The Great Sand Dunes National Park in Colorado was our first real stop on the Desert Vacation of 2018. I had be*en to this park once before, twenty some years ago and in reflection, it seemed as if I missed something. So, back we went for one night, a pit stop, a stretch break on our way to some other place.
We had desired to stay at Great Sand Dunes Oasis, a full hookup campground, just a few feet from the entrance. Even though our travel dates seemed inconspicuous, last year we juggled Memorial Day Weekend, we soon learned about Medano Creek. Once a year, Medano Creek swells from the spring thaw. Locals and tourist love to visit Great Sand Dunes National Park during this time to play in the water and see firsthand how those amazing sand dunes exist in the middle of Colorado.
So, with Great Sand Dune Oasis full, we began searching for another campground. We ended up landing at Base Camp Family Campground outside of Alamosa and 27 miles to The Great Sand Dune National Park.
The Great Sand Dune National Park
After dropping the campers off at the campground, we drove over to the national park. booklets ahead of time but we were not able to do that for this park. So, the first thing we did was obtain our Junior Ranger badges. Next we set about to do some sand hiking.
I learned a few things during my time at Great Sand Dunes National Park. First of all, I learned that hiking in the sand is hard work! The ground moves, the sand gets in your shoes making walking difficult, if you take your shoes off, the sand is hot and prickly making walking difficult. So basically walking is difficult in the sand.
Second thing I learned, when the wind blows and the sand is being blown all over you are get pelted. Imagine a full body microderm abrasion facial. And, the wind does blow at The Great Sand Dune National Park. Like, it blows a lot, Which is another key factor in why there is sand dunes in the middle of Colorado.
Third thing I learned, sandsledding is a popular sport in the Dunes. But you must have a special type off board and it is important to rent a board before you find yourself standing on a dune wondering where everyone got their boards.
Fourth, I decided I was too out of shape to be walking around the dunes. We hiked to a nearby “hill” and played around. I thought for a few minutes about trying to hike more hills but I called uncle and my dear husband and I started heading back to the truck.
During our time on the dunes we did notice haze all around us. We later learned that wild fires were blazing around us. To our south, areas of New Mexico were on fire as well as to the west of us, areas north of Durango were on fire. We are accustom to watching for thunderstorms, tornado’s, and hail storms but wildfires was new to us. You can see the haze in the photo below.
San Luis Lakes State Parks And Wildlife Area
On our way back to Base Camp Family Campground we noticed signs for a state park so we took a detour and did some extra exploring. The water seemed low to us but we have no comparison.
Base Camp Family Campground
We arrived early in the afternoon, shortly after check in at 1:00 p.m. We were assigned three spaces in a row, sites 11, 12, and 13, all of which were giant pull through sites. Ya’ll, when I say giant I am telling you for a private campground these sites were unbelievable.
After exploring, we returned to find the campground had filled up. Several families we saw on the dunes were now camping by us. Funny story, as we waited in the parking lot for all our group to finish exploring the dunes, this family walked by our parked truck and one of the kids randomly hit their head on our tow mirrors. Their momma, reached up and swatted her head for not paying attention. As a social worker it caught my eye. As a mother it caught my eye, there was not a moment that the momma asked if her child was okay before swatting them for not paying attention. As the owner of the truck, I just snickered. When we arrived back at camp, what would be the odds that this family was now tent camping just a few feet from our RV!
The afternoon winds settled and we enjoyed chicken tacos for dinner. We built a fire and settled in to experience a night under a dark sky. We were recommended to catch the sunset behind the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. The name translated to English means Blood of Christ, and it is commonly believed the name originates from the alpenglow that occurs at sunset. We only had one night in this location, and we had already experienced the impact of wildfire, so I am not sure if it was the best sunset the area had to offer. But, for a girl from the Midwest, who was camping in sand for the first time ever, it was a memorable night!
It all started with a photo on Pinterest of Zion National Park. It morphed into an epic seventeen day road trip that would cross four states, make eight stops, travel three thousand mile road trip. We were nervous about visiting the desert in the summer, so we went early in the summer. We were excited to see so many national parks and places we had been visiting on Pinterest for years; Monument Valley, Four Corners, Mesa Verde, Zion, The Grand Canyon. I was nervous because it was a lot of moving, a lot of exploring, and even though it did not seem like it, a lot of editing.
Betty and Roxie, as you may recall, went on another grand adventure together to Wyoming in 2017. Our friends the Rockwood’s decided to decline this adventure because they were saving up days for a 2019 adventure east to Gettysburg. Roxie’s owners invited their extended family to join us so Papa Gary signed up to be our third camper on the Desert Vacation.
We decided to meet at the Paxico Rest Stop just west of Topeka at Mile Marker 336 on I-70 as we were all coming from different places. Together we continued traveling west. We had no reservation for this first day, but landing where we could. We wanted to push ourselves to get a full six hours in so we could make the driving on Day 2 as comfortable as possible.
We ended up making it six and half hours the first day and landed in Seibert, Colorado, approximately 50 miles west of the Kansas/Colorado border. We checked into Shady Grove campground.
Meeghan and I had researched every campground from Wakeeney Kansas to Colorado Springs as part of preparation for this trip. We had “hoped” to reach Shady Grove because it had a wonderful pool and thought it would be a treat to the kids after a long first day of traveling. Well, sadly the lady who checked us in told us there was no pool at Shady Grove. Meeghan and I jumped on our phones and realized we made an error in planning: the Shady Grove Campground in Seibert Colorado does not have a pool but Sandy Grove Campground in Pennsylvania has a pool (and a nice website that we apparently looked at instead of the one in Colorado)!. So lesson learned, when researching on the internet make sure you are in the correct state.
