Dances with Lightning Bugs: a Tiny Trailer Excursion

Lake Rathbun at Buck Creek Campground, and Army Corps facility

Somehow, lightning bugs are getting into my camper at night, just lightning bugs, so for the last two nights I’ve woken up to a beautiful, flickering display of wonder. I don’t know how they’re getting in, but since it’s only lightning bugs, I’m counting my blessings rather than worrying. I catch them and gently shoo them outside.

I'm spending three nights at Buck Creek Campground at Lake Rathbun in SE Iowa. What's been fun so far (it's dawn after my second night here) is that I have no particular agenda for this trip except to scout out a couple of Army Corps campgrounds--Buck Creek Campground and Island View Campground. I rode my bike the five miles to Island View yesterday and will do so again today, which involves a long ride across the Rathbun dam (or dams, there are two, one huge and the other smaller).

It's been hot, so my activity has been mostly in the morning and evening, with afternoon time consisting of reading, writing, napping, and my afternoon TM meditation. In addition to exploring with my bicycle, I've also enjoyed some cooking and playing around with my new portable shower, the Iron Hammer Portable Shower. I'm not endorsing the product yet after using it only three times, but so far it's still pumping water. I warm a couple of five-gallon buckets of water in the sun during the day, and my shower is sitting on the picnic bench in my swim trunks, spraying myself. It takes less than five gallons for this kind of shower.

Site F-3

I'm set up in a nice spot, although I get a good bit of afternoon sun. Luckily the air conditioner handles that. One good plus this camping season is that after three years, the camper insides have finally stopped off-gassing chemicals from the adhesive wallpaper so I can shut up the camper for full ac effect. In prior years, we had to keep windows and ceiling vent cracked to keep the fumes down. RTTC no longer uses the decorative adhesive. Thank you for all owners!

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Here I am on Wednesday afternoon the next day. I've been having a toasted bagel with cream cheese for breakfast, so even though I was hoping to drop a couple of pounds with some bike riding . . . probably not! I did bicycle back to Island View Campground this morning, leaving at 9:10, and it was a bit cooler, I guess. The sun was shining, so I liberally applied sunscreen, especially to my legs. I wore a long-sleeved linen shirt as usual in order to keep the sun at bay on my upper torso. I spent quite a bit of time taking notes on the best campsites--"best" being defined as having shade and hopefully a view of the lake. By afternoon it had warmed up. However, when the clouds blew in and the chance of rain increased, I dropped my awning and generally broke camp. There is an increasing chance of rain through the night and into tomorrow, and since I am heading home tomorrow, I decided to pick up while it was dry.

I've enjoyed this trip. I think that planning my activity with the idea of an afternoon siesta to dodge the heat was a good idea. It's worked well, providing me with morning exercise on my bike while I explored and then some relaxation and camp time.

New habits, or "teaching the old dog new tricks."

Regarding COVID-19 protocols, I have used my own portable toilet and shower this trip. My only interaction with campground facilities has been the electrical connection, the water spigot, and the campground trash bins. I had my alcohol spray handy for all of those necessities. When walking or bike riding outside of camp, I wore my bandanna loose around my neck, cowboy style, ready to cover my face, bandit style, if necessary. No one approached, though, so I felt safe.

Kids interacting, fifteen in this group. The "blue tees" had been to the Des Moines Zoo today.

And then came my last evening. It was scheduled to possibly rain, but because the rain held off, I decided to take one last walk through the campground. The campground has three loops--A, B, and F. Walking up the hill, I started with the farthest from my F-03 campsite and headed for Loop A. At the top of the hill was a large group of fifteen kids, from about four to fifteen years of age. Some were in a large bicycle group, a "pack o' bikes," and the rest were on the playground equipment. A few wore matching blue tee shirts, souvenirs from a couple of families who had traveled to the Des Moines Zoo.

