Roam With Friends

Author: RoamWithFriends

Total Solar Eclipse Camp-Out

As I am sitting at my computer my outside world seems to finally be thawing from the snow and ice we have been encased in for months. This is the winter that just won’t leave! In fact just yesterday it snowed enough to cover the ground in parts of our state. To keep what shred of my winter sanity is left, I am spending time thinking about last year’s camping season.

Some of you may recall this thing that happened last summer. It was a huge thing. A total solar eclipse. Many of you may have experienced it. We sure did. It was visible here in the USA and we found ourselves right smack in the middle of it! I learned of the eclipse early and started making plans. St. Joseph MO was considered to be “Ground Zero” for the eclipse; the area with the largest total darkness view time, where the solar eclipse would happen right at the mid day. St. Joseph is only an hour north of our home.

You may recall that our friends, The Master’s family, spend a lot of time at a private family campground, Camp Katmandu. Located just west of St. Joseph MO near White Cloud Kansas, as a crow flies it is maybe 30 miles west of St. Joseph. So, I reached out to the Master’s family, who had graciously invited us back to visit, and inquired about visiting the weekend of the Eclipse. They happily said yes, and my spirit soared as I realized we would be about as close to ground zero as I wanted to be with little to no crowds!

No one could have guessed how crazy Missouri was about to get over the eclipse. Missouri State Parks along the path actually started making reservations a year out vs their normal six month window. Not only campgrounds but lodging across the state sold out. Business closed for the day. Schools cancelled classes. NASA came for goodness sake.

As the date approached, my perfectly laid plans started to crack. Eventually, I watched them crumble away. The eclipse was on a Monday. Despite school district after district cancelling school, my daughters school was not going to cancel. I was trying to decide if my plans would be cooler than the school plans but the school district kept their plans under lock and key. Like DEFCON 1 lock and key. I am still shocked the school district decided to have class and turn the eclipse into an educational experience. On a side note: my daughter has had perfect attendance in school for the past two years. I dunno why but this is very important to her and there was no way she was going to miss school for an eclipse.

As if battling perfect attendance against a lifetime experience that would last 3 minutes is not bad enough, Wayne decided to go and get a new job this summer. When he negotiated his new start date, guess what date he picked? Yep, August 21. Double Whammy!

Thankfully, Meeghan forged ahead and planned a perfect Pre-Eclipse weekend party at the River.

The weather the weekend prior to the Eclipse was perfect. Hot, sunny, cloudless skies. Uncle Bud treated everyone at Camp Katmandu to a steak dinner Friday night. After dinner we enjoyed a campfire around the hexigon swing and fire pit. It was a nice evening to catch up and say hello to friends.

We spent a weekend watching the river flow and wondering how the fishing was. The men folk even helped clean the daily catch when the fishermen returned. We visited Papa and Grandma Master’s home and played with their farm animals. We enjoyed family meals and good conversation. There was no shortage of chuckles when we shared the Eclipse Milk from a local dairy farm; extra dark cookies and cream milk that was almost black. Beyond that, it was a relaxing weekend, one that allows you to sit back and watch the corn grow.

Our gracious host even offered to let me stay at the river by myself if I wanted to stay and watch the eclipse from there. Worried about the traffic on the way home and making it back by the end of school, I reluctantly passed. I made plans to watch the eclipse at home with my college bestie.

I am thankful we had such a wonderful weather and company during the weekend prior to the eclipse. On the actual day of the eclipse, Ol’ Mother Nature had other plans for us and we fought with rain and dark clouds all day. Triple Whammy! The next total solar eclipse visible in the USA will happen in 2024. I have already put the family on notice.

March 12, 2018
Spring Checklist: Dewinterizing and Restocking Your Camper

The first day of spring is just around the corner. Which means many of us are getting ready to dewinterize our campers and kick off a whole new camping season.

Despite it snowing here in Missouri today, we are heading out for our first camping trip of 2018 next weekend. The first camping trip of the season is just as much work as the last one from the season before. However, instead of winterizing and pulling everything out of the camper, you are re-stocking and getting the camper ready for regular use once again.

Every year, I struggle to remember if we need more AA batteries than AAA batteries or vice versa. To help you think through what you need we made a checklist to help you restock your camper after a long winter nap.

Pre-planning can make or break a weekend camping trip. Using the same tactic, pre-planning can help make your opening camping weekend go super smooth. If you click on the checklist below it will open in a separate browser and allow you to download or print it.

Typical checklist are a work in progress. Do you have something on your checklist that we forgot? Let us know.

See you soon at the campground!

March 11, 2018
Labor Day Weekend at Thousand Hills State Park

As an adult I developed a love/hate relationship with Labor Day Weekend. I loved the long weekend. I loved the extra paid day off from work. I hated that it symbolized the end of summer. I hated the realization that soon the days became shorter and the temperatures would start dropping. I even hated that the pools closed. However, as a camper, I don’t so much hate Labor Day Weekend any longer. Many of our favorite camping trips occur in the fall. So, instead of seeing it as the end of summer, I see it as a transition from summer camping to fall camping.

