Go Ahead--Act Up a Little!

When a group of independent women gets together to camp, there's one thing you can be sure of:

Some hair is gonna come down! And it might even be green...or pink or purple!

Because letting loose and making fun memories is really what it's all about.

You can wear whatever you want. From 'everyday' to 'outrageous,' it's all good. And if you want to throw some pearls in with your mud shoes, no one will laugh. Instead, they'll probably be inspired to act up a little bit themselves.

If you decide to turn yourself into Janis Joplin, because that's who you feel like being for a day, go ahead!

Throw on some whimsy, if not a goofy outfit, and you'll re providing good fun-medicine for everyone else. (But if you just want to be part of the giggling audience, that's OK as well.)

Your extra fun is part of our extra fun. And the big smiles are contagious.

Even the forest critters had to smile at this apparition wearing wings.

So why not toss a couple of 50-cent mustache-straws into a trailer drawer? You never know when that urge to step out of your social norm will hit! And the other gals will love you for it!

'Girl Camping Girls' Added to Facebook Groups

An announcement!

Girl Camping Girls, hosted by yours truly, is now a bonafide Facebook group and as such, provides a broader yet more intimate way for us to meet one another, make new camping friends, and plan campouts and adventures in our respective areas.

Here's how the group works:

* It has Closed Group status. This level of FB privacy means that anyone can see who's in the group, but only members can see the posts and respond to them. Your posts and photos to the group won't appear to the FB public, and your non-camping friends won't see them in their news feeds.

* To join, click the Girl Camping Girls link. Once on the main page, click the Join button to be approved. After you have been approved, you can add any other FB friend you wish.

* When you have a campout planned, use the Events tab to announce it and keep track of attendees.

* Any member can add photos--and please do! No one can ever get enough of seeing your trailer, camp setup, decor ideas, and rehab shots. (Trust me on this!)


Over 100 happy Girl Campers got onto the new bus within the first 24 hours, and there's room for plenty more. It's already turning out to be a pretty fun ride, and all you need for a ticket is an account with Facebook.

Impromptu Spring Fling

I love it when a no-plan comes together.

First, Miss Mig bought this Aristocrat LoLiner and had to make a 10-hour trip to pick it up. She took Miss Sherry with her. The perfect layover spot, for the trip back, was at the same campground where the three of us each keep a trailer for the winter.

No way could I miss this! I hopped in my truck and 2 hours later, arrived at the campground just minutes after they pulled in with the trailer.

Mig (on the right) set the table, Sherry (on the left) rustled us up some grub, I brought over a bottle of wine, and we inaugurated the 'naked' trailer right then and there.

Miss Anna, who owns the RV park we love so much, got a trailer tour the next morning. This trailer will be for Mig's mom, Dickie, who loves to camp with us.

In her 90s, Dickie reigns as our oldest Girl Camper and possibly the youngest-at-heart. Yes, friends, you are looking at a gal born in the 1920s! This is where Mig gets her spirit!

Here are Mig's trailers, side by side. The huge banner says 'Happy Camper Girl.' Mig is an artist by trade, and probably whipped that banner up in her sleep!

(Tip: Pay close attention to the first photo in this post--it's the one and only time you are going to see this trailer unadorned.)

I took advantage of the beautiful sunshine by pulling out a table and chairs in front of my trailer, The Big Chief. (The Big Chief is a behemoth of a trailer, 31 feet long and weighing in at a tonnage of 5,600 lbs. with nothing in it.)

Sherry set herself up behind the trailers, for a view of the roaring Salmon River.

Sherry's dog Jada had a view, too, but from inside on her cozy bed.

Sherry's trailer, Pistol Pete, has lots of big windows that afford a river view. It always seems light and bright inside, even on cloudy days. Like The Big Chief, Pete makes an excellent semi-permanent camping cabin.

Meanwhile, back outside, we each contributed to a drinks-and-eats bar on a table set up over one of the trailers' hitches. I love this means of providing for a meal between camp breakfast and communal dinner. Everyone can graze on what she likes and no one has to go to a great deal of effort.

We also had campfires, enjoyed visiting with Anna, went for hikes and short local drives, and paid visits to our favorite local emporiums in historic White Bird, Idaho.

All in all, a perfectly lovely time that evolved without a plan. So glad we all acted on the urge to GO, and get hooked up!

Annals of Trailer Trolling: Hood River, Oregon

'What is trailer trolling?' you might ask.

Think of it as active birdwatching. Or as similar to hunting for big game and bagging it with a camera.

It's a favorite pastime among certain Girl Camping Girls, including Miss Patty, above, and yours truly.

We're into the exploration of back roads and fresh neighborhoods anyway, and the trailer hunt--spot it, take a picture, move on to find another--is a bonus.

On our latest girl-getaway adventure, to Hood River, Oregon, we learned that the 'food trailer' concept is alive and well in this area some 60 miles east of Portland. We spotted several vintage trailers converted for use in mobile vending--with serving doors set into the side.

