Camping? When did you start.
When you were introduced to the camping lifestyle, was that first experience in your back yard, a KOA type park, Other types of private camps, or State, Federal or Local facilities. When we as a fami...
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In 1963 my dad came home one night with a brand new 18 foot Phoenix Travel Trailer. I was 8 years old. The very first trip was from Central Indiana, where we lived, to Louisville, KY. We stayed at a mobile home park that had a section for campers. The event was the national Square Dance Convention that year.
While Mom and Dad danced the night away, my two sisters were responsible for me. I was 8, they were 14 an 15 years old. Basically, we were left pretty much to fend for ourselves. We made several friends at that place and I learned to ride my first bicycle for a littler girl than me. She ended up pushing me down this long hill, I retained my balance, but didn't know how to stop. So I drug my feet, which ended up flipping upside down and the tops of both my feet drag the asphalt. Yup ... I didn't have shoes on either. Well, I was skinned to the bone, but I learned how to ride a bicycle that day!
Every year we went to a different national Square Dance convention. 1968 was Dallas Texas, I remember Florida, Philadephia, and some other locations also. There was another family we befrended who also square danced and they had 3 kids too, about the same ages as me and my two sisters. Our parents visited each other's square dance club quite often and us kids would always get together. These were good times.
We also took several trips outside of the Square Dance arena. Finally, when I was 11, Dad parked the camper at a season site at a very primative campground where a group of us boys returned year after year and pretty much had the park to ourselves. We would camp out in cots under a tree, have our own campfire, fished all night long and created some really good memories. When it came time for the annual convention again, Dad would pull the camper out, bring it home, clean it up, restock it, and off to the next convention. Once it was over, he returned the camper back to the campground.
That was my start.
While Mom and Dad danced the night away, my two sisters were responsible for me. I was 8, they were 14 an 15 years old. Basically, we were left pretty much to fend for ourselves. We made several friends at that place and I learned to ride my first bicycle for a littler girl than me. She ended up pushing me down this long hill, I retained my balance, but didn't know how to stop. So I drug my feet, which ended up flipping upside down and the tops of both my feet drag the asphalt. Yup ... I didn't have shoes on either. Well, I was skinned to the bone, but I learned how to ride a bicycle that day!
Every year we went to a different national Square Dance convention. 1968 was Dallas Texas, I remember Florida, Philadephia, and some other locations also. There was another family we befrended who also square danced and they had 3 kids too, about the same ages as me and my two sisters. Our parents visited each other's square dance club quite often and us kids would always get together. These were good times.
We also took several trips outside of the Square Dance arena. Finally, when I was 11, Dad parked the camper at a season site at a very primative campground where a group of us boys returned year after year and pretty much had the park to ourselves. We would camp out in cots under a tree, have our own campfire, fished all night long and created some really good memories. When it came time for the annual convention again, Dad would pull the camper out, bring it home, clean it up, restock it, and off to the next convention. Once it was over, he returned the camper back to the campground.
That was my start.