We selected to spend Labor Day at Thousand Hills State Park in Kirksville MO. This was a new state park for us, it was within the 3 hour radius limit we set, and there is a lake to play in. Our friends Mike and Marnie were already booked to be there and they offered no loud objection to the Master’s and Taylor’s joining them.

GETTING THERE

We left Kansas City late, late afternoon with plans to stop along the way to eat dinner. Wayne took a new job and his early release Friday’s went away so we had to wait for him to fight traffic to get home. The restaurant we selected was in Hamilton MO and while it had ample parking for the trucks and campers all their wait staff had returned to college leaving the small restaurant running very slowly. The slow service allowed the Taylor’s to meet up with the Master’s for the remainder of the journey.

As we approached Kirksville, our GPS directed us in. We found ourselves on a dark, gravel road. The map app showed we were by the lake but we were no where near the campground. The map showed us that we were on the backside of a giant loop road and that we should theoretically be able to follow it around and find the campground. After many jokes about Keith Morris narrating our final trip, we contacted Mike and he lead us to the campground. Ironically, his GPS did the same thing to him the day before only he was not driving down the gravel road at night. This is the second Missouri State Park that we know of where the GPS is not connected to the state park.

We arrived at dusk. By the time we filled up with water, we found ourselves backing into a shared site at night. Backing up and parking by flashlight is no joke. Getting in your camper after you have traveled down a bumpy gravel road to find that you have lost all power to your first slide, is also no joke. Unfortunately, we experienced both.

SHARED SITES

We booked site 39, which is a family site. This was our second experience with a family site and the Master’s first. The site is wider than a regular site (in fact it is double the width of a regular site because it is virtually two put together). A family site comes with two of everything; two electrical boxes and two picnic tables and a much larger side yard. Family sites may work great for tent campers or even smaller units but they are pretty tight when you have two 32 foot campers with a combined total of five slides.

Thousand Hills State Park

There are two campgrounds at Thousand Hills State Park. We were in campground 1 but we did visit campground 2. I think there are decent spots at both. Campground 2 appeared to be the smaller of the two.

Ironically, we found the entire park unsupervised. When we arrived there was no campground host Thankfully we brought our own firewood because there was no one to purchase any from the entire weekend. There was no one working the office. Sometime on Sunday a brand new campground host arrived. And when I say brand new I mean she had never been a host before, so we had to walk her through signing our camper award.

Park Activities

Thousand Hills State Park is one of two state parks with petroglyphs or Native American rock carvings still visible in the park. The petroglyphs are inside the Interpretative Center just off of the swimming beach. We had a great time stretching our imagination to see the carvings, and then to decide what they meant. It was sad to see so much graffiti. People had carved their initials over the carvings. I would like to think that is the reason for the interpretive center was built but given it was completely unsupervised I am not sure.

We encountered a lot of people hiking at Thousand Hills. From short .6 mile hikes to long 10 mile hikes, from day trips to overnight trips there seems to be a trail for everyone. We hiked portions of the underdeveloped Forest Lake Trail.

If hiking is not your thing, or it is your thing and you feel the need to cool off after a hike, you can head to the swimming beach. The kids enjoyed the beach. We enjoyed the beach. Until that moment when the unsupervised child starts throwing rocks at your kids. And while the unsupervised child’s parents never see him throwing the rocks at your kids they sure see you asking him to stop throwing the rocks and they get all mad at you for addressing their child. Swim at your own risk.

The marina rents boats. We rented a TriToon boat for an entire afternoon. We had looked forward to spending our time anchored up in a cove but we learned that you are only allowed to anchor at designated swimming docks. There are four docks total on the lake and they were all busy as we approached. It felt very intrusive to join an group but we finally found a group who welcomed us to the dock and we anchored up. We spent the afternoon swimming, tubing, and just generally enjoying the lake. For a holiday weekend, the lake was really empty. We were able to do loops on the tube in the main channel with no worries of other boaters.

I should note that on this trip I faced one of my fears. I have an absolute phobia of putting my face in water. I know it is ridiculous but it real to me. Panic attack real. Watching the kids and everyone have such a fun time, I decided to give it a go. I think it is so important for me to keep trying to tackle this phobia. I think it is so important to me for my daughter see me keep trying. I got on that tube. I got splashed in the face. And I had a great time. Meeghan and I shared the last adult beverage as a celebration of my accomplishment!

We enjoyed spending time animal watching. Wild turkeys and deer visited our campground and camp sites. Mike and I got up early and drove around the grand loop oohing over dozens of deer all over the place. Friday and early Saturday we were able to watch helicopters trim the trees from the power lines. The deer loved the fresh cut tree limbs. Have you ever seen a helicopter trim trees from power lines? Pretty amazing!

Of course, we also just enjoyed activities at our campsite. Meeghan made giant bubble wands and we threw together a solution for making large bubbles. The kids practiced and practiced to make giant bubbles. They also got a kick out of painting rocks and watching outdoor movies, from eating home made funnel cakes, and just from hanging out with friends.

