Usually when I write about someone we’ve met while on the road RVing, it’s a person with whom I’ve actually spent time getting to know. Past “campground characters” have featured an RVer with a story to tell. But this time, the “campground characters” are actually people I’ve never met (though I’d love to meet them sometime). I’ve never spoken to these two RVers in person. So how do I know that the Bostons (Jen Lynn and Scott) are notable campground characters? Read on!
A dream
I “met” Jen and Scott via a Facebook post. In the post, Jen’s enthusiasm was palpable. She and her husband began their RV life with a higher purpose in mind. They wanted to share their love of reading with others—in the various campgrounds they happened to visit.
Here’s how Jen put it: “This was something that was really important to us when we hit the road.”
A Free Little Library dream come true
So … how did the Bostons turn their dream into a reality? They purchased a small, self-contained, waterproof “hut” (for lack of a better word). Then, they added shelves, a light, a plant, and of course, books! Jen said, “I’m so excited, our ‘Free Little Library’ is officially open!”
The Bostons’ library even has a motto: “Books make camping s’more fun!” Fellow RVers and campers are invited to take a book and enjoy reading. Campers can leave a book at the Little Library, too. What a great idea!
Campground libraries
I’ve seen (and used) many campground libraries in various parks throughout the United States. Recently I noticed that some of my favorite campgrounds no longer have books available for campers to borrow. In fact, the libraries are gone! In the places where shelves of books used to stand tall, hoping that a curious reader might choose them for entertainment or enlightenment, “better amenities” now reside. These “upgrades” include big-screen TVs, video gaming setups, vending machines, and other high-tech campground perks.
You go, Boston family!
I acknowledge that campground owners must keep up with the times in order to make their camps profitable, but I’m still sad to see the campground libraries go. I’ll miss them.
So, you go, Boston family! I hope that someday I get the chance to borrow a book from your Free Little Library and perhaps get to meet you in person, too!
Have you met a campground character who made a positive impact on you? Tell us about it in the comments below.
There are more than 150,000 Little Free Libraries in 120 countries around the world. Find one near you and add a book, or start your own!
##RVT1099
We utilize these libraries as we travel the country full-time. We come upon books we hadn’t thought about reading, and upon reading them find our horizons expanded. Learning keeps the mind going.
Take a book. Leave a book. We leave books that have been banned, which is easy to do in Florida and Texas as they have banned so many. The next time we are in Florida we’ll be leaving “The Diary of Anne Frank,” for sure.
Our old neighborhood in Alexandria, Virginia has exactly this sort of “library.” One neighbor built a weatherproof box with a glass door and installed it on a pole in his yard. The box was quickly filled with books and began to be regularly used. Seven or eight years later the “library” continues to receive and loan books.