Dad never did like big city living. If he could be out in the woods and able to make a living, that was where he wanted to be. He would take us kids with him sometimes so we could enjoy the day and cook our meals over a camp fire. the smell of fresh Cedar is still one to bring back pleasant memories.
Always Dad saw to it that we spent at least a week during the hot summers camping in Pine Valley. The Pine Valley camp grounds were not on black top roads. We usually put our tent up at the camp site near the play ground that had been built by President Roosevelt's CCC Camp. There were rustic swings and teeter totter.
On the way up to the mountain we'd stop at the local bottling company for two wooden crates full of 24 assorted bottles of Hires root beer, Nephi grape, and orange soda pop.
We always had watermelon to put into the creek to keep it cold. This was also where the soda pop was kept icy cold.
Each camp ground had a fire pit, table with benches, and a wooden cupboard to store food in beside the stream. All perishables were kept in the cold water surrounded by stones to keep the food from washing down stream.
The cold stream was used for wading in and fishing for the younger ones while Dad took his older children off to learn the art of fishing in the small trout filled lake.
Today the campgraound roads are black topped and campsites have been upgraded. People crowd the camping spots, cupboards gone, playground gone, and it costs a daily fee just to stop for a picnic. Our family could have not been able to afford to stay. It is a shame.
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