As a kid every summer we took a 2 week vacation somewhere. We had a popup trailer with canvas sides. The first one was a tent all the way up, the second one had a metal roof. It had a tiny kitchen (a sink, and a one burner stove. The two tables converted to beds, so it technically could sleep 8. We had seven (my oldest sister got her own bed). Rain was never a good day because there was literally no room to walk about. We had a 10' x10' screen room we placed next to the door, with a picnic table inside the screen room.
Breakfast was from the hostess bakery day old store, an 8 pack of rolls with filling, on an aluminum plate.
But at night we played euchre, and it was fun to watch. Dad almost never lost, and this quiet, stoic man became a showman, entertaining us.
We took trips to Wyoming, the Dakotas, Gatlinburg, (though not all the same year), just wherever Dad felt like going. 6-8 hours of driving in a station wagon without a/c, then stop and put up the pop up. It had to have a pool, or at least a pond.
Whenever I see a pop-up trailer today I think to myself "a 5th wheel could be nice"...
I don't know. It seems like if you start your instruction of "how to make a pizza bus" by BUYING a bus, you've sort of taken the DIY romance out of it, no?
I can imagine the section on how to build customized skis: "Buy a pair of skis. Oh, and don't forget the bindings."
When I was a kid, my dad bought an old school bus to be converted into a camper. Mostly it was somewhere for us to sleep on his deer hunting trips. But he made the case we could use it for summer trips to the lake, as well. It was not what you would call well appointed.
We stripped out all the seats -- except for two, which we set up facing each other with a table in between. It had a tiny gas apartment stove -- always a trick to get level -- that served as a morning heater, as well. And that was important. When it was 20 degrees some mornings in a thicket in Arkansas, the military surplus bunk beds in that thing were COLD. I mean "Don't Stick Your Tongue To It" cold. If you happened to let a hand slip out of a sleeping bag in the middle of the night, touching metal could produce a yelp. But it still beat sleeping in our old Army surplus cook tent on those coldest nights.
Mom did take it to the lake for a week a couple of times each in the summer. There was a small pack of us kids staying in it at the parks, laughing and giggling into the wee hours. The adults slept in a much quieter tent with a fan, screens, and cots. We had skeeters and calamine lotion. Wonderful memories.
We had a VW bus that my dad modified to be a camper. He even rigged some headphone jacks in the passenger area, and a cutoff switch for the speakers, so us teens could get our rock & roll radio fix without him having to listen. (Also got to hear Navajo spoken on a radio station in the southwest.) Seat configuration was altered and there was a fold-down table. We could all sleep inside it if necessary, though normally we would pitch the tent so we wouldn't have to. We went all over the country in that thing. It was fun.
I was sure I knew the name, but couldn't place it. I have his books on the Oregon Trail and the Mississippi sitting on my "To Read" pile. But it's a big pile.
We listened to "Oregon Trail" on CD. I bought the book for Son A for Christmas a couple of years ago. I started "Life on the Mississippi" but got diverted; may get back to it some day.
Good morning. That sounds like a fire hazard. When I was at forestry training, our dinner one evening was prepared by some guys with a pizza oven on a trailer.
You could probably gain some fire suppression skills from the internet, too.
Some local guys made a steel-barrel contraption on a trailer for making pulled-pork barbecue at a roadside stand. Or, I assume they made it locally. But maybe it’s from somewhere else. It’s one of those types of food-truck-like contraptions you might expect to find at a state/county (agricultural) fair.
We have some up here in VT. They go to a lot of the town fairs in the summer. They used to have a physical restaurant, but COVID killed it. They are quite popular and quite good. Their name? Squeals on Wheels.
Regional variations are so interesting. Sweetness is not something I associate with barbecue. I was raised on the eastern NC variety made with a vinegar sauce, as Cynthia pointed out above.
Ummm, you probably should try my deviled eggs or potato salad. I use splenda brown sugar to sweeten both. It's how I was taught to make both by my Mom.
It's funny, my MIL wants me to bring deviled eggs when I visit, but it annoys katie that I am a one trick pony...
I never appreciated how much of a sugar junky I was—and the term is no exaggeration for some of us—until I tried cutting out sweets. I’m the type of person who will be drawn back into all-consuming cravings just by artificial sweeteners. The last bits of sweet flavor in my diet at this point are sriracha for my breakfast eggs and the added sweeteners in the (storebought) prepared horseradish condiment for lamb and pork.
As a kid every summer we took a 2 week vacation somewhere. We had a popup trailer with canvas sides. The first one was a tent all the way up, the second one had a metal roof. It had a tiny kitchen (a sink, and a one burner stove. The two tables converted to beds, so it technically could sleep 8. We had seven (my oldest sister got her own bed). Rain was never a good day because there was literally no room to walk about. We had a 10' x10' screen room we placed next to the door, with a picnic table inside the screen room.
Breakfast was from the hostess bakery day old store, an 8 pack of rolls with filling, on an aluminum plate.
But at night we played euchre, and it was fun to watch. Dad almost never lost, and this quiet, stoic man became a showman, entertaining us.
We took trips to Wyoming, the Dakotas, Gatlinburg, (though not all the same year), just wherever Dad felt like going. 6-8 hours of driving in a station wagon without a/c, then stop and put up the pop up. It had to have a pool, or at least a pond.
