I was waiting and waiting, looking forward to our camping trip all year. We finally started our camp trip after the Labor Day weekend in September. We couldn’t start sooner, because we were waiting for Neil’s knee to heal from the surgery he had some weeks ago. Last year we were waiting for my recovery from the meningitis I had in summer. Sadly, as we get older there seems to be something every year that makes us delay….

The first camping was at the Willingdon Beach in Powell River, one of our favorite campgrounds. We had a site not in front of the beach but in the back forest. We sat at the bench right at the water admiring the incredible sunset 🌅 then back to our shaded forest spot. It was just perfect. We stayed there for 2 nights. It’s so nice that they have clean flushing toilets and showers.

Then getting onto the ferry from Powell River, overlooking our Texada Island on the left side, and in 90 minutes we arrived at Comox which is a town half way up the east coast of the Vancouver Island.

Unfortunately our favorite campground in Comox was full, and we booked a campground in a place called Seal Bay which we had never been. We checked in and were disappointed right away. 😞 There were many many huge RVs and motor homes, parked side by side crowded in rather small spaces. Because of the Covid, people travel mainly within the province, and all the campgrounds tend to be full. However, they had a great facility, clean modern toilets and showers!

So we stayed there for 2 nights, and it made me think a bit. This campground was full of amazing motor homes. They are huge! ….like the size of a bus or even bigger. All equipped with sliders which create even more space, bedrooms, living room, kitchen, bathroom, satellite TV, just about everything you can think of is there. Some of these homes cost as much as a detached house!! So these extravagant mobile homes arrive with a car or pickup truck behind. They maneuver to find the best parking positions and settle in. Then barbecue equipment comes out, they grill hot dogs or burgers. They sit at table, drink beer and wine. People, campsite neighbors, come visiting. They enjoy socializing, and playing card games. To my eyes they look most likely in their late 60s to early 80s, all retired. It looks like it is a husband’s job to maneuver the bus-like vehicle and position it, hook-up, and set up, get it to be functional, which is a hard physical work! Husbands are all looking fit and muscular. Somehow wives seem to be mostly obese or physically challenged, walking with a cane.

My observation continues…. It looks like people are just staying at the campground, not going anywhere, just sitting there visiting with their neighbors all day. They typically stay there relaxing and enjoying for a week or two.

This is their retirement! You can choose your retirement like them, enjoying relaxed life and socializing with friends. Is it for me? I would be dying of boredom… but one thing is clear, you need a capable handy husband to enjoy such relaxing life. My life is not so relaxing, but how blessed am I to have a loving husband and adorable dogs who would happily do camping with me!

毎年楽しみにしているキャンプ旅行、今年も９月の連休の後にスタート。本当はもっと早くにスタートしたかったんだけどニールの手術した膝が癒えるのを待ってたんだよね。去年は私が髄膜炎を患って回復を待ってから始めたので遅くなったし、なんだか歳のせいか毎年なんだかんだとあるなぁ。

まずはお馴染みの、パウエルリバーにあるウイリングドンビーチのキャンプ場、今回は海に面したスポットではなく裏の山側のスポット。素晴らしい夕焼けをビーチに行ってながめてから、林の中に戻って木陰とプライバシーを楽しむ…これも悪くないね。ここで2泊。私達の大好きなキャンプ場❣️水洗トイレとシャワーがあるのが嬉しい。

コモックス行きのフェリーに乗って1時間半、私達のコテージのあるタクセーダ島沖を通ってバンクーバー島の中程にあるコモックスに着く。

残念ながら私たちが気に入っているキャンプ場が予約がいっぱいで取れなくて、今回初めてのシールベイキャンプ場にチェックイン。でもここは大型のRVカーとかモービルホームが殆どであまりプライバシーもなくスペースも小さくてがっかり😞。コロナのおかげで州内で旅行する人が殆どだからキャンプ場がどこもいっぱいなんだよね。でもここもきれいなトイレとシャワーがあって機能的にはすごくいい❗️

ここで2泊して思ったこと…ずらりと並ぶ素晴らしいモービルホーム、バス並みかバス以上に大きくて窓部分がスライド式になっててさらにスペースが拡大され、ベッドルーム、キッチン、リビングルーム、トイレ、シャワー、サテライトTVとか、ありとあらゆる設備が整っている。一戸建ての家ほどの値がするものもあるんだって。高級なモービルホームが自動車とかピックアップトラックとかを従えて到着する。上手に駐車して落ち着くとバーベキューでホットドッグとかバーガーとかを焼いてビールやワインを飲んで隣近所のモービルホームの人たちと楽しくお喋りしたりブリッジゲームなどを楽しんだりする。殆どが見たところ60代後半から80代前半という年代。モービルホームの運転や設置は男性の仕事みたい。男性は揃ってフィットでたくましい感じ、女性はなぜかむっくり肥気味で杖をついている人が多い。

見ているとみんなわりとどこへも行かずにキャンプ場で一日中座ってお喋りしたりしながら一週間とか２週間とかってのんびり滞在してるみたい。

リタイア後の生活、こういう過ごし方もあるんだなあと思った。私だったらすぐに退屈してしまいそう🥱…でも夫婦２人揃ってないと、そして力持ちで手先の器用な夫がいないと出来ないかもしれないね。それにしても、手先は器用じゃないけど一緒に喜んでキャンプしてくれる夫と犬たちがいて私は幸せ者だ❣️