Roughing it on holiday, (you dont know what you are missing,.....!)

Just the packing up and going home in immediate prospect now, (but a slight possibility of coming back next week!).

I'm told there is so much I've missed by not doing more walking, though this doesn't worry me because having had such a good and relaxing time overall, I was going to come back again quite soon anyway, and now I've this crazy idea of coming back next week in order to attend the Great Yorkshire Show, being held in Harrogate twenty or thirty miles away!
Having a good and relaxing time sounds good. Beautiful pictures.
 
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Ee ba gum lad, it's grim up north :D
I must admit to having seen very little of Yorkshire - most of my travels having been round the Lake District. My younger daughter lives near the edge of the Derbyshire peak district and does a fair amount of walking there.

In my teens, I used to go camping with my mates on our motorbikes. After getting married, we got our first campervan, and have had a series of vans since then. We plan to be off to one of my old stomping grounds round Ayr next week. There are a few National Trust properties we want to see. Mrs. L especially want to see Culzean castle at Maybole.
 

I am presently staying for 3 days in Dawson City, Yukon. Many of the people in this here hotel are from Germany. They are in their 20s and 30s. What I find interesting is that, unlike most of the Americans and yes, some Canadians too, they are not traveling to Alaska in 40 foot motor homes, dragging a truck or car behind them and of course, they have to have the ATV too.

These Germans are here to paddle or float down the mighty Yukon River. Those of you who have been here will remember The Yukon as being a fast and dangerous river. They have spent good money to be able to have this advernture. I admire them.

I have also noticed that many German love to rent motorcycles and travel the Yukon this way. Furthermore, any foreigner I have met traveling by motorcycle are pretty nice. Never met one "nasty" mortorcycle guy or gal yet!
 
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Having a good and relaxing time sounds good. Beautiful pictures.
One last picture taken shortly after I posted the others this morning,(back home now so this is the last photo for this trip at least).

The network of limestone walls doesn't show quite as clearly as I wished, (or as it looked to the naked eye), but the work involved all those years ago, by legions of men, sometimes prisoners of war I believe, building them all is absolutely incredible!:

Above Malham Cove.5a.jpg
 
One last picture taken shortly after I posted the others this morning,(back home now so this is the last photo for this trip at least).

The network of limestone walls doesn't show quite as clearly as I wished, (or as it looked to the naked eye), but the work involved all those years ago, by legions of men, sometimes prisoners of war I believe, building them all is absolutely incredible!:

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Beautiful
 
ADORE camping out! Unfortunately, the men in my life did not like camping out, so I had to do it by myself.
Unless it was a lone beach, I traveled with just a sleeping bag.
Waking up under tall trees next to a mountain stream, if it be Mexico, Glacier, Yellowstone, or Alaska; is this not life?
 
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ADORE camping out! Unfortunately, the men in my life did not like camping out, so I had to do it by myself.
Unless it was a lone beach, I traveled with just a sleeping bag.
Waking up under tall trees next to a mountain stream, if it be Mexico, Glacier, Yellowstone, or Alaska; is this not life?
I would need someone with me though.
 
I would need someone with me though.
Really? In 88, I sold my home in California, took off for a year traveling through the West and Alaska, the Yukon, camping out alone.
I needed this freedom after a dominating marriage. (You could take showers in any camping area for 50 cents)
You'll be surprised to know you need no one; only your own soul. I went to Dawson, Whitefish, Skagway, Fairbanks, Barrows. I sat atop a glacier. Sailed on a barge back to Seattle. Camped on the Klondike on the Chilkoot Pass.
Tromped in areas where you could SMELL the grizzlies and their poop. Gaped at the Northern Lights. I went in bars and smelled the whiskey soaked wood planks beneath me from 100 years past. It was glorious!

Yes, I almost lost my life a few times but that only made it more adventurous! The whole trip was thrilling and wild to me!
I would have loved a big, hunky man with me but this way, I got to test my mettle. Think I needed the time alone!
 
I have not been a world traveler, although born in France to military parents, lived in Germany while a toddler, I have no recollection. I would love to go to Europe and travel around but I would not do well alone. There have been times I have lost in my own area of the world. I have no sense of direction and have the tendency to freak out when I am lost. Will that time come, I don't know, I would like to go if my son and his family could take the trip. A good adventure for them and a fitting last adventure for my life.
 
I have not been a world traveler, although born in France to military parents, lived in Germany while a toddler, I have no recollection. I would love to go to Europe and travel around but I would not do well alone. There have been times I have lost in my own area of the world. I have no sense of direction and have the tendency to freak out when I am lost. Will that time come, I don't know, I would like to go if my son and his family could take the trip. A good adventure for them and a fitting last adventure for my life.
Don't say things like that, "cos you never know", (as my dad used to say!),
My friend Bill is now ninety five is contemplating a twelfth visit to New Zealand next year, where his son and family live, (his son being a doctor there having married a girl from the other side of the world).
All that flying would almost put me off going once, but not Bill, it just doesn't seem to phase him so much, (and he was the youngest of thirteen children would you believe, and has a "girlfriend" now!).
 
Don't say things like that, "cos you never know", (as my dad used to say!),
My friend Bill is now ninety five is contemplating a twelfth visit to New Zealand next year, where his son and family live, (his son being a doctor there having married a girl from the other side of the world).
All that flying would almost put me off going once, but not Bill, it just doesn't seem to phase him so much, (and he was the youngest of thirteen children would you believe, and has a "girlfriend" now!).
Maybe being older makes some people go ahead and do whatever it is they want to do instead of putting it off.
 
