The Tale of the Happy Camper (prologue)

According to Merriam Webster:

happy camper

Full Definition of HAPPY CAMPER

 noun

: someone who is pleased or happy

:  one who is content

Examples of HAPPY CAMPER

: I was one happy camper when I heard the news.

First Known Use of HAPPY CAMPER

:1984



Our brand new (to us.....) Mobile Traveler RV was also manufactured in 1984. Coincidence? I think not. But we'll find out!

 A month ago we found a terrific deal on Craigslist for a used, but very well maintained 26' Class A RV to take on our planned 2-week family camping adventure at the end of June.

 Our vagabond journey began when my parents began planning their own last big, grand summer sailing voyage up to Alaska and asked if we wanted to meet them for a day or two "somewhere" on the coast of British Columbia when school let out. The timing was not great - in order to catch them we'd either have to drive 24 hours straight, fly, or take an expensive ferry up the BC Coast.

 Last year we had purchased a very rustic, but serviceable little Coleman pop-up trailer that has done very well for us at the Oregon Coast and thought what the heck? Why not take it on a grand adventure up on the B.C. Ferry, meet the parents in Prince Rupert then drive home, camping via the Canadian Rockies (Jasper, Banff, etc.)??? My husband, Curt has never been to the Canadian Rockies, and I very much want to see the glaciers with our son, Duncan before they all melt.

Jasper National Park 

 So why not take the pop-up? I'll tell you one reason why... BEARS!!! Once I started researching campgrounds and saw a few where "soft-sided" tents/pop-ups had to be kept in special bear-proof enclosures we began thinking of upgrading to a harder shell.

 Another reason? As I began planning an itinerary I realized we'd likely be moving every night or every other night to cover the distance. The probability of having to break /make camp during unexpected bad weather was high and that meant the chances of having some very UNHAPPY campers was pretty high, too.

 Final reason... on the Ferry to Prince Rupert you have to pay extra for rigs over 20 ft. By the foot. That means truck + trailer. We usually haul the pop-up with our Ford F-150 however it's a little cramped on long drives. But the combo would have us pushing 40'. In that case, every foot is precious... if I'm going to pay an extra $40 for a foot of space that space should include A/C, a generator to run it and it's own toilet!

 So the Yogi Bear Snack Shack was returned to the magical land of Craigslist from whence he came and we're in the process of getting to know our new best friend forever (cute nickname to be determined). We've taken the RV on two short shakedown "cruises".

Not ours, but looks just like it!

First to a lovely little private lakeside retreat called Silver Lake Resort at the foot of Mt. St. Helens. Besides the RV hook ups they have cute little cabins and a quaint hotel. And bass. BIG BASS I'm told. Which Curtis and Duncan are determined to catch this summer so I'm sure we'll be back. Less than an hour north of Portland, at the Castle Rock exit (interesting factoid... they filmed the movie "Stand By Me" in Castle Rock).

 Next overnight trip was to an immaculate RV park on the Columbia River just outside of Woodland called, appropriately enough, Columbia Riverfront RV park where you can sit and watch the big river traffic go by. Cargo ships and tugboats and fisherfolks. Even an old-style luxury steamboat that was recently bought by a Mississippi outfit, thoroughly revamped and renamed the the American Empress..

 They even have a swimming pool open in the summer - so we are definitely adding that park to our list of "get out of town quick" destinations.