The Colburn Camping Fiasco

 They don’t call it Bugs Island Lake for nothing.  While on our camping trip, we saw a poisonous Cottonmouth snake, a harmless Garter snake eating a frog, a poisonous centipede, and a Velvet Ant known as the “Cattle Killer” for the pain of its sting.  I also assisted the Park Ranger in catching a cat mauled during the night by a larger animal. 

We had a beautiful lakeside camping site, and we enjoyed swimming with the little minnows that darted away from our feet as we waded into the water.  Unfortunately, in addition to the numerous other items we forgot to pack, I neglected to bring my camera.  I did snap a few shots with my phone, but since it died, I can’t access them.  So, I’ve included a picture from our July camping trip.

We chose to take the old car, because camping is a dirty business and we wanted to keep the new car clean.  However, we should have unpacked it and jumped into the Honda when the Ford began making odd noises as we pulled out of the street.  By the time we reached our campground four hours away, a new problem had developed.  And ironically, the cause of our breakdown on the way home was an entirely different issue.

And so our camping trip had a rather exciting conclusion as we spent more than three hours on the side of 495 near Alexandria, Virginia during rush hour traffic waiting for a tow truck.  I’m going to assume that most of the drivers who passed thought we had pulled over to walk the dog.  Out of hundreds, five cars did stop to offer water, gas, or any other help we might need.

The delay was caused by a tow truck driver who thought he could take advantage of our situation and charge cash for taking more than one passenger.  But he picked the wrong man to try that trick on, and eventually a different driver was sent out. 

We concluded our vacation week with a visit to Six Flags on Friday.  Ben and I rode every roller coaster in the park except one.  I took two Aleve for my neck to counteract the trauma as we entered the park.  Three nights of sleeping on an air mattress had already left it in rotten shape.  Grace refused to ride the coasters, but she enjoyed some other rides. 

Despite all the crazy bugs and the break down, we still had a good vacation.

Now, just a few days left until school starts…  I hate to see summer come to an end.