Wagons in vintage Street scenes

8/18/71
C.N.R. Station, Truro, Nova Scotia by R R Horne, on Flickr

 

6/82
patti's wedding1982 by chuckp, on Flickr

 

7/27/72
Madison - Wisconsin State Capitol by roger4336, on Flickr

 

7/7/69
Wisconsin State Capitol by Brian Lokker, on Flickr

 

7/16/56
Campers at Namekagon. by The Forest History Society, on Flickr

 

1961
Camping. by The Forest History Society, on Flickr

 

7/5/60
Family camping at Franklin Lake. by The Forest History Society, on Flickr

 

8/57
Family returning from a canoe trip. by The Forest History Society, on Flickr

 

6/14/69
19690614 21 WPS 880 Green Bay CNW Depot by davidwilson1949, on Flickr

 

Inks Lake 1970 by Mahatma's Ghosts, on Flickr

 

Camping...when life was simple. But we never camped that close together. More like the above photo. Back in the tent and pop up days we often didn't even see the next camper.
No TV, no microwave, no refridgerator, no electricty, computer, or phone. We fished, hiked, and cooked over an open fire.

 

Above just isn't my idea of camping, that's park and sleep then come AM, lets get out of here fast IMO.

Now that is more like camping!

With the exception of the 3 way fridge witch almost never got plugged in (in the camper van)...because we also went to COOL no frills provincial camp sites it was the same way, you didn't see other campers unless they took a walk and walked past yours and everything else you said, hike, swim, fish, ride your bicycle, fall of a cliff......And the best was back roads camping, just like you said... mite not see another camper for a few days, Bike, fishing rod, foot ball, bace ball and gloves, 1 deck of playing cards were what you brought, was good times!

 

When I was a kid (about age 10) and we first started camping, we did it out of our '58 Chevy Biscayne sedan. Dad bought a canvas tent, modified some milk crates he got from the dairy he worked at into 'kitchen cupboards', bought a Coleman stove and lantern, and away we went. First trip was to Clear Lake in No. Calif., then after that we went to Bass Lake, outside of the west entrance to Yosemite. After step-mom tried out camping once, that was it for our camping days, and future vacations were spent at a 'Lodge' in Lake Arrowhead.

Step-mom just didn't understand camping. We would laugh at her because she swept the dirt around the tent and table......

 

Yep these camping photos sure bring back great memories.
But there were/are also men who hate camping.
Now those same anti campers drive into a fancy motorcoach RV park in a motorhome that makes a Grehound bus look small and cheap and call it camping. We've seen them where the guy will climb out, hook up the water, electric, and sewer then run back until time to leave in a day or a week. The only time we see some women are when they look out the panoramic windows. The only sounds are the AC running and the satellite antenna buzzing as they change stations.
Then they sit around at the Country club talking about those rough camping trips. I don't miss tent camping but those were real some fun times. I also remember those early fold down campers like those pictured that were mostly just tents with a bed in the box. Ours was probably the smallest model.

 

I brought my Tonka toys when we went camping or hunting. A seven-year-old with tons of dirt/needles/running creek to play by (and in, for which I got yelled at by Mom) doesn't need anything else. We did so in a 1969 F350 Crew Cab Camper Special with a deluxe Kit camper, so we had a gas stove and fridge, but of course, no TV, no radio, and that's the way Mom wanted it.