Well, some folks died, some got too old to go camping, some got disabled, and some went on to other things!
Thats the nature of life now. Ya gets too late schmardt, and too soon oldt!
We;ve gone on to other interests. When my kids moved out, and went on to their life jobs, got married, and all that, we didn't go camping nearly as much. The Camper is old. Built in 1978. Still runs and drives, but when this 86 year old "Geezer" drives into a campground, everybody hides behind a tree! I still have all of my "marbles" and consider myself as a better than average driver, but now that my dear wife is having health problems, i can't get away like before. Don't worry, go camping-you will find other campers still at it. Go, make friends, be friendly, tell other folks about this web-site, and invite them to join in!

I guess I have to consider myself lucky. At 60, I'm certainly not a youngster, but I have a 14 year old son who's in the scouts. We get to go camping once a month all year and for a week in the summer. They're all in scout camps some being more rustic than others. It varies between cabins, leetos and tenting. We also get to introduce the arts of camping to newcomers and have the comradary of the adults once the little ones are fast asleep.

Most enjoyable

This used to be my favorite place to browse. Loved Rustyj14's camping/fishing exploits years ago. Nothing happens here anymore. Liz

Hello, Jo here. Glad to see the site is still here! It has been too long since I last posted, but hope to change that.

I ready to wash the camper and hit the road! March should have some nice days to do just that!

Jo

When Spike sold the entire Garden Web site to IVillage a few years ago. IVillage messed it up bad with pop ups and garbage then turned around and wanted to charge people to use it.

When they did that I would say that at 75 to 80% of the people left Garden Web and very few of them came back even after they cleaned it up and made it a free site again.

The damage was done and it never did recover and most likely never will.

Last fall, 2010, we camped at a park between Marble and Carbondale, CO. The aspens were on the back side of their glory. We're not primitive campers, Class B+. We boondocked and had a piece of heaven. Hardly anyone camping. The camp is between a couple mountain ranges with a stream running thru it. The stars lit up the sky like fireworks on the 4th of July. That's camping. I hear there are some places in Arkansas that may be worth a visit. Anybody know?

Hi all, I was just looking through my favorites and looked up this site. I also missed the communications with everyone. I haven't been camping much lately, but hope to get back to it...probably car camping rather than motorcycle.

Well, as i sit here, peering out at the snow melting away, i am getting back to thoughts of camping, or a reasonable facsimile of it.
Ruth is feeling much better, after her throat opening operation (A gift of many years of smoking.) But, her lungs aren't getting much better. (Another gift of smoking)
This summer, i'll probably be going in my little pick-up. I'll make up a cap for it, and sleep in the back, near the terlets! There are 4-5 Bluegrass happenings i'd like to attend, but the price of gasoline will be the factor in that.
But, today, here in W. PA., the sun is out, the snow is gasping its last, i have several things to do now, to get ready for summer.
Most of the folks from our camping club have gone on, but i do see a few once in a while. They don't go any more. Too tough on the old body to sleep out in a tent, they say. Me? I'm 86 this summer (well, last September) but i still like to sleep out in a tent or camper cap or a motor home. The skeeters take one bite, spit it out, and go on to younger victims!
We've had all kinds of campers, from a world war one army tent, to our motor home, with a bunch of tent campers tossed into the mix, and one truck cap.
I'd see a cheap panel truck on a car lot, buy it for cheap, drive it a week, then stuff some sleeping bags, a 50 year old gasoline stove, a jug of clean water, a box of food, an old ice chest, and dishes, and go off for a weekend of fishing! Yeah, i looked like a Gypsy, but i had fun. Ruth always said it gave her a rest from housework. I took her fishing once, but she got her hook caught in her jeans more than in a fish! Thats when she decided it'd be much better for me to go with my buddies, and leave her at home!
We got into camping way back around 1965. I had the old Army tent stuffed away in storage, so we took that, my ancient gasoline stove, a styrofoam ice chest,plenty of blankets, food, and cash.
I had taken a ratty old '53 Mercury station wagon on trade for a car i sold, so we loaded it up with the camping stuff, tied the tent, ridge pole and others on the roof rack, loaded the 2 kids and Ruth in it, and went off to Shawnee State Park, in PA.
Before going any further, i must say this: Who ever owned the wagon before me, had taken off the wooden side rails from the doors, etc., plugged the holes with masking tape, and painted it all with a brush. So, there we go---looking like Tobacco Roaders, and happy! (A pause, while i laugh at the thought!)
WE got to the park, and they finally let us come in to camp. They put us right beside some smarmy old geezer, who towed his AIRSTREAM with an INTERNATIONAL STATION WAGON!!! Those were the De Rigeur for towing, at that point in time. Well, he looked at us with a "Jaundiced eye", and refused to talk to us.
I'm not the kind to be harmed by smarmy old stuck up gents that drive trucks. Nor International station wagons.
We got the tent set up, the camp stove working, made coffee, draped some plastic sheeting, ate supper, got a little camp fire going, toasted marsh-mallows, and were happy----went to bed----and----BOOM, came the lightening, and the RAIN--lots of it--tank cars full of it-- and the WIND--much. It flowed into the tent, and it flowed out! It came in thru the canvas, and flowed out, after giving all of us a cold bath! Thank heaven the windows rolled up on the car. We finished the night out, inside of it.
Next day, we went back home. Ruth went to Sears and Roebuck's the next week and bought a new tent, sleeping bags, blankets, and a plethora of camping gear, including a new gasoline stove and an ice chest and water jug! And, we also bought a much better looking car, too! And, went camping in style!