Loop A was almost filled with campers, many of them with kids. The kids were all interacting, and I think the concept of family "bubbles of safety" interacting didn't apply here. I'm observing the great fun the kids and adults are having, all interacting, and I'm thinking, "Polk County and Des Moines is one of Iowa's "hotspots," and maybe twenty folks went to the zoo, half or more kids, and then they've come back here and are interacting with other campers. I haven't seen a single mask worn in the campground." What I saw was a very real, concrete example of why the United States has one of the highest COVID-19 infection rates in the world. Negotiating my way through the streams of kids, I felt less safe than during the rest of my stay here. The kids were totally innocent and happy, as we want our children to be, but I was the one maintaining my distance from them, not the other way around. And we're a little less than one month when school begins.

I am looking forward to camping this fall and early winter in our local state and county parks. It will be less crowded, safer. I think this will be my reality for quite some time--looking for ways to pursue those activities I enjoy, yet doing so in a manner that keeps me safe. Sometimes I wish each individual novel coronavirus was the size of a Bengal tiger. Then folks would say, "Oh, yeah, better avoid that sucker!" But with this invisible virus continuing to do its thing, and with so many not seeing the danger, I just have to avoid people and enjoy my freedom privately. I have had a chance to talk to three couples during my time here, them in their camp and me in the middle of the road. I enjoyed that, but felt obligated for those folks traveling to be aware of the potential dangers.

Since I've applied for my federal Senior Pass, the next time I camp at an Army Corps facility, the fee will be half price. That's great! These campgrounds open in May and close at the end of September, though, so my time will be short at these federal campgrounds this season. I bought the lifetime pass, though, so look out next year--lifetime pass and new trailer!

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Even Though We Have an Airstream on Order, Our RTTC Polar Bear Standy, the Green Goddess, Is Still Glam

An odd thing happened to my wife and me after we completed our order (with a six-month wait) for an Airstream Basecamp. With just small mentions that we've a new trailer on order, people started expressing an interest in buying our tiny trailer. We even had a woman come and knock on our door, out of the blue, asking about our trailer. I don't think it's going to be hard to sell the Green Goddess.

Yesterday Sandy said, "We're not getting rid of our trailer until we have our new one in hand or on its way." The conversation was about how, even though our standy is a touch too small for long-term camping, what with Sandy's business and all, it was still a comfortable and enjoyable unit which makes it easy to get out and camp safely. We're not giving that up until it's certain that we have our new unit. Then we can sell the Green Goddess to someone who can continue the tradition of lovely, simple camping, easy towing, all with an inexpensive investment.

Right now as I write this, I'm camping at Lake Rathbun in SE Iowa, at Buck Creek Campground. It's shaded and the blue lake is just down the hill from my site. I can look out my window and see the rippling water. The early morning is cool; it's quiet with sun just beginning to light the campground. The heat wave has ended--or at least paused. I slept the night with the windows and screen door open, without the air conditioner on. Truth be told, our Polar Bear is a great little camper and we'll miss it.

The Airstream Basecamp, of course, is also a great little camper, even though it's bigger than our tiny trailer. We will adapt to the greater luxury, and the Basecamp is still small enough and constructed so that we will be able to get anywhere with the Basecamp that we can get with our standy. Both units have fifteen-inch tires, so both have some good clearance. Our Basecamp will be only sixteen feet long, so I'll still pull it with our Nissan Pathfinder.

I'm not lamenting the end of our Green Goddess era, but I am cherishing all the great experiences we've had while owning it. And we have the rest of this summer and the entire fall to enjoy the trailer. Then comes winter, snow and ice, and at least for us, an end to the camping season. And next spring, new adventures in our new camper . . . or is it really a spaceship?

Anyone thinking of buying the Green Goddess? You'll probably have to get in line, but drop us a line. There's something about the simplicity of these tiny campers, these "hard-sided tents," that just makes the camping experience unintimidating. We've never felt safer than when traveling with our tiny camper--we are mobile social distancing personified.