We spied this newly painted Oasis in a newer neighborhood and gave it a camera-salute. Note the big front window, and the distinctive arcs in the paint design--two Oasis characteristics that help make the brand easy to ID. We concluded that this trailer is very likely to be somebody's Girl Camping baby!

We've seen hundreds of trailers over the last few years, but this was the first time we saw one like this--with masonite construction (a type of plaster over wood) rather than metal. The sign said the trailer is a 1949 Traveleze. It would have been fun to know more about it, but no one was home.

At a place that was having a yard sale, we noted a 1962 Aristocrat sitting in front of a much newer motorhome. The owner gave us a tour. He even coughed up a price when we asked if he wanted to sell it. I gave it some serious consideration--have ladder, can inspect roof--but ultimately, it wasn't roadworthy enough for a trip of any distance to get it home.

The only trailer we went home with was this birdhouse trailer, plus birdhouse truck, that we sleuthed out at the Rite Aid store in Hood River. Much easier on the fuel bill for the homeward trip!

Travels to Hood River, Oregon

It's a ritual. Each March, to mark the start of spring, I tuck The Little Little Trailer into a purse and set off to meet up with Miss Patty for exploration of some Northwest town or other. (Because the weather often is still iffy, we leave the big trailers home.)

This year we chose Hood River, Oregon, in the Columbia Gorge. We've previously met up in Pendleton and Joseph, Oregon, and in Walla Walla, Washington.

For accommodations, we rented a small, quaint house not far from downtown. Then we imposed a little of our own camping style on it, with a few blooming plants and such. We each had our own tiny room--a little bit like staying in a trailer, right?


Hood River has several claims to fame, one being its title as Windsurfing Capital of the World. Windsurf boards are so ubiquitous that they're almost trash--which is how Miss Patty ended up with a pickup load to take home for a clever project.

The weather turned out to be lovely and calm, and the mighty Columbia reflected this with an almost-still surface.

Mt. Adams, to the north, was clearly visible. So was Mt. Hood, to the south.

Hood River has a lovely, well-kept, and thriving old-fashioned downtown. The restaurant scene is active and creative, with a serious 'farm to table' bent to it.

We got all excited when we walked into a gift store and found a rack of items featuring cute vintage trailers. So excited that we 'forgot to remember' the name of the store!

Hood River's orchards and vineyards make for another of the area's claim to fame. We didn't have to get very far out of town to find both the orchards, and some intriguing roadside businesses.

Like this one, which sold everything from secondhand sporting goods (see Photo #1) to landscape trees (I bought three) to old furniture and house fixtures.

Of course, like big game hunters, we also scout for trailers all the time. 'Trailer trolling,' as it were. When we can get a photo next to one, so much the better. Here, Miss Patty bagged a big one! It's converted into a food trailer, which seems to be a popular idea in the Hood River area. We saw several of these.

To be continued--with more about the trailer trolling.

First of Our 2014 Getaways

It may be January, but that doesn't stop the urge to get out, get away, and get together--not for the Girl Camping Girls!

So, when a bout of dry weather came along last week, three of us pulled the plug on everyday life and headed for the trailers we have parked for the winter at a low, snow-free spot on the Salmon River. This is our view as we descend from the colder, snowier zones up north.

And here is our little enclave as seen from across the Salmon.

We arrived, unlocked our trailers, turned the heaters on, and poured glasses of wine right away, even before the chill was gone inside. Happy! Campers!

This is Miss Sherry's Outback, Pistol Pete. It's roomy enough for her to bring her kitty and her dog, Jada.

Here we have Trigger Happy, Miss Mig's Hobo. (Pure coincidence about the trailer names both referring to firearms.)

This is my 'tin can cabin,' dubbed Hacienda del Sol. It's a 1972 Airstream Land Yacht.

This is her 'little captain,' G'Petto. He's a Schipperke, a breed developed as a boat dog.

I have this fabulous '57 Aljo as my next-trailer-neighbor.

Though it got down to the 20s at night, daytimes were sunny and pleasant enough for us to do some local exploring. This is about a mile or so downriver from our camping area, which is near the left end of the bridge.

For most meals, we pooled our groceries and took turns cooking or putting out snacks and drinks. One of Mig's breakfasts consisted of scrambled eggs with fresh onions, on pitas topped with fresh avocado spread and strawberries on the side. Yum.

One night, we went for a nice meal at the local small-town supper club. Sherry treated us…thanks again, Sherry!

By chance, we happened to be on this trip when the moon was full. With clear skies, the nightly moonrises and moonsets were incredible. This is shortly before the moon dropped behind the divide that separates the Salmon and Snake rivers.

One morning, the moon was lit by this aura as it slipped away from sight. It looked as bright as a sun. (That look was deceptive, however, as everything outdoors was covered in frost.)

All we had to do to warm up was to go back inside our trailers--I sure didn't mind this view of the Salmon from the rear window of mine--or go stir up the campfire. No obligations and no worries.

A fine four days!