Stephanie Adair said she and her family didn’t even have a tent the first time they went camping together. Rather than selecting a different way to entertain themselves, she said, they opted to improvise.

“About 1989, we went to Home Depot, got PVC pipe, found an old Army tent and camped in the front yard,” said Adair, 41, of McDonough. “It was fun because it was bonding with your other cousins. Little by little, it kind of stopped along the way because the kids were growing up. We would have family campouts once a year on Memorial Day weekend or Labor Day weekend. I remember those because we all had tents, and we all shared food.”

Those early experiences eventually led to a string of camping trips for Adair and her mother, Esther Lazar, 69, of McDonough.

Adair is a sales assistant who works in Ellenwood. Lazar, a retired teacher, is involved in an after-school program at Cotton Indian Elementary School.

Adair said camping excursions with her mom kicked into high gear in 2008.

“After the family campouts, Mom retired and moved to Georgia,” said Adair. “I was like, there are so many wonderful state parks in Georgia. Let’s go camping. I looked up High Falls State Park in Georgia. We bought two domed tents, and went camping.”

“We grew up in the high desert in California,” she added. “Then we came to Georgia and saw all the trees, the lakes and rivers. California was just hot and dry. It was just a different feeling in Georgia.”

Adair said while she and her mom enjoyed visiting Georgia parks, they didn’t necessarily agree on the best method for camping.

“I was in my 30s and was tired of being on the grass with a cot for my dog,” said Adair. “So, I went on the hunt for a pop-up. Mom likes the open-tent situation of a pop-up, and I like being off the ground. “So we looked on the Internet and found a dealer in Macon. We found a $1,300 Coleman pop-up camper.”

Adair said she and Lazar camped in the pop-up for about a year. Along the way, however, they realized it was “still a lot of work.”

“The pop-ups are nice, but it takes a lot of effort to put them up and take them down,” said Adair. “So I traded it in at Southern RV in McDonough, off Industrial Boulevard, in 2017. Then it was on. We drove everywhere. We went all the way to Texas. We stopped in Louisiana and Mississippi.”

Adair and Lazar, originally from California, also visited national parks to build on their camping and RV experiences. Adair’s voice filled with awe as she discussed the first time she encountered the Smoky Mountains.

“The Smokies are something I never really thought I would experience,” said Adair. “It was beautiful. The water is bubbling, and you’re like, ‘is this real life, or is this a painting?’

Lazar and her daughter have learned to appreciate their differences, in order to make the most of each camping experience. For instance, Lazar is the early riser of the duo, while Adair is not.

“I like to make coffee early in the morning, and Stephanie likes to sleep later,” said Lazar. “When you go on vacation camping, you kind of want to do you. I’m a homemaker, I love cooking and cleaning. Stephanie did more of the outdoorsy stuff. We were a tag-team. We shared everything.”

Lazar said she made the decision, last year, to further customize her camping pursuits to her liking by buying a camper of her own.

“In the middle of the pandemic, I got a camper,” said Lazar. “I got a 2004 Hi-Lo TowLite camper in 2020.”

Lazar and Adair are set to camp for an annual visit to Lake Martin in Alabama later this month. Lazar said she and Adair have established their own two-pronged motto for the trip.

“No men, no children, be nice and have fun,” said Lazar. “What happens at the campsite stays at the campsite.”

The mother also emphasized that when they go to the lake, they won’t be alone. Instead, they’ll have their four rescue dogs — a German Shepherd named Ava Marie; a Shih Tzu named Momo; a Shih Tzu-terrier mix named Penny; and a Bull Terrier mix named Callie — with them.

“They go with us,” said Lazar. “They float all together on that lake.”

The mother-daughter tandem’s exploits have led them to other women who share their interests. Sisters on the Fly is a nationwide organization that focuses on outdoor recreation.

Adair said she “never envisioned being part of a movement,” but that she just wanted to go camping more often. Still, she was thrilled to learn that Sisters on the Fly includes ladies from a variety of professions and backgrounds.

“I found my tribe,” said Adair. “We discovered that there are other girl campers like us. Discovering that was a bonus — meeting other girls at campgrounds and learning from each other. Campers and RVers are the nicest people in the world. They just want to chill and have a good time. The women thing was unexpected. That tribe of women are phenomenal.”

Lazar added that she and Adair aren’t looking to close the door on their camping and RV travels anytime soon.

“We have seen some beautiful things, but we have a lot more to see,” said Lazar.