On Tuesday I drove by a spot I still vividly remembered from another road trip.
Several years ago, I owned a pickup truck with a shell on the back. The primary motivation for this arrangement was that I could throw a futon cushion in the back and do light-weight car camping in considerable comfort.
One such road trip was in northern California, along a road called “The Avenue of the Giants”, through the Humboldt Redwoods Park. One afternoon, the combination of full belly and warm sun conspired to make me drowsy while driving. Being a clever sort, I decided to find a quiet spot to park and make use of the futon. Sure enough, there was a turn-off from the main road, with a sign that read “High Rock Conservation Camp”.
Soon after the turnoff was another bill board with all manner of warnings and prohibitions. I skimmed it and wondered briefly at it.
No alcohol, no drugs, weapons, that seemed normal enough, No explosives? No teargas? Sheesh, rough neighborhood. But, I didn’t give it any more thought, proceeding along the road until I found a flat, secluded turn-off where I could take a bit of a nap. Once I found such a spot, I climbed into the back, took off my shoes and drifted into sleep.
Some time later, I was awakened by a knock on the camper shell. I groggily raised up, to see a man in some sort of uniform, park ranger-ish maybe.
With a dubious voice, he asked, “What are you doing?”
“Umm, well, I was drowsy, so rather than take a risk driving, I decided to take a nap. Why, is that a problem?”
He twisted up his face. “Do you know where you are?”, he asked in a disbelieving voice.
“Some park, isn’t it? Is camping not allowed here? I wasn’t going to stay overnight, just an hour or so.”
He spoke with a slow patient voice, as one who was trying to explain algebra to a horse. “This is a conservation camp. Property of the department of corrections. A work camp. A prison.”
A small light went on in my head. “Oh.” I remembered the sign at the turn off. No weapons, no explosives, no teargas. “Oh! I could be leaving now.”
He smiled grimly, “That would be best, yes.”
I quickly pulled on my shoes, hopped into the cab of the truck and pulled out of the camp and back onto the main road. Somehow, I wasn’t really drowsy anymore.
Never heard ’em called that before.