Festival Camping at Smoked Country Jam & Link Up On the Edge #301
We had the best weekend ever at Smoked Country Jam in the wilds of Pennsylvania. As usual, I did not take very many photos at all. I didn’t even take one single picture of the bands who played at the festival and I didn’t get any photos with any of my friends who I saw there. But it doesn’t matter because I was present and living in all of the beautiful moments that happen at festivals like these. About a thousand memories were made in those four days and that can happen with or without photographs.
I combined the few pictures that I took with the few that Jeff took and then I swiped a few from Becca’s social media posts so I could have something to share here. For band photos and other festival pictures including images of the beautiful Pennsylvania landscape, let me direct you to the Smoked Country Jam festival home page and you can see their gallery of professional photos. It is such a breathtaking view and I had the opportunity to do sunrise yoga on the first morning. What an amazing experience that was, sitting atop the grassy hill while all the other campers were still snoring in their tents, breathing deep the fresh morning air, and listening to the variety of bird songs floating in the breeze. When I first woke up that first morning, my body felt like I had slept on an air mattress in a tent. Once I finished my yoga practice, my body felt like I had slept comfortably in my bed. That is exactly what I was going for. Unfortunately, the next two mornings were so stinking cold that I couldn’t bear to leave the tent at sunrise except to go to the bathroom. Oh well, maybe next year.
We were jam packed into the car without an inch of room to spare. But we were much better prepared for a more comfortable camping experience this year compared to our first trip last summer.
Once we arrived at the Quiet Oaks Campground, we set up our camp adjacent to Becca’s. Hers is the one with the Grateful Dead dancing bear tapestry and ours is the orange tent. We just got Jeff a Grateful Dead tapestry for his birthday to hang on our pop up tent but the wind was so bad that it snapped the tent before we had a chance to hang anything on it. Thankfully, we bought the $18 replacement insurance and can exchange the tent for a new one this week. We ended up not really needing it anyway as the wind picked up and the temperatures dropped Friday night straight through until we left on Sunday. So any bit of shadeless sunshine was much welcomed.
Ralph is becoming a very skilled washer player. In his 5 game tournament against Jeff, they were tied after 4 games with Ralph losing the tie breaker for an admirable 2-3 loss against his dad who has been playing the washer game for a much longer time.
Look at all the little dirty hippie kids! Be still my hippie heart. They literally ran wild for the whole weekend and were filthy beyond description. I don’t even know how they got all the crud off with just one shower. By the way, not only we were all filthy with dirt and mud and grass, but there was a major gypsy moth infestation in those trees where we were all camped. We learned that gypsy moth caterpillars poop. A lot. And when it hits the top of your tent, it sounds like it is drizzling outside. If you step out of your tent when it starts “drizzling”, you cannot avoid the “drizzle” from hitting your head. So we all most definitely came home with gypsy moth caterpillar poop in our hair.
Ralph has had this tie dye Grateful Dead shirt for a few months and when we saw it in Rainbow Zen he had to get it for Jeff so they could wear matching shirts. Again, my hippie heart is about to explode into a million tie dye pieces.
And somehow, which I didn’t notice until looking at these photos, Archie is nearly as tall as I am. How the heck does that happen so quickly?
All three nights of the festival, we headed down to the stage with our blankets and chairs and this is exactly how Ralph fell asleep. Then we would walk his stumbling sleepy butt back to the camp between sets. The beauty of Smoked Country Jam is the incredible family environment. We could put the kids to sleep in the tents and head back to the stage area knowing that everyone is looking out for everyone else.
If you are a fan of festivals, like bluegrass music, or enjoy camping and meeting new people, I highly recommend adding Smoked Country Jam to your summer bucket list. It is also a great way to give back to the community by helping festival founders Teresa and Ron Kodish raise awareness and funding for the Lupus Foundation of Pennsylvania. You can read about Teresa’s lupus journey here and you can learn about festival volunteer opportunities here.
Mark your calendars for June 15-17, 2023, and meet us in Cross Fork, Pennsylvania, for a magical weekend of great music, great food, and great friends! I would love to see you there!
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Other Favorite: Jess of Elegantly Dressed and Stylish
What kind of fun do you have planned this summer?
Keeping it on the edge,
Shelbee
Joining these Fabulous Link Parties.
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
I am a midlife woman, wife, and stay-at-home mother of 2 boys and 2 cats. I have a passion for helping other women feel fabulous in the midst of this crazy, beautiful life.
42 Comments
Michele Morin
I noticed right away that Archie is getting SO grown up looking! And I absolutely remember the layer of DIRT kids acquire when camping. I am not sure it’s possible to grow up healthy and happy without that experience! 😁
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Hahahahaha, kids do need dirt for a healthy and happy childhood experience, Michele! I am cracking up at that but it is so true. Let them wander and frolic and get filthy as long as they wash before they sit on my couch! I hope you have a wonderful weekend, my friend.
xoxo
Shelbee
Jill
What a great weekend and fun experience for your boys! Sometimes it’s a good thing when we end up with no photos because you know you were 100% present with your friends and family. Thank you so much for the feature today! Have a wonderful weekend!
