On Monday (August 20) our trip west officially began. We loaded up the minivan in the early afternoon and drove about 150 miles to Shippensburg, PA. It was not without a bit of apprehension that we pulled up out front of the Rockwell’s home as we anticipated our introduction to the pop-up camper that will be our home for the next three months.
A fully loaded van
The kids are buckled in and ready to head west!
We were both pleasantly surprised to discover how spacious and open it is on the inside! For something that folds up so small and is so light to tow, we really do have a lot of living space in there. I suppose it all depends on what you’re used to. Staffan and I used to do a lot of tent camping in a tent that was small and light enough to carry around all day, so in comparison this feels palatial. On one end is a queen-sized bed that we’re sleeping in, and the other end pulls out to a double bed that the kids are sharing. In between is a small kitchen-ish area and a table area.
Our home as seen parked in my brother’s driveway on Tuesday night
Partial interior view
This is how the kids are sharing the bed. A duffle bag and a bed rail turned out to be a great solution!
We’ve slept two nights in it parked in people’s driveways, and tonight is our first night in a campground. We rolled in a little later than planned and are still a little slow and inefficient at setting camp, so dinner was cooked under the stress of fussy hungry kids and parents who can’t seem to find anything when they’re looking for it. Needless to say, there were no pictures taken of our first meal cooked in the camper kitchen, but pictures will follow in a later post of a calmer and more peaceful meal.
We will spend one more day in central Pennsylvania and then move on toward the Pittsburgh area on Friday.
Your first “real” night in the camper sounds like a first night out on a Kirkwood Adventure Camp trip… later than expected arrival, finding dinner and cooking utensils among campers backpacks, getting tents up for the first time. At least you didn’t have to hang bear bags!
Yeah, you think I’d be used to it by now. But somehow I’m much more sensitive when it’s my own little ones crying for food. I don’t miss hanging bear bags, that’s for sure.