I know a lot of people who look forward to the May 24th weekend every year. That unofficial start to summer. That time when many of us would toss caution to the wind and dare the bugs to carry us off as we venture out into the wilderness. It is generally the start of camping season, but not this year.
Covid restrictions are keeping many campgrounds closed until the first of June. And we tend not to do gravel pits around here.
I spent several years living in Newfoundland and that was always something that surprised me a bit. The number of people that would just head to a gravel pit for a weekend. They would take their trailers and tents and just drive along the highway until they spotted a wide spot along the edge. Many of these were probably spaces to park the equipment when the Trans Canada was being built, but they do look a bit like small gravel pits. And over the course of a few days leading up to a weekend, these spaces would gradually fill with campers.
The campgrounds would also fill, but the gravel pit campers would seem a bit hardier than those who would go to a campground. Far fewer services when you just pull into a wide spot off the edge of the road with a bunch of other similar minding folk.
But camping would be the thing. It could be a raging snowstorm over that weekend, and people would still be camping. And it is fairly similar with a lot of people around here. When the May 24th weekend hits, it’s time to get outdoors.
Not so much this year. The lack of campgrounds will put a damper on that. And given the current state of Covid around the province, it’s probably not a bad idea.
Although there is an alternative. Sort of. That thing we probably all did as kids. Just pitch the tent in the back yard. It gives you a chance to get outdoors. The kids will probably like it. And you don’t really have to worry about what you didn’t pack to take with you, since you never really left. And the local bugs will probably enjoy the feast their friends down the road are missing.
And it’s only for a couple weeks. Camping will be back soon.
