"See the USA Camping - The Chapmans"

In memory of Dad's 80th birthday, I reread his seminal work, "See the USA Camping - The Chapmans." As you may recall, this is a 15 page summary or highlights from a number of our family camping trips. It is a walk down memory lane. To entice you to read the whole thing, I will summarize a few excerpts.

Dad's dry humor is hilarious. He really has a knack for the cliché. That part I cannot re-create here you'll just have to read it for yourself.

Yosemite. Dad reveals the source of this favorite camp spot when we were growing up. Apparently, the honors go to a high school buddy of Dad's, Al May. He and Al had such a great time that he decided to take Mom there for their honeymoon. (It turns out that Terri's Mom and Dad had the same idea and went there on their honeymoon.)

However, it seems that his first two trips to Yosemite he stayed in a cabin. He was working at the camera store at the time and Tom and Mary and Drum invited our family to experience true "camping" in a tent. Kathi had not yet joined the family and Jim was only a little over one year old. Jim endeared himself to everyone by waking up throughout the night crying. Amazingly, based on this singular experience, Mom and Dad got started on what Dad calls the "family camping kick." And what a kick it was.

There were other trips to Yosemite, including one where I brought Archie and Vicki brought Becky Fritz. Dad referred to Archie having a "weak stomach," but I recall Archie, Bob and I in the back of the station wagon and I believe Bob and I engaged in a "throw up crossfire," trapping Archie in the corner and had a contest to see who could throw up the most as we were going down the mountain on the way home. Another omitted detail in Dad's account was that on our trek up the Mist Trail Dad's cigarettes got soaked and he quit smoking cold turkey.

Kern River: Uncle Jimmy took us here and taught us how to fish "Chapman style." The technique is very simple: play around with the gear and talk a lot but don't catch any fish.

Tahoe: I remember seeing this gorgeous mountain lake for the first time. I thought we had come upon the Pacific Ocean because you could not see to the other side. The water was turquoise and there were many beautiful views from the road up above as you drove around the lake. You could wade out for what seemed to be like a mile. For many years after we always laughed at the skinny guy at the beach there in one of the slides.

Bishop: although we never camped overnight there, this place was a landmark. The park with the baseball field and the big rock with a creek running through the park was a tradition in and of itself. I am sure I have romanticized the memories and imagine that part of the fun was after being cramped in the car with seven people for hours on end, just getting out and stretching your legs seemed like heaven. Sort of like beating your head against a brick wall; it feels real good when you quit.

Toulumne Meadows: this one is a classic. This was one of our earlier trips before we had "'Lil Loafer," and was the reason we got it. The story of the bear coming into our campground in the middle of the night, opening our ice chest and eating our food, is quintessential Chapman family lore. To add to the excitement, Mom got lost after dark when she went to clean out an old-fashioned cloth diaper. A rookie ranger came to the rescue and brought her back to her campsite but not before Dad had created his own elaborate search and rescue effort, while simultaneously watching the rest of the kids back at the camp. I did not remember that we went from Toulumne Meadows to Yosemite valley floor to finish our vacation. Mom and the kids wanted to stay in camp but Dad said he "couldn't hack it." I guess the problem was he did not want to unload the utility trailer and set up camp again. A little known fact is that although this trip was considered at the time to be a miserable failure, it has been one of our greatest memories and been the subject of a number of essays by probably every member of the family at some point in their school career.

Cedar Grove: Dad points out that Grandma Ala came with us on this trip. I believe this may be the one that Lew Webb also came with us and maybe Gail Baker. I remember Lew to be a great storyteller, not to be confused with my own great storytelling abilities.

Grand Canyon: in one of his only references to a date, Dad says that the first time we went to the Grand Canyon was in 1966. I remember the view being surreal and looking like a postcard. We then visited this renowned vacation spot in 1970 on our three week journey to the Black Hills of South Dakota. The final trip was I believe in the early 90s with all of our families meeting up together and then continuing on to Sedona and Oak Creek Canyon with the water slide. This is where I took my famous five second video clip of the cockroach in the trash can. (The full account of that story will have to be told elsewhere.)

Gunnison, Colorado:I remember this trip vividly. At least the hellgamites that we used for bait when engaging in "Chapman fishing." This trip was an example of how we went to not only the big-name locations but some pretty out-of-the-way spots and got to see a side of America that otherwise we never would have seen. I'm afraid that my own children have grown up without the benefit of camping in these out-of-the-way spots, missing a wonderful cultural experience.

Wyoming: I have a strange memory of being in Wyoming, the big sky country, somewhere. I remember hearing the pop tune, "Sweet Pea," and just being amazed at the flatland and open skies. I have a memory (truth or fiction?) of being inside an old 50s style diner, much like Ruby's today, but this was the real deal.

Mount Rushmore:I remember being amazed at this site. I could not understand how anyone could use a chisel, cutting into rock and create a work of art, much less on the side of a mountain. This was the crown jewel of our three-week trip and lived up to all of my expectations.

Yellowstone: this place and Yosemite were a couple of premier destinations for serious campers. Not only the Bears, gorgeous sights, natural wonders, but the history and folklore made these locations larger-than-life. I have memories of the lady standing on the picnic table screaming at the top of her lungs just after our conservative dad told us not to mess with the Bears and we went inside 'Lil Loafer. One moment, when he told us to get in the trailer, he was wimp; the next moment, when the lady's life looked like it was in danger, he was a genius. I also have a memory of a man getting up close and personal with a grizzly bear rummaging through the trash can. Again, as he inched closer to get even better shots, I was impressed with his courage and bravery. When the bear looked up from his work, growled and took a swipe at the man, I realized he was a fool.

General Memories: for me, I think one of the highlights of all of these trips was meeting new people and seeing new places. People like "ROM," and everyone seemed to be so friendly, probably because they were on vacation away from their troubles and cares. It was fun just to walk around the campground and see if we could make some friends. We also had fun fighting or playing with siblings.

As Dad mentioned, "roasting sticks," "bummer campfire programs," sponge baths, stopping at gas stations to get a soda or snack, pulling off to the side of the road for mom to fix our sandwiches for lunch (I remember the bread dried out quickly), mom collecting rocks when she was taking a geology class, are all great memories for me.

I believe part of the excitement was generated from Mom and Dad and their enthusiasm for these trips. It seemed that we barely got home and dad was poring over maps studying for the next trip. No matter where we were he never got lost.

As dad reports, one of the other highlights of preparing for these camping trips was our excursion to Savon Drug where they always had a sale on candy bars, 10 for a dollar. We also stocked up on Shasta soft drinks, cream soda being my (and I believe almost everyone's) favorite. I can't remember being able to buy the cream soda flavor anywhere else but when we were getting ready for a camping trip.

We had very poor radio reception in many of the areas where we traveled (this was certainly before iPods, cell phones and TVs inside a vehicle). We were lucky to have a dad who could sing like Frank Sinatra. And, he seemed to have a tune for every topic under the sun. Some of the camp songs we sang or at least dad did were, Home, Home on the Range; Jimmy Crack Corn; I've Been Working on the Railroad; Oh, What a Beautiful Morning; etc.