On our last morning at the park, we attended a ranger lead program called Hug A Herp. What is a herp? We learned all about herptiles. There were even live examples. We noticed the day was foggy and the park ranger was the first to tell us how the fires in Canada were impacting our skies. I am not gonna lie to you all, we thought maybe the park ranger was a little off. She ended up being right on.

We saw a lot of new types of snakes. Including a pug nosed snake. Mid morning we packed up and headed home. Our ride home was way less eventful than the ride there. After this trip, we had to put Betty in the shop to fix her lack of electricity to the slide.

So, we bid summer farewell. It is not a time for sadness because we have the fall and I am pretty sure fall camping is my favorite. So long summer; see ya next time around!

February 27, 2018
Camping With Those Who Inspired Me To Camp

I did not grow up camping. My first ever camping trip came when I was 19 years old. I was visiting my Uncle Ralph and Aunt Barbara in Southern California. They took this little girl from the Midwest to Pismo Beach. My Uncle and my cousins loved to ride toys in the sand and Pismo was one of their favorite places to camp. Not only did my Aunt and Uncle expose me to RV camping (they taught me how to take a RV Shower) they also exposed me to group camping. I don’t recall exactly how many people were that weekend but it was a decent gathering. I will always remember those RV’s circled in the sand with the waves breaking beyond us and the sound of ATV’s and dune buggies playing in the sand.

I found these two photos of my first camping trip. Circa 1990. My task was to dig a hole for the fire that night. My experience driving ATV’s, dirt bikes, dune buggies is minimal. My Uncle let me take an ATV out on the dunes. I pretty much killed it as soon as I was out of sight and spent the next 1/2 hour trying to get it started again. But, hey, I can say I have camped and rode at Pismo Beach. I found the photo below online. I think it does a better job of showing Pismo Beach than my old really out of focus photo.

This past summer my Aunt and Uncle drove their Class A back to the Midwest for a visit. They were staying at Crowder State Park outside of Trenton, Missouri and Wayne and I decided to go up and spend the weekend with them on a family site. Last minute we also invited two very dear friends to join us in the camper as The Short Chic decided not to camp with us.

Our camper, Betty, had been in the shop for some minor fixes. We picked her up from the dealer and immediately headed north, Crowder is approximately 1 1/2 hours from Kansas City. When Uncle Ralph and Aunt Barbara come “home” it is common that family members will gather just so everyone can spend as much time with them as possible. By the time we arrived there was a small gathering of family members to help walk us through the tightest parking job we have ever done. We were in a shared site with a tree on the left side that posed a serious challenge. Thankfully Uncle Ralph and Cousin Dennis have immense experience backing up and they were able to direct us. Before we knew it we were successfully parked in a shared site. (Side Note: Neither of them were around when it came time to leave the site. Wayne and I navigated our way around that tree by ourselves without a major spat!)

The evening was warm, not hot as it commonly is in Missouri in July. Before dinner was served we had a dozen extended family members in the campsite and we were having a some what pot luck dinner. BLT sandwiches with fresh tomatoes, hamburgers, hot dogs, baked beans, deviled eggs, pea salad, lemon bars and fresh chilled watermelon. I am sure my family is like yours, we may not see each other for long periods of time but once we are together the conversation flows so easy. It’s like we were never apart.

After dinner I went to do dishes, when I noticed that the water would not drain. The drain was super slow and felt clogged. Later, in the bathroom, I found the bathtub was full of water. The water from the sink had backed up in the bathtub. GROSS!!!

Sometime the next morning we realized our grey tanks were full! Remember, we had just gotten Betty back from the dealer where she was being fixed for several small things; one of them a water leak. I guess the dealer ran so much water looking for the leak that they filled the tank. We had no idea! I am not sure why they did not drain it after they fixed it but they did not. Our grey tank normally holds 30 gallons of water and using our external tank we hauled 43 gallons to the dump station! So, here is an RV lesson from Uncle Ralph to you: when your sink won’t drain first look at your tanks.

Long after the campground host went to bed we decided to have a campfire. Thankfully the campground host did not mind selling us firewood late at night. Unfortunately, the campfire was interrupted by the tent campers next to us. We were apparently keeping them up as we sat around the campfire talking. The layout of the family site to be odd. There was a picnic table behind our RV’s and one to the right of Uncle Ralph and Aunt Barbara’s. The picnic table behind us was right next to their electric box which meant their tent was so very very close to our campfire. By the end of the weekend, we could feel their frustration as their rolling eyes did not go unnoticed.

Saturday morning, as we were leisurely enjoying a cup of coffee, my dear Aunt Deloris showed up with a pan of homemade cinnamon rolls. I am not sure where she found the time to whip those up but they were so yummy I am glad she did! After breakfast, everyone seemed to scatter to do their own thing. We opted to visit the small community of Jamesport MO with Cousin Dennis. Jamesport has a strong Amish community and I love shopping there. We had lunch at our favorite restaurant, The Country Cupboard and went back to the campground for afternoon nap. Well, I napped. Wayne and Cousin Dennis threw some fishing line into the lake at the state park.

