We are planning a weekend camping trip. Camping will always make me think of vintage living, because camping is a way to get back to basics. Open fire, basic shelter, and doing whatever comes next – hiking, fishing, cooking, or maybe even reading.

We visited a couple campgrounds over Memorial Day weekend. One really stood out because it was rustic and quiet. Lord, I love quiet. The kind of quiet devoid of the constant electric hum that surrounds all of us these days. This campground has a burbling creek running next to it, and trails to hike, and a museum to visit waits just up the road.

This coming weekend we’ll be washing up our enamelware dishes, setting up our tents to be sure they’re in good shape, and packing up our camping gear. Camping gear is the vintage variable here. Cast iron pots and pans are a necessity for cooking over an open fire. And we bring two coffee percolators, so that we can rotate them to provide for many cups of coffee and hot chocolate. Sleeping bags and pillows, and an air mattress for those of us with old bones, need to be checked for broken zippers or holes. And for a real throwback effect, we’ll be powering off our cell phones and tablets, because there is NO cell service where we’ll be camping. So, we’ll be bringing a deck of cards, Uno, and books along for entertainment. Although, I suspect there will be much talking and little game playing.

Our camping trip dates are not determined yet, because we need to pick a couple of rain free days. Camping in the rain feels like a bad plan. But, as soon as possible, we will be going off grid for 48 hours of unplugged, blissful quiet.