just 2 observations
after just finishing our FL home state camping season with a 16 day trip to 4 state parks the dw and I noted 2 things 1. totally surprised at the number of very long trailers (like 30') being pulled...
Forum Discussion
Maybe it's all a matter of perspective of each one of our own back grounds and experiences how we feel about noise and light.
When we lived in town, we were surrounded by neighbors with pretty decent acreage for being in town. But it was still town (or suburbia is really more like it.)
Going to a nearby campground was wonderful! Now granted, it wasn't 100% pitch dark at night. Campers lit the place up pretty good. But back then, I didn't think too much about it. After all, after living in town, this was wonderful! It was still better than being surrounded by a bunch of neighbors and house lights.
Move forward in time, some 10 years pass, and (for reasons outside this topic) we moved to the country. Here it was dark at night, quiet, peaceful, closest neighbor and I had adjoining properties, but surrounded by corn and bean fields. You could hear the coyotes howling at night (kind of creepy if your not use to that and makes you respect nature rather quick). I noticed also living there that when the coyotes howled, house lights across the fields would come on in the distance. It took a while to learn that when they start howling, leave the outside lights on and they won't come around.
About this same time we moved, the economy took a nose turn, fuel prices sky rocked, there was a constant threat of loosing our jobs, and we were dealing with the house in town, trying to sell it (which was a night mare). Financially and time wise, it was just difficult to go camping. So we did a LOT of drive way camps. And actually, we realized camping in the drive way (or our back yard) was much more pleasnat than going to campground. It was quiet, dark, peaceful, no kids running through our property, no dogs stopping and poo-ing on our turf (except the neighbors), no roudy neighbor campers. In other words, it really was the "perfect" camping experience. We have a fire pit, sat around a campfire right at home, laughed, joked, and enjoyed the solitude.
Move forward a little more in time, money freed-up finally, the economy got better, things turned around, and after venturing out very far in over 2 years we decided it was time to hit the State Parks. So off we went.
Remember, by now we've been spoiled by the joy of solitude! So when we went to that first State Park, we were a bit taken back. Campsites were relatively close where we were park, and it was constant movement all around us. A car drove down our row of campsites about every 5 minutes it seemed. Kids running around, dogs barking, and then at night, it looks like the Las Vegas strip.
We went to bed a bit early, but noise and lights came right through. Finally, at some strange hour of the night, it finally got quiet. Took the dog out for nightly "constitutional" and the place was lit up like a Christmas Tree! Oh well.
Next morning... 6:30 am! We hear the sound of motorized cars on the asphalt with rocks crunching under the wheels. 2 kids out there racing each other, hearing that 'whirr... whirr.... whirr" sound. Buried our heads in our pillows and finally got up ourselves.
My wife and I both sat there at the table and I looked at her and said, "Why did we come here? We have better peace at home!"
It was a while before we ventured to another State Park, but eventually we got into the swing of it again. We made it our goal to camp in every State Park and recreation area in Indiana, and we made it.
To somehow bring an end to this elongated story, now that we are older, having experienced life from a few different perspectives, we still enjoy a nice dark campground. Maybe that's why we enjoy late Fall, Winter and Early Spring the best now. Campgrounds are not occupied as much, things are much quieter, and it's really enjoyable not being surrounded by "activity".
Although, when there is "activity" we've learned to just sit back and watch the fun! We might be getting older, but we've also learned to let the younger "ones" have their fun!
We now sit back and laugh and chuckle and whisper to each other how would would have handled "that" situation different when the kid threw the rock, hit his sister, or the wife gets upset with the husband, or grandma is left doing it all!
We go to bed. Take our Melatonin and sleep like babies!
When we lived in town, we were surrounded by neighbors with pretty decent acreage for being in town. But it was still town (or suburbia is really more like it.)
Going to a nearby campground was wonderful! Now granted, it wasn't 100% pitch dark at night. Campers lit the place up pretty good. But back then, I didn't think too much about it. After all, after living in town, this was wonderful! It was still better than being surrounded by a bunch of neighbors and house lights.
Move forward in time, some 10 years pass, and (for reasons outside this topic) we moved to the country. Here it was dark at night, quiet, peaceful, closest neighbor and I had adjoining properties, but surrounded by corn and bean fields. You could hear the coyotes howling at night (kind of creepy if your not use to that and makes you respect nature rather quick). I noticed also living there that when the coyotes howled, house lights across the fields would come on in the distance. It took a while to learn that when they start howling, leave the outside lights on and they won't come around.
About this same time we moved, the economy took a nose turn, fuel prices sky rocked, there was a constant threat of loosing our jobs, and we were dealing with the house in town, trying to sell it (which was a night mare). Financially and time wise, it was just difficult to go camping. So we did a LOT of drive way camps. And actually, we realized camping in the drive way (or our back yard) was much more pleasnat than going to campground. It was quiet, dark, peaceful, no kids running through our property, no dogs stopping and poo-ing on our turf (except the neighbors), no roudy neighbor campers. In other words, it really was the "perfect" camping experience. We have a fire pit, sat around a campfire right at home, laughed, joked, and enjoyed the solitude.
Move forward a little more in time, money freed-up finally, the economy got better, things turned around, and after venturing out very far in over 2 years we decided it was time to hit the State Parks. So off we went.
Remember, by now we've been spoiled by the joy of solitude! So when we went to that first State Park, we were a bit taken back. Campsites were relatively close where we were park, and it was constant movement all around us. A car drove down our row of campsites about every 5 minutes it seemed. Kids running around, dogs barking, and then at night, it looks like the Las Vegas strip.
We went to bed a bit early, but noise and lights came right through. Finally, at some strange hour of the night, it finally got quiet. Took the dog out for nightly "constitutional" and the place was lit up like a Christmas Tree! Oh well.
Next morning... 6:30 am! We hear the sound of motorized cars on the asphalt with rocks crunching under the wheels. 2 kids out there racing each other, hearing that 'whirr... whirr.... whirr" sound. Buried our heads in our pillows and finally got up ourselves.
My wife and I both sat there at the table and I looked at her and said, "Why did we come here? We have better peace at home!"
It was a while before we ventured to another State Park, but eventually we got into the swing of it again. We made it our goal to camp in every State Park and recreation area in Indiana, and we made it.
To somehow bring an end to this elongated story, now that we are older, having experienced life from a few different perspectives, we still enjoy a nice dark campground. Maybe that's why we enjoy late Fall, Winter and Early Spring the best now. Campgrounds are not occupied as much, things are much quieter, and it's really enjoyable not being surrounded by "activity".
Although, when there is "activity" we've learned to just sit back and watch the fun! We might be getting older, but we've also learned to let the younger "ones" have their fun!
We now sit back and laugh and chuckle and whisper to each other how would would have handled "that" situation different when the kid threw the rock, hit his sister, or the wife gets upset with the husband, or grandma is left doing it all!
We go to bed. Take our Melatonin and sleep like babies!
