First Trip of the Year Follies!

Our bloopers and blunders that kick off the camping season every year!

Dorothy and Toto are all packed and ready to go for the kickoff to Season #3 camping season; but not without a little apprehension from us! You see...we like to start off the season (not intentionally) with a big dinger! That way it is out of the way and the rest of the season can be fairly peaceful! No it is not a curse; shhhh we can't say that; but perhaps more of a folly!

Season 2021 begins tomorrow with a trip to Phil's home state of Texas for a very special wedding! The forecast calls for severe thunderstorms and tornados from Missouri to Texas; so it should be an interesting and action packed ride! I told Phil I will be Helen Hunt and he can be Bill Palmer; it'll be just like twister! In all seriousness though; we're hopeful for a safe journey to Texas with very little action.

Every year, I kid you not we have a blooper. Not a small one; but a good ole heart racer! Since this is our first trip we are a bit on the edge hoping history doesn't repeat!

Season #1 Huzzah Valley Rally Races.

Take a stroll down memory lane with us to Season #1. Our very first trip with the brand new off the lot Toto! We're meeting some friends on Saturday to spectate at the 100 Acre Wood Rally Race in Salem MO. Friday early evening we hustle bustle to pack and check every detail as we nervously hit the road. I held pretty tight to the door on the way down to Huzzah Valley Campground as we hugged the hills and curves of the trip. Alas we pull into the campground. It is teeming with Rally Race cars, semi-trucks, cars and more trucks! The engines are revving; testosterone is high!

In the pitch black dark we cannot see to where to pull in! With cars blocking most openings I hop in the office and we're directed to pull behind the building and around. Once we get around the building no joke...it is blocked by cars. There is NO WAY we are getting through this without taking out 20 Rally Cars in the process. That's it! The beginning to the end!

I do not know how we made it. I could still kiss Phil's and our guides' feet for getting us through safely. Seriously. A pee your pants moment. The rest of the night was awesome! We walked and looked around at the revving Rally Cards, talked shop and settled in for the races the next day! Boy were they so fun!

Packing up on Sunday we have the whole campground to ourselves. Which was so nice to have the space and time to do everything correctly! We're checking the list; Phil is in man-mode and rocking it! We got this!

"Honey go ahead and put the slide in!" "Got it!" I say. We're totally marriage vibing! "The slide doesn't sounds right?" "Oh it'll make a little noise as it settles, it's fine just keep it coming!" Me unsure this is good to move forward but trusting my all knowing husband...the slide slowly crunches in...very slowly. "Wait! Wait! Wait!"

The storage door on the back was open. I took that with the slide that morning. Lol Why (shaking my hands in the air!) I mean what else can you do? We drove home with no storage door on the camper that day; our pride a little less than when we started!

Season #2 Memorial Day Weekend.

So I procrastinate. I am a no plans hey let's go adventure person! With COVID confining us all spring we were desperate to get out and enjoy the weekend! My parents planned to come down on Saturday and again we are doing the Friday night fire drill to prep for the weekend.

We pull into a last minute Memorial Day Booking at Meremac Valley Campground. I am sure this place was amazing in it's hey day! Sprawling grounds, three pools, playgrounds, basketball courts and an ice cream shop; but everything could use a little sprucing up. Not a big deal, we enjoyed our time there and we're happy to be outside.

Heavy spring rains had blanketed the state in the prior days but the weekend forecast showed only sunshine in sight! Pulling into a wide entrance we navigated around the playing children and golf carts buzzing about. Now to back in. We park on the sloping incline and Phil gives me a look like you have to be kidding me right? Backing in on a very uneven road, on a very crooked incline, with a very shallow and unleveled spot that had just seen a ton of rain. Great. Just Great.

Phil was calm and collected. Chatting with the neighbor he backed right in. Relief. Thank goodness! Cooper and Phil set to work on leveling the trailer out. Back and forth they move the camper with little success getting it level on that very shallow lot. Again and again they tried and the more they tried the more the back of the lot ground started to give way until the camper was at an angle.

I had to walk away. I couldn't watch our pride and joy; something that we had started to build so many memories be totaled in an instant. From what I saw it was either the ditch or a flip. We weren't getting out of this without some damage. A small tree blocked our only way out and the campground said we could not cut it to clear the way.

I sat up on a rock with Jack and prayed. Neighborly campers began to gather in to help. It was best if I just stayed away with the dog and let them get to work. Cooper would run up to give reports sometimes teasing me that it was done for. Everyone worked so hard and eventually great minds came up with the idea to tie a strap to our camper and pull it up. It worked! I know I am doing a terrible job of explaining; but it was a had to be there moment! Phil was an absolute calm collected knight.

Folly #2 in the books. The rest of the weekend was filled with fishing, relaxin, parades and fireworks. We enjoyed our neighbors and vowed never to book that darn spot again. Never!

I guess conclude this post I will just say; this first trip folly thing is part of our camping story. I wish we had it all figured out; but then again I don't! That's part of our family; imperfect and happy with all the crazy bloopers. Every RV'er knows; even when you think you have it all figured out, an accident can happen. Thankfully no major damage has occurred and everyone has remained safe. We live and laugh to tell our stories!

Now we'll see how Dorothy and Toto fare against this Texas and Missouri spring thunderstorm! Praying now.