The Inaugural Run

 I remember it vividly.  For months I researched it.  Jessica and I even went to a RV show and looked at every conceivable available model from off-road trailers to buses as big as houses and everything in between.  I read magazine upon magazine on RV's.  I snuck off to the RV dealer countless times!  After endless debates and looking for months, we did it.  We bought a TRAILER.  We were all set, we dragged her home, rallied the campers, and set out from the house.  

It was the INAUGURAL RUN, in our very first camper, which we are still debating to name.  I wanted to call it "The Mistress" because it is where my extra money was going.  Jessica wanted to call it "Paradise" because we could say we were heading to paradise whenever someone asked where we were going.  The jury remains hung!

We took it North East from our home in North Commerce City to North Sterling State Park.  We left on a Friday evening and a couple of hours later, we were filling the water tanks for the first time in the RV, in the dark.  Several minutes later we located our reservation in a very spacious spot on the loop, and set up camp for the night.  Needless to say all the outdoor lamps worked well enough to detach from the trailer, get leveled, and turn in for the evening. 

The next morning, we took stock of our new surroundings.  We were camping in mid September, and the days were still quite warm and the nights chilly.  The water was supposed to be fairly close by standard of the map...the only thing really close were the mosquitos!  Their appetites were insatiable and we had many bumps to remember them by in the coming weeks.  The water had receded and was a good 150 yards away.  If I had been thinking, I would have tried to fish that large water hole.  

I recall being pretty tired that trip.  It seemed that in one way or another, I was worn out by pulling the camper,or just by life itself.  I took a lot of naps.  We explored the area, and this was the year that I found out about a long silent passion belonging to my mother.  We had come across a site flush with archery targets.  It appeared that there were maybe 20 or so of them.  Mom exclaims!  "I always wanted to learn how to shoot a bow and arrow!  Those Duke boys always made it look so easy."  Needless to say I was floored.  I had never heard this kind of interest from mom before.  Up to this point it had always been some sort of needlepoint or sewing activity.  Perhaps it was one of the many sacrifices that she made for me and my siblings so that we could have something that we desired more than the thing that she desired.

 Overall I would say it was a very clean and nice place to stay for a weekend.  It was generally quiet, and the dogs seemed to enjoy the adventure.  My oldest niece got this for Christmas the same year...Maybe it is best that I let you choose what the camper was named...

Camping Journal Entry:

Location: North Sterling State Park
Site/Loop: 122/Inlet Grove
Distance OW/RT 127/234 Miles
Date: September 6-8, 2019
Would go again? YES
Campers: Shaun, Jessica, Mom, Gibbs, Logan
Incidents: None
Stuff we forgot: Dish Soap and Insect Repellent