Jill – Doused in Pink
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thank you so much, Jill! I don’t want to be burdened with my phone the whole time I am at the festival so I generally just put it away in my tent and forget that I have a phone until I need to check the time. But everyone else has their phones out so I can just ask for the time. It is so nice to disconnect and just be with nature for a few days. I don’t regret my lack of photos because I make up for it with all the wonderful memories that I was completely present for. I hope you have a lovely weekend, my friend!
xoxo
Shelbee
Kathrine Eldridge
What a wonderful weekend with your family! I love that you did sunrise yoga. That sounds heavenly. I know your kids will remember this special familky time forever. Thanks for sharing!
https://www.kathrineeldridge.com
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thank you so much, Kathrine! My kids were complaining during the few weeks leading up to the trip saying that they hated camping and they hated not having their electronics and video games. Within 10 minutes of reuniting with all the kids they met there last year, they changed their attitude and had even more fun than I expected they would. I am so glad that this trip is becoming an annual family adventure that we all look forward to! I hope you have a lovely weekend, my friend.
xoxo
Shelbee
Kellyann Rohr
This is everything Shelbee! What a wonderful adventure for your family. Camping and unplugging is just so good for the soul. Your morning yoga sounds amazing too. I really need to live up north, cooler weather sounds so fabulous, camping in the hear is miserable, Been there, done that. I also think the sign of a great time is the lack of photos. Being present and fully enjoying the experience is the BEST!!!
xo,
Kellyann
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Kellyann! Oh, I definitely agree that camping in a cooler climate is way better than camping where you live! Sleeping in a tent is bad enough but sleeping in a hot, sticky, humid tent where everything starts to feel wet is just downright gross! I was all prepared to take more photos this trip, too, because I wanted to write a comprehensive review of the festival! But like you said, lack of photos is just evidence that I had a fantastic time!
xoxo
Shelbee
Nancy
Oh tat all looks so lovely! I love festivals. But the ones we are going to are so crowded. This looks reaxed! We are going for a festival weekend in two weeks!
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks, Nancy! I definitely appreciate the size of this festival because it is smaller and just feels more relaxed and so much safer. I don’t think I would enjoy a huge festival, especially with my kids. I hope you have the best time ever at your festival in two weeks!
xoxo
Shelbee
Mica - Away From The Blue
It’s good you and your friends and family had fun camping at the festival! 🙂
Hope you are having a nice week 🙂 Thanks for the link up!
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Mica! We really did have the most wonderful time! I hope you have a lovely weekend, my friend.
xoxo
Shelbee
Jennifer
This looks like fun! I haven’t been camping since 2017!
Jennifer
Curated by Jennifer
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
We had such a great time, Jennifer! I am already looking forward to next year! I wish we could make it a blogger meet up festival! Wouldn’t that be fun?
xoxo
Shelbee
Tamar A Strauss-Benjamin
What a fun time!!
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks, Tamar! It really was!
xoxo
Shelbee
jess jannenga
Hi Shelbee
I noticed straightaway that your boys look taller! Same thing with my 11 yr old niece, she might surpass me!
This sounds like alot of fun, except for the moth poop! A music festival and camping – you guys were prepared!
Glad you enjoyed living in the moment, and i don’t take pics all the time either.
Have a great weekend!
jess xx
http://www.elegantlydressedandstylish.com
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Jess! It is incredible how quickly these children grow! I bet it seems even more dramatic when you see your niece if you don’t see her everyday. We had such a great time just living in the moments at the festival and that’s what I really needed so putting the phone away is such a good thing. We lose signal completely at the campground which is a little weird for me because I always want a means of communication in case of emergency. But then everyone else there who doesn’t have AT&T as their provider has cell service so we are safe and I can relax without my phone. I hope you have a lovely weekend!
xoxo
Shelbee
xoxo
Shelbee
Di
What a great experience for you and your family, it looks like you all had so much fun camping! It’s wonderful to relax and unwind in a breathtaking natural environment. Thanks for the favorite and for sharing!
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thank you so much, Di! It really was a wonderful experience with so many beautiful memories made! The environment there is contagious and so good for he soul!
xoxo
Shelbee
Carol
Looks like you had a wonderful weekend at the festival — love those tie-dyed shirts!! I think you were born into the wrong generation — you’re definitely a hippie at heart (ha-ha).
Thank you for hosting the link-up.
Carol
http://www.scribblingboomer.com
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Carol! Oh, I am definitely a hippie to my core. So is my husband and it seems like our kids will be the same! I used to think that I was born into the wrong generation, but now I believe I was put in this generation for a reason…I think I can have more impact now than I could have 50 years ago! I hope you have a wonderful weekend, my friend!
xoxo
Shelbee
Lauren Renee Sparks
You are an adventurous woman to tent camp. I am more the glamping type. But living in Texas, we really need AC.
