- Joined
- Sep 29, 2008
- Messages
- 116
Just wanted to share a story, as I just stumbled across my first (and only) Camillus knife. I knew it was somewhere, but not sure exactly where. I just found it hiding the other day, while doing some cleaning. I opened an old cigar box, and there it was, in it's case along with a few old zippo lighters.
I remember the day/date when I got that knife, a Camillus 885. It was August 27, 1990. I remember the exact date, because of hearing about a tragic event that took place earlier that morning. I was 17 years old and ending a two week long vacation with my parents and my brother in Bar Harbor, Maine. We were lodging at a cabin type resort for one week in Bar Harbor, after traveling up the east coast from southern New Jersey.
During our travel to the final destination in Maine, we had made stops at more tourist attractions than I can remember, but some of them really stood out to me. A few in particular were dining at Cheers bar/restaurant in downtown Boston, Freedom Trail, Faneuil Hall and Harvards campus. My Dad told us he knew me or my brother wouldnt be attending Harvard anytime soon, so he wanted to at least say he had been there once.
After staying overnight in Boston, we motored on up to Mount Washington and its auto road in New Hampshire and drove to the top (my parents were never into strenuous activities like hiking). Once we got to the top we figured there wasnt a whole lot more to do on the mountain, so it was onward to Kennebunkport, Maine!
We stayed for two nights in Kennebunkport. My Dad, always the ball breaker, was determined to get as close a look as possible at President Bushs summer home. We didnt get too close as secret service agents turned us away on an auxiliary road because the president was there at the time. Kind of exciting, but Mom thought we were all going to go to jail for harassment. Good times.
So now its time to sail on from there to Bar Harbor, Maine! Well, drive on really, but after a few days in a coastal town, all you can think about is boats.
Before this trip began, my Dad had told my brother and me we could each get a souvenir. He isnt the type to buy stuff every place we visit, so I knew I wanted to make mine special.
Its the morning of the 27th and we are in our room in Bar Harbor when my Dad turns on the TV to the news. We then all learned about the fatal helicopter crash Stevie Ray Vaughn was in, earlier that morning. I was floored. I was a huge fan of his and just devastated. He was a talent and rising star that was cut way too short, which always seems to happen to the best and brightest.
However, life goes on and you need to accept the realities of life, so it was on to breakfast after the tragic news. After breakfast we spent a few hours on a rented Boston Whaler and explored the wondrous coast and beautiful waters of the Atlantic along the shoreline of Maine. Late August, along the coast of Maine, is probably the most perfect weather there could possibly be or so it felt that way at the time. After more sightseeing and a visit to the whale museum we wandered into a quaint outdoorsmans type store and there it was. A little lockback that had the sweetest wood grain pattern I had ever seen (I was young). The knife was not too big and not too small. This was (hopefully) to be my souvenir and after convincing my mother I wouldnt kill anyone with it, it was indeed mine and I still have it to this day.
Our time in Bar Harbor, Maine was shorter than any of us would have liked, but its often that way when youre having the time of your life and you know its not going to last forever. I would be off to college the next summer so this was most likely the last vacation for us together as a family of four and sure enough, it was.
Now, there are adventures with my own family, which I can only hope I will make as memorable for them as Mom and Dad made that one and many others for me.
I remember the day/date when I got that knife, a Camillus 885. It was August 27, 1990. I remember the exact date, because of hearing about a tragic event that took place earlier that morning. I was 17 years old and ending a two week long vacation with my parents and my brother in Bar Harbor, Maine. We were lodging at a cabin type resort for one week in Bar Harbor, after traveling up the east coast from southern New Jersey.
During our travel to the final destination in Maine, we had made stops at more tourist attractions than I can remember, but some of them really stood out to me. A few in particular were dining at Cheers bar/restaurant in downtown Boston, Freedom Trail, Faneuil Hall and Harvards campus. My Dad told us he knew me or my brother wouldnt be attending Harvard anytime soon, so he wanted to at least say he had been there once.
After staying overnight in Boston, we motored on up to Mount Washington and its auto road in New Hampshire and drove to the top (my parents were never into strenuous activities like hiking). Once we got to the top we figured there wasnt a whole lot more to do on the mountain, so it was onward to Kennebunkport, Maine!
We stayed for two nights in Kennebunkport. My Dad, always the ball breaker, was determined to get as close a look as possible at President Bushs summer home. We didnt get too close as secret service agents turned us away on an auxiliary road because the president was there at the time. Kind of exciting, but Mom thought we were all going to go to jail for harassment. Good times.
So now its time to sail on from there to Bar Harbor, Maine! Well, drive on really, but after a few days in a coastal town, all you can think about is boats.
Before this trip began, my Dad had told my brother and me we could each get a souvenir. He isnt the type to buy stuff every place we visit, so I knew I wanted to make mine special.
Its the morning of the 27th and we are in our room in Bar Harbor when my Dad turns on the TV to the news. We then all learned about the fatal helicopter crash Stevie Ray Vaughn was in, earlier that morning. I was floored. I was a huge fan of his and just devastated. He was a talent and rising star that was cut way too short, which always seems to happen to the best and brightest.
However, life goes on and you need to accept the realities of life, so it was on to breakfast after the tragic news. After breakfast we spent a few hours on a rented Boston Whaler and explored the wondrous coast and beautiful waters of the Atlantic along the shoreline of Maine. Late August, along the coast of Maine, is probably the most perfect weather there could possibly be or so it felt that way at the time. After more sightseeing and a visit to the whale museum we wandered into a quaint outdoorsmans type store and there it was. A little lockback that had the sweetest wood grain pattern I had ever seen (I was young). The knife was not too big and not too small. This was (hopefully) to be my souvenir and after convincing my mother I wouldnt kill anyone with it, it was indeed mine and I still have it to this day.
Our time in Bar Harbor, Maine was shorter than any of us would have liked, but its often that way when youre having the time of your life and you know its not going to last forever. I would be off to college the next summer so this was most likely the last vacation for us together as a family of four and sure enough, it was.
Now, there are adventures with my own family, which I can only hope I will make as memorable for them as Mom and Dad made that one and many others for me.
one of my favorite east coast camping spots.
I can only imagine what it's like in autumn. I will be visiting Acadia again once they get a little older.
