Reflections On a Really Full Campground

Reflections on a Really Full Campground

When I was young and living in the Rocky Mountains true camping was about hiking in to quite spot and being surround by nature. As a family we sometimes did do “car camping” but that was more about going on picnic or spending the weekend with a large group of friends.  Even once we got a camper we never quite understood the folks who would tent camp at an RV park or expect a swimming pool in the woods.  I have become more tolerant with age. There have been times where any “off the highway” spot with electricity was great to find after a long day of travel. I still love the thought of a pristine setting in the woods but I do not miss at all the five mile hike out in the rain when the “group “ decided they had had enough for one outing.

This weekend our campground is full. Some sites that looked perfectly reasonable during the week seem pretty tight surrounded by campers on either side, boats and extra cars. I am not a big fan of utility trailers but I sure can’t argue that it’s nice to have a motorcycle or plenty of room for the gear.  I wonder how each new guest feels as they pull up to the office. Is this really what they had in mind?

An hour ago there were three people in the pool. Now there are 15. A pool full of happy kids makes one of the best sounds you can imagine in the campground. From my vantage point here at the office I am watching the young men (boys really) heading to the fishing ponds. We are already out of bait. This morning the boys were all in kayaks trying their hand at paddling. A grandma brought a group of young ladies to camp  and will head to the free outdoor movie in town tonight.  It’s hard to predict which of the groups is having the best time.   What I do know is that this holiday crowd, whether in tents or fancy RV’s, are enjoying the space- fishing, swimming and watching the birds. The younger kids have really liked the scavenger hunt and other folks just sitting around their campsite seem to be having a good time as well.

It’s unlikely that our guests this weekend know the number of calls we took from people looking for a space. Those that failed to show up to use a reserved site or call to cancel their site probably did not think about the people driving by those really nice larger sites to find a space that would do,  but was just a bit tight.  Many people do call last minute. It’s amazing that some still expect to find the ideal location by the water while others are just glad to have found something at all. When taking reservations we think about the size of each group and the number of boats or cars people are bringing.  We want the guests that planned ahead to have good time but it’s hard not to squeeze in one more group in when you have something that just might work.  In the end it’s all about the attitude you bring with you into the holiday weekend.  If you come in with very specific expectations chances are most places will not satisfy everything on your wish list. If you do some planning so as not be bored but still say flexible chances are you will have a great time. As my husband Rick likes to say – no matter where you go is where you are. The campground may be very full but it’s also filled with many great people having a good time. This was what we had in mind when we purchased this space. Let’s have more fun weekends.  

A Campground Garden

 It may not seem like a natural fit- a garden in the middle of a campground. However, when we thought about the best option for using the space once occupied by a run down mobile home,  a garden  seemed like a good starting point. We fish a lot here and what goes better with a fresh catch than fresh vegetables?

The water was close due to residual plumbing. I knew that a garden in the campground would require me to see it every day. Hopefully I would keep it better weeded because it would be one of the first areas our campers would see as they drove into the campground. Not only that, but if the vegetables did grow, I should have others able to help eat all the tomatoes and squash when ripe for harvest.

Being in a creek bed most of the soil was  very sandy.  I had never planted a garden here so I was unsure as to what to expect. With the help of the county extension agent I learned that sand is fine but that ideally it is mixed with brown organic matter and some green. I even have little boxes now to get the soil tested. We planted in late April just before a week of rain. Most every plant sprouted as you can see from the corn behind one of our garden signs. I can't wait to add more decoration. We may even do a big mural on the storage shed behind the third raised bed.

The next step we are taking is trying to form a 4-H gardening group as an after school and summer activity. From what we have heard some of the kids around here hate summer because there is nothing to do and school lunches are not provided. So wish us luck on this new endeavor. Stop by to see the garden when you visit the campground.