The Camp
When we grew up in upstate New York, we lived a beautiful piece of property right next to us which was called “The Camp”. This was a place where my grandma would host parties for adults on occasion, but mostly it was a great place where a lot of fun and memories were created. This is where we learned the art of going barefoot!! The property had a pond that we swam in as the fish nibbled on our toes. My grandma loved swimming in the pond every day. There was a creek where we would run, collect rocks, and just have a blast. We always had bonfires and big meals that were cooked on a an antique stove and our entire extended family came to the camp on a regular basis. It really was a special place.
My dad’s side of the family all have campers and camping is second nature to all of us. My sister wanted a place where they could all get away and have families meet. Her and Carl recently purchased a piece of property that was in total shambles, and they have worked tirelessly with other family members and my dad and Flo to bring it to life! They spent many weekends and nights clearing the land of debris and trash. Excavating the land and putting in electric hook ups for a handful of campers
My dad has always been the expert at repurposing and building things from whatever he could find. They found enough trestle’s to build a gorgeous pavilion and an area where people can gather, eat meals together, play games, and have campfires. It’s a beautiful piece of work and I’m sorry that I only have a photo of it at night.
While I was there, I got to help a tiny bit with putting up the walls for the kitchen that was being built and closed in. The boards we used for this was from an old scary barn that is still standing, and they peeled off the boards to use. Dawn wanted a rustic shiplap look. This was a fun project because we kind of had an assembly line going that worked really well.
We also enjoyed several days there before and after the wedding, making meals, working, and playing games. Dawn and Carl keep their camper there for the season and have another one for my dad and Flo and the rest of the family bring in their huge fifth wheels. I was there in my little van and love my little home.
One of the things we make Dawn calls Hobo pies are a tradition for us! They are anything you want to put in between the cast iron pie press. For us it’s usually grilled cheese sandwiches with tomatoes or an apple or cherry pie filling with naan bread. It doesn’t matter what you put in there because its on an open fire it tastes great.
I really enjoyed our time there and look forward to spending time there again the next time I’m back in New York. For those of you traveling and are part of Boondockers you can find this property on there!
