LJ and I have been campers since we were first married. His family camped all of his life. Most of their vacations involved camping in some way. However, we decided a couple of years ago that the fun had gone out of putting up and taking down a tent and sleeping in 90 degree Texas heat. I thought that was the end of it until LJ decided it would be cool to get a pop up camper. He would never want a full fledged RV with a toilet and shower. That’s way too bourgeois for my salt of the earth guy. But getting the sleeping bags off the earth sounded a little better every year. So we did it.
It was a beautiful spot!
He found a really good deal on a new camper that had been repossessed. I thought the timing was a little too soon, but he convinced me that this deal wouldn’t come along that often. So along with trying to put together a new kitchen, we had to try out a new camper. Our first trip was a short one just to make sure everything worked. We went to a beautiful little RV part between Palestine (pronounced palesteen for those non-Texans out there) and Rusk in deep east Texas.
I was not in the best of moods when we pulled into the campground. I really wanted to stay home and unpack my kitchen stuff. So I sat my rear down and told LJ the work was his. But the more he worked, the more fascinated I became.
Almost there
As my mood improved, I found myself appreciating being able to camp again in such comfort.
It didn’t take LJ more than 20 minutes to get the thing most of the way up. And, boy, is it roomy in there. He is 6′3″ and he can stand up in it comfortably. I have more than enough room. I am really going to enjoy this kind of camping with a real bed and an air conditioner. Does this mean I’m getting old?
Roomy
When we got the camper up, we went into old downtown Palestine. It’s a fascinating little town. It appears to have been a really big town at one time because the historic downtown covers several blocks. Oil was discovered there in 1924 and it was really booming. Now, as in much of east Texas, there are many empty buildings. But there is quite a bit of activity, and we happened upon a “winery” right in the center of town. Granny Muffins Wines, I kid you not. They apparently buy the grape juice from other winerys and make their own blends. We had a Rosso, a kind of pinot noir blend, that was pretty nice and bought a bottle. We drove by the Presbyterian church to look at its authentic tiffany windows which were stunning. We drove back to our campground and did what we do best, sit under the stars and talk. It was lovely.
Just relaxingThis is fun
I really am ready to do this again AFTER I unpack the kitchen and get it in order.
Here’s a good recipe to take camping. You can put the steak and the marinade in a zip-lock bag in your cooler and let it marinate while your traveling. Just throw it on the grill when you get there. Enjoy!
Asian Flank Steak
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
1 tablespoon fresh minced ginger
1 1/4 lb. flank steak, fat trimmed
Whisk first five ingredients to blend. Add steak and let stand refrigerated at least one hour or overnight. Grill or broil over medium high heat for 5 minutes per side for rare. Transfer steak to a plate and allow to rest 10 minutes. Thinly slice across the grain.