Saturday evening brought even more relatives to the campground. We had another nine relatives stopping by to enjoy the campfire (which we started way earlier than the night before)! We had found some Mystical Fire powder that made our campfire turn colors and we enjoyed sitting around watching the fire and telling family stories.

It was a great weekend spent with family and dear friends. It was the first time Wayne and I went camping without children and the second time we had camper guest outside of our immediate family. We learned weather we are group camping with friends or group camping with family, we are the happiest of campers when we are sharing our downtime with others. On a final note, being able to go camping as an adult with the two people I hold responsible for my love of camping was priceless.

Thank you Aunt Ralph and Uncle Barb for spending such awesome time with us while you were back in the Midwest. But most importantly, thank you for cultivating this crazy love for RV’ing and camping in me!

February 12, 2018
Campground Review: Big Lake State Park

Big Lake State Park,

Craig, MO

Dates of Stay: August 10-13, 2018

Sites: 48, 44, 33, 34, 35

Campers believe that camping is magical. Noncampers might disagree; but we aren’t really hanging out with noncampers so their opinions do not really matter to us. What makes camping to a camper so magical? I don’t really know the formula. I would suggest it differs from one person to the next. Maybe it differs from one camping trip to the next. I think the magical formula has to do with the company, the setting, the activities, or maybe even the weather. While I can’t pinpoint what exactly makes a camping trip magical, I can recognize a magical trip. It is one you walk away from with a big smile on your face. It is one that reaffirms your love for camping.

The weekend we spent at Big Lake State Park last August was one of the most magical camping trips. I think each of us walked away feeling like we had just had one of our favorite camping trips of the year. Even now, in the dead cold of winter, my heart is warm just thinking about our time there. I am going to try and breakdown the component of this magical weekend.

The Company:

Meeghan organized this camping trip in order to bring back together a trio of friends. Several years ago, one of our really good friends (Jen and Glen) moved to the East Coast. Jen and Glen send their children back to the Midwest for a month each summer to stay connected to extended family. Meeghan came up with an idea to camp with the extended family when they had the kids so we all could reconnect; especially giving our children the opportunity to spend time together. Unbeknownst to us Jen and Glen had to make a unexpected trip back to the Midwest and they were able to surprise their children and us with a face to face visit!

In addition to the three families, we also had a few others decide to join us. In the end we had five families with around 23 people camping at Big Lake State Park.

The Short Chic and I got the last second chance to go up to Big Lake a day early. We enjoyed a mommy/daughter evening in the camper and enjoyed waking up leisurely at the campground. The Short Chic made new friends while I worked from home that Friday morning. It was not until after lunch that I realized Jen and Glen’s extended family arrived a day early like us. Any time you can get an extra day at the campground is a good day. Spending the afternoon with friends is a great day!

The Setting:

Big Lake State Park is in the far northwest corner of the state of Missouri near the Nebraska/Iowa/Kansas border. It is 87 miles north of our home in Kansas City and took us under one hour and thirty minutes to arrive.

Big Lake is the largest remaining oxbow lake in the state of Missouri. An oxbow lake is one that is created when a river ebbs and flows and cuts itself off and fills in with water. It is suspected that Big Lake was formed in the 1800’s and was documented in the Lewis and Clark expedition. Recently the park was closed from 2011 to 2014 as Big Lake State Park was closed due to flooding.

There are only 76 camping sites at Big Lake, making it a fairly small park. The sites closest to the lake are basic and the rest is electric sites only. The loops are narrow. The weekend we were there it seemed as if there were a lot of group campers enjoying the weekend. This is a campground that would be perfect if you have campers and noncampers as Big Lake also has eight sleep cabins available for rent.

There are showers on both ends of the campground. Most of the bathrooms are shower/bathroom combinations and then they have a few single stall bathrooms. All weekend it felt there was a line to use the bathrooms, so i think unfortunately, they might have missed the mark on the number of bathrooms needed.

There are two playgrounds at the state park; one near the campground and one near the swimming pool.

The Activities:

The lake is the biggest draw at Big Lake State Park. The park rents canoes and kayak’s at a rate of $20 a day which makes it easy to for visitors to get out and enjoy the water. Of course, you can also bring your own water toys to play with.

There are areas to swim in the lake but if lake swimming is not your thing, there is also a public swimming pool at Big Lake State Park.

Bird watching is a nice thing to do at this park. We have spotted our share of Bald Eagles.

Big Lake also has a beautiful night sky. During the weekend we camped here there was a meteorite shower occurring. Of course, we did not know anything about the shower until our campground neighbors so rudely asked us to shut off our outside lights so they could watch the meteorite shower. Funny, we sat out under that dark sky and saw numerous meteorites that night and I am not sure our neighbors saw any.

