"We're Gonna Have So Much Fun . . . "

Before Bill and I left San Diego in April for our ill-fated trip east, we took Jacquie’s kids – and Jacquie – camping. The kids have been great lovers of the Westy for all these years – Jacquie’s girl has been alive as long as we’ve been on the road – and they’re now old enough to actually go somewhere in the westy, on a real live camping trip.

(We got to do the same thing with Julie’s kids – who are older – a few years ago. Jane’s kids slept in the westy in her driveway. Well, until her youngest fell out of the upstairs bed and scraped his back on his way down

See? Look at that poor little back. Look at all those gorgeous backs.)

Anyway.

Out of sheer luck there was a cancellation for a campsite at San Elijo State Park, just north of San Diego. Oh we were lucky. We were thrilled we got to give the park $41.50 for one night. Plus $10 for Jacquie’s car.

We told the kids about the plan, and they were over the moon.

We were all excited.

The kids, naturally, wrote a few songs about the upcoming joyous event, and we all sang them all week, in anticipation.

The best one, the one that became our theme song, went like this:

We’re going camping on Saturday night.
We’re gonna have so much fun.
Everybody’s gonna be there.
Including
Quinault the Camping Bear!

This is Quinault:

Jacquie’s kids gave us this young monkey bear as a thank you for watching their beloved pooch Porgie while the family was in the Pacific Northwest for a week – at Lake Quinault.

Here’s Quinault with Mistah in the Big Trees:

He’s a jovial little guy, a good addition to the Westy, and a great camper.

San Elijo was a blast.

The kids had a ball with their fellow kid-peeps.

We swam in the waves.

I got to borrow my niece’s hat, which has the world’s smallest brim.

Jacquie and I got along pretty well.

.

The sunset was spectacular.

We had a big campfire under a full moon.

The kids and Bill and I sacked out in the westy.

.

And in the morning . . .

Uncle Schleckah and the kids walked across the street for donuts.

We pretty much nailed it, fun-wise.

And now Jacquie and her kids are coming to Connecticut next week, for vacation.

There are rumors they’re going to come up to New London for a night, to run up and down our stairs a few thousand times, the poor pathetic little one-storied, stair-deprived San Diegans.

Mistah and I are so excited to welcome them to the Whaling City with open arms.

We want to show them the best New London has to offer, so we’re thinking of taking them to Ocean Beach:

I know, I know. San Diego has its own Ocean Beach. On the ocean. With waves.

But does OB West have this guy?

A giant mini-golf whale that blows real water out of its bufadora?

I don’t think so.

And does OB West have this:

A Center, dedicated just to FUN?

As IF!

And, hey, if the kids aren’t impressed, we can always fall back on our sure thing:

“We’re gonna have so much . . .