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| Ready to head out |
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| Two boys in the bunkhouse. Tell me how I am supposed to fit four kids clothes in that little closet?!?!? |
“I am so happy, I think I am going to cry,” said Aidan, who is usually much more practical than emotional. All of the boys flitted from corner to corner of the trailer, popping in and out of storage cabinets and staking claims on the bunks in the back. It was a joyfully hyper exploration that made bedtime a particular challenge that night.
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| See, our camper is not the biggest. |
It only seemed fitting that we take our new trailer out for the weekend. We just had part of the next day to round up sheets for the bed and transfer all our camping gear from the old popup to the new trailer. It was a frenzy of packing and hauling, but we were ready to go early Thursday afternoon. We chose to camp at Tyler State Park, one of our favorite campsites about 2 ½ hours from home.
Driving to Tyler meant driving through rush hour traffic. Gary is an excellent driver, but the extra length and bulk of the trailer was a challenge. Adding to that, the trailer brakes began working spottily just as we hit stop and go traffic. This made for a white knuckle half hour as we stopped and hoped the 8000 pound monster behind would stop as well.
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| The dining room |
The stress in the truck was palpable as we drove the rest of the distance to Tyler. Even stopping for gas required some carefully calculated and harrowing maneuvering. With both parents nerves frayed at the ends and three anxious and antsy boys in the back, we finally arrived at the park.
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| Evan claimed a top bunk |
By this time, it was well past dark and a thick fog had settled low to the ground. We found our assigned camping spot and I hopped out to take my role as back up navigator. Gary pulled through the spot, but as he made the corner it was clear that he was in trouble. “Stooooooooooooop,” I yelled.
“Why are we stopping,” he yelled out the window.
“You’re going to hit a tree.”
Gary jumped out of the truck to get a visual of the tree. He was close. Too close. Back up. Try again. Stop again, too close. Back up. Try again. Stop again, this time the tires are stuck in the mud.
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| Do you think this storage was designed for extra kids? |
“I don’t think we can make this spot in the dark,” Gary said conceding the loss. We drove on to pick another spot and found one that was easier to manage with our limited ability and difficult conditions. After a couple of restarts at the new spot, we were finally parked.
The boys, who had been forbidden to speak during the parking experience spilled out the car with a flurry of conversation and activity. Gary and I both breathed out deeply and he gave me a quick hug. Silently, we were both equally relieved and exhausted. Then, we reset our brains and bodies to begin the litany of tasks needed to prepare and secure the camper for the evening. For better or worse, we had arrived.
Our maiden voyage was certainly not uneventful and offered us a somewhat anticipated steep learning curve. At this point, we know that our new adventure has much to teach us and we are ready for the lessons.
~Check out some more Monday Dreams at The Mother of All Trips~