We secured three camping spots for the night and settled in. We pre-planned for a quick dinner of BLT sandwiches and made ahead side salads then we set out walking the small town of Seibert. As we walked around town, we speculated about living in such a small out-of-the-way place. We found a city park where the kids could burn some pent up energy. Meeghan’s youngest decided to jump off the slide and literally caught himself by the throat and gave himself a clothes-line injury. Poor little man spent the rest of the vacation with a massive friction mark on his neck!
Shady Acres had a variety of tenants. Some bikers on their way west tent camping, a girl camper on an adventure, and a few others stopping for the night. It was comfortable and quiet.
The next morning we left Shady Grove and Seibert to head towards Colorado Springs. Our goal for Day 2 was to reach Base Camp Family Campground in Alamosa, Colorado. Before we reached Alamosa, we stopped for a road side lunch just past Colorado Springs and met up with Meeghan’s sister, her husband, and their baby. They joined us for part of our Colorado visit.
Our newly expanded group continued south on I-25 turning west once again on Highway 160. The drive from Walsenburg to Alamosa was scenic and wonderful. We checked into Base Camp late in the afternoon ready for some adventure and exploring…..
Every year we have a goal of visiting 5 different Missouri State Parks, which earns us our Missouri Camper Award. Some of those five are parks we visit every single year: Watkins Mill State Park, Weston Bend State Park, and Wallace State Park. But, we also like to explore and try new things (isn’t that part of the love of RV’ing?) so I also look for a couple of new parks we want to visit. Knob Noster State Park has been on our list of places to visit for the past couple of years and we finally made it there Memorial Day Weekend 2018.
Located an hour east of Kansas City in the small town of Knob Noster, we found ourselves arriving just about the time we felt like we left home. Knob Noster is home to Whiteman Air Force Base so by coming here, I really hoped to catch a glimpse of the B-2 Stealth Bomber, which is permanently housed at Whiteman AFB.
This trip came days before we departed for our two week family vacation, so we were really hoping for a quiet weekend before we sat off on an adventure. As we rarely roam without a friend or two, this weekend was no exception.. Our friends Josh and Vickie and their two children joined us.
Camp Life:
The campground loop is long and weaves between completely shaded sites to full exposed to the sun sites. Primitive sites are sprinkled throughout the loop and next to electric sites. There are 70 total sites at Knob Noster SP.
In addition to the campground, there is also a special use area with two group campgrounds that are available to nonprofits, weddings, family reunions, and other approved groups. One of the parks even has an in-ground swimming pool!
Each night and day that we were visiting KNSP there were ranger led activities. We attended an owl program Friday night after settling into camp. We attended a ranger led nature walk the next day and on our last evening we attended a ranger led program that discussed the history of the park.
Interesting History:
Knob Noster State Park actually started off as part of the National Park Service. Construction began on the future state park in 1936 as part of the employment relief service and with a goal of turning marginal land no longer suited for agriculture into a recreational area for Kansas Citians and nearby residents. Ten years later when construction was completed in 1946, the National Park Service transferred control to the Missouri State Board.
Our Time:
As we prepared to come to Knob Noster State Park for the first time we heard from many people that the hiking at this park was exceptional. We ended up hiking the Buteo Trail and the Discovery Trail. We found wild plants, animals, cliffs, streams, and lakes. The Buteo Trail has a fun water feature to cross and it takes you around the Buteo Lake. We heard that the Buteo Lake is home to fresh water jellyfish and beavers, but we found no evidence of jelly fish.
We heard that the town of Knob Noster had a farmers market on Saturday morning. Unfortunately, there were only three vendors at the farmer’s market so we finished in like six minutes. Fortunately, we decided to wander around downtown and found ourselves a few antique shops and a few other cute shops. We even found an ice cream place and Josh proved to everyone that it is never too early in the morning for ice cream!
One of the evenings during our visit we traveled over to Clear Fork Lake to catch the sunset and do a little bit of fishing. We did not catch any fish but the sunset that night was beautiful! I added returning to Clear Fork Lake to my next time list. I think this place would be beautiful space for an evening picnic.
Sunday afternoon we welcomed visitors, my brother and niece arrived. One of the small pleasures in life is to enjoy a grilled hot dog and the company of loved ones. As we sat around our campsite, following the shade from spot to the next we actually had a B-2 fly overhead. By the time we heard the noise, the bomber was long gone but man, it was so loud! Maybe next visit we will actually get to see a B-2 fly over. Maybe, but they are stealthy.
Down and Dirty Details: Dates of Stay: August 2 – 6, 2018 Lakeside Campground Site Number 131 We traveled with 6 families and a total of 24 people.
Eugene T. Mahoney State Park in Ashland, Nebraska brings all of the amenities of a private resort to a state park. Campers at Mahoney State Park can expect to find spacious sites, beautiful scenery, a low price point as well as hiking, biking, mini golfing, a driving range, horse back riding, paddle boating, arcade, zip lining, organized activities, and even a water park all at discounted prices! Eugene T. Mahoney State Park is what Nebraska calls an Adventure Park and if adventure is what you seek, you sure do not have to look hard to find it. I am sure it may come as no surprise to hear that Mahoney State Park was our favorite campground of 2017.
Our visit to Mahoney started a year prior to our arrival. Meeghan is originally from Nebraska and she told us about this state park thirty minutes west of Omaha. The park books a year in advance and from our experience it books quickly which made booking seven sites together challenging.
