"Camping" with Our Kansas

You know, traveling with a RV isn't really camping... It's hardly even the "great outdoors"... but, this is how I willing chose to spend my week off.

Lake Catherine was quite nice, but the power plant across the way was an eyesore. The best parts were on the water with the kayaks... We went on for miles in those things.

Amazingly, I did a sparse amount of hiking. Most of my enjoyment involved a tent... Definitely not camping.

However, Hot Springs had a pretty cool downtown. The national park is literally right in the midst of the bath houses and boutiques, and the lady I traveled with was intent on "antiquing." The whole town was getting into the St. Patrick's Day celebrations with a parade.

We played many games of Taboo and the classic card games (Pouch / Solitaire, 99, BS, Go Fish, Speed, ERS). When we separated, I simply read (from A-bombs to manga) and drew.

There was a superfluous amount of food and snacks with us at ALL times. Real camping is made of light meals, but we ended up returning home with boxes and boxes of food... Maybe even half of what we orignially had..!? Nahhhh..... 1/3... ? A lot.

Everything was going so well (despite the cold days and nights) until it rained. Regretfully, the "Condo" (the 15-man tent) got soaked, and with it all of our stuff. We were forced to sleep in the RV simply because the ground mat wasn't placed correctly (and maybe we skipped some stakes). The next day, since we moved things around to dry, the tent pole snapped!! We had to make a splint for it with our sturdy poker stick. =[ However, we got that blasted tent up again and managed to sleep our last night in the midst of an organized space again.

I must say, traveling in close quarters with 10+ people for a week is trying. You learn things about people that you never would have known; a mix of interest and TMI... the good and the annoying.