I have an idea...

I've been thinking about this idea for a long time...well at least a couple of years. The one thing I don't like about tent camping is the dampness from the dew and how everything gets wet. But, I like the idea of saving money when we travel. Well, we are going to take a trip to Maine here in a couple of weeks and try camping/sleeping in our mini van! I told Dave when we get sick of sleeping in the van, we'll splurge on a motel!

About 10 years ago I bought this couch/bed thing from a couple of gay guys in the McIntire district of Zanesville. It was meant to be used in the back of a pick up truck with a cap for sleeping. Well, we've used it in the old green van at Buffalo Camp and even slept on it at Casey and Jackie's when they lived in Charleston. It's really not too bad...could be a little thicker but it beats sleeping on the ground.

So, on September 21, 2009, Dave and I are heading out for a 2 week "vagabond" van camping trip to Maine and back. I want to travel all the old 2 lane highways and really see the countryside.

Fall is my favorite time of the year and I am hoping for decent weather. I figure a little desk heater will keep us warm, the van will keep us dry and we can leave the cooking to Ronald.

So far I found a couple of places I want to make sure we see and do:
Maine Seashore and Arcadia National Park
Camping on the Battenkill River in Arlington VT
Finger Lakes regions of New York
Woodstock (did you know the Woodstock movie was where we went on our first date?)
BIG lobster dinner in one of the little seaside villages of Maine

We are leaving after Carrie's craft show at the Back Woods Fest and we'll be back before Baby Caroline's expected arrival. Casey and Jackie are holding down the "JUNK-Shun" while we are gone. Trying to decide whether I should rent a laptop...2 weeks is a long time to go without checking emails and stuff... but I wonder if we'll be able to access wireless in very many places that we are traveling though.

Casey left his Backpacker Magazines in the bathroom so I've been checking out how hikers make do. If backpackers can camp light, we can to! Did you know that a bandana could be used as a towel? It will have to be a huge bandana to dry off this body and I'm not sure why I would need a bandana...but it was useful information!!

Anyway, wish us luck and send along any suggestions..."how to or where to" that you can think of!

Happy Trails:)