joined: 14 Feb 2004
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Posted: 05/30/05 - 19:02 Post subject:
I'm with Kristin.
Camping is awful.
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airehead
Oompa Loofah
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Joined: 12 Nov 2002
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Location: Between here and eternity...
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Posted: 05/30/05 - 20:06 Post subject:
I'm glad you enjoyed it! I hope you guys get to go again soon--but to somewhere good! KOA camps are almost always good and quiet and good family locations.
I used to hate camping until we decided to camp on our trek from Alaska to Texas up the East Coast to Jersey.
We had the time of our lives. So much that we camped three years later when we drove from Joisey to Cali.
Camping, when done right, is DA BOMB!!
1. Proper equipment
2. Pre plan your sites
3. Pack everything neatly and make it accesible
4. Plan for emergencies and contigencies.
Always buy a bigger tent than you think you'll need. The bed rolls that they sell for under the sleeping bags ROCK!
And, as an odd side note: Cats do like camping!
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