Farewell to Our First Pop Up

After four years with the pop up we decided it’s time to upgrade. The pop up is in need of some work and I’m just not into home remodel projects. Also, we don’t have room at our house to work on the pop up so any pop up project has to be done at someone else’s house. That definitely makes it hard to even want to attempt a remodel. Sadly, the pop up got the short end of the stick and we upgraded for a shiny new one with all kinds of fun upgrades. It’s soooo nice and I can’t wait to share it with you but I’ll save that for a different post. 🙂

We have had so many good memories in the pop up and selling it is bittersweet. I thought I would take a few minutes to share all of the places it’s been and some of our favorite memories.

We picked up the pop up in Phoenix on our way home from dear friends’ baby shower.

Headed home with the pop up!

The pop up has been from Arizona to Montana and everywhere in-between. We slept near the Mexican border at Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument.

Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument

And near the Canadian border at Glacier National Park.

Fish Creek Campground in Glacier National Park

One of our favorite trips was to the Idaho/Montana border in the Bitterroot Mountains so we could ride the Route of the Hiawatha Mountain Bike Trail. The camping was eerie – we were literally in the middle of nowhere and did not see a single person the first day, but the trail made it worth it.

Camping in the Bitterroot National Forest on the Idaho/Montana border

If you’re ever in the area this trail is a must ride. It’s not technical but the scenery is breathtaking.

Route of the Hiawatha

I just love this picture and wanted to post it again. Tall trees, bikes, and two of my favorite people. There is nothing better. ❤️

Route of the Hiawatha

We’ve been to countless national and state parks and learned some important lessons along the way.

Right after we purchased the pop up we went down to the Dragoon Mountains for the weekend. That night it got down to 18 and we learned that pop ups are really no warmer than a tent. Needless to say, we packed up the following afternoon and did not stay for the second night.

Triangle T Guest Ranch

Our second trip in the pop up was to Catalina State Park where we learned two important lessons. The first being to pay attention to which side of the camper the door is on when booking a site and the second that not all campsites have electricity. We were very disappointed to learn that our coffee pot would not work because I did not book a site with electricity. Thankfully we were not far from a store and went on an instant coffee run. Crisis averted!

Catalina State Park

At one of our favorite campgrounds outside of Ouray, Colorado, we learned that the bunk ends are not meant to hold four people. During the middle of the night a thunderstorm rolled in and the lightning and thunder was right on top of the campground. It was scary and we all huddled in one bed. A couple days later when we went to break down the camper we learned we had exceeded the weight limit and bent one of the rails and had an incredibly hard time bending it back into place. Just for clarification sake, when I say we I really mean the husband. My job is to supervise and I am darn good at it. 🙂

Amphitheater Campground

We’ve spent the most time camping on Mt. Lemmon and once we even camped with our pop up twin!

Camping on Mt. Lemmon

One of our favorite pastimes while camping is playing cards around the table every night before bed. I cannot count the number of Uno, Skip-Bo, BS, Pass the Pigs and Go Fish games we’ve played on that table over the years.

Games around the table

The pop up has been so good to us and rolled through so many incredible places. It took a ride on Highway 550 in Colorado. If you’ve been on this highway you know it’s incredibly beautiful and not for the faint of heart. Here we are at the top of Red Mountain Pass on our way to Ouray.

Red Mountain Pass

The kids learned how to crank down the stabilizers in Bryce Canyon National Park. (They’re pros now!)

North Campground in Bryce Canyon National Park

And then there was that one time where we thought it would be a good idea to visit Arches National Park in the middle of June. We had the most epic view from the camper…

Devils Garden Campground in Arches National Park

But after spending the day hiding in the shade, visitor centers, gas stations and our car, we called it quits and headed to Colorado.

Hiding in the shade at Arches National Park

The pop up even made it up to 10,000 feet to spend a couple nights at the Wheeler Peak campground in Great Basin National Park. We all were feeling the elevation but the view from our site made it all worth it. Literally, this was the view from our picnic table. Epic.

Wheeler Peak Campground Great Basin National Park

We had so many good times in the pop up. I feel like we should have named her but I guess it’s too late now. Thanks for all the good times, old pop up! We hope your new owners continue to take you to all the epic places this country has to offer.

Goodbye, pop up!