This weekend is a long weekend in Canada, At one time it was called Victoria Day weekend where it was meant to celebrate Queen Victoria's birthday. Now Queen Victoria died long before I was born so that makes it a long time ago. Now we simply call it the May long weekend.
It's the first long weekend in Canada when we can actually get outside and enjoy activities. So it's the first weekend of camping.
At one time in my life, the May long weekend was one that we made sure we were out. Now many times there is very inclement weather for this weekend. When I was younger we tented. With my little kids we had a small holiday trailer. I have camped in the snow on a May long weekend...more than once! Camping became a little loonier than I wanted to experience...much alcohol and partying. So the May Long Weekend camping experience in campgrounds ended.
We then latched on to a piece of recreational property and spent some pleasant May weekends weekends in our patch of trees by the lake. There were some good times but when the kids grew up and left , we gave up the camping.
Now there are two unforgettable May long weekends for me. First, I got married on May 21, 1966 which that year was a long weekend. Second, the next year, 1967, May weekend , we had to go camping. So we took our tent and camping gear and headed to a northern lake and campground. We'd never been to Grieg lake before. When we got there we were impressed by the beauty and quietness. In fact, it was so quiet that we were the only campers. The weather was perfect for a long weekend. The lake was about 2 mi long and half a mile wide. We rented a canoe and had a great time on the lake. For the whole weekend we were the only campers.
That was the best long May weekend camping that I ever had.
Your favorite May weekend sounds just about perfect to me! A beautiful location, lake and no other people - perfect!
ReplyDeleteI got lucky on that one.
DeleteI was also married in May and only 4 years after you. Irrelevant but true. I can't remember anything memorable about any May Long Weekend in my lifetime.
ReplyDeleteI guess I can't remember anything else that was memorable on the may long weekend.
DeleteHappy Victoria Day weekend. Great camping memories! Enjoy your day, wishing you a happy new week!
ReplyDeleteThankyou.
DeleteThanks for the neat post telling us about Canada’s long weekend. The thing I found most interesting was when you said, “I got married on May 21, 1966” … that means this coming Thursday, May 21, 2020, you and the Micro Manager will be celebrating your 54th anniversary. That’s awesome … congratulations to you two!
ReplyDeleteYou've done the math and you're correct. Thanks. I was married in Inuvik , Northwest Territories. Look that one up!
DeleteCentennial Year was memorable for you then, Red. I was living in Québec City at the time and the whole province was gaga with Expo 67. I remember well the visit of Charles de Gaulle and his famous pronouncement of "Vive Le Québec Libre." Later that year my daughter was born.
ReplyDeleteI moved to Quebec in 1967 and taught in the north.
DeleteSo nice to hear about your two special May long weekends. I just read another post by a Canadian who is celebrating his 51st wedding anniversary during this time. Seems it is a perfect time for people to begin to get out and about. It's different for everyone this year, though. Maybe by next May we will be back to a new normal.
ReplyDeleteYes, I read Anvil's post too. The May weekend is a popular time for teachers to get married.
DeleteWe got married on the long weekend of 1969.
ReplyDeleteI moved to Alberta in 1969 and my son was born in 1969!
DeleteThis past weekend was a special one for us as well, but not because of the Victoria Day celebration. Our special occasion was the anniversary of our first date...many years ago, but still remembered and celebrated by ourselves.
ReplyDeleteFirst dates are memorable.
DeleteYour May long weekends sound lovely. Your first anniversary camping trip was perfect!
ReplyDeleteLife was busy at that time.
DeleteGreat memories.
ReplyDeleteThanks!
DeleteWe have TWO May long weekends -- normally the first and last weekends in the month. Woo hoo!
ReplyDeleteIs this England or a combinaation of U.S. and UK?
DeleteI think this long weekend across the country is often miserable weather wise. It sure was in Newfoundland anyway.
ReplyDeleteYes, I can remember some terrible weekends.
DeleteThat camping May long weekend would be perfect, in my book! The long weekend here in the U.S. is Memorial Day and too much traffic and craziness so we will stay home.
ReplyDeleteIt's got crazy here too. Too much traffic booze and partying.
DeleteI used to love camping. Our last time was when we drove the northen part of the US back in 2009. Sold my tent and all my camping gear to a young couple who were just starting out and wanted to camp. Hope they had some good times like I did. Good memories, Red!
ReplyDeleteWe'd all be better off if we camped in tents rather than huge RVs.
DeleteCongratulations on your upcoming anniversary, you two! Victoria Day weekend is popular here for opening up cottages and getting the water turned on, etc. Still pretty cold, but not frozen-pipes cold :)
ReplyDeleteThank you. You can never see these anniversaries coming.
DeleteOur Memorial Day weekend at the end of May is our "long weekend" and has been commonly the time when people go camping on the unofficial "beginning of summer". I have never camped on that weekend. We prefer to stay close to home and out of the traffic and the crowded out of door spots. I wonder if there will even be any camping this year.So far it is not permitted here in Washington State.
ReplyDeleteThe may long weekend isn't that much fun anymore with so many people with quads and more toys.
DeleteIt is a beautiful place and beautiful camping.
ReplyDeleteIt's one trip that I've never forgotten. We both enjoyed that week end.
DeleteWhen the May wekend is nice it is very nice. When the May weekend is bad, it is very bad.
ReplyDeleteThat weekend by Grieg Lake back in 1967 sounds truly idyllic. A lovely time to remember now that you are in your golden years.
ReplyDeleteA lovely memory. Happy Anniversary!
ReplyDeleteOh, so your anniversary will be May 21st. Congratulation, and Happy Anniversary! That camping trip sounded just perfect.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great weekend that must have been. Thanks for sharing the memory of it.
ReplyDeletethis makes me bit sad how life changes so quickly dear Red
ReplyDeleteyou have beautiful memories of days when you traveled and camped with your kids and this is best earning indeed :)
lake Grieg sounds outstanding and worth visiting through your experience
A lovely memory. I hope you had just as lovely an anniversary this week!
ReplyDeleteHere the Victoria Day weekend is the last weekend of the tulip festival. It was a weird one.
ReplyDelete