We traveled to Mahoney State Park on a Thursday to enjoy a long weekend before school started for our children and grandchildren. The drive to Mahoney was short, less than four hours and that included some unfavorable road conditions. We arrived before the 4:00 p.m. check-in so we decided to spend our time at the Strategic Air Command and Aerospace Museum (also known as SAC), which is right outside the entrance to Mahoney State Park.
The SAC Museum provides ample park for RV’s, which allowed us to have a parking lot picnic before we entered the museum to see the collection of military airplanes and spacecrafts. If you are a history or military buff you will love their collection of planes and helicopters from World War II, Vietnam, Korea, the 70’s, and the 80’s. And, if you are really lucky, you will encounter a veteran visiting the SAC on the same day as you and you can wander the exhibits listening as the memories come back and the reminiscing flows freely.
Camping fees at Mahoney are $25 a night for electric sites and $30 a night for premium electric. In addition to the camping fees guest have to purchase a daily parking fee which cost $8 a day for nonresidents. There are two campgrounds and a total of 149 camping sites at Mahoney. Most sites are 30 amp but we did find several 50 amp sites. There are even a few full hook-up sites but they are very limited and half are reserve-able. In addition to a large number of camping sites, this park has other types of lodging available; like a lodge, cabins, and even houses for rent. So, if you are traveling with non-campers they can be close by and enjoy the fun as well.
Family Aquatic Center
Open daily from noon to 5:00 p.m. and then from 6:00 p.m to 8:00 p.m. Memorial Day to Labor Day, this is honestly one of the biggest draws to Mahoney State Park. The cost to enter the Aquatic Center is $10 per adult and $8 per child, children under 2 years old are free. The water park has a splash area with buckets of water falling over you, a wave pool, slides, and a giant swimming pool with diving boards. Outside food and drink are not allowed in the Aquatic Center but hungry swimmers will find a full service snack area or they are allowed to leave and return as many times as they would like for the entire day.
We visited the Aquatic Center on Friday, hoping to beat the weekend traffic, and we arrived right at the opening. We easily found enough chairs for all of us and the kids did not stop moving until we drug them out of there before the dinner time closure. The wave pool was a mass of people and the wave patterns changed every time the bell rang. The lines to the slides went by quickly and we all had a good time racing each other down the slides. The splash area was a favorite part of the youngest members of our group but even the big kids enjoyed a big water dump on the head.
Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo
Thirty miles due east of Mahoney State Park is Omaha’s highly acclaimed Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium, which we decided to visit on Saturday of our trip. We all upgraded our entrance fees to the zoo so we could take advantage of the train and Skyfari. We spent the day wondering from habitat to habitat. We enjoyed the desert dome, the Kingdom of the Nights, the Jungle, the Gorilla Valley, and the Butterfly Pavilion. But my absolute favorite part of the Henry Doorly Zoo remains the Scott Aquarium and all of those jellyfish. I could spend hours watching them. During our visit, we were able to visit the traveling Stingray Beach. Not only did we enjoy touching stingrays but we loved having the opportunity to feed them.
By the end of the day, we walked our feet off and left tired and happy. We returned to the campground exhausted.
Ice Cream at Owen Marina
Owen Marina was a nice easy walk from our campground. The marina has a convenience store, an ice cream parlor, fast food service, paddle boat rental, and an arts and crafts room, The crafts room has a variety of activites from leathercrafts, bird houses, ceramics, and even woodworking. Unfortunately, we visited late in the day and there were no organized activities. But no worry, ice cream was on the brain and there was no shortage of cones, sundae’s or floats. Sadly, there were no non-dairy options for those of us who are lactose intolerant.
Walter Scott Jr Observation Tower
This tower is open year round and has no extra cost to enjoy it. We rode our bicycles from Lakeside Campground to the observation tower. Bike riding allowed us to really see the entire park. We biked past the cabins, the nice homes, the aquatic center, the tennis courts, the ropes course, as well as the family children’s activity center, the stables and disc golf course. It was amazing to see everything this park has to offer.
As far as the observation tower, it is a 70 foot tower on the bluffs above the Platte River. The view is pretty; trees, a railroad, a river, crops.
Trail Riding
Our Sunday planned activity was to trail ride. Reservations are made on a first come first serve basis at the Park Administration building. When we arrived (fifteen minutes before the office opened) there was already a line forming, so we ended up with afternoon rides vs morning rides. Trail Rides cost $18 per person for an hour ride. Riding horses is one of those things that sounds really fun but the reality is I have not been on a horse since I was a child. My last memory of riding a horse is my six year old self freaking out as soon as the horse started galloping. I had kinda forgotten that until I was placed on top of a huge, fourteen hand horse named Cash.
Trail riding should be smooth, the horses are trained to walk the trail, follow a specific horse, and respond to basic commands. That was all well, until Cash decided to do some fancy footwork and we found ourselves slipping. I am not sure from what hidden skill drawer I was able to pull out the skills needed to keep this giant horse under control. Technically there is no photographs allowed on the trail ride, so the staff allowed us to linger afterwards, on the horses and with the horses, to take as many photos as we wanted. Again, all was fun until Cash decided to get upset with another horse for drinking our of his water trough. With me still on his back, he reared up on his back legs. Man, I am just not sure horses are my thing. As soon as all four of his hooves hit the ground, I tapped out.
If trail riding is not your thing, or if you are too young to ride a big horse, Mahoney also has pony rides for $7 per child.
