This Campsite Is Juuuust Right
May 6th, 2009 | by Sascha Zuger 13 comments
Many people express doubt my son will remember anything of his early travels, “What’s the point?” they want to know. I always answer something along the lines of, “I think he gets something out of it at the time and stories make the best souvenirs.”
This was a lesson learned from my own mother, who dragged me and my older brother (and later, my little sis) across the country in an old hatchback to hit every National Park campground in our path. Mom didn’t bother with those “crazy guy with the hook for a hand” campfire stories—our own family travel tales were scary enough.
One favorite recounted a trip to the Smokies, my parents pulling in at night with two passed out kids in back, me a toddler, my brother around six.
A couple of college kids walked past as my parents unloaded. “Better watch out, there’s a bear wandering around here,” they warned.
My parents rolled their eyes good-naturedly at the kids’ prank and heaved our big metal Coleman cooler onto the picnic table. They then carried more gear over and turned to see…a bear. A cute bear, they apparently decided, chatting and marveling as he nosed about our campsite on all fours.
And then he stood.
The bear, now standing, paws lifted above his head, mouth wide open and growling was no longer quite so cute. My mom claims she more or less teleported from the table into the car in one magical move.
My dad stood near the driver’s side door yelling at the bear, who didn’t deign to respond. He was occupied in hooking claws through handle of the cooler, which he had batted upside down onto its lid in order to better drag it away to a quiet spot by the nearby creek.
As the upside down cooler hit the table bench, the latch opened and spilled a hefty trail of food. After a few moments, my parents presumed the bear was gone for good and went to retrieve what was left of their food. Dad went for the steaks. Mom, being practical, scooped up the eggs and jug of milk for breakfast. She was reaching for the package of bacon when the college kids reentered the scene at safe distance, still tracking the bear.
“He’s coming back!”
My food-laden parents dove wordlessly back into the car as the bear seated himself in front of the fender, insolently munching the dropped bacon (complete with cardboard container) and tossing back pawfuls of ketchup and jelly packets for seasoning as he glared at them. This was about the time Mom, trapped in the car, felt the trickling…of a dozen broken eggs running into her lap and down her legs.
Hearing my mom tell and retell this family travel story in such a vivid and humorous way deposited it into my own treasure chest of childhood memories, despite my tender age (also might explain why my twitter icon is a pic of me holding a cobra) and added to my love of camping.
So it shouldn’t have surprised me to read my son’s school journal at open house. Listed as an improbable #5 of “Five Favorite Memories”? Meeting a Barbary Ape on the Rock of Gibraltar (read Apes own a piece of the Rock (of Gibraltar).
He was two.
***
This post is part of our Before We Were Moms Mother’s Day series. Did your mom influence you as a traveler? We’d love to read about it here or at your blog. Please leave your comments and links below.
Read about Jamie’s mom in Opportunity Knocks Down the Door.
Read about Jane’s mom in Diving In.
Read about Rebecca’s mom in Words To Travel By.
Read about Kayt’s mom in Just a Little Push.
Bear photo courtesy of Matt and Bess. Smoky Mountains photo courtesy of Ollie Crafoord.
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Jody on May 7th, 2009
I loved the Gibraltar story the first time I read it. Being reminded of it in the context of the bear story makes it even better. And I agree with you, that travel experiences contribute to kids are, even when they’re so young that they remember more of the “retelling” of the story than the actual event. We had so many misadventures in Europe (not a bear or a monkey, but how about two Hungarian border police strong-arming us for bribes on a night train to Budapest?) that my kids seem to have an almost innate trust that they can overcome problems, and they’re always willing to dive into situations that they are unprepared for. Which makes life a lot of fun.
holiday Ideas @ FH4U on May 7th, 2009
Great story – this is what really makes family holidays. It all helps to make us more intersting people
Jamie Pearson on May 7th, 2009
God Sascha! I admire your parents’ sangfroid! We’re pretty big car campers, and one night (not all that long ago) I had a scary run-in with…raccoons. I don’t think I’m cut out for camping in the Great Smoky Mountains. Or Yosemite. Or Yellowstone. Or the Canadian Rockies.
Sascha Zuger on May 7th, 2009
Thanks, Jody — that’s a great philosophy to have shared with your kids. I have had my own “special memories” built with the help of a border agent, also in the wee hours of the night…so can only imagine.
Sascha Zuger on May 7th, 2009
holiday Ideas @ FH4U — I agree. And some of our best family trips were the ones that didn’t exactly go as planned. If my parents are reading this, they’re either thinking of a picturesque long shot of Mount Rushmore…with 300,000 Harley’s parked in front, or maybe the time they let their 15yo daughter plan a December holiday trip to Florida, confident making reservations first was for suckers and a total waste of time.
Sascha Zuger on May 7th, 2009
Jamie — I can sympathize with the raccoon issues, they can really make a racket! My favorite ever camping “companion” had to be when we returned to a certain well known theme park’s campground and crawled into the tent, already occupied by…an armadillo.
Jane on May 7th, 2009
Hysterical! Especially the bear sitting on the front of the car.
Shannon on May 7th, 2009
The Smokies are one my favorite places and I love reading and writing about these. I hope you’ll add this one to our Travel Tuesday next week.
I love this series of articles. Great job ladies!
LadyH on May 7th, 2009
TravelSavvymom,
I just came across your website today from Nordic Matt’s. What a great site you have going on here. I have enjoyed reading the 2 or 3 articles/posts that I did. I will favorite it and add to my google reader.
Thanks for the great site!
LadyH
Mara on May 7th, 2009
Another amazing story! I’m loving this series and the way each one is so different.
It’s funny though, because I think that this is precisely why my family has never been camping – my husband is under the impression that this is always what happens. I don’t think I’ll share this with him.
I’m a big believer that stories are important, whether or not we actually remember our own participation. I especially love the detail about the eggs. My hat is off to your parents for raising you to be so adventurous.
Sharlene on May 7th, 2009
Great story. I hope to give my kids similar writing material in the future.
Carolina on May 7th, 2009
That’s a great camping story. You parent sure kept their cool a lot better, than I would’ve. So I just keep wondering if you had anything left for breakfast. I’m guessing scrambled eggs were out of the question.
We camped all over w/ my family when I was a kid, but only saw a bear scurrying away one night. Family travel lore is a great thing to pass down.
We have a lot of stories we pass down in our family…
http://kidsgowest.wordpress.com/2009/05/05/todays-tip-learn-from-my-mama/
Travel India on May 12th, 2009
It feels good when we still remember those childhood vacations and day outs we had had with our family.
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