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The Agony and the Ecstasy of Campground Reservations

Lacey-Keosauqua State Park, a favorite destination, no matter the weather

I'm reserving campsites ahead of time this year, more than the last couple of years. Part of the reason is that more local county campgrounds are now affiliated with MyCountyParks.com here in Iowa, but that's not the whole story. My wife and I are also happy to be able to reserve our favorite campsites in federal, state, and county parks in the area. The "happy" is the "ecstasy" of this article's title. The agony? Finding that the reservation process means that it's almost impossible to reserve a site for two weeks--or even one week. Too many people reserve sites for just weekends.

Bentonsport Campground, on the Des Moines River

Let me provide an example. My wife are going to camp locally in late August for at least a couple of weeks, possibly longer. At Lacey-Keosauqua State Park, we were able to reserve our favorite site, #53, for ten days--but only for two, five-day stretches. Yep, Sunday through Thursday nights times two. The Friday and Saturday nights between we've reserved a site at Bentonsport Campground, a local county park nine miles away from Keo SP on the Des Moines River.

The two-night weekend break at Bentonsport will be great; it's a beautiful site my wife has never camped at before. However, we couldn't camp there for a couple of weeks because the cellphone signal strength is low, so my wife couldn't work during the week. Therefore, we will be moving and setting up camp three times during our sojourn. Since I'll be turning our campsite into "Mobile Office 1," the set-up and break-down is a bit more than I'd like.

I think it will be a nice experience, though, being out and away with my wife for an extended time (even though we'll be popping by our house for ice and fresh groceries a couple of times). I suppose weekend reservations are why a lot of people sign up as early as possible for campsites: they either want particular weekends, or they want to reserve a longer time before the weekends get taken.

One reason for reserving a campsite ahead of time is that some sites are better than others--more secluded, having a better view, or in the summer campsites with shade. These reasons tend to go away once the busy camping season ends. During the off-season, many of the parks revert to first come, first served (or walk-in) protocols. I like that because the fewer campers make it easy to find a good spot that I can camp at for a longer time. Over time I hope to get more adept at locating and securing great campsites. One of the pleasures of camping, though, is showing up to a totally new park, cruising around, and then finding a good campsite.

I guess I'm just a low-key explorer, blazing trails that many have traveled before.

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From Alto to Airstream: Our Crazy Adventure for a New Travel Trailer

The Green Goddess, an RTTC Polar Bear

My wife and I own a tiny "standy" travel trailer, a Rustic Trail Teardrop Camper, the Polar Bear model. This is our third season of owning and camping in the trailer, and any issues we have with the trailer have to do with our current lifestyle needs, not with the unit itself.

Our issues in the end boil down to two: work and grandkids. As a consultant, my wife needs to work while we camp, and even our standy-sized tiny trailer is just too cramped. And as for camping with the two grandkids, the tiny trailer isn't big enough.

We looked and looked, not finding a camper that we really liked for a long time. We realize it's a personal taste issue, but we feel many trailers are too boxy looking and don't excite us. We wanted something a bit bigger but still easily towable with our Nissan Pathfinder. Finally, the choice came down to two trailers: the Safari Condo Alto R-1723 and the Airstream Basecamp. Neither of these units were easy to see in person, but we spent a great deal of time checking out photos and floorplans, reading about them, and following social media owner groups.

Alto R-series retractable roof with the roof expanded

Then on one local camping trip, an Alto R-1723 happened to roll into the campground, a couple traveling home after having picked up their unit from Quebec City, Canada, where the trailers are manufactured. Having finally seen the unit in person, we decided the Alto was the way to go. We signed a contract and had a year wait . . . and were halfway through our yearlong wait when COVID-19 hit. The Canada/U.S. border closed, and travel rules changed. We contacted Safari Condo, looking into U.S. delivery because we didn't want to travel through so many populated areas to pick up the trailer. Eventually after back-and-forth emails, my wife and I realized that the health environment meant we had to cancel our order.

