| Close quarters in Emerald Isle In April 1968 we took our first camping trip in our new 15-foot Shasta travel trailer. We were an Air Force family new to North Carolina and were anxious to see something of our new home state. It was quite a chore to gather up our seven children, pack all of the necessary supplies and camping equipment, and hitch up the camper to our 1965 Buick Sportwagon. We headed east. An hour-and-a-half later, we were waiting in line for the ferry to take us across the sound to Emerald Isle. We found a nice campsite at Camp Ocean Forest next to the Bogue Fishing Pier. Daytime was fun with swimming and fishing, but bedtime was another story. Packing nine people into the limited space of a 15-foot camper is quite a feat. Each of the children had their own spot—three on the table that converted to a bed, one with my husband and me in our bed, and two on the floor. The baby’s bassinet had to be fitted in where there was room. It usually took half an hour for the children to stop laughing and settle down. That weekend everyone got a Bogue Pier sweatshirt. The shirts were passed down through the family as they were outgrown. Two of our grandchildren even inherited shirts. These were hectic but very happy times. We liked the coastal area so much that in 1984 we moved to the coast and now live on that “old ferry road.” Evelyn J. Wegman |
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