52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks – Week 20: Nature: The Gorrells Go Camping

This is my second year working on this year-long prompt, hosted by Amy Johnson Crow. I will write each week in one of my two blogs, either Mam-ma’s Southern Family or at My Trails Into the Past. I have enjoyed writing about my children’s ancestors in new and exciting ways.

One way to get out into nature is to go camping. My in-laws, George and Thelma Gorrell, were enthusiastic campers. They had five children, so camping was probably an economic way to take a vacation. But they also enjoyed being in the out of doors. A few of their sons enjoyed fishing with their dad, and two of them still fish and hunt these many years later.

Camping involved the whole family. They cooked their meals on camp stoves but also had fires going all day to keep water heated for drinks or showers or washing of dishes. They played games in the evening such as cards, spoons, or other family-fun games. Thelma like to put together jigsaw puzzles and George made a board with edges to keep the pieces from falling off.

My husband was not a huge fan of camping but we did go on a few trips after we were married in October, to celebrate George and Thelma’s anniversaries. The first two years it rained the whole weekend, but I have fond memories of the card games we played to keep occupied.

For their 40th anniversary, the whole family, including the grandchildren, took a week-long camping trip to Mount Lassen. I purchased nice air mattresses so my husband could be more comfortable. We were at a group site and we all brought our bikes. Our children became pretty proficient in riding that year. The girls also found wood and built a fort.

My favorite activity while camping is reading and taking a nap—it’s the best way to really relax. Other fun activities are taking hikes, bird watching, photographing wildflowers, and stargazing at night. Camping is most fun when there are few mosquitoes.

George and Thelma camped in tents for years but in the late 1980s, they finally purchased a motor home, which made everything easier for them.

Motor home in the woods

Tent camping

Picnicking

Putting puzzles together

Copyright © 2019 by Lisa S. Gorrell, My Trails into the Past. All Rights Reserved.