Airstream Basecamp, the new-old classic aluminum look

Coming full circle, we decided we'd take a second look at the Airstream Basecamp, which we had originally given up on because it had only the back living space and only slept two, meaning the work area setup was much like our RTTC unit, and our grandkids wouldn't fit into the camping scheme. We'd never actually been inside the Basecamp, though, so I called the Des Moines dealer and asked if they had a Basecamp on the lot. When I had asked three years ago, the answer had been that they didn't sell many Basecamps or keep them on the lot. This time, though, the salesperson said that an ordered Basecamp had just arrived and was being picked up the next day. We could come up and check it out. What we discovered was that there was enough space to put grandkids on the floor for sleeping or for figuring out an added cot "hack." We also realized that the slightly larger trailer size made the work space/shared space okay.

We are currently waiting for our downpayment to be returned from Safari Condo. (This company has poor communications, so there's a silent void as to our return status.) After traveling to Des Moines and checking out the sixteen-foot Basecamp, we've put our money down and will wait six months for delivery.

Here are the positives and negatives of the two units (for our needs):
Alto R-1723

• + light
• + retractable roof so more aerodynamic and easy to transport
• + good space for separation of activity and adaptable for sleeping the grandkids
• + has kitchen and bath/toilet
• - less storage because of the retractable roof
• - shower/toilet has a half-wall and curtain because of retractable roof
• - lightweight means less insulation, and we do cold-weather camping
• - company contact and servicing not easy

Airstream Basecamp

• + the space is adaptable to our needs
• + more storage because of the full, permanent roof
• + larger tires, 15-inch instead of 13-inch
• +full toilet and shower
• + a larger kitchen area
• - heavier, taller, and wider for towing
• - not a front/back work area
• -sleeping with grandkids a bit more cumbersome
• - more expensive if we bought the same features as the Alto

The good news is that both these sixteen-foot units have many features in common: kitchen, bath/toilet, can be towed with our SUV, and they meet business and kid needs. We consider both units to be aesthetically pleasing, which was an important consideration for us. Considering the trip to Canada for the Alto and the basic layout of each standard model, the price we would pay for the units is pretty close. We also like the fact that the nearest Airstream dealer and service center is just two and a half hours away, not a four-day, international trip (although some American RV dealerships have some maintenance agreements with Safari Condo).

My Instagram inspiration 

At the end of the day, I'll get used to towing the slightly more bulky, heavier Airstream. My wife and I both think we'll be happier with the shoilet and kitchen configurations in the Airstream. We aren't getting the more expensive options for the Basecamp, feeling that we don't really need the off-road option or the solar option. If we decide we need solar, we'll be able to go to go to Des Moines to have that option added easily since the standard model come "solar-ready." Right now, the unit comes with a battery to power the refrigerator till we get to the campground and electricity. The Des Moines Airstream dealer is also throwing in a weight-distribution, anti-sway trailer hitch for free.

We're happy, but it's been a real wild ride--difficult communication with Safari Condo, the pandemic, and the challenge of being able to step inside the units and spend some time in that living space. We're looking forward, though, to towing our new unit home in January 2021 and having a bit larger space to live in while we work, play, and spend time with family. Many RV owners would call the Basecamp a "tiny trailer," but for us it's a step larger in size. I feel like we've realized that we need a small trailer rather than a tiny trailer. Owning and camping for three seasons in our tiny standy has made us realize how little space and stuff we need to enjoy ourselves. It's been a good three years, and I'll bet there will be times in the future when we think fondly of our tiny trailer and say, "Simple is good . . . those were good times!"

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Finding a New Angle When Camping

I just published on my writing blog an article about how to write about a camping experience from different angles. After finishing the article, I realized that the article wasn't just about writing, though; it was also about experience in general, about ways to get more enjoyment out of camping. In this article, I focus on my camping experience rather than my writing experience (if I can separate the two).

Because of the pandemic, I haven't been camping so much. After all, for most of the spring the campgrounds were shut down! Now, though, the campgrounds are open, and I've decided to get out for more local camping, as heat and humidity allow. Lots of local camping means repeated stays at familiar campgrounds. Is it possible for those campgrounds to become too familiar? Will camping at the same old place lose its charm?

