Very innocently quite some time ago, I said to a friend in Colorado that Chad and I might come and visit her and do a quilt related errand this summer. I’m thinking . . we’ll drive to Colorado. We’ll visit. Chad and the guys can fish and do boy stuff. The girls will do quilt stuff. Then I began getting the strangest emails from this quilt friend. A quilter most all of you know! And you probably think thought she was fairly normal.
In an email, she’s talking about us staying in a tent . . roughing it she says: I have a foam pads that we use to sleep on – so its not TOO bad 😉
And I said . . I’m not too sure about staying in a tent! Aren’t there bears in Colorado?
To which she responded: Bears?? Can’t you climb trees?
And then she says: There are some great places to hike. This will be fun! Do you have hiking boots?
And I said . . hiking boots? I have flip flops for summer and my $16 rubber boots from the Amish store for winter. And then I said . . I’m old and fat and unless your husband is a cardiologist . . I am not hiking!
And then she said . . Maybe we will convince you to get on a horse.
And then I said . . I ain’t coming to your house this summer!
And I think she said . . Whew! Got rid of her! 🙂
But, no! She has not gotten rid of me. I’ll be there and I’ll be ready for whatever adventures come my way! And, I’m really excited about it . . now that I’m over the initial shock. Guess I’d better get off the computer and brush up on my tree climbing skills! 🙂
Sandy says
Sleeping in a tent? Is she serious? I have graduated from tent camping. I “camp” in a motorhome now.
Hiking in the mountains? Not me and I have a cardiologist.
Riding horses? Don’t ask me about the one horse ride I took when I was 18 on a horse named Lightning.
Maybe she is wanting your stash when you are gone.
JudyL says
No, if I’m going to “camp”, I want it to be in a tent. If I’m going to stay in a fancy smancy camper/motor home, I might as well stay home. Chad will absolutely love it! I’m actually kinda looking forward to it. But, I do have to get in shape and I have less than 5 months to do it! 🙁
pdudgeon says
if it were me i would be counting my lucky stars to be out of the obligation, because of all that would come with it.
now if you wanted to fly out and back, mail whatever quilting stuff was involved back home, have a nice dinner out, etc. then the BRIEF trip might be worth it.
quiltbea says
Thank you, Judy, you gave me my morning chuckle today.
I will be with you in spirit…only.
Enjoy!
CJ says
I think it sounds like a blast! Go get a pair of hiking boots and break them in, hiking in Colorado should be fabulous!
Vicky says
Just so you know, Judy, my idea of camping is staying at the Four Seasons! Good luck! But be sure and take your camera. I hear you can get great shots of the heads of bears while you are perched on a branch above it!
Rose says
Judy, hate to tell you but bears are excellent tree climbers so you should not plan on that being your escape route. Running is no better; they can run pretty fast so you can’t count on that either. Playing dead might help, but I wouldn’t count on it. Maybe you need to take a rifle with you:) 🙂
Karen Langseth says
Does that tent come with toilets that flush and a shower?????
Mary-Kay says
I’d be sleeping in my car rather than a tent. But if I had to sleep on a tent, there are self-inflating mats that are way better than foam ones. And make sure you have a good sleeping bag too. If it get cold there at nights, you want to make sure your bag is rated for those temps. No quilts in camping unless you’re in a trailer. Quilts are cotton and retain moisture. I used to camp years ago but then I got this really bad illness and said no more camping. Sell the trailer and all camping related items. Sold the trailer but have a garage full of camping equipment. Too bad we didn’t live closer.
Mary-Kay says
Oh yeah, I forgot one thing. If you’re driving, are there any bridges? Just a thought.
Pat says
I did a nearly 10-mile hike in Colorado once with a group of teens I was chaperoning on a church trip……..UGH….pretty country but I had to admit I am not made for hiking and sleeping out under the stars. BIG thunder and lightning storms were in the area and we were like sitting ducks!!!
Evelyn says
How fun to go camping with someone who has all the stuff! Double check on the WARM sleeping bag though – we like http://www.campmore.com and LL Bean for our camping supplies. My son loves to camp and I go all the time with him… alone! Buy little jingle bells to go on your boots – gives the bears a warning that you are coming – they don’t like to be surprised. I think you could have fun – even though it wasn’t all that long ago that you thought that cabin without screens and something wrong with the oven(?) was roughing it! LOL. Cheers! Evelyn
Sue H says
Forget about climbing the tree, you just need to be able to outrun SOMEBODY in your group…
Connie W says
Judy, Your post makes me chuckle. 🙂
Alma says
Most experts will tell you that bear bells are totally ineffective. If my sleeping accomodations don’t come with a room card/key…then I won’t be sleeping there! No way will I be using the outdoors as a toilet– especially I. The middle of the night!
