One of the coolest parts about camping and traveling is meeting and spending time with so many awesome people from all different walks of life. We got to thinking about how neat it would be to profile some of the people we meet up with on our camping adventures. So earlier this year we kicked off a new feature that we’ve dubbed “Faces of the Campground.” It is our hope that you will be inspired as we take a peek into the lives of people just like you who love to go camping–in all its many forms!
This month’s Faces of the Campground profile spotlights two of our favorite peps: Jarrett’s dad Mike and his wonderful wife Joyce. They hail from Ohio where for the past few years they have been enjoying their early 60s from the deck of their camper. As we’ve mentioned in the past, Jarrett grew up camping with his family, including in a Winnebago motorhome. Fast forward several years to February 2012 when Mike’s house burned to the ground. Rather than rebuild, Mike decided to sell the property and get into full-time camper living. With no house to downsize, it was a pretty easy transition for Mike. Later Joyce signed on for the adventure too, and they’ve been making memories together ever since.
How long have you been camping? Mike has camped his entire life. Joyce only since meeting Mike about five years ago
What type of camper do you camp in? A 2013 Columbus fifth-wheel made by Palamino.
What does a typical camping trip look like for you? For three years we had been in one spot over the summer season in Carroll County, Ohio, but after purchasing a brick and mortar home, this year we parked the camper at a seasonal spot in the Mansfield, Ohio area. We’ve also traveled some through the eastern part of the U.S., gone south to Florida, as well as taken a short trip to Moraine View State Park in Illinois. While we are camping, we enjoy scouting out the area as well as enjoying the campground through boating, fishing, and hosting visitors (especially our grandchildren!).
Why do you look forward to camping? Camping takes us out of our usual “city” environment. We can drive one hour from home and we are at a lake side and love it. We love the quiet times in the early morning and the night times when we can hear owls and such while sitting around a camp fire.
Share one or two of your favorite camping memories: Our trip to Illinois to spend Thanksgiving with Joyce’s daughter and family. It was very very cold (as in, we had to worry about frozen pipes cold!) but we really enjoyed it all the same. Also, on the warmer side, going to Disney with Mike’s son and family was a blast.
Do you have a story that you could share about a camping mishap? O yes … returning to the Ohio valley from Chapman State Park in Pennsylvania, we scraped the top of the camper going under a low underpass. Ouch! Although it created a crack on the interior roof, fortunately the A/C wasn’t affected and the damage was only cosmetic.
What was your favorite place you ever camped? Why? Disney was our favorite because the facilities where great and we could spend time with our grandchildren at the happiest place on earth!
If you could give a new camper one piece of advice what would it be? Be prepared. Make a list. Have available, even things you may or may not need.
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Many thanks to Mike and Joyce for sharing a little bit about their camping experience. (Update: They just sold their camper in preparation for plotting different travel adventures in the future!) Look for more “Faces of the Campground” profiles to come–and who knows, maybe one day we’ll be meeting you at the campground!
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