18 Hole Mini Golfing
After dinner Sunday night at a local restaurant, we decided to try and squeeze in a round of 18 hole mini golfing. We arrived at the rental office five minutes before closing but the staff did not care how long we played as long as we left the clubs outside the front door when we were done. We broke into family groups and had a blast deciding who in the family was the best mini golfer. These simple, easy moments are what make a family get away perfect! Mini Golfing was a fun way to close out our time at Mahoney State Park.
Paddle Boating
Paddle boats can be rented at Owen Marina and paddled around Baright Lake. The boats cost $8 for a half hour or $16 for an hour. This was a fun activity to do in between other activities.
SKUNKS!!!
Now, we are accustomed to sharing our space in a state park with critters. We have become very skilled at picking up any food and locking down the trash bags, like literally, we lock that trash can inside of our truck at nights. Raccoons can no longer get over on us! But, Mahoney threw us with a loop when it comes to critters; skunks. From our very first night to the last morning we learned to pay extra special attention to the black and white critters that roamed the campground loop. Skunks are sorta like bears. I can appreciate one from a far but no way do I want to see one close and I absolutely do not want to scare one.
Every evening around dusk we could see the critters lurking around the campers, then the vehicles and then all over the campground loop. Taking the dog out to do his business became an ordeal that involved headlamps and flashlights.
The Community Around Eugene T Mahoney State Park
A few short miles east of Mahoney is Nebraska Crossing Outlets, which is a great place for shopping, With stores like Michael Kors, Kate Spade, Coach, Bose, Oakley, Nike, Le Creuset, North Face, and Steve Madden there is a store for everyone. I was excited to find a perfect pair of Chaco’s while shopping at the Crossing.
Across the street from the entrance of state park is the Wildlife Safari Park, a four mile drive through wildlife experience. We did not drive through Wildlife Safari Park, but others in our group did and they loved it. So, if you are seeking an animal experience but do not wish to visit Henry Doorly Zoo, this wildlife safari might be ehat you are looking for.
Another great way to spend some time outside the state park is by visiting local vineyards. There are three local vineyards near Mahoney. We visited Cellar 426 which is name after the exit off of I-80. We visited Cellar 426 on a Sunday afternoon before trail riding for a wine tasting. I brought home a bottle of their Blue Jay Edelweiss and I have regretted every day that I did not bring home more. Cellar 426 has a lovely deck, which was a beautiful place to pass some time away. Besides the Edelweiss, I also recommend their white sangria. I am pretty sure they put Peach Schnapps in it and it was delish!
Final Reflections
Outside of our family vacation, this was our favorite camping trip of 2018 and I am sure it is easy to see why. There were so many activities and things to do in the park and around the park that we could have easily spent an entire week. It is trips like this, with our friends by our sides, that I love our group camping experiences.
This was the first and only camping trip that my entire family made together. It was so much easier when we all lived in one roof and the only full time jobs we had to coordinate with was mine and Wayne’s. But now that our son is gown and living on his own and not only has a girlfriend but also their full time jobs it just gets harder. As a mom, my heart was full and happy this entire camping trip.
So, if you have hung with me through this entire post, then I say, THANK YOU! I want to say that several of our friends had to make last minute cancellations and could not join us. We missed them and hope to return with them to this location again soon.
I saw this funny meme today. It was simple. Quick. It was a reminder. The meme said, “And Just Like That, 1999 was twenty years ago.” WOW, really! Maybe because I am a huge Prince fan (party like it’s 1999) or maybe because this was our last year before the world was suppose to end (anyone else remember Y2K?) but I vividly remember ringing 1999 in. Like it was just a few years ago, not twenty years ago!
Maybe time gets away from me. Weeks feel like days and months feel like weeks. Can anyone else relate? So, if I am honest, then I have to admit my last post here was some time ago. This past year, I got lost in living our life and I sorta forgot to document it and share it with you. And guys, 2018 was a great year for us! We spent over 55 nights in our camper, visited six different states, seven different state parks, and nine national parks. We enjoyed large group camping trips, small group camping trips, visited some favorite campgrounds and fell in love with a new one or two.
But, we have turned the page in our book of life and started a new chapter. This chapter is called 2019 and it is ready to be written. I love the excitement and energy of a new year. I love the idea of starting fresh, starting something new, or challenging yourself in a way you have not done in the past.
As the first few days of 2019 pass, we find ourselves organizing and planning, specifically about camping! One of my favorite activities to do on new years day is archive last years camping journal and organize my new journal. We have already secured numerous camping reservations for 2019. We will be visiting some of our old tried and true places and mixing it up with some new places.
As a way of saying, I am sorry for the extra long blogging vacation, and I am so excited for the new year, I am sharing with you one of my most favorite camping log sheets. I use it to track what month I can make reservations in, the number of days we spend camping, the number of state parks we visit, the number of national parks, and this year we are tracking the number of hikes we take. Maybe this tracking log can help you too.
I find myself struggling for balance. I struggle to find balance between my professional self and my personal life. I love what I do and love helping others but I also love my own life and find that it provides me with a lot of rejuvenation that I need to be a better professional. I struggle to find balance between parenting and self care. From the minute I wake in the morning to the minute I go to sleep, I feel as if I am caring for others. And I honestly love that. But occasionally I know I need some me time. I find myself fighting for that uninterrupted half hour on the treadmill, or the luxury of reading a book that wasn’t written with a tween in mind, or more basically, the ability to drink a cup of coffee while it is still hot.
Another area that I struggle a lot to find balance is between needs and wants. I find myself turning around and feeling as if our lives and our home is packed full with so many extra things. At times I feel suffocated and the need to purge the extras from our lives is overwhelming. Cleaning out a closet is one thing but when that feeling sets in about our routines, schedules, our obligations, I find myself just wanting to get away; to take a break from the hustle and hit pause. That is what camping does for me. It gives me those moments to get away and add breathing space to my life.
