Camping, Glamping, Rving…What are we doing?

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We arrived at the Laconner, Wa Thousand Trails RV Park around 11:30 a.m. We had booked our stay about two months in advance, and the sites are all first come first serve with check in time beginning at noon. We wanted to get a shot at a water site and while they were all taken, we really liked the site that was suggested. When you check in at the ‘ranger station’ you need to show your proof of insurance and drivers license. The woman working at the desk was very friendly and showed us the map of the grounds – I, of course, had already printed a copy in advance – and circled her favorite spot and a few others. We circled the park a few times, driving past the spot twice (oops on the navigator, me) before we found it.

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A major advantage of a 26 feet long motorhome is the ease of backing in and parking. The sites are somewhat small and not 100% level but with our 1975 GMC Motorhome we had no issue backing in and lining up with the electric and water services. These sites remind us how we glad to not have slides to fuss with – once she is parked, she is ready to to be lived in. This was the first time we’d had electric and water hook ups at a campsite and we were able to use our electric adapter for the 30 amp service along with the surge protector and the water pressure regulator. We had preset the regulator before we left home, so one less thing to fuss with when we were hooking up.

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Camping, recreational activity in which participants take up temporary residence in the outdoors, usually using tents or specially designed or adapted vehicles for shelter.

We wonder sometimes, what is this type of ‘camping’? We spent many years tent camping. When your meal is dependent on a woodfire or pumping the life out of a Coleman stove gas pump to get a flame and sleeping can be a real Princess and the Pea event, that is some real camping! While we continue to plan a life of fulltime RV-ing, we do think of those times we camped near sites of those who are gathered for a weekend of drinking and loud visiting, as though they are the only ones at the park. While we want everyone to enjoy their weekend getaways we dread being ‘next door’ to the rv that has an outdoor tv blaring. As we pulled into our camping spot we looked around and crossed our fingers that our week would be an experience that everyone would enjoy, us and our neighbors. We were happy to see the staff drive throughout the park many times per day and that everyone at the park was respectful of their neighbors. Adults visiting, kids playing at the playground and riding their bikes, people walking their pets on leash and gathering around campfires in the evenings – it was a wonderful experience.

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In Scotland, John Stewart, 3rd Earl of Atholl, put together what could be called the first luxury, camping site in the U.K. for King James V and his mother in the Scottish Highlands—filling the tents’ interiors with luxurious furnishings and adornments from his own palace.

Are we ‘glamping’? That is such an odd term and it sounds fussy. We have certainly made every effort to have all the comforts of home as we travel. I guess it’s the best of both worlds – being out and exploring yet being able to use our own toilet, take a hot shower, easily prepare a hot meal, watch a little tv and enjoy a campfire in the evening. I don’t know how we will define our future but we are loving the journey!

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