Entering the World of Pop-up Camping

Well, here we are, folks. Memorial Day Weekend approacheth and we will be ready to kick its ever-livin' arse with this new little pop-up we just bought. Okay, Will Buy on Wednesday from the previous owner who used it once. I'm really excited. Check out that sincerely clean cooktop! Stay tuned to see how that maintains...

I hate spending money, but I think we're getting a good deal for a great little barely-used camper. We'll not be sleeping on the ground no-moh, oh no, not us. We will still, I'm sure, be bringing all the cantankerous crap that we always bring camping: the Dutch ovens (can't live without) and the sleeping bags and pads and flashlights and boats and paddles, the Dinty Moore and the Jiffy cake mix. The tarp that never seems to string up the same way twice, and when it rains, well, we get wet standing under it. The coolers, the chairs, the sunscreen and Deet. You'd think we were actually trying to "get away" from "it all." But no. All that stuff that sends me into tizzies for days, trying to remember and collect it all for a weekend at our favorite campsite at the Bois Brule. (Shhh, it's a secret! We never want anyone getting there before we do on any weekend, especially Memorial Day weekend, we want our "pole-position" campsite!)

Anyway, so we'll go up Wednesday to the Cities, where our friend Roma found this delightful contraption, to pay the owner for his trailer. Spend the night with Roma and his lovely family, and we'll head out early to make the Brule on Thursday. Still praying for pole position, mind you.

I've been resisting this move to the pop-up for a while. Sure, it's a big investment. It's also a large thing to park, and where to do so? Our garage is a non-starter, filled with motorcycles and boats and lawn gear, and the camping crap!
I think we'll ultimately chuck a gate in the far side of the fence, so we can back it in there and occupy a bit of the side yard. The weeds will love it. We also hope that Abby will love it, no more sleeping in the tent, or in the rain in a tent. She may hate it, but she may adore it too. She always seems to want to be on the "side" that she's not on, either inSide or outSide.

Anyway, so before this past weekend, we were unsure, undecided, as to whether we'd go to Brule for Memorial Day weekend at all. One classified ad later, and one hellaciously long drive to the northern side of the Cities to see the camper, and our decision was finalized. We are excited about this weekend, and all the future pop-up camper weekends to come. Watch out, fishies, I'm comin' with mah Fly Rod. And the regular rod too. I found myself scouring (and even cleaning!) old drawers, searching for my fishing license that I Knew I had around here Somewhere. It was stuffed in among my makeup, go figure, but expired in March. Good, a new one to acquire. Let's hope I have the same luck at the Brule with the trout that I had in Phillips, with the stulti Bluegills.

Give me sunburn and skeeter bites. I'm goin' to the Brule!