Campground or Crazy Spring Break?

Long-anticipated Memorial Day weekend—and only the second weekend that Virginia has opened campgrounds to vacationers—began here on Thursday, as RVs pulled up the long drive in and slowly filed all the spots in this ~200-spot campground.

Seriously, 200 spots, and this place is now filled.

All despite the fact that local hospitals are at their max capacity with a spike in covid-19 cases (according to our neighbor, a respiratory therapist at a local hospital). Many, many people here are having parties; swimming, boating, and sunbathing (and you know how small Lake Ruth Ann is); plus tooling around in their golf carts with more people packed on board than will fit plus a dog or two.

I haven’t been taking photos mostly because I’ve been too shocked.

Parties

The guys on our little street who work construction six days a week get together in the evenings for grilling and drinking and cornhole most nights, but last weekend they had a real party, and we surmise it was with guests—according to the making-out going on on a car hood.

Well, on Thursday at the start of the holiday weekend, these guys’ even bigger party started with shirts-off, shouting and drinking, wrestling in the field in front of us, with a climax of the picnic table in the field collapsing, loudly. (I took a picture because I used to talk on the phone while sitting there—it’s the only place I can get cell reception. Good thing I’m leaving soon!)

Like I said in an earlier post, dear god I am not against partying. But people have been locked up (as this demographic feels), and now they’re free and sowing their oats wild-like. Here right beside me.

Cruising Golf Carts

Other stuff I’ve seen so far on this holiday weekend:

• A kid riding a teeny tiny minibike back and forth in front of us, wearing a massive helmet, a wife-beater, and a small cape with an American flag on it.

• An older guy in a golf cart with a huge American flag flying above it (see a trend here?) with neon lights around the base and wheels, and, again in neon on the back, an image of that sexy woman icon truckers love.

• A rather big guy who likes to inspect what’s going on in his golf cart and will drive up to the dumpsters to throw away a single cup as his excuse to drive around and snoop.

• Several Trump flags, one that’s been photoshopped in such a way that I regret ever having seen it. I’ll spare you a description.

And just golf cart after golf cart packed with more people than you’d think could fit, holding on to beers, children, dogs. Extra points if you finish your beer and toss it into a dumpster right when you pull up.

One family doesn’t let not having a golf cart stop them: they open the side doors of their minivan and cruise around all slow-like, just like everyone else.

I am not kidding. And it’s not even Memorial Day yet.

A Bright Spot

Amid the mass hysteria are a few groups of campers looking like they’re having my kind of time. For instance, these super-nice folks I stopped and talked to.

Why did I stop? Well, they’re the first Airstream we’ve seen here!

I took this photo surreptitiously before I met them. Look at that beauty! Made in 1967. I would die to get a look inside. (Har dee har har … no. I didn’t go inside and they didn’t invite me, wisely.)

Tracy and I were walking around looking at everyone’s set-ups, and we saw these guys 1) sitting at a bar they’d set up outside their Airstream (and you know I have a soft spot for outside bars) and 2) playing on their speakers Mandolin Orange (that’s a great band for you noobs—look ’em up).

So of course I had to stop and introduce myself and chat. They’re two families who have been camping together for years: Rachael and Eric and Kyleen and Pete (sitting kitty cornered from each other, Rachael on the left). I think I have this straight that Kyleen and Pete are in the Airstream, and Rachael and Eric are in the trailer next to them, with daughters and dogs running in between.

Did I mention dogs? We’d already admired their two, long-legged fox-hound mixes as they walked them in the field and had guessed that one is newly rescued. Here Eric’s taking a break from DJing to pose with a dog in silhouette.

And look at this cool hand-washing station they’ve got set up between the trailers: there’s a faucet at the top left of the table that’s connected to campground water, and the sink drains into their tub. Note the soap, wipes, and hand sanitizer. They’re like a bastion of smart in the middle of insanity here.

In any case, it’s been a pleasure to talk with friendly people. I’m sure there are other non-freedom-crazed or otherwise creepy or loud or drunk people in the campground whom we haven’t met yet, but I’ll stay put and hope they walk by and just wave.

Things here have gotten so out of hand that two sheriff cars now make the rounds in the evening.

A Literal Bright Spot

Just so I don’t end with a photo of a sink, here’s our spot all spread out in the sunshine, which, contrary to all my whining, is sunny and warm and wonderful right now.

Tracy and Banjo are in the shade on the left, and we have a batik hanging from the awning to block the sun a bit more.

Tracy’s truly enjoying watching the parade of people/bikes/dogs/golf carts/cruising minivans, and I should just relax and enjoy the show, too.

You guys stay safe! And, Hey there Rachael and Eric and Kyleen and Pete!