Camping and Cabin Fun in Old Time Radio

A summer camping trip is more than a rite of passage; it is a chance to make some happy memories that will last the rest of the year. Camping represents freedom from the pressures and troubles of life in the city, and anyone who has ever enjoyed a bowl of stew simmered over a campfire or snacked on "s'mores" in the darkness can tell you that everything just tastes better when you are camping.

Although we have come to lead the industrialized world, Americans are meant to be campers. It connects us with our pioneer forefathers who carved a life out of the wilderness and reminds us of where we came from. It is also a rejuvenating activity. Many of us dream of having a quiet cabin in the woods, perhaps not to live in, but certainly a place of refuge when we need to clear our heads.

• The beginning of July is the traditional time for kids in New York City to leave for summer camp. Bob and Ray take the opportunity to interview a veteran camp counselor and discover some of the secrets of dealing with kids freed in the outdoors.
• The appeal of a cabin in the woods is that it is isolated, away from the hurley-burley of city life. However, that very isolation means there is no help handy. On Calling All Cars the office in Ventura receives a call about a cabin where the owner has found what looks like blood all over the floor. The police discover that a couple of drifters may have used the cabin, never a good sign!
• A cabin in the woods might seem like a perfect place for crooks to hide their victims, but if they have been trained as well as Dick Tracy Jr. has been. The crooks probably would not realize that Dick Tracy had taught Junior how to escape from ropes and send coded messages with a mirror. You better have your decoder ring handy so you can understand Junior's message!
• One of the rewards of camping is relaxing around a warm campfire at the end of the day, but enjoying a campfire means having to keep it safe, especially late in the season when the woods are dry. Some deer hunters forgot that, and when the winds shifted the resulting conflagration threatens everyone in Frontier Town.
• A cabin in the woods seems like the perfect spot to spend a honeymoon. The privacy, the tranquil scenery, everything a couple needs for a wonderful wedding night unless they witness a murder on the way to the cabin! But that is just the sort of thing you expect behind the creaking door to The Inner Sanctum.
• Sometimes a camping trip is just the thing to bring a couple closer together, what with the austere conditions and the working towards common goals. Of course, on My Favorite Husband George and Liz's goals aren't always common! What trouble could Lucille Ball possibly find in the woods?
• There is a lot of planning involved in a camping trip, but sometimes things can go wrong even before you get out of the city. After all that preparation, no one wants to see the outing spoiled but what can you do? For the gang on My Little Margie the answer is simple, instead of driving all the way to the lake, hold your camping trip on the roof of the apartment building!

Maisie finds a new job for her boarding room friend Eddie, leading a boy's club on a hike, but to get even who do think Eddie volunteers to lead the second hike? That's right, one of The Adventures of Maisie is going to be leading a group of juvenile troublemakers through the woods.

For around the campfire spooky stories, see also: Creepiest Old Time Radio Shows.