April 2021 • Nebraskaland 147
s daytime activities wind down around dinner time,
the scents of charcoal smoke and lighter fluid merge
with earthy outdoor aromas. Campers gather around
picnic tables dappled with sunlight filtered through
quivering leaves. Burgers and brats sizzle as beverages and
side dishes appear from iced-down coolers. Then as the sun
falls behind western trees, family circles tighten. After dark,
campfires create companionship.
Uninterrupted closeness to friends and loved ones — this
ranks high among a long list of reasons why campers are
here. Immersing one's self in nature — that is the camper's
most mentioned reason for venturing out. But as much as it
is about loving the outdoors, camping is an attitude.
"It's about putting yourself in novel and more challenging
situations," says long-time camper Jeff Cole of Lincoln, a
frequenter of Indian Cave State Park. "Camping takes you out
of sleepwalking mode. It's a form of independence that forces
reliance on your own abilities."
Although campers' abilities are not always reflected by
the type of shelter they sleep in, their dwellings do vary in
comfort and convenience. Squatty two-person tents stand
alongside fat, yurt-like nylon domes built for whole families.
Rickety pop-up trailers reside next to $300,000 recreational
vehicles with a dozen other variations nearby. And in the
time of a pandemic with other forms of vacationing cancelled,
these rolling boxes were driven from sales lots onto highways
at a record pace.
The Riffe family from Lewis County, Kentucky, have been
traveling the U.S., but this is their first trip in an upgraded
travel trailer. Although most Americans generally travel
Camping People
Story and photos by Mark Harris
A
Family and friends share stories at Fort Robinson State Park. At day's end, family circles tighten at campgrounds across
Nebraska's eight state parks and 58 state recreation areas.