Cleary K. says
Judy,
Can you cook over an open campfire? Camping is great I do once a month and we have all kinds of animals where we camp also Black bears. If you have a weather proof tent you can bring a quilt I do every month, can use the quilt inside the sleeping bag. Also bring coolers for your food as they trap the smell and help keep animals away from it. Dry ice or put crushed ice into ziplock bags will keep the water from the melting ice out of the food in a cooler.
also if you put lavender or dyersheets in your clothes pack it will help keep bugs, miskietoes(sp) away from you.
good luck and have fun.
Huggs,
Cleary
katieQ says
Good for you Judy. Make sure they don’t give you a skinny little foam pad. You want a thick blow up mattress. When I was a Girl Scout leader, not so long ago, I was ready for anything. Unfortunately, my troop was not. They wanted no part of camping. I talked them into A-frame camping and cabin camping a few times, but they were real prima donnas.
It will be great spending some time with Chad.
quilterbee says
I’m with Vicky, give me room service, but you have fun. I don’t know about those bridges but those MOUNTAINS are something else to drive thru.
Quilterbee
Karen says
My daughter & her family live in Evergreen CO. They camp and love it. Personally I prefer hot & cold running water and a bathroom with a shower. Have a good time.
Plan on drinking lots of water – it helps with the altitude – especially if you’re hiking.
Kathy Wagner says
Oh my goodness…that was more than my usual smile or giggle when I visit your blog. That was a very loud “laughing out loud”! I’m still laughing…I’m old and fat and unless your husband is a cardiologist, I am not hiking” LOL LOL! You are so funny!
AnnieO says
Very funny! While I wouldn’t mind going on a hike, I am not much of a camper. I get crabby when I have to stoop to get in and out of my sleeping quarters, or worse, have to trudge to a bathroom in the middle of the night when I can’t see and may possibly get tripped. Plus those fluorescent camp lanterns give me a headache! I guess cabin-camping is for me.
One hint for getting in shape: switch to Diet Dr. Pepper, my very favorite drink—it goes with everything! and is very low cal.
Alycia says
Oh – where oh where was the snort warning?? I think if you can survive chickens you can survive the wilderness! Now Go Get in Shape… or at least break in the hiking boots LOL
Bari says
I’m with Alycia – where in the world was the snort warning on that one! LOL – I even had to read it out loud to my husband – especially the comment that you only need to outrun ONE person in your group….LOL
Go for it, Judy! Life is short and it will be a blast! After my divorce I packed up my car, a one person tent, and drove myself to Colorado for about a week long visit – went where ever my car took me and camped where I could find a decent place – ALONE! You will LOVE it! It is incredibly beautiful, you will see critters we don’t see much of back here in Missouri….A time to never forget!
Kathy C says
We went on a 9 week cross-country road trip in late summer/early fall last year. Camped for the first time ever (hey I grew up in New Jersey, no camping there). Since I’m like Judy and cook every night I thought, how hard could it be. We packed up the Jeep, bought a 4 person Eddie Bauer tent (sleeps 2), got 2 sleeping bags we inherited from our kids, 2 blow up matresses, and borrowed a 3 burner camp stove.
WE LOVED IT!
Can’t wait to go down to Bryce Canyon and Zion NP this fall.
Carol says
You’ll love Bryce and Zion. Beautiful scenery. Lots of hiking. Make sure you have good hiking boots.
Mary says
I haven’t been camping in years but I LOVE hiking so it sounds kind of fun to me.
Carol says
You guys are so funny! I say go for it. Get yourself an inflatable mattress, hiking boots and start walking around your neighborhood so you can outrun someone when that bear shows up!
Shannon says
I’m not a camper but I live in CO. My son just got back from “camping” with the Boy Scouts, but they were in a cabin. They have had winter camping trips in snow. I can’t imagine much worse. I prefer hotels!
Bon says
Judy, thanks for the outright laugh this morning. I love camping and hiking and CO is so beautiful. I’m jealous, even though I am probably as out of shape as you are. Maybe more so.
Bobbie says
Judy-Be sure and take 2 lids from pots and pans that are about the same size-keep them with you AT ALL TIMES–when you run across a bear or you are just on a trail some where-march along clanging them together-like cymbols and the bears will run the other way or peek around the tree at you or just stand there stupid watching you-plus all the other campers will too. It works!!!! Have a great time –Hugs, Bobbie
carol c says
i say, book a hotel, her idea of a vacation is not my idea of one. ask her where you would plug in your sewing machine in a for saken tent! sheesh. go to a spa too. got to have a comendable half way point to both enjoy, let her camp out & you have all the amenties.
Jill A says
If you aren’t up for sleeping in a tent, tell your friend that you’ll take some day trips with picnics instead. There’s just something about food you eat outside that you don’t get at the dining room table. (and I don’t mean the bugs) Also, there are lots of places here where you can drive almost all the way to the cool stuff and then walk down a paved or graded path, no hiking boots required.