The Superior Express -

While taking the usual evening walk through Lincoln Park, an unusual sight seemed to spring out of nowhere. At close range it looked something like a camper on stilts. In fact, it was a rooftop camper on a metal frame that gave a new meaning to high living for Pat and Randy McNeely. Pat and Randy, from French Lick, Ind., were just passing through Superior and stopped for the night.

When the pandemic hit a couple years ago, Pat and Randy were already set to go camping but were leery of motel and hotel stays. They looked online for campers and found the rooftop tents site. They were only $2,000 to $3,000 and were highly rated.

The McNeely's first tried to use the rooftop tent on a Ford Explorer but found the tent rubbed on the roof of the vehicle and made marks on the roof. They were concerned the rack would give way. They turned around and left Nebraska for Indiana to refine their plans.

Pat and Randy McNeely came through Superior's Lincoln Park on purpose because they saw how clean it is as well as the amenities of the park.

When they got back home, they bought a small trailer and stocked it full of supplies. They found it would carry everything they needed. The next move was to find a workable solution for the rooftop tent. They had a framework of square aluminum tubing built for the tent and placed it on the trailer with the tent on top of the rack. Now this is their new way of traveling. "It's so convenient we can leave the tent and trailer here in the park and go to the grocery store if we need to," they said.

Actually, the McNeely's passed through Superior on purpose because they found Lincoln Park on an app which gave rave reviews for the amenities like cleanliness, cement pads and electrical accommodations. They usually travel on Highway 36 in Kansas. They like to camp in the fall because of the weather. They said there really isn't an off time to go camping as many people camp all year long.