Hiking is a standard activity we enjoy participating in at state parks. However, there is no hiking at Big Lake State Park. In the place of hiking, bicycling became an important part of this weekend. Specifically, an epic bike race between Meeghan and Jeremy. Through the course of the summer, Meeghan had been riding on an old green Huffy she picked up for $30 at an auction. Way back in May on our first bike ride of the summer, Wayne aired up Meeghan’s nearly flat tires. However, we soon found out that fully aired, the tires rubbed against the bike frame. The gears would not shift so her 21 speed was limited to pretty much two gears: peddling or not peddling. We all knew Meeghan needed a new bike. But Jeremy was less than convinced. So he struck a deal with Meeghan, a head on head bike ride and if Meeghan could beat Jeremy then a new bike she could have. Jeremy would take the green Huffy and Meeghan borrowed my bike.

Meeghan and Jeremy took off on a three mile race. We all gathered to watch the dramatic conclusion. I will say, the race was much tighter than I expected it to be. I know Jeremy pretty well and he was not going down without a fight. But, I also know my bike and just felt like even with a novice on it, my bike alone should have smoked that green Huffy. In front of all his family and friends, we watched Jeremy fall to Meeghan in the home stretch of the race.

Other activities we participated in while we were there include: the playground, an outdoor movie, and a giant water balloon fight.

The Weather:

August in Missouri should be melt your face off hot. It is not uncommon to experience triple digit temperatures. However; we had some of best weather of the summer. Sure it was super warm during the day but a cool dip in the lake and then the pool took that edge off. The evenings cooled off and were perfect for sitting around a campfire or watching an outdoor movie.

I hope for a second you get a glimpse of how magical this weekend was for us. We left there planning to make it a yearly experience. Want to see more of Big Lake? Check out our short video.

February 9, 2018
RV Essentials for the New RV Owner

In August 2017 we watched Houston Texas flood. Two dear friends of ours found themselves right in the middle of the flooding. Both of them lost their homes. Both are living out of RV’s while they rebuild their lives. One of our friends already had an RV but our friends and former neighbors, Amanda and Jacob, did not own an RV. They started the difficult task of finding an RV that would meet their immediate need, a place to sleep, eat, and live for the next several months that could also transition to meet their recreational needs later. They ended up buying their first travel trailer.

As if purchasing a camper was not overwhelming, Amanda reached out after they got it home. She was finding the next step, outfitting the camper, to be just as overwhelming. She suggested we develop a list of what we would recommend a newbie needed in order to get started.

So, I set about asking that question to my friends. Here is what we came up with.

OUTSIDE OF THE CAMPER:

Water Hoses: We find it is best to have 2 sets of good water hoses that are at least 25 feet long. If you are really safe you will have one for potable water and one that you use to clean the black tank.

Side note: when we are camping at locations that do not have water, we will connect all of our water hoses together and fill up mid camping trip. When selecting our sites being close to water is important to us.

Sewer Hose: Typically one will come with your camper but we found it is short and flimsy and you will want a longer one. We use and like the Camco RhinoFLEX. Ours is only 10-15 feet but they come longer. Depending on where your tanks are you may want to have a longer one. Make sure whatever sewer system you purchase has threading on it so that you can screw the fitting into the sewer. We have been to two different campgrounds that required this.

In addition to the Camco RhinoFLEX hose, we recommend ordering the RhinoFLEX Clear 45 degree RV Sewer Hose Swivel Fitting. It may not be a necessity but being able to see when the water runs clear is helpful. The clear plastic portion of this fitting helps with that.

Latex Gloves. To glove or not to glove is a question of personal preference. We are glove people. No one wants to touch/handle sewer equipment without it.

Levelers. Once you get that new camper to the campground you are gonna need to level it. We love Anderson Leveling System because they are so easy to use. They look like a giant curved ramp that you just place under the tires and back onto them.

General Tool Box: Everyone needs tools and campers are no exception. Screwdrivers, Wrench Sets, zip ties, a level, and even an impact driver can help you put those stabilizer jacks down quickly.

Weight Distribution Hitch: A weight distribution hitch will help distribute the weight from the ball hitch back toward the axles of the tow vehicle and the trailer. Allen highly recommends the Anderson No Sway or the Blue Ox. We have an Equalizer and it works just fine but it just does make a lot of noise. Side note: that is how you know it is working. We just affectionately call ours the Squeekalizer. We actually purchased ours from the dealer when we bought our camper. Allen has purchased his as an after market purchase.

Tote for Black and Grey Water: Depending on how you camp you may find yourself needing to empty the black and grey tanks before the end of the camping trip. A portable tote has wheels so you can haul the black or grey water to the dumping station without moving your camper. Barker, Thetford, or Tote and Store are all good brands.

Holding Tank Enzymes: There are several products on the market to help you care for your black tank. There are pods you can put down the black tank or enzymes that help eat the bacteria. Besides keeping the smell down you want to keep build up off the sensors. If the sensors get dirty they will tell you the tank is full before it actually is. We also recommend any 1 ply toilet paper. You do not need specific RV toilet paper.

UPDATE: I wanted to mention that we use a concoction of water softener, laundry soap and water to help keep our black tank clean. We put one cap of each down the black tank with a gallon of water and we leave it as we drive around. The sloshing around helps clean our black tank. We do find that the cleaner the black tank is, the less the smell coming from it.