The truth is we don't have to repeat ourselves. It doesn't have to be the "same old same old." We can approach each camping trip with a fresh perspective or with new goals. What occurred to me was that any experience has three aspects or "angles" of approach, our personal experience, the dynamics of the experience, and the geography of the experience. I've heard this described as the perceiver, the process perception, and the object of perception. Any camping trip can focus on just one aspect of the experience . . . or can focus on all three. A camping trip doesn't just have to be about the drive, setting up camp, and what I did. I have more options, and looking through past articles in Green Goddess Glamping, I can see examples of where different camping trips have had different "themes," one might say.

I'm camping right now at Lake Darling State Park, in SE Iowa. I've camped quite a few times at Lake Darling, both as a tiny trailer camper and as a bicycle camper. I've been on hikes, ridden my bike, enjoyed the camp routines such as cooking, took in the beauty of sunrise and sunset. It's a beautiful park, one that my wife and I continue to enjoy, yet much of the park is familiar. Another interesting aspect of this park is that the phone connectivity is so low here that I'm pretty much off the communications grid. I can usually send a text message with the help of a signal booster, but three words still don't get delivered until about a minute passes.

I've come to this state park with the idea of resting, reading, and writing. Because the park is only seventeen miles from home, and because there have been some home circumstances to help with, of my three full days here, I will have traveled back home for a time all three days. The stay is still a good one, though, and I'm seventy-five percent of the way through my time here. I'm still getting rest and enjoying the quiet, having deliberately chosen a more quiet campsite that is not on the lake. My "angle" for this trip is obviously with an inner emphasis, but I'm still being active, both here and at home.

Lake Darling campsite, July 2020

What I'm saying is that I'm not becoming my own camping recreation director with a new tour or experience lined up for every camping hour; rather, I'm reminding myself each day I camp of three possible approaches to the day: Do I want "me time," do I want to do something interesting and fun, or do I want to learn more about where I'm camping. It's that three-in-one approach. I'm at the lake, and I can spend my time just soaking up the peace and quiet. On the other hand, I can rent a canoe and explore the lake, enjoying the exercise and my (minimal) canoeing skills. If I've brought my tree and bird identification books, I can gain a deeper appreciation and understanding of the natural world that surrounds me. It's a way to increase my immersion in the camping experience, even when I'm camping in a familiar place.

Personal Experience

When I arrive at a campsite, especially when I camp alone, sometimes the inner landscape of the mind melds with the outer natural beauty of the river or lake, the woods. Sometimes this leads to insights which I share in my articles.

Photo by Mark Busha, tiny trailer camper, in a remote location in Utah

One good example is my article about how being alone doesn't mean one is lonely, that solitude is not synonymous with loneliness. In "Traveling Solo: Being Alone Is Not the Same Thing As Being Lonely," which I wrote while camping, I focused on my inner experience while out camping. I wrote about how camping in nature can lead not to a sense of loneliness and isolation but rather to an experience of connectedness and integration.

The Process of Experiencing

Sometimes the process of camping dominates; perhaps it dominates most of the time if we let it. Towing the trailer, backing the trailer, setting up camp, and camping out provide many opportunities for writing. My "How-To" and "Reviews" tab links are filled with articles that relate to the process of camping, everything from how to stabilize the trailer to campfire cooking. Articles about equipment, how it works and how well it works are always popular and fun to write about.

Jomeokee Park, North Carolina

When I write about the process of camping, there is always that journaling aspect: I did this and then that. Photographs fit into the narrative, which adds to the enjoyment of the camping experience. Many of my camping blogs are about the Green Goddess Expeditions. Since the Green Goddess is my first camper, many of my articles have been about what I needed to learn in order to enjoy the trailer camping experience. One good example of a narrative of a camping weekend is my article "Unknowingly, I Tiny-Trailer Camp-Crash Woodstock," where I wrote about stopping for a quiet weekend at a private campground while traveling the Carolinas, and then discovering that a private camping group had organized a music concert for the weekend. A fun experience!

What We Experience

We show up to a campground for a few days, but the land has its reality outside our experience, it has its geography, its biology, its history. That is a subject for experiencing and writing about that is a source of great possibility. The more times I camp at a particular place, the more I learn about that place.

