He better have a skinny wife . . .

Season 1; Episode 4

Trip number four was to familiar territory at Bennett Springs State Park and while the weather was gorgeous, the experience was not familiar as we encountered many firsts. Bennett Springs is a large campground with sites very close to one another in order to accommodate the popularity of the campground with trout fisherman. 

We discovered, arriving mid day on a Saturday, compared to early Friday meant we would have an audience watch our feeble efforts to back and park Lil Red. This was our first unpaved, un-level, short pad with no easy access. Naturally, our audience was four drunk women who were amused by our backing efforts, with a look that suggested “I bet you’ve never been to a quilting bee either.” The ring leader was a bossy brunette who told P Rob many times that her husband was a trucker and could do this in his sleep- did we want her to get him? We persevered through their disdainful glances and got Lil Red into position. We should have known catcalls were in order when prior to parking the camper we stopped at the fill station to fill the tank with water. This time the audience was the older set with bigger toys – big 25 ft plus rigs we refer to as “living rooms on wheels.” One saw tiny Lil Red and me work the hose and surmised quite loudly “Look at the little camper. He must have a skinny wife.”

Once we arrived at the site and got Lil Red level (it took every block in our stash,) we enjoyed our little site. It was next to the path to the bathhouse so we had numerous comments. “How old is your camper?” “That looks fun!” “Do you mind if we see inside?” Millie was happy to play real estate agent and give tours of the camper.

Fishing was the big draw to Bennett Springs but P Rob did not do so well without proper equipment. He loved wading the beautiful streams and watching the experienced fly fisherman land some beautiful trout. Nature never fails, even if Paul does, and his patience led to a late Sunday evening spotting a bald eagle swooping down for a trout in the most majestic manner. 

Our big adventure was tackling our biggest hike yet- 8 miles and over 4 hours. We did the Wandering Loop to the Natural Tunnel. While we were smart enough to bring food and water and the hammock, we weren’t smart enough to bring a light weight back pack. Instead, we had to improvise with an Aldi’s bag that we referred to as a poor man’s REI daypack. Add that image to P Rob looking like Grandpa Pop Pop in his white socks and hiking boots and the Clampett’s were ready to hike. We did well with the journey but we were slightly disappointed at the final destination. The water was low and the algae skim was winning. A sense of achievement was our best reward.

It was a bonus to set up the hammock after two hours of hiking, providing a sweet way to rest before the return journey. Things got comical when both Millie and Pop Pop tried to share the hammock from opposite ends. The photo, which may not be safe for family viewing doesn’t capture the full hilarity of the moment. The fact that we both shared a hammock for two and didn’t break another rib was cause for victory. Making even funnier was the fact we had just finished our rest break and dismounted, awkwardly, minutes before two hikers rounded the corner.

Being tired did not interfere with the dinner hour because we got to bust out the Mother’s Day present – a brand new Coleman portable grill. Call us cheaters but nailing the entree is easier over controlled heat. And it saves your back. Another new discovery that made P Rob happy was the fact that yet another state park sells ice-cream. It’s the perfect sweet next to campfire heat. 

The only hiccup in the trip was Millie’s cold bathhouse experience. After a cold shower, she went to bed grumpy and that’s no good for anybody.

All in all our systems and confidence are growing and we can’t wait for the next adventure.