Ground Mats. You can find these at a local Wal Mart store. They are large woven polyproplyne material that stand up well to rain, sun, and even lots of little feet. The first weekend I got my mat, it rained a storm and it was solid mud by the end of the weekend. We drug it over to the water facet and rinsed all that mud away. It looked brand new once again. You absolutely may be able to start camping without a ground mat but soon you will add it to your wish list.

INSIDE THE CAMPER:

Suggestions for the inside of the camper get difficult. It is such a personal preference. Do you use paper plates or do you eat off dishes. Do you put sleeping bags on the beds or do you outfit with sheets and comforter. I can only offer ideas on needs. How you meet those needs is really up to you.

Bedding: I personally have made my camper beds as comfortable as I can. We have upgraded mattresses. I have found high thread count sheets. I want my “vacation” bed to be as comfy as my home bed. Others may relegate old bedding to the camper. Others may throw the sleeping bags on the beds and call it good. What I can tell ya is you need bedding. I will say this, if I had unlimited funds I would be purchasing Beddy’s for my bedding. I would really do it for those pesky bunk beds that are so difficult to make.

Eating/Cooking/Serving: How you camp will help you determine what you need. Paper plates, plastic forks, melamine dishes, plastic glasses, faux Yeti’s (or even Yeti’s), flatware, pitchers, ect. The list of things you could use is unlimited. So take a moment before you buy to examine the type of camper you are. Then make your selections. General advice I have here; IKEA is a great place to outfit your camper (assuming you have one close to you). They have folding pans. Small utensils. Look for nesting bowls, collapsible bowls, strainers, even measuring cups.

Towels: Bathing, swimming, kitchen hand towels are all necessities. You may chose to use older towels from home or you may choose to have designated camper towels. We love IKEA bath towels for the camper because the come with a built in loop for putting them on a hook. Don’t have hooks in your bathroom, then I would say you need to get some 3M hooks.

Picnic Tablecloth: Picnic Tables at campgrounds kinda gross me out. Animals get on them. People sit on them. You just never know, so I combat that with a solid tablecloth. Besides a pretty tablecloth on a picnic table in the outdoors just sends a message that you are there and you are getting comfortable. It makes me smile. And it puts a layer between me and whatever has been on that table before me.

If you are really interested you can find three piece picnic table covering. These provide a tablecloth with elastic to hold it down and they also come with bench overs.

Dustpan and Brush: With all the ins and outs going on, it is a given that your camper will track in dirt. I use a small brush and dustpan all the time to battle the dirt. A hand held vacuum might also be a good idea. I know every year when we go on our extended vacation, I put the Dyson in the camper.

Nightlights: If you camp with small children or you yourself get up in the middle of the night, it maybe important for you to have a nightlight. I use a battery operated candle. It provides just the right amount of light.

Shower Caddy: This is another personal preference. Will you be showering at the campground showers or only in your camper? If you think you will be using the campground showers, a caddy will be a must to carry your things to and from. I recommend something you can get wet that drains easily.

Silverware Caddy: Again, do you plan to eat out at the picnic table frequently? Having a caddy outside to keep plastic wear in is handy. You can also put napkins or salt and pepper shakers to keep the wind from blowing them around.

I created a wish list for RV Essentials on Amazon so you could see photos of the things I am describing here. Take a look.

I am sure there are so many other things you will add to your wish list for the camper (flashlights, x-chock wheel stabilizers, decorative pillows, ect). As far as this list goes, I am sure there are things I have forgotten. That is another benefit to group camping, someone will remind me!

What item do you think you can’t live without that you would recommend to a newbie?

January 19, 2018
The Adventures of Betty, Roxie, and The Rockwood: Spearfish Canyon

Social Trails. Ever heard of them? They are not formal trails but they are paths that have been made from visitors who learned about them mostly from word of mouth. On our That’s WY vacation, I was first told about social trails from a park ranger as I was trying to find a way of seeing Midway Geyser Basin from a higher elevation. The Park Ranger told me that there were no approved paths but only social trails. He explained that all the social trails leading to where I wanted to go were not safe and that the entire area in Yellowstone had been closed off due to serious injury and even death on the social trail that I was inquiring about.

Social trails often lead us to hidden gems. Hidden gems can be an out of the way. Not well publicized and generally something only locals know about. Not something you will find in a tour guide or on a map. We all want to find that hidden gem, but we all don’t always have the resources to do so.

Love it or hate it but social media has changed the game when it comes to hidden gems. Once discovered by word of mouth or from introduction by a person in the know to a newbie, these tucked away secret places are no longer secret. The wide spread use of social media has transformed these hidden gems to trending hot spots. People experience a hidden gem and then post about it and disclose the location. Those post are seen and shared with the hundreds of friends who share it with their hundreds of friends and soon hidden gems are no longer really hidden.

Heading into the Black Hills, Meeghan learned through social media about a few social trails in Spearfish Canyon that would lead us to some hidden gems. The warning was clear, these hidden gems butted right up next to private property and home owners had little to no patience with the public out hiking to find the once hidden now public site.