Statue at the west entrance to Lacey-Keosauqua

Lacey-Keosauqua State Park is a good example of experiencing a particular place. My wife and I have camped there many times, and I have quite a few articles about our "expeditions" there. As time passes and the number of visits to a campground add up, I think the experience becomes more "vertical" than "horizontal." We go deeper into a place and learn its secrets, something I wrote about in the article "It's Not Just How Many Miles or Places." Delving into the details can be a joy. What specific variety of oak is that? What variety of goldenrod? And since I'm writing during the Midwest summer: What exactly is a "chigger"?

Bur oak sketch

These three approaches to camping aren't mutually exclusive; there is no separation--one includes all. We can choose our emphasis, though, and as long as we don't become our very own nemesis, the autocratic recreation director saying, "You will engage in these activities exactly as planned, and you will like it!" then reminding ourselves that we don't always have to approach camping from same angle is a good thing. We can get out of our heads, we can change our activities, we can include a little local history. Habit can be reassuring, but it can also become an ever-deepening rut.

From the Gutenberg e-book

In Henry David Thoreau's narrative Canoeing in the Wilderness, he shifts seamlessly from his own personal experience to the process of canoeing to the beauty of the woods and river. He writes with growing awareness during the book of how he, even though an experienced naturalist, is not as knowledgeable in the woods as his American Indian guide Joseph Polis. Thoreau creates an enjoyable read as he narrates his experiences of canoeing the river rapids and the turbulent lakes in Maine. He writes about setting up camp and how his guide knows just the right place to be not too far from the river yet still dry and relatively free of mosquitoes. The physical environment is described with great regard and attention to detail, as seen in this passage describing canoeing down a branch of Webster Stream.

"As the shores became flatter with frequent sandbars, and the stream more winding in the lower land near the lake, elms and ash trees made their appearance; also the wild yellow lily, some of whose bulbs I collected for a soup. On some ridges the burnt land extended as far as the lake. This was a very beautiful lake, two or three miles long, with high mountains on the southwest side. The morning was a bright one, and perfectly still, the lake as smooth as glass, we making the only ripple as we[152] paddled into it. The dark mountains about it were seen through a glaucous mist, and the white stems of canoe birches mingled with the other woods around it. The thrush sang on the distant shore, and the laugh of some loons, sporting in a concealed western bay, as if inspired by the morning, came distinct over the lake to us."

Early morning fog

Whether we are backpackers, tent campers, big or tiny trailer campers, whether on an expedition into the Maine woods in 1857 or on a weekday romp to the local state park, we can all be explorers of the three-in-one nature of life. We can have our inner selves up uplifted, we can enjoy the dynamism of our activity, and we can appreciate the rich beauty of our world. As I finish writing this, I'm going to take a walk on this foggy morning. After yesterday's rain, this morning is warm and misty. A walk along the lake is just what I need.

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Surfing the Heat Wave with My Tiny Trailer--Excellent!

Some early and late sun, but mostly shaded during the heat of the day . . . which helps some

The news said heat wave, and I don't doubt it, being outside at my campsite as I write this. It's 88 degrees with 70% humidity. I'm in the shade, though, beneath the awning, a box fan moving the air, so life ain't too bad. The 4th of July crowd has left, leaving a handful of camp rigs. I'm in a pull-through mid-campground parked on the south side of the road, shaded by trees, pines and mulberries, that fringe the site. Jefferson County Park is only four miles from home, so I'm safely and easily ensconced in green peace and quiet. I've signed up for two nights of camping; since this is a drive-in campground without reservations, I can always extend if I find the heat bearable.

Yesterday I settled in. Today has been a more normal camping day, other than some in-town banking business with my wife. It's one o'clock in the afternoon, and the temperature is 90 degrees. After the in-town business with my wife, who drove in and picked me up, upon returning to the campground, I decided to go for a walk. It was ten o'clock in the morning and 82 degrees, so it seemed the earlier the better.

