After work Friday evening, I met Erin and Kristi for the drive to our campsite in the mountains above Hooterville for our 4th Annual Gay Weekend Camping Trip (I am literally the only one who calls it that, because, it cracks me up). The trip was Item #5 on the girl's Bon Voyage Bucket List, and it was a no-brainer that we would accomplish it.
Hugh had set out with the motor home earlier in the day and had our campsite locked down. Good thing, too; it was a busy weekend and there were other campers looking for a good spot (ours is the best and I'm not just saying that to brag).
Tom and Sean eventually pulled in and our group of six was complete; two lesbians, two gay guys, and a hetero couple with outstanding taste in friends. Could the weekend get more colorful, I ask you? Actually, yes, yes it could, but you'll see that in a minute.
Anyhoodle!
Friday night, we dined on tacos and seven-layer dip (you know, standard camping cuisine) before calling it a day so that we would be rested and ready for a busy day on the 4-wheelers on Saturday.
I must have needed the rest, because I didn't crack an eyelid until 8:30 Saturday morning, by which time Hugh and the boys had breakfast well in hand. While they were cooking eggs and hashbrowns, I ran the girls through a quick photoshoot, featuring their 1950's camper, Tink (Bucket List Item #9!). The pictures turned out so well, they deserve their own post. Stay tuned!
After breakfast, we jumped on the 4-wheelers and hit the trails. Because of the wet spring that we had, the hills were just bursting with (aforementioned) color and we made frequent stops to take in the views, as well as to give Hugh and Kristi a chance to fish the small ponds while Tom and I photographed the wildflowers (and, photographed each other photographing the wildflowers, as one does). In the meanwhile, Erin blew dandelion wishes (she was probably wishing that they didn't have to sell Tink, if I had to guess).
We found a great spot for some couples photos, so we had to take advantage of that. Then, we returned to camp for lunch and what turned into really, really long naps for each of us (it's that mountain air).
Once we roused ourselves from our daytime slumber, we grabbed a snack and chatted around the fire pit while the sun started to dip into the horizon. Hugh wanted to time our next ride so we could watch the sunset from the highest vantage point possible, which ended up being the most gorgeous scenery we saw all weekend.
The wild lupine on the mountain top were in full bloom, which we'd not seen before, despite having ridden this trail for the past several years. So, of course we had to pose for pictures with them.
We headed back down the mountain, arriving at camp just as it became fully dark, at which point we made dinner (ribs, baked beans, and potato salad, with s'mores and toasted Rice Krispie Treats for dessert)
Then, it was time to crash for the night.
We all slept in the following morning, then ate a leisurely breakfast around the campfire before breaking down camp and heading back to town.
I was the final car in our caravan and I snapped this picture of Tink's final departure from Dented Door (the name of the campground we have claimed as ours for the last three years).
I am going to miss the girls when they leave for the UK in September, and I'll be missing them for years to come, but; never more than on the 4th of July, when we aren't spending the holiday on a camping trip.
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