Forty-Five Years Ago Today

On September 1st, 1973 we breakfasted on Steak & Eggs at the Carousel Inn in Cincinnati, then packed our 1971 Pontiac LeMans with a green canvas chalet tent, brand new air mattresses, sleeping bags, a one burner Coleman stove, a Yashica SLR, and other borrowed items of camping and camera equipment, and headed out on the first leg of the cross country tent camping trip journey that foreshadowed our retirement lifestyle. That evening we camped at the KOA in Carlock, Illinois and dined on Tuna Helper, lukewarm “hot” tea, and flat pink champagne. During our ensuing three and a half week trip we watched retirees traveling the country in their RVs and dreamed of the day that we too could do that. Today we prepared our breakfast of steak and eggs in our very own, very comfortable T@B 400 and headed west. Later today we’ll be not far from the location where that photo was taken for we are retracing at least some of our 1973 route as we live that dream.