I found myself entering the holiday season feeling a little like a claustrophobic Ebeneezer Scrooge. Maybe I just wasn’t ready to face the confinement of winter or maybe the materialistic aspect of the holidays grabbed me by the throat and gave a squeeze. Either way, I was ready to fight back and create some air in our lives. To find a way of filling our lives with moments vs things.
This year, we opted to leave behind the big family dinner, the televised football games, and the intense Black Friday shopping sprees. We opted to spend Thanksgiving outside in a campground in Branson, Missouri.
We selected Branson for our Thanksgiving retreat for a few reasons. Branson is relatively close to home – a 4 hour drive south. Another reason is that the temperature in our state does change in that four hours. It becomes warmer the further south we go. We were sort of hoping to chase fall.
Branson is a near year round entertainment area. During the months of November and December Branson becomes a winter wonderland. The shows on the strip become holiday celebrations. There are drive through holiday light displays and drive through meet and greets with Santa and his reindeer. We also knew that we would find quieter activities for us to enjoy; hiking and trout fishing are always high on our favorite activities list.
We arrived in Branson the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. My mother made the trip with us. My cousin and his girlfriend decided to meet us in Branson as well. We enjoyed five days/four nights of fun filled adventure in the Ozark Mountains using Branson Treehouse Adventures as the base camp for our adventures. By the time we left Branson, our lungs were full of fresh air, our souls were light and airy, and my Christmas spirit was fully restored.
If you are looking for a few magical moments to share with your family, here is a list of activities we enjoyed during our time in Branson:
LET THERE BE LIGHTS:
The first place we visited was Branson’s Promised Land Zoo. This was the first year they turned the drive through zoo into a 2 mile Christmas Drive Light Show. The trunks of trees were wrapped in lights, lights dangled from the trees. lights displayed the 12 days of Christmas, arches of lights danced across the road. At the end of the road, we were able to get out of the truck and walk around a smaller area full of exotic animals. The Short Chic was very excited to pet a dingo.
GIFT OF LIGHTS:
We stumbled onto the Gift of Lights by accident. We had found our way down to The Landing to take a look at the fish in Lake Taneycomo. It was actually quiet cold on our first night in Branson, so we did not linger too long outside. As we made our way back to our base camp, we found an entrance to the Gift Of Lights so we pulled in and checked it out.
I would say this was our favorite drive through light tour between the two that we experienced on our first night. There was nothing special at the end but the lights were bright and fun to look at.
SILVER DOLLAR CITY:
After a Thanksgiving morning hike and a Thanksgiving meal, we headed off to one of Branson’s largest attraction; Silver Dollar City. The park opened at 4:00 p.m. on Thanksgiving night and closed at 10:00 p.m. which was plenty of time for us to wander around, ride some rides, catch a show or two, and see some lights.
Many people over the past decade have recommended visiting Silver Dollar City at Christmas time but recently, Silver Dollar City has up’ed their Christmas game by adding 6.5 million lights to create the Christmas in Midtown Light Show. Their are lights on trees, houses, and generally any structure they can put them on. It reminded me of the Christmas movie Deck the Halls. Danny DeVito’s character wants his house visible from outer space. I am positive the Midtown area of Silver Dollar City is visible from outer space!
There are a few things we never leave Silver Dollar City without doing. Shopping is top of that list. And we did poke around every single shop in the place. My favorite shop of the trip was the Christmas store. I fell in love with the vintage camper section and wished I could bring all the trinkets home with me!
We also have to catch a show. We watched the Cajun Christmas show and we were delighted. We also caught the laser light show where all the lights danced and twinkled timed to music. I do hope my Snapchat friends enjoyed the show as much as we did!
We also enjoyed the Christmas Parade, Rudolph’s Holly Jolly Christmas Light Parade. There were marching soldiers, dancing moose, Rudolph, The Abominable Snowman, and yes, even Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus.
Other things we have to do is eat food! After an early Thanksgiving meal, we were ready for snacking when we got to Silver Dollar City. We enjoyed the Tator Twist, The Fresh Baked Cinnamon Bread, and Oliver’s Wassel. Grandma and The Short Chic would not leave Silver Dollar City without some fresh saltwater taffy.
Silver Dollar City use to have a go in after 4 p.m. get the next day free deal. We had originally planned on that but that deal was not available during our visit. I was a little disappointed; there is no way you can possibly see all of the shows in a six hour time period. In the end, we saw what we could and we said our good-byes leaving the park ready for bed.
TROUT FISHING:
Lake Taneycomo maintains a constant cold temperature, making it great for trout fishing. Wayne loves to fish the tailwaters below Table Rock Dam at the public access site whenever he gets a chance. The dam was running 2 units of water, making a nice steady stream but on this trip the fish just were not biting. Still, what do they say: a bad day fishing is better than a good day at work.
The dam was really close to our base camp. It took less than 15 minutes to get from Branson West to the parking lot. If you are new to this area and unsure how to find the fishing area below the dam look for the Shephard of the Hills Fish Hatchery. The public access area is behind it.
BRANSON FERRIS WHEEL:
A new attraction from the last time we were in Branson is the Ferris Wheel. This ferris wheel was brought to Branson from the Chicago Pier. We decided to ride it but there was nothing we could do to convience Grandma to go with us. Almost as soon as we exited our ride, they announced we should find a seat and watch the show. Timed with the music, the Ferris Wheel put on a jaw dropping light show that we considered ourselves lucky to have seen!