Camping is not for me. I would have tried "Glamping" but the opportunity for that fell through. I'm a 4 star (at least) suite hotel kind of girl.
Yes, I understand. Recently I read an article about people feeling better due to sleeping outside on the porch. If I had a screened porch and nice weather, I might like that idea. People started building structures to live and sleep for a reason, so I don't feel too spoiled for wanting to sleep inside.
 
Yes, I understand. Recently I read an article about people feeling better due to sleeping outside on the porch. If I had a screened porch and nice weather, I might like that idea. People started building structures to live and sleep for a reason, so I don't feel too spoiled for wanting to sleep inside.
It is a slightly "macho" thing to try to do in my view, especially when you're prone to cramps, and struggle to get up somewhat, and in all honesty I was very very lucky with the weather, the campsite, the owners being a retired farming couple making you so welcome and genuinely wanting to hear about your day!

Had the weather been against me, too hot, too cold, too windy etc., the place not been so handy for pubs/bars/small shops, then different story altogether, and probably being on your own meant you could take the risk the holiday wouldn't be so good, whereas spoiling two peoples holiday, maybe by attempting to soldier on in a poor situation, would have easily become a very bad move that's obvious enough! :)
 
It used to be that camping and caravanning was a cheap holiday, but now that's definitely not the case. Not only are people not content to 'rough it' for a few days, but they seem to insist on having every convenience at their disposal - not so much camping (or even 'glamping'), but having a fully equipped home on wheels. Since Covid stopped foreign travel, the number of caravans, motorhomes & big RV's on UK roads has shot up as have the prices. It's cheaper for me to fly to Europe and stay in a modest hotel than drive to a terminal and take the ferry to Europe.

I liked camping in my younger days, but now I do like a bit of comfort. My campervan is well, but basically equipped - beds, a cooker, fridge, washroom and heating. No TV, no microwave, no sat-nav , no A/C. Reading some caravanning forums, some folks wouldn't go to anywhere that they couldn't get satellite TV, good mobile coverage and high speed internet. Why don't they just stay at home?
 
That would work for me except for the AC, that is a must have in hot weather. Cold, I can deal, hot is impossible. Fine without the other stuff, a decent sleeping area, food I can cook even on an open fire. If I have some books to read no other entertainment but nature required. I like simple things.
 
That would work for me except for the AC, that is a must have in hot weather. Cold, I can deal, hot is impossible. Fine without the other stuff, a decent sleeping area, food I can cook even on an open fire. If I have some books to read no other entertainment but nature required. I like simple things.
Another trip away in prospect, though the current heatwave here has put me off going tonight, and put me off the destination I'd planned for at least a day or so till it dolls down a little!
 
@grahamg, it would probably be wise to put it off for cooler temps. At least stay at a place that would have AC at night, if you have to go. The best holiday is a safe holiday. Don't put yourself in any danger!!
 
@grahamg, it would probably be wise to put it off for cooler temps. At least stay at a place that would have AC at night, if you have to go. The best holiday is a safe holiday. Don't put yourself in any danger!!
Good thinking, but I believe there is due to be a big drop in temperatures here overnight tonight, and I did think better of it myself yesterday evening when I heard the east of England might be suffering worse temperatures today than where I'm currently living south of Manchester, so put off my journey by 24hrs.

I am at the moment, parked up under some trees on one of my "so called mates" farm, (with a nice breeze helping a great deal!), so all okay.

I dont envy those at the Royal Welsh Show today, near Builth Wells in the middle of Wales, with a showground set in a kind of natural bowl that is said to hold the heat quite badly even at normal summer temperatures).
 

Roughing it on holiday, (you dont know what you are missing,.....!)

And you can smell cows**t everywhere, no, at my age, hotels for me, Graham. 😊
The odour of cows costs extra where I come from, though there are variations in sniffing quality to bear in mind too!

I've let everyone down in terms of photographs taken at the Royal Lancashire Show compared to last year, when three lovely kids were sitting on some very quiet Longhorn cattle, with the children's mum and dad watching on, though the same cattle were at the show again, along with the owner of the cattle and his teenage grandchildren, who showed me just how quiet the cattle were once again by lying on the back of the cow believe it or not!

Once again apologies concerning the quality of photos but they show I did attend at least, and had a very relaxing fun time, with a brass band trio playing near the bar, accompanied at times by a man "on the spoons", (......., you dont see that every day do you!):

RLS 22.07.2022.1a.jpg

RLS 22.07.2022.2a.jpg
 
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Roughing it on holiday, (you dont know what you are missing,.....!)

And you can smell cows**t everywhere, no, at my age, hotels for me, Graham. 😊
One more argument in favour of "roughing it a bit" is that three very nice women camped on the same site a couple of days ago, and they seem very interested in my makeshift tent after I'd managed to get it erected.

I later discovered one of the three had arranged for her and her two friends to take part in a BBC radio show, where Claire Balding goes for a hike with some interesting people and during their walk through our beautiful countryside she talks to them about their lives, their likes and dislikes etc.

That afternoon they had completed their walk the woman who organised it told me, and it will be broadcast on BBC radio four on 1st September this year.

Now I have to doubt in your luxurious hotles you'll be very likely to get encounters such as that will you(?)! :unsure:
 
Graham, I have met interesting / famous people both when camping and while staying in high class hotels. I've exchanged greetings with both Gordon Brown and Helmut Kohl, but probably the most dangerous one was when I bumped into Bjork in a hotel bar (we had both had a few).

I've done my share of 'Roughing it' but, we're starting to creak a bit and like a bit of comfort. The campervan provides basic facilities and acceptable comfort - and we don't have to get up and go to the toilet block in the middle of the night.
 

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