Some people go their whole life and never get to experience “Adventure Sleeping”. Your idea of Adventure Sleeping may be different than mine, but I’ve been at it since I was about 5 years old. Being the youngest of four siblings, I got to start some things a little early in life.
As a child, every spring we would pack up the station wagon with tents, sleeping bags, fishing poles and coolers, then we would head to the mountains for a long weekend getaway. Of course, I would always get stuck riding up front with Mama and Daddy because I was the youngest. We always stayed at the same campground every year. When we would get there, the owners would come out to welcome us with hugs all around, just like we were family.
Our Dad always pitched our tents near the river stream, because that’s where we spent most of our time fishing and floating in tubes. There wasn’t any big rig RV’s like there are now. There would be a few pop-up trailers, but most people camped out in tents. In the evenings, some of the families would have dinner together, sharing their food and their stories about their day. We made new friends every year and always hoped to see them the next spring.
Being the youngest, I had a problem with not being able to do what my older brothers and sister got to do. Things like rock hopping to the other side of the river or walking across swinging bridges. So one night, I pitched a fit wanting to sleep in my sisters tent and Mama finally said I could for one night.
When it was time for bed, my Sissy zipped me up in my sleeping bag, kissed me on the forehead and said, “ Sleep tight squirt, don’t let the bed bugs bite!” I soon heard her breathing softly and knew she was asleep. I lay there flipping the flashlight on and off while I listened to the other campers settling down for the night. Finally, I dozed off to sleep too.
“Knee-deep! Knee-deep!” That was the first noise that woke me up. It was right beside my head, outside of the tent. “Whippoorwill! Whippoorwill!” Then there was a loud rustling from behind the tent. Something out there went, “Eech! Eech!” That’s when chills started running up my spine and I sat straight up screaming, “Sissy! Sissy!” My Mama was in the tent within seconds. She wrapped her arms around me and said, “It’s alright sweetie, we’re just adventure sleeping.” Once I found out the noises I had heard were only bullfrogs and birds, I was able to calm down. But, I never begged to sleep in my Sissy’s tent again for a long, long time.
Today, campgrounds are loaded with all kinds of amenities we didn’t have back then. These days a lot of campgrounds have swimming pools, convenience stores, laundry rooms and arcades. The prices are still reasonable averaging $20 a day for a tent site with a picnic table, fire ring and grill, and of course use of the bath house. If you’re lucky enough to own a camper or RV, you’ll find full hook-ups that include water, plumbing, electricity and full cable for your TV.
Camping isn’t for everyone. But if you love nature and adventure, or if you’re pinching pennies, camping is the perfect weekend getaway. Why let the kids be cooped up in a hotel room for $70 a night when they can be outside enjoying themselves camping for $20 a night?
To help you explore your camping options, here are a few of my favorite Campgrounds and RV Parks.
Flaming Arrow Campground – Cherokee, NC
* 1 mile from the Cherokee Indian Reservation
* 2 miles from Harrah’s Cherokee Casino
* 4 miles from The Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Cullasaja River RV Park – Franklin, NC
* Open all year round
* All sites have full hook-ups…water, 30 or 50 amp electricity, sewer and cable TV
* Laundry facility
* Sunday morning church service
Raccoon Mountain Campground – Chattanooga, Tennessee
(Tennessee Campground of the Year 2008-2009)
* Full service campground
* Camping cabins available
* Go-Kart Track, Game Room, Swimming Pool
* Adjacent to Raccoon Mountain Caverns – (fee)
* 7 minutes from downtown Chattanooga, The Chattanooga Choo Choo and the Tennessee Aquarium