Whenever I see a pop-up trailer today I think to myself "a 5th wheel could be nice"...
I don't know. It seems like if you start your instruction of "how to make a pizza bus" by BUYING a bus, you've sort of taken the DIY romance out of it, no?
I can imagine the section on how to build customized skis: "Buy a pair of skis. Oh, and don't forget the bindings."
“Some assembly required.”
Not the hard part, it would appear.
You’ll never get it done with that sort of defeatist attitude.
Aw, Dad!
Don’t forget to eat your spinach.
I like spinach on my pizza. Or in spinach dip.
Aw, Dad!
When I was a kid, my dad bought an old school bus to be converted into a camper. Mostly it was somewhere for us to sleep on his deer hunting trips. But he made the case we could use it for summer trips to the lake, as well. It was not what you would call well appointed.
We stripped out all the seats -- except for two, which we set up facing each other with a table in between. It had a tiny gas apartment stove -- always a trick to get level -- that served as a morning heater, as well. And that was important. When it was 20 degrees some mornings in a thicket in Arkansas, the military surplus bunk beds in that thing were COLD. I mean "Don't Stick Your Tongue To It" cold. If you happened to let a hand slip out of a sleeping bag in the middle of the night, touching metal could produce a yelp. But it still beat sleeping in our old Army surplus cook tent on those coldest nights.
Mom did take it to the lake for a week a couple of times each in the summer. There was a small pack of us kids staying in it at the parks, laughing and giggling into the wee hours. The adults slept in a much quieter tent with a fan, screens, and cots. We had skeeters and calamine lotion. Wonderful memories.
We had a VW bus that my dad modified to be a camper. He even rigged some headphone jacks in the passenger area, and a cutoff switch for the speakers, so us teens could get our rock & roll radio fix without him having to listen. (Also got to hear Navajo spoken on a radio station in the southwest.) Seat configuration was altered and there was a fold-down table. We could all sleep inside it if necessary, though normally we would pitch the tent so we wouldn't have to. We went all over the country in that thing. It was fun.
Sounds like a ball! Envious.
Rinker Buck's father bought a covered wagon to take the kids on campouts and drove a horse team across New Jersey.
I know Rinker's sister.
We promise not to hold this against him. Despite better judgment.
That must have posed significant logistical problems. I mean, not "Look Out! Injuns!" problems. But still ...
They had a whole passel of kids
No wonder their dad was looking for ever more creative ways to escape.
Or leave a few in various places...
I know which ones I would leave ...
Highway traffic was an issue, and bridges not designed for horses.
Cool! Had never heard of him before.
He's a reporter. He was with one of the big Catholic publications for a long time, right Cynthia?
Not according to his Wikipedia bio, unless you mean the Hartford Courant.
I knew about the Courant, but I thought he did writing for a major Catholic publication. Ah, well.
Not according to Wikipedia.
I was sure I knew the name, but couldn't place it. I have his books on the Oregon Trail and the Mississippi sitting on my "To Read" pile. But it's a big pile.
Skimmed his Goodreads pages: sounds like some fun book ideas.
We listened to "Oregon Trail" on CD. I bought the book for Son A for Christmas a couple of years ago. I started "Life on the Mississippi" but got diverted; may get back to it some day.
Good morning. That sounds like a fire hazard. When I was at forestry training, our dinner one evening was prepared by some guys with a pizza oven on a trailer.
Morning.
You could probably gain some fire suppression skills from the internet, too.
Some local guys made a steel-barrel contraption on a trailer for making pulled-pork barbecue at a roadside stand. Or, I assume they made it locally. But maybe it’s from somewhere else. It’s one of those types of food-truck-like contraptions you might expect to find at a state/county (agricultural) fair.
Barbecue competition is intense in these parts. Some people build their own pits-on-wheels, but you can hire a fabricator, too.
We have some up here in VT. They go to a lot of the town fairs in the summer. They used to have a physical restaurant, but COVID killed it. They are quite popular and quite good. Their name? Squeals on Wheels.
“Pits-on-wheels” was the exact term I needed.
Since cutting out sugar, I really have to stay away from those goodies. It’s dismaying how many excellent pork standards are soaked in sugar!
Regional variations are so interesting. Sweetness is not something I associate with barbecue. I was raised on the eastern NC variety made with a vinegar sauce, as Cynthia pointed out above.
Ummm, you probably should try my deviled eggs or potato salad. I use splenda brown sugar to sweeten both. It's how I was taught to make both by my Mom.
It's funny, my MIL wants me to bring deviled eggs when I visit, but it annoys katie that I am a one trick pony...
I never appreciated how much of a sugar junky I was—and the term is no exaggeration for some of us—until I tried cutting out sweets. I’m the type of person who will be drawn back into all-consuming cravings just by artificial sweeteners. The last bits of sweet flavor in my diet at this point are sriracha for my breakfast eggs and the added sweeteners in the (storebought) prepared horseradish condiment for lamb and pork.
As long as its a good trick...
You might consider the slide toward Texas-style brisket and/or sausages. *swoon*
Eastern North Carolina 'cue has a vinegar sauce.