A hot day in July finds me lying in a poolside chaise lounge at a resort in the rolling tree covered hills. My girlfriend Denise had pitched this vacation to a woman and her husband who were very reluctant to come to any such place. It's not that we don't enjoy living in the trailer. Such had always been our favorite way to spend a vacation week over the past 20 years. Now 51 and 52 respectively, we are nude at a popular Catskills resort and not bashful about it
One week ago..
It's 8 o'clock in the evening on July 4. The four of us are sitting on ten year old folding chairs under the night sky. A crackling fire is casting highlights on the patio. The moon glows above trees across the road. The other guests have long since gone home.
We had talked about vacations on a few occasions over the years. Places to go and see had been mentioned.
Denise took one final sip of her Poland Spring then began the pitch.
"Camp Catskill a fun place. You'll enjoy it."
"I've never even heard of it."
"Neither have I," said Paul.
"Jack and I went there for the first time last summer. We wanted to try something different."
I asked, "what's different about it."
"It's nude."
You're joking.
"What kind of amenities does it have? Are there Tennis courts, hottub, pool?"
"It has all of that."
"You're joking about nude, aren't you?"
She did not reply.
Our husbands discarded their now empty beer bottles into the almost full collection bin.
I said, "I'll go but I want to wear a bathing suit."
She didn't reply.
I was referring to my recently purchased one-piece squareneck leopard-print bathing suit. I will make sure to pack it.
At 7 a.m. on a bright July 5th my husband and I watched the black SUV with travel trailer in tow pull up to the curb in front of our house in Springfield Mass. Denise and Jack greeted us warmly as we approached the car. Neither of them said anything about the folding luggage cart that we were pushing loaded with two suitcases.
The two men sat in the front seat. Denise and I each sat directly behind our own husband. We started out on our road trip of 100 miles, most of which is northwest on I 90.
We had been traveling a little over an hour making an average speed of 55 miles per hour in fairly heavy westbound traffic. There was very little chat.
We had made roughly 70 miles when Denise started to pitch the place.
"All you actually needed to pack is towels."
That was all I needed to hear.
"WHAT?"
"It's strictly nudist."
I spoke for my husband and me.
"Why did you not tell us before we left the house? We wouldn't be sitting in this car."
"We wanted you both to experience something new."