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks, Lauren! Tent camping is not my favorite thing! I would much rather glamp as well. But tent camping does build character and it has pushed me out of my comfort zone and made me more comfortable with bugs and dirt and grime! I definitely would not want to tent camp in Texas in the summer!
xoxo
Shelbee
Marsha Banks
It’s always so tempting to have that phone out so you can record the times, but it’s even more important to just be! I’m glad you have some photos to remember but that you lived it and were present! I love the Archie’s Indianapolis shirt…that’s our state motto (for what it’s worth)! But, my friend, I’m afraid you completely lost me at caterpillar poop!!! Nope, no way, not gonna happen! We have a never been used tent Nigel bought thinking he would use it when he and a bunch of guys went on a motorcycle trip. I don’t remember why he didn’t use it, but it’s still await its maiden outing. Maybe this fall? Hmmmm….
Thanks for the link party!
https://marshainthemiddle.com/
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Marsha, thanks so much! I am laughing so hard right now at your reaction to the caterpillar poop! I hate all the creepy crawling gross things in nature and I also hate dirt. I never in a million years thought I would enjoy tent camping. I think this is one case where I pushed myself outside of my comfort zone and it really benefitted me…I no longer scream as if I am being murdered when I see a spider and I didn’t totally freak out when the caterpillar poop landed on my head. I still don’t love it, but the whole experience makes it worth it.
My mother in law just went to a conference in Indianapolis and sent tee shirts back for the boys. Tee shirts (and video games) are their most appreciated gifts they receive!
If you do venture out with Nigel for a tent camping experience, get the best air mattress possible! Haha. And then embrace the dirt and bugs!
xoxo
Shelbee
Daenel T.
It looks like y’all had a great time. Love the dirty hippie vibes. LOL
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Aw, thanks so much, Daenel! We had a dirty hippie good time!
xoxo
Shelbee
Michelle
This looks such a magical time! Love the photos of Ralph and Jeff in their matching tees. And yes, it won’t be long until Archie is taller than you. Great photo of the two of you. So glad you got to see Becca again. Thanks for sharing these very good vibes!
Michelle
https://mybijoulifeonline.com
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Aw, thanks so much, Michelle! We had such a wonderful time. Becca texted me the day after we left and said, “I can’t believe we didn’t take one single picture of us together!” We were so into just being there and being together with our friends that we simply forgot all about the other stuff. And that really does make for an incredible time away from the mundanities of every day living. Good vibes all around!
xoxo
Shelbee
Patrick Weseman
Looks like a great and amazing time. Very nice. I am so happy that you and your family had a great time there. Very nice. Thanks for hosting and I hope that you have a wonderful week.
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Patrick! I really appreciate that! I hope you are enjoying your summer break!
xoxo
Shelbee
Joanne
Oh I well remember the sound of gypsy moth catepillars as we had horrible infestations for a few years running (in fact we have many dead trees in our entire corner of the state from them!)… and we encountered that same pehnomenon hiking in Conway New Hamshire. They are such a destructive invasive species and I hope you didn’t accidentally take any of them home! OTher than that though it sounds like you all had a wonderful time.
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Oh my gosh, Joanne, I was so worried about accidentally bringing home a gypsy moth caterpillar! We were very diligent in cleaning off the tent and all the other things so hopefully we were diligent enough. Thankfully, I haven’t seen any around here so far! They really are destructive and I worry for that whole tree line where we camped. Is the whole thing going to become diseased from them? But then again, is it all just the natural cycle of life in the wild? Ugh. So many philosophical questions now!
xoxo
Shelbee
Carol
Hello again — I’m circling back to say:
Thank you for participating in Talent-Sharing Tuesdays Link-Up 24.
Carol
http://Www.scribblingboomer.com
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks, Carol! Have a wonderful day!
xoxo
Shelbee
Laura Bambrick
Oh my gosh, I have no experience with gyspy moths and learned more than I think I wanted to, Haha! That is crazy! It looks like you had a wonderful time though!
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
They are super gross, Laura, so be glad you have no experience! And the rotten little caterpillars sting when they land on you. They are destructive things. I hope they move out of there by next summer! My understanding is that they only stay in one place for 3-4 years then they move on to infest a new place. And apparently they are one of the 100 most invasive species in the world.
xoxo
Shelbee
Niky
I love reading about people’s adventures, especially family adventures with the kids. Our kids are all in their 20s now, and man do I miss when they were “little” like yours. 🙂
Thanks for sharing, Shelbee!
Niky
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Aw, thanks so much, Niky! They do grow so fast. But soon you will be doing all these fun things with your grandkids. And then you get to send them back home to their parents!
xoxo
Shelbee
Gail
Fabulous post. Who knew about pooping moths? The sunrise yoga sounds fantastic. I love the bright tie dyed t-shirt, it reminds me of one I had in the early 90s. Thanks for linking Shelbee.
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Gail! I know all about pooping moths now! Haha. I guess you really do learn something new with every experience. But if you aren’t learning, then you aren’t really living, in my opinion. I have learned enough about pooping caterpillars for my lifetime though. Haha.
xoxo
Shelbee