My Husband (whom I shall lovingly refer to as The Hub from here on out) and I have long been travelers.  In our dating years we lived in separate cities and would often fly to third locations for weekends and holidays.  As time constraints, frugality and pet family needs prevailed, we found ourselves less free to fly to distant continents, but still with a wanderlust in our souls.

Being the kind of person who likes to see beauty and opportunity everywhere,  I began the great quest of finding happiness at our feet (my little nod to Oppenheimer there).  I started studying maps and making lists of every little hamlet, historic site and record breaking large ball of twine within a reasonable weekend driving distance.  For about two decades we made these wonderful temperate weather adventures with an assortment of tents and varying pieces of equipment nearly every other weekend.  We found some things worked and others just weighed us down.

Recently, we had a new dog enter our lives–a Bassador that likes to swim.  Well, this created a new need in the camping arrangements:  Air Conditioning!  Our favorite dog-friendly swimming hole was 111 miles from home and sleeping outdoors in hot humid Missouri summers just doesn’t have much appeal.  So, I began to do research on what our Honda Odyssey Minivan could tow.  I quietly started dreaming of getting a used 13′ Scamp (after 20 some years of marriage, I, long ago, learned not to spring big change ideas on The Hub!  Research and documentation are key! )  I looked around and discovered that finding used tiny fiberglass campers was no easy thing.  So, I did what I always do.  I asked the universe for a sign.

Over Christmas holiday 2014, we were tent camped near the beach in Port Saint Joe Florida–a lovely, quiet, noncommercial beach spot.  It had rained heavily the week before and several campers left early, freeing up a spontaneous opening and leaving one empty space next to us for the first 5 days of our stay.  About halfway through our time there, I pulled out my fiberglass Egg info and started to ease The Hub into the idea of upgrading to an Egg!  I started showing him all the wonderful pictures and waxing romantic about all the fun potentials.  Sometimes, he surprises me.  He bought in (to at least considering it) right away.  I said, “OK, lets let the Universe give us a sign if this is the right way to go.  After all, we love our tents and the ease of travel they have provided.”  We smiled and put our heads on our pillows– dreaming together about the possibilities of this new chapter together.

You might guess what happened next.  I awoke the next morning to take the dogs out and what was parked in that empty spot next to us??  A vintage 13′ Scamp Camper!  This was the first time we had ever seen a fiberglass Egg in all our years of camping!  Now, when the Universe answers you that quickly, you have no recourse but to proceed!  We were both on board.  The Hub (an engineer and very fond of spreadsheets for decision making) began to gather all kinds of information and making a dream list of what we would want in an Egg.  We discovered there were 4 real contenders:  Scamp, Parkliner, Escape and Casita.   After a lot of research, we found that the 17′ Casita Independence Standard (no inside shower–but it does have an outside shower and porta potty) was exactly what we wanted. In May of 2015, we picked up our brand new Casita at the factory in Texas. We have gone out at least once every 3 weeks and been to something like 17 states in the last 7 months.

Somewhere later in this blog I will go into more on that purchase decision making process.  There is no right model/brand choice for everyone.  One must just know themselves and their own requirements.  It’s all about fun and spending time in nature.  What we bring along the way,  is just gravy.

So, it’s my hope to share some of the wonder we have found in our travels.  I love to share info on devices that work for us, places worth going to–off the beaten path, dog travel ideas,  decorating ideas, and meals made on wheels, meteor showers and sky events, spectacularly healing forests, historic sites, Indian mounds  and all the serendipity along the way .  Some of my stories will come from the tenting days and some from other kinds of trips.  The common denominator will be frugal travels with lots and lots of love, learning and peaceful, joyful moments that have made us better people.

Come along for the ride and see if you wont be inspired to take in a deep breath of our kind of Zen.

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