Baby bunny across the road from my campsite as I begin my walk

Yes, it was hot, but I was alone on the trails. I took off my shirt and ambled, soaking in the green-growing and the woody smell of the summer heat. Reaching the trees that shaded the trail, I felt myself begin to relax, my body just settling down. I realized that the extended time away from camping, except for a couple of short romps, reached clear back to last fall. Lasting out the Iowa winter to then be hit by COVID-19, campgrounds closed, and can I even begin to catalog all the behavior changes this pandemic has prompted for our new paradigm of existence? The death toll for the coronavirus is now over 130,000 for the U.S., and the verified infection numbers will reach three million by the end of the week.

Dappled patterns of light and shadow

What I'm saying is walking the trail was a relief, even with the heat and with me every now and then waving my shirt at a real or imaginary insects. It was quiet, my footsteps leaving that soft echo in the silence, muffled by the leaf mulch on the forest floor. And for a while I had nothing to do other than just ambling along--going for a walk and snapping a few photos along the way. I had forgotten about the healing, nurturing power of walking among the trees, those old souls. Even the heat was only a part of a greater wholeness.

A photo from my first night. Note the citronella candles, my first time using them.

Returning to camp, I bathed my upper torso (one of several cooling interactions with a face cloth and cool water that I've been enjoying today). Then I cooked myself a simple meal of packaged Madras lentils with added steamed vegetables, saltine crackers, and macaroni salad. It was past noon, so I ate in the camper. The heat index was ratcheting up, and I had no desire to unnecessarily wilt. I've gone into this trip with the idea that the afternoons would consist of reading, writing, and napping inside the air-conditioned trailer.

I have to say that I am pleased with the Polar Bear's response to the heat. When we first brought her home, the decorative adhesive on the inside walls would warm in the heat and off-gas a strong chemical smell. I'm sure it helps, though, that I have some afternoon shade. The chemical smell, though, seems to have almost entirely disappeared. The air conditioner is working well, set at 68 degrees and with the fan on automatic. I haven't felt too cold or warm.

A perfect trail for an amble

I'm glad I've realized that I can do some camping in the Midwest heat and humidity. I'm only staying these two nights, though. Thunderstorms will be bringing increased heat and humidity later this week. However, early next week will be in the upper 80s to 90 degrees, so I very may well head off for another few days. I can spend a few days pampering the vegetable garden and enjoying the family before heading out again. We'll see. I sure am glad I'm out and about with my little trailer, though. I'm signing off now for an afternoon siesta, a relaxed evening, and an easy crosstown return home tomorrow. I even plan to try out my shower pump sprayer sometime before bed. Until then, I'm sheltering in place, safe from the heat and the coronavirus--and just a hop, skip, and a jump from home.

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Hot and Humid Camping Plans--Am I Crazy?

Jefferson County Park, Iowa, May 2019

The weather forecasts are predicting excessive heat and humidity for the next couple of weeks. I should not go camping. I should stay at home and hike in the mornings at our local county park, which is only four miles from home. That's what my wife and I did this morning.

Lake Darling, 2019

I had planned on camping four nights at Lake Darling State Park, which is only seventeen miles away. Had a site reservation and everything. After my walk this morning, I decided, though, to camp instead at Jefferson County Park campground, which will be much closer to home if the ninety degree heat and humidity become too unbearable. I've cancelled the state park reservation and will drive Monday to the county park, which operates on the walk-in system, and find a slot.

Jefferson County Park was beautiful on the walk--very green from all the rains, and the insects weren't too bad. Since this is the 4th of July weekend, about half the campground's sites were filled already at this mid-Friday morning. I'm hoping that most campers will be gone by Monday. I'll drive over Monday morning to check and see. I can always start camping on Tuesday if necessary.

Here are three articles based on my experience of camping in the heat.

• How To Beat the Heat in Your Tiny Trailer
• Old Is Gold: Camping at Iowa's 2nd Oldest State Park
• Tiny Trailer 10-Day Basecamp:Keosauqua

I plan to enjoy the weekend here at home, and then it's off for my first trip at JCP!

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