Wanting an adventure, we set out from Rafter J Bar Ranch and made our way north one hour and thirty minutes on Highway 385 North pass Deadwood to Spearfish Canyon. We had no real address, just a general direction as we set about to find a gem called The Devil’s Bathtub. (Side note: why is the Devil in the name of so many cool places?)

We drove up Highway 385 North from Hill City. The drive to Deadwood was beautiful. We passed Pactola Reservior and nearly pulled over for the day! The water was so blue and inviting. Thankfully, the pull of Spearfish Canyon kept up heading north. Although it was only the beginning of June, Deadwood was already full of bikers. This area is a mecca to the two wheeled community all summer long, so if you are visiting here, watch out for them.

Just south of Deadwood we got off Highway 385 and took Highway 85 North to I90. We passed another RV park that blew our socks off, so you if you are looking for a place to stay a little further north, closer to Deadwood, Sturgis, or Spearfish Canyon, look at Elkhorn Ridge RV Park. We took I90 West a few miles and found ourselves at Highway 14A, Spearfish Canyon Scenic Byway.

Looking up you see tall pine trees and exposed granite rock. Spearfish Creek runs through the bottom of the canyon. We found our first water fall, Bridal Veil Falls, We were a little nervous that we would overlook the area we were searching for so while we had service we were able to pull up a map and found a road called Cleopatra Place. We knew that Devil’s Bathtub was off this road.

Parking was very limited and on the day we were there to visit, so many people were playing in Spearfish Creek that most of the available sites were taken. “Private Property” signs were everywhere we looked so we knew we had to be careful in selecting a parking site.

After a picnic lunch and refilling our water containers, we set off hiking a social trail. There was no map. We followed the trail that crossed and double crossed Squaw Creek up from the floor of the canyon.

The trail wanders. It is visible in parts and in other parts you make your own trail. It is dry and it is wet. When it is wet, you will find that the water is very cold. At first it feels nice and refreshing considering how hot it is but after extended periods of times in the water, you realize your feet are numb. It is flat and it is rocky. We climbed so many rocks! We were hiking with a wide range of ages (7 to 47) and we all made it. There is shade and there is full sun.

Sometimes walking in the water is the easiest path. You really can’t make it to Devi’s Bathtub without getting your feet wet. We joked this was a smaller, less glamorous version of The Narrows. This is not a joke: wet rocks are slippery. Ask Meeghan, she went under. Completely under. While holding her Canon. The Canon is fine. But Meeghan got wet.

Squaw Creek pools. I think there are three or four pools. One of those pools is Devil’s Bathtub. Being newbies, we overshot it and hiked way out of our way. We hiked so far that we no longer had a clear path to follow. So we doubled back and and we finally found the “right” pool.

The water is deep at Devil’s Pool and it is powerful. We were happy to see a bunch of other hikers hanging around to catch everyone as they came down the natural slide. I have a “thing” with water: we like each other in social circles but we don’t really want to get too familiar with each other. I tried to convince myself during the entire hike in that I was okay to go down the slide. I do believe if that water had been 10 degrees warmer I might have done it. But in the end, I stood by and watched. For those keeping score: Pam’s fear of water: 10,000 Pam overcoming fear of water 23.

The Boy quickly went down and then took all the littles down. He was having a hayday until he scrapped a rock and came up with a few nasty roadrash marks. Then he was done. Thankfully the dads decided they wanted to go and they each took a little down.

The hike in took longer than we expected. The hike out was quick and easy. We had planned to hit up a few more “quiet” areas in Spearfish Canyon but time just got away from us and we found ourselves rushing to get back to Rafter J Bar Ranch for dinner.

We left with mixed emotions, excited at the hike we had found and yet a little sad we had to leave. I can safely say this was the perfect ending to our time in the Black Hills and maybe a favorite of the whole trip. If you are looking for a scenic drive, take Highway 14A through Spearfish Canyon. If you are looking for a moderately difficult hike and like water features, then Devil’s Bathtub Hike is for you.

I put together a video of our time at Devil’s Bathtub. The video takes you from the bathtub to our vehicles. If you are interested in seeing this social trail/hidden gem take a peak.

January 16, 2018
The Adventures of Betty, Roxie, and The Rockwood: Needles Highway and Wind Cave National Park

A good book. I always put a good book on my list of things to take on a vacation. Love it or hate my kindle app has made that so easy and lightweight! I can carry around a few hundred books and take up no more space or add any extra weight. When we left town to head on our That’s WY vacation, I was in the middle of reading Dear Bob and Sue.

A good book can help you pass the time on a long road trip. A good book can transport you to a new place. A good book can teach you something. I am reading Dear Bob and Sue, a book about a couple who visit all 59 US National Parks, I learned there were national parks in South Dakota that I did not even realize. I stopped reading and started studying my map quickly making plans for a day visit while we were in the Black Hills. All because of a good book.

Needles Highway and Custer State Park

We left Rafter J Bar Ranch and drove Highway 16 to Highway 87. Highway 87 is also known as Needles Highway because of the needle-like granite rocks that pierce the sky. The road is very scenic; besides the granite rocks, you will drive past Sylvan Lake, tall pine trees, and through many tight rock tunnels.

