Tag: Camping

Hello again, I admit, I am skipping around a little, bypassing other trips to get this one posted. This was one of the most magnificent trips we have taken to date. We werescheduled to get married in October, as everyone remembers, Covid happened in March 2020. At that time, we were in Florida visiting Davids’s parents, soon after we realized, we would be visiting family more over the next year.

In May, once we gathered all our plans for the wedding, we decided on who was going to walk me down the aisle. We had both been married before, me never having a real wedding. My Dad wasn’t going to be available since he had passed away a few year before in 2017. My niece was visiting, my great niece that is, Bella, we love when that little girls visits with us. We try to get her involved in crafts, outdoors and cooking. This day though, we had another plan. I wanted to check in with my friend Jim Brown, he worked with me at Academy Sports and Outdoors, we had both left the company at this point. He wanted to officially retire, I changed retailers. Jim was one of greatest inspirations when it came to travel. He and his wife Pam had a camper, he always showed me pics of places they had been, beautiful mountains and sunsets and weird places they had seen. Our goal was to get travel advice about places to see on our next trip.

The planned trip was to be one before our wedding, to Wyoming and South Dakota. Our plan was to camp on our longest journey yet with the Patty Wagon, David named it by the way. Jim and Pam had taken this trip, by a different path, but the destinations were going to be the same. I told Jim we wanted to come visit for info and guidance. He obliged willingly. An opportunity to show us photos and brochures and share some of the pamphlets we could review before leaving on our trip. We got to Jims, Bella alongside us, he already has all the info layed out for viewing. I am not sure how long we were there, but by the time we finished we had new goals. We also could not leave his house without completing one other detail, the real reason behind us visiting that day. You see, Jim was the person I wanted to walk me down the aisle for our wedding. We had become close friends over the years, and he was who came to mind. Because Jim is who he is, and rarely says no to someone, he agreed. David filmed me asking Jim, some tears were shed and I knew I made the right choice.

Getting a camper ready for a cross country trip is no small undertaking. We had been on several small trips, local campgrounds, family in Kentucky and to neighboring state Tennessee. All relatively close and knew the location. Our questions were, will the truck withstand the mountains, were campsites going to be available, will we get eaten by a bear? We only had one reservation, aside from the bear part that was. A reservation in Spearfish South Dakota, for three nights at the Spearfish city campground. We chose it based on location, you know that’s everything, not just for house hunting. It’s close to Crazy Horse, the never-ending monument. What a great place to visit and the history and dedication by one man’s family to it’s completion. We would be close to Mount Rushmore , Custer State Park a beautiful place to view, also, that is where buffalo roam. Yep, this was where we wanted to stay for three days. We chose wisely what a beautiful campground. Extremely well maintained, friendly staff and beautiful surroundings.

These are pictures taken at our campsite, that’s me in the hammock! Rocks that were left from previous campers, our chairs for viewing , rocks I wish I collected and the stream. A beautiful location for relaxing , claiming rocks and seeing flying objects.

We were definitely set up to camp, but, honestly, we ate out every morning at a local restaurant. The omelets were amazing, I usually make those when we camp, but, theirs…let me link their info here, the food was amazing for breakfast and dinner, at least three of them! The Millstone Family Restaurant is just a normal family fare spot, but, we found it very appetizing and delicious.

Now, had we not eaten out those three days, I would have used all my supplies. I want to give you a rundown of those items, I always set up first. In the three years we have had the camper, we have come to know what we can take with us because of space allowances. A kitchen set up is crucial and I have it going on at the campsite.

Collapsible items are easily carried and stored, and yes, mostly from Amazon! I have many purchases we have made to make it that simple for us.

I will show you some of those products after the breakfast pic, getting hungry?

My camping style is let’s make it easy but let’s eat fantastic! Like we’re at home, it can be done. You just have to plan and be well organized. I do both very well. One of my favorite things though is this map, I got it for David the Christmas of 2019 to track our progress across the states. I have these cute flag push pins to track locations, prettiness and restaurants!! Get you a map, whether it’s a magnet one for your camper, or like ours, on a big corkboard in the office. You won’t regret it, and you will create new goals.

 Tracking where we've been, one trip at a time! #founditonAmazon

I love camper designed stuff! These bowls are cute and useful, and they match my melamine dinnerware too. Look at the little pattern on them, I find a use for them every camp trip, whether it’s for Pico de Gallo that David makes, prep for fajitas or a salad, they work and store great!

 My wonderful camp bowls with cute design #founditonAmazon

 Our melamine dinnerware set 
#founditonAmazon

We did stay in Spearfish three nights, beautiful weather for flying saucers. The skies are so unobstructed, so clear and so dark. One night, by the fire, about midnight, I in my hammock and pa in his cap, no wait, wrong story. I was in the hammock he was in his chair, we both were looking up in this dark sky, unobstructed when one of us says, ” what is that? ” Really far off, too far to be a jet, maybe a satellite, maybe the shuttle? It looked like it could have been a satellite, but the path was not direct. Kind of wobbly, like a loose superball, bouncing around with no direction or a dog’s Chuck It toys, that is random and erratic. We didn’t know, but we both saw something. Very bright, extremely distant and definitely unidentified. We didn’t know, so, we continued on with our adult beverages.

And, hey, if like me, you gather rocks while camping, and paint them as I enjoy, here are some of the supplies I use. Who knows, you may be the next Bob Rocks!

 50 Piece paint brush set 
#founditonAmazon

 Mandala dot tools 
#founditonAmazon

Brush organizer #founditonAmazon

On the next episode of Two People on an Adventure, go to Mount Rushmore with us! Just a heads up, I cried coming around the mountain !