Witmers Try to be Outdoorsy (old pics)

I have no idea why, but this morning I have been in the mood for looking at OLD pictures.  What's to become of all these old pictures?  Who would ever have the time to look at them all?  So many wonderful memories.  I decided I'm going to do occasional posts of old pictures with a theme - hair styles, bus trips, car trips, Witmer trio dresses, etc.  Today's theme is "Witmers Try to be Outdoorsy".  Really, we never were cut out to be outdoorsy.  We were a family of girls (one older brother) and we were not athletically inclined, to put it nicely, or the woodsy type.   But somewhere along the line I became influenced by my boyfriend's family.  Those Stauffers had so much fun doing things outside, especially camping. 

Thus the Witmer family's first camping trip to Virginia in 1968.   Our oldest sister Janet and our brother Dick were already out of the nest, but we six sisters still at home and Mother and Dad piled in that station wagon with someone's borrowed pop-up tent in tow.  (Unfortunately, I tore a couple of these pics in my attempt to pry them lose from the photo album page.  I decided afterward that it's better to just scan the whole page, then crop.)

We felt so adventurous as we set up our campsite that first night!  (Dad, Mary Ellen, Doris, Barb, Mother)

I think we had a more primitive site the second night and it stormed.  As I recall, two of us slept in the back of the station wagon.  I don't know why we didn't stay at the same place both nights - probably because we didn't know you should make reservations ahead of time.

We felt so wonderfully pioneerish as we cooked and washed dishes.  That's me kneeling down, Doris in that cute triangle scarf, Mother standing behind me, and Mary Ellen at the door of the pop-up.

The next year, September 1969, we tried Camp Hebron instead, sleeping in a tiny rented mobile home, which was so small that two of us still needed to sleep in the station wagon!   But oh, we really tried new things!!  Boating  (Mother, Rosie, Dad, and Betty)......

....and horseback riding!!  (Betty, Mary Ellen, Doris, Barb, Dad and Rosie, and me).

In a little over a week many of the Witmers from all over the country will be together again for our annual weekend.   We had many years of Stauffer-influenced camping and cabin experiences over the years, but have gradually given in to the comfort of air-conditioning.  No matter the setting or the number of people, it is always fun.  I can hardly wait!