June 23, 1969: Happy Campers

Packed up. Breakfasted at Perry’s again. Drove through Oklahoma, around Tulsa and Oklahoma City. We were grateful for the air conditioning. Set up at Foss Reservoir State Park in Okla. Great waves in the lake.

Marge Binder, June 23, 1969

Life at the campsite. Car and tent surrounding the picnic table with Mom’s nice table cloth, the camp stove, chuck box and cooler. And nature in every direction.

From Maw’s diary, you can see that the typical travel day involved packing up, driving, eating, arriving, putting up tent, swimming, fishing and eating. I asked her recently what would happen after that, between dinner and bedtime. She told me that the three boys would do everything to stay awake and active, while she just wanted to sleep: “I was so exhausted every night, but you guys just wanted to play.”

• 

Conversely, in the morning, we’d resist Mom’s efforts to get us up and at ’em. Mom shared something else that I didn’t remember: We would inflate air mattresses (using the car’s cigarette lighter) and lay our sleeping bags on top. By morning, though, they were “flat as pancakes,” according to Mom, and we were feeling every contour of the rocks and needles underneath.

Since this 1969 trip I have experienced quite a few other sleeping situations while traveling. Of note: the Heavenly Bed line of mattresses, available exclusively at Westin Hotels worldwide and for purchase here.