Looks like this is pretty much a dead forum. But I feel like writing........

Well Rusty I'm 10 years your junior but about 20 years senior at camping out. Started in about 1946-7. All on the ground. No stove - just a knife, hatchet and small bucksaw. Carried 2 matches per planned fire (always tried for just one). Rain? Turn the canoe over and crawl under. Later we did have a tent but just put it up for rain - slept out completely - you miss a lot inside that tent. Spent as much as 4 months at a time out on the northern forests, plains and mountains in every kind of weather.

Seldom ever camped in a regulation campground. I recall one time we did and it was coming down to rain. A guy next to us had a fly tarp over a table and a gasoline stove. We built our fire in the rain on the ground and cooked/ate dinner while he tried and failed to get that stove going. Oh boy was he P.O'd.- cussing and swearing and slamming around. I'd have invited him to eat with us but thought discretion was the best course. That was about 1961 and my hair was long - yes, discretion was best.

If my 1st wife and I felt like a picnic we just went weather be damned. Took my 2nd wife camping 3 times and it snowed on us each time :-). End of that story. Love takes its toll. All my camping gear is stored in a back corner of the shed now. I look at it every few years and get a bit nostalgic.

Oh, I am still here! And still in good health at age 87! Celebrated the New Year last night, down at the neighbors. Wife uses oxygen, and it ran out before midnight, so we had to hot-foot it home, before the stroke of mid-night. Weather is balmy for W. PA! 45 degrees, or so! No snow on ground. Weird, ya might say. Ain't selling any snow throwers/ blowers.
Our County and state guvment has concocted very high new property taxes to slap on us shortly, even on old homes and businesses. And, on old retired folks, too.
They changed the way they set the assessments, and i'll be in the poor house soon! Or in a tent!
Well, enough of my troubles. Everybody have a good holiday and a good new year, and keep camping--you'll probably see me out there, some place!

I am ready to do some camping!!! Its warm and sunny, my garden veggies are in, the fruit trees planted and I want to walk, and eat on a picnic table, eat hobo dinners and have a campfire...oh boy....then...........

Get in my motor home with my memory foam mattress ;)

Anyone else?

I started a thread recently, where are you going this year? Do tell!

Far as i can figger--I'll be at Porch view, all summer. Didn't get the coach on the road yet-probably won't. I have Shrek sitting inside the windshield, guarding it. Wife not well enough to go camping.
Lots of tractors and lawn mowers to fix and sell, or use on my grass.
We have been a lot of places, over the years. Florida, Texas, New England area, Portland, Maine,Michigan/ Detroit,California, Pennsylvania, and all the states ya must go thru to get to the ones named.
In 1947, four of my family, including me, drove to California, in my brand new Pontiac club coupe! Were gone a month, but didn't camp out.

Well ... made a pass by here to see what was going on. Same ole same ole over this way ... still trying to catch fish on the fly rod. Sold the little Starcraft popup camper .... boy, did I ever come out smelling like a rose on that deal! Had the little camper for ten years and sold it for close to what I paid for it. For a ten year investment it cost me $100.00 a year depreciation for it's use - but did we ever go places! The camper was getting to the point where it could be needing some possible repair costs but someone made me an offer I could not refuse. So here I am back with the tent and with an eye for another good camper buy ... at least the kind of camper that will get back to some of my favorite fishing holes!