Before driving Needles Highway, I had watched many YouTube videos of tourist driving through the Eye of the Needle Tunnel. I knew it was going to be tight, or look like a squeeze, but I knew our truck would make it. I still can’t believe that Wayne let our son, The Boy drive through the Eye of the Needle. Wayne did walk in front of the truck and “directed” The Boy through the entire tunnel! I think we would have been fine, but Wayne made him pull the rear view mirrors in.

I offered to turn around and do it again so Wayne could also drive through it. No one liked that idea but me. Needles Highway is approximately 14 miles long but we took Highway 87 south to Wind Cave National Park, which is just south of the Wildlife Loop in Custer State Park.

Wind Cave National Park

One of the many things the Todd’s and Taylor’s have in common is a fascination with cave exploration. So traveling the thirty miles (that took an hour) from our base was pretty much a no brainer. Our goal upon arrival was just to get a tour booked. There are three tours scheduled on a regular basis; the Garden of Eden Tour, The Natural Entrance Tour, and the Fairgrounds Tour. The price range to go on a tour is between $10-12 per person (children are half the price as adults). We booked ourselves for the Fairgrounds Tour which is the longest most strenuous tour offered.

As we were waiting for our tour I noticed a small warning sign that asked visitors who were wearing shoes that had been in another cave to let a park ranger know. Well, I live in my Keens. They are my hiking shoes of choice and I was pretty sure that I had worn them when we visited Onondaga State Park Memorial Day Weekend 2016. So, I did the “right” thing and told a park ranger. As a result, I was treated to a private decontamination process by a park ranger. I was not put out or offended that my shoes needed decontaimination. Caves are fragile systems and I don’t want to be responsible for injury to that system.

Wind Cave is a very large cave that is mostly dry. It is believed to have been an ocean a very long time ago. In fact we were able to see evidence of seashell on the roof of the cave. Those shell fish died and sank to the bottom of the ocean where they get all crunched up from the waves. They filtered down in between the cracks of the limestone floor of the ocean. When the ocean went away, and the cave filled with water full of sulfuric or sulfurous acid begins creating the cave by eating away the limestone. But what it can’t eat through is the remains of the shellfish. Hence the boxwork.

The kids enjoyed learning about Alvin McDonald who was one of the early explorers of Wind Cave. The Park Ranger’s told us how he would explore the cave by candlelight and mapped out the cave. We learned that the letters on the ceiling of the were actually made by Alvin McDonald but using a secret code.

Unfortunately during our tour one of the guest got injured and it was rushed a bit. We did not mind, we used our Every Child in A Park pass to get in free and we had a lot of exploring to do before in the area in a short time. After our tour and before we left we did go and see the original cave entrance. The wind in the cave is constantly changing due to barometric pressure. It is either blowing out of the cave or being sucked in. Early explorers often lose their hats at the original entrance.

The day of our visit the wind was blowing out. And my goodness it was strong. Standing in front of that opening was the coolest place outside of the cave.

There are other above ground activities at Wind Cave. We did not partake in any of them. After a day of exploring rock formations, we headed back to Rafter J Bar Ranch for an afternoon of swimming and relaxing. We choose not to drive back through Custer State Park and take Iron Mountain Road. Instead we took Highway 385 and arrived back at base in a shorter period of time.

If a person was inclined to, Jewell Cave National Monument is only 33 miles from Wind Cave. Jewell Cave is the third longest cave in the world with almost 200 miles of mapped pathways. Advance tickets can be purchased to both Wind Cave and Jewell Cave.

And don’t forget to complete your Junior Ranger program. Our girls loved getting sworn in by the ranger who lead our tour.

We hope you have a great time in The Black Hills. What are your favorite activities?

Happy Exploring!

January 11, 2018
2017 Another Year of Camping in Review

We have turned the page on yet another camping season. 2017 turned out to be a great year for us and our favorite pastime. We were able to camp from April to November. Before we get too far into the next chapter, I thought we would spend some time reflecting on 2017. So I asked my camping buddies a few simple questions. I asked my own family a few simple questions. And here is what everyone had to say!

The Taylor Family

Spent 50 nights in the camper

14 different camping trips

18 different campgrounds

2 City/County Parks

7 State Parks (3 new ones and 4 return visits)

1 National Park (although we visited six National Parks)

8 Private Campgrounds

We had so many favorite camping moments this year. The Beaver Ponds Hike in Yellowstone National Park tops our list. We may have not seen a single beaver but we did run into a momma bear and two cubs. My son loved every wildlife experience that he would not pick just one as his favorite. The Short Chic had so much fun in Branson over Thanksgiving that she named it as one of her favorites. Wayne and I loved boating on a nearly empty Forest Lake at Thousand Hill State Park over Labor Day as much as I loved taking home first place for the scariest Halloween campsite at Watkins Mill State Park in October. However, my absolute favorite memory of 2017 is the time my family spent driving to and from camping locations. I loved it so