Late November, always an “iffy” time for weather, requires a lot of positive thinking to plan and carry off a camping Thanksgiving dinner. But that is just what we did, along with NOVA friends – for the second year in a row! Winton Woods, a metro park in Cincinnati, is a perfect gathering place with wonderful amenities: full hook-ups, concrete pads in full sunshine, and a bath house that is open . . . and heated. On top of that it is smack dab in the middle of any kind of urban offerings that might be needed. We all joined up Wednesday: Lou and Larry, John, Suzie and Tim, Alan and Carie, Chris and Randy, and Tom and I, with Micah, Caleb and Halie. . . a total of fourteen in 5 Airstreams and one cabin! By 5:00 we were all in place, headed out for BJ's Brewhouse for dinner, then returned for a campfire. I think I ended up with a picture of everyone that was there for the weekend. Thursday, from the get-go, was beautiful weather – cloudless blue sky, warm sunshine, and temperatures hovering around 50 degrees. Dinner was set for 2:00 – and everything made it to the banquet table on time! Alan’s worky/turkey was deep-fat-fried on-site, and Carie added dozens of deviled eggs and green bean casserole to the menu. Suize made homemade pies (pecan, pumpkin, and cherry), dressing in the Dutch oven and dinner rolls. Chris and Randy crafted real, homemade cranberry relish and savory sweet potatoes. Lou and Larry brought a ham and a turkey vegetable platter and Caleb and Halie baked a strawberry/rhubarb pie in their cabin oven. Tom fried the turkey, and I made mashed potatoes, a butternut squash/rice casserole and gravy. You couldn’t top that spread in the comfort of your home! Also during the day (while the turkey was cooking) there was a pick-up frisbee game. Friday was a flurry of activity – some shopped the Black Friday deals while others shot pistols at the shooting range and drove go-carts on an indoor track. Caleb was thrilled that there was a hand-controlled go-cart, and he enjoyed his first racing experience. The day was busy, busy, busy, and nobody thought to get pictures. The afternoon was unexpectedly sunny and warm and we collected Thanksgiving dinner left-overs and combined them with some fresh grilling for dinner. Our timing was a little off, and it was dead-dark by the time we were done eating and cleaning up. . . and rain was moving in. Yes, it rained during the night, but was mostly gone by late morning, leaving some soggy campsites. Saturday was dedicated to the Ohio State/Michican football game starting at noon. Alan’s event tent was headquarters for the TV and John’s satellite dish. Chairs and a snack table were set up, and there were fans of both teams present. Many were dressed in Lou's Warriors shirts and sporting pink hair, beard, sideburns, eyebrows, and mustache . . . in support of Lou on her lingering cancer journey. Game over – big win for Ohio State! Celebration was a taco/Mexican feast, followed by the usual last-night clean-up and put-away. This was one successful Thanksgiving weekend, and a fitting end to our 2018 camping season!
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October 2021
We don’t go camping any more . . . we go ‘streamin’ ! The “SIlvermine and His” is our 2018 25' Airstream Serenity with Salsa interior and front twin beds., and ‘streamin’ is the name we use to describe our adventures. Stream along as we document everything from weekend trips to longer summer excursions and full-blown vacations. You know what they say: if you’re not in an Airstream – you’re just camping!
Tom & Ella Brown |