DOWNTOWN HISTORIC BRANSON:
If you don’t mind fighting the crowds, this is a fun place to come and visit. One of my oldest friends lives in Branson and she suggested we meet at The Farmhouse for lunch. The Farmhouse is right on Main Street on the same block as Dick’s Five and Dime. While my friend Jodi and I caught up and waited for a table, Wayne took Grandma and The Short Chic to the Five and Dime. Afterward we enjoyed a nice meal and some yummy blackberry cobbler.
If you are headed downtown, I suggest grabbing a piece of cake from Dino’s Cake and Coffee. Dino use to be located in the Landing but he has moved to Main Street, a half of a block east of the Dicks Five and Dime. Dino’s is a great place to grab a coffee and a slice of cake. With flavors such as 24 Karrot Carrot Cake, Chocolate Fudge, Italian Creme Cake, Red Velvet, and Coconut Creme you are gonna want a slice or two!
TRAIL OF LIGHTS:
We spent our last afternoon in Branson shopping at the local Tanger Outlet Mall. The weather was perfect but I knew I did not want to leave this magical weekend without one last Christmas adventure. Shepard of The Hills is another attraction that Branson Landmark. During the holiday season, it becomes a drive through animation light display. As we waited in line, they had these large wooden boxes with 12 days of Christmas displays in them. They really helped build the excitement!
The Trail of Lights drive through really is long; a 160 acres to wind through. We love that you could buy homemade kettle corn as you passed the blacksmith barn and that elves handed out free candy!
After you finish the display your ticket is also good for a trip up Inspiration Tower; a 230 foot tower with panoramic views of Branson. We could see all of the places we had visited during our time there: Silver Dollar City, The Ferris Wheel, and the Branson strip. As we were leaving we enjoyed a quick visit with Santa Claus.
I enjoyed the visit to Trail of Lights. I think it was also the Short Chic’s favorite. Wayne however, he felt it was one drive through too many.
I am so excited that we took this trip and Opted Outside for Thanksgiving. I am thankful that my mother was able to go with us and that Cousin Dennis and his girlfriend drove down and joined us. I am not sure we will spend every Thanksgiving camping but it was a great use of a school holiday. We loved how magical Branson felt. Coming from a Kansas City girl, I can honestly say the Christmas lights in Branson made our Plaza look pale in comparison.
RV parks in the Branson area are plentiful. You can find private campgrounds in the middle of the excitement of the 76 strip. There are smaller private parks nestled into the hills away from the excitement but with great panoramic views of Branson. You can also find spacious public campgrounds right on Table Rock Lake at either local state parks or on corp land. We made plans to visit Branson over the Thanksgiving holiday where we found a number of campgrounds closed for the winter season. We did thankfully find a few that are open year round. We wanted a base camp that would be close to Silver Dollar City and other local attractions we planned to visit during our 5 day/4 night stay.
We selected to stay at Branson Treehouse Adventures and RV Park in Branson West. Branson is known for it’s traffic and towing a 35 foot camper through that traffic was a little anxiety invoking. However; we were able to use one of the alternate routes (465 to 76) to skirt most of 76 highway joining it just before the turn off to Silver Dollar City. As we turned onto 76 West, we found the traffic was backed up in the left lane for the turn into Silver Dollar City. The right lane, however, the lane that went to Branson West was wide open. We felt like winners when we were able to buzz right past the traffic and pull into our campground with ease.
The signage for the park was big and easily noticeable. Just off the main highway, down a gravel driveway is Branson Treehouse Adventures. As the name implies there are a lot of treehouses available for rent but there are also RV spots, and even cabins. You will start to see RV sites as you enter the property.
We found the office and began checking in which went super smooth. We received a Good Sam’s discount during our stay. Besides Good Sam, Branson Treehouse Adventure also gives a Military and First Responders discount. If you are traveling as a group, be sure to inquire about group discounts for parties of 10 or more campers.
The campground has several different types of sites available; deluxe sites, upgraded back in; back in, and pull through. We selected an Upgraded Back In Site which gave us full hook ups, a concrete pad, a picnic table, a fire ring, and a light on the electric box. Unfortunately, there were some big trees that we had to maneuver around to get into our site. One was at the end of our spot and the others were directly across from us. I am sure those with more experience backing up would have been ok but that is still an area we struggle with.
We were so happy to finally get into the site that we settled to be a little off center in the site putting us closer to our next door neighbor than I am sure they would have appreciated. Luckily for us, our neighbor appeared to be full timers who were not “home” for the holidays. What they don’t know can’t hurt them, right?
The park has several amenities that we enjoyed during our stay. The Rec Hall was located close to our site. We played pool and ping pong in the Rec Hall. The Rec Hall also has a kitchen and picnic tables. I believe the Rec Hall is reserve-able for large groups to use.
There is also a hospitality building that The Short Chic hung out in a lot. She met several other friends her age who were camping with their families and they all hung out together. The hospitality building has complementary pastries, coffee, hot chocolate, and tea. They also have WiFi. Which is good because despite advertising free WiFi for the entire park, and being camped right next to the router, we found the WiFi did not work. Later we were told it was broken during our stay. The kids enjoyed the assortment of board games that were available in the hospitality building as well.
Across from the office, you will find a community fire pit going at all times. I love the idea of the community fire pit because the sites are actually pretty tight. If we would have had a large group gathered around the fire at our site we would probably have been too loud for the neighbors. The community fire pit allows groups to gather and maybe meet a few other campers as well.
The community fire pit is close to the basketball court, the tetherball pole, badminton/volleyball court, horseshoe pit, the playground, and the pirate ship. Yep, I said Pirate Ship which comes complete with a kids’ zip line and rock wall. An adult must be present during zip lining but a word of warning; if you supervise it they will come!
There is a pool to the right of the community fire pit but it was closed during our visit.
And of course there are showers and public restrooms. There were two shower rooms in the rec hall and then several by the hospitality room. They were heated and very clean. I actually talked with one of the campers as she was about to head into the showerhouse. She and her group of friends were renting this cluster of treehouses that had no kitchen or bathrooms. Branson Treehouse Adventure provides them with an outdoor kitchen area but they use the showerhouses for other needs. She raved about how clean they were.
The campground is surrounded by hiking trails. I think it would be easy to get lost in the woods surrounding the campground. If you do go out to hike, just remember you are in the Ozarks and them hills get steep! To help with those hills, check around for hiking sticks. We found several by the trailhead for our use.
If the hiking is not to your liking here I suggest heading over to Table Rock State Park a few miles away from here. They have amazing hiking trails that have received a lot of praise.
The thing that makes this campground near perfect is the variety of lodging available. This is the perfect place for those with RV’s to camp with/next to friends/relatives who do not have RV’s. There is enough activity in the campground to be pleased and yet if you seek more excitement Branson is just a short drive away. My only suggestion if you are planning to leave the campground and wander around Branson is to really study and use the alternative routes. Highway 76 easily backed up at the end of November but during the height of the tourist season it is basically a parking lot.
We absolutely enjoyed our time at Branson Treehouse Adventures. The owners were very polite. The other guest were cheerful and friendly. We met a couple from the Kansas City area and The Short Chic came away with a new pen pal that she has kept in touch with since we stayed here.
The only small thing that we did not enjoy about our stay here was the turn-in to the property from 76 highway. The turn-in hits at the crest of a hill, making it very difficult to see what is coming at you as you turn. Your line of sight is missing for a significant distance. They have tried to address this by creating a secondary entrance, which we did use as we pulled out but the angle is off for pulling in when arriving from the east. Arriving from the West you would be able to do it , but then it is not clearly marked. By the time you saw the signage, you would be past it. I would just say, take your time. Watch and be aware of the cars as they go down the hill so you can have an idea of what is coming up the hill.
There was a lot of construction going on during our visit. This place seems to be expanding and growing into some very good things. If you are looking for a private campground near Silver Dollar City or any other Branson adventures, consider Branson Treehouse Adventures.
My very first camper was a 1972 Argosy camper. She was yellow and we called her “The Twinkie.” I purchased her from my first cousin. She was stationary in a field being used as a storage unit when we bought her. She was a mess but I am not going to lie, I loved her. Her door was broken. We had to bungee cord it shut. The heater was broken. The refrigerator was rusted. She had dings and bruises. She had orange shag carpet and the floor under the carpet was super soft in places.
She was my first camper and really opened the idea of RV camping to us. I introduced camping to two children in that camper. The Boy was in elementary school when I brought The Twinkie home the day before Easter in 2006. The Short Chic was in preschool when we sold her (was that in 2013?) I loved the idea of a restoring a vintage Airstream to it’s glory. The reality was, she needed a lot of work. Work that I could not provide. Neither could my husband. We lacked the skill. The know-how. The resources. We did make several attempts at making her better but in the end, we recognized our short comings and made the decision to sell her. We sold her to a coworker of mine whose husband had those skills. I was so hopeful for The Twinkie’s new life.
Then in May 2017, out of the blue, my former coworker sent me a text to say that they had sold The Twinkie and she was moving to the east coast. I found myself overcome with regret and maybe even some grief. Silly I know because my skill level had not changed. Logically I knew I would never be able to provide the care the camper needed. Emotionally, I just wanted to be near her.
As the months have past, selling her has often weighed heavy on my heart. Then this past weekend, my former coworker sent me a recommendation to a facebook page called, Zola The Airstream Arogosy. I opened the page and my heart started doing cartwheels, Zola is The Twinkie! Just like the mythological Phoenix, this camper is being given a new life and is rising from the ashes.
I read every post and looked at every photo. Twice. Three times. My heart was so happy to see that she was getting her rehab. And OMG, it is not a little cosmetic rehab; her new owner has taken her down to the beams and and rebuilt her! She was purchased by a member of Sisters On The Fly, a women’s outdoor adventure group. What irony!! I am fan of Janine Pettit’s podcast, Girl Camper, from which I learned about Sisters On The Fly. My entire retirement plan is wrapped around owning a girl camper and traveling with Sisters On The Fly.
Facebook stalking was not nearly enough for me. I felt compelled to reach out to Zola’s new owner and say hi. I sent a message Saturday morning and immediately heard back. We chatted back and forth me sharing my history with The Twinkie and her new owner sharing Zola’s rehab stories. Any and all regret I have had since I sold her or since I found out she was moving to Vermont faded away. Zola aka The Twinkie was being well cared for and not put back out to pasture.
Faith is a funny thing. You never know what will actually happen but in order for something to happen you have to make a step. Yes, I still wish I had the skill to do something great with the camper but I do not. Selling her gave that camper the best chance at a new life. I am so thankful to my former coworker and her husband for picking such a great new owner for my first camper love. And who knows what faith still has in store for us. Soon I will be retired and maybe, just maybe Zola and I will find ourselves on the same adventure together. Weirder things have happened in life!
If you would like to follow Zola’s amazing transformation, you can. Just head over to Facebook and follow her page: Zola The Airstream Argosy Make sure you say hi from us!
Back when we started group camping we were dog owners. We had an aging Boxer that we rescued as a puppy. Back then, I would never have considered myself a dog person even though we had a dog. I think I have always been a cat person. My husband, while he will deny it, is a dog person. It was his idea to rescue Sugar, the Boxer.
When we first started camping, Sugar, was a great camping dog. She was well mannered, tolerant to other dogs in the campground, and friendly to children and other campers. Sugar would alert us when people entered our camping space but often she never even lifted her head to those who strolled by on the road. However, as she aged she became less tolerant, less friendly, and a lot more temperamental. It got to the point that we felt badly taking her camping and eventually took to leaving her home with the dog sitters; aka Nana and Papa.
We said our final good byes to our beloved Sugar in May 2016.
Through our grief, we learned to camp without our dog. Life became easier. No dog sitter needed. No packing dog food or the plethora of other dog needs for a camping trip. Long vacations no longer needed a lengthy pet boarding plan. One less dependent to prepare. Easier.
This is where our story could end. I am not sure it would be a very good story but it could end with us moving forward enjoying the “easy” camping life. Except, I found myself looking at every other dog in the campground. The Short Chic started watching Youtube videos of dogs. She worked her dad hard but at every new play, he remained firm. No. He was enjoying the dog free life.
Then one day last fall on our way home from a family reunion. our story took an unexpected turn. At the family reunion, our relatives were giving away free bird dog puppies. We said no, knowing our lifestyle was not suited for such a breed. The Short Chic, heart broken, cried nearly the entire way home. Less than six miles from home, we stopped at a stoplight. The kids noticed a gathering and a sign in a parking lot just off the side of the road. The sign said “Puppies”. Wayne turned the truck around and we went into further investigate.
I will save you all the begging, pleading, puppy dog eyes (pun intended), negotiating, and even worry that we went through. But, I will tell you we added an adorable Yorki-Poo to our family that day and once again became people who camp with a dog.
Moose has been on three camping trips with us so far. Two of them he was so little, under three months old. He is a little more active, a little bigger, and a lot spunkier than before. He loves to play fetch. He loves to dig. He loves to chew on sticks. But mostly he just loves being with us.
Some stories are just ready to be told and those post just pour out of you. Other stories are very difficult to tell. They invoke so much emotion or have such a depth of self reflection they are harder to write about. I have not been able to put words to Sugar’s passing…ever.
Sugar’s story is so bittersweet. Yes we had to say good bye to her and that hurt so badly that I still tear up thinking about it. But, through our grief we found Moose. Moose brings so much happiness into our lives and we are so smitten with him. For goodness sake, for the first time in my life identify as a dog person.
According to The Short Chic she has two camping trips that are her most favorite camping trips of the year. The first is our Annual Halloween Camping Trip and the second is our Annual Family Camp-Out. We started the Family Camp-Out six years ago in 2012. It started as a desire to introduce our kids to camping. We thought it would be “funner” if we could convince a friend or two who also had kids to join us. To our surprise, that first year we had about 35 campers. That is 35 people who wanted to go camping or introduce camping to their family as well. We have continued to gather every year since then. Some come for the day, some spend a night, while others have graduated up to three nights of camping.
In September 2017 we had our Sixth Annual Family Camp-Out at Smithville Lake. For the past several years we have camped in the same spot and this year, we moved the camp-out to Loop F. Moving to this loop gave us beautiful views of the lake and easy access to the playground, bike trail, and restrooms/showers.
This year we fought with the elements. It was super windy Friday night, which prevented us from showing our outdoor movie. It rained Saturday afternoon, which pushed us all inside our campers and threatened our Glow Party. I know now the maximum kid capacity of our camper, or at least the number that will lead me to uncorking a bottle of wine.
We ended up with an extra spot from a cancellation so we found out how nice it is to have a “party” spot. We also learned that total strangers will pilfer your party spot when they think no one is watching. Thankfully in a large group camp-out someone is always watching.
I personally learned that I am over tie dying t-shirts. I learned that walking taco’s are always a hit and everyone loves a glow party. Okay, maybe I love the glow party the most. Allen learned not to bet money on my Family Camp-Out knowledge or maybe he learned not to place a bet over Friday evening cocktails.
Each year we still entice someone new to try camping. Beth, Ken, and Martin joined us this year. The rain did nothing to woo them over. I do hope they know it has only rained once before. Two rain storms in six years is not bad, huh. Please try again, Beth! Not new to camping but new to the family camp-out was also our college friend, Joy and her family. There are three families who have attended every single camp-out: us, The Todd’s and The Bell family. We affectionately call ourselves the OG’s.
Each year the Glow Party inevitable draws a total stranger to the fun. Meeghan found this out during a game of Simon Says. Some random little girl just joined in the game. I wish everyone could have seen Meeghan’s face when the little girl told her she had no parents there. That same little girl proceeded to cover every inch of her body in glow paint during the glow party. I should make a mental note that I need more glow paint before the 7th Annual Family Camp-Out!
I am happy to say that our friends Jaime and Aaron made a return visit. Neither Dawn or Mary needed urgent care and no one was hospitalized during the camp-out. And I think no one was happier that Nikki was able to make it than Mary!
Plans are already under way for our 7th Annual Family Camp-Out. We are leaving the month of September as I heard so many tell me how busy that month is.
As I reflect back on the six years of our family camp-out and really look at that first year, I realize this was truly the beginning of our love of group camping and our Roaming With Friends.
Roam With Friends 