Of camping trips and Jedi mind tricks
Published: 10/25/2012 1:47 PM
Last Modified: 10/25/2012 1:54 PM
Camping may not be the most popular family past-time, but it should be. Some time ago just about every Walton vacation involved a tent, a Coleman stove, swimwear and lots of mosquito repellent.
Now we still include the swimwear but spend our nights surrounded by four walls in a hotel or a condo. The wife doesn’t care much for the night calls of raccoons and coyotes or, worse, bears. We've heard a few.
Our tent outings now are limited to isolated getaways, particularly fall break. For the second year in a row, me and some of the rug rats, I mean teen-agers, headed to Osage Hills State Park tucked in between Bartlesville and Pawhuska. We love the place, full of sandstone outcroppings, bluffs and all kinds of nooks and crannies to explore.
We’ve even had a brush with stardom in our one-day outdoor getaway. Living in Bartlesville, all I’ve been hearing about lately in this motion picture thing shooting in the area. My Facebook blew up with sightings of George Clooney, Julia Roberts and Juliette Lewis, among others, but I never saw a starlet nor leading man one.
Until our day at Osage Hills, or so I’m almost sure. We had just finished playing some tennis and decided to take a walk down the trail to Sand Creek, another favorite place in the park. The four of us shuffled along while a dapper fellow appeared coming the opposite direction, his little dog off the leash but walking obediently by his side.
They got closer and I nodded the man’s direction to say hello, a greeting which he returned politely back. His face looked real familiar and his voice a distinct, clipped brogue.
Either I was enduring a Jedi mind trick or moments later it dawned on me that it was Ewan McGregor, one of the stars in “August: Osage County.” I grabbed my daughter’s arm and said “Do you know who that is?”
“Who?” she replied.
“Ewan McGregor.” A pause. “Who’s that?” she asked briefly. I shook my head. “Obi Wan Kenobi!”
All the kids stopped at that point. Serious looks of excitement ensued, but we decided it unwise to pursue the man while he was seeking calm in the Osage Hills.
Anyway, that’s our big camping story. We followed that up with some time at the creek, a lot of hiking up and down hills and grilled what I was told was “the best steak ever” on the grid that night. We had most of the outlook hill to ourselves that night and slept like babies.” We woke up, stoked the fire and made omelets while I drank coffee.
Good times. I’m sure many of our readers still enjoy the occasional family camping trip. I assume the RV experience is fun, but I’d be interested in who still goes tent camping and where they go. Feel free to comment.
“Camping is nature’s way of promoting the motel business,” humorist Dave Barry is quoted as saying. Humorous and often true for some, but I beg to differ. Camping is one true way for families to create great memories. I’m sure some of you agree. I'd love to hear your story.
Written by
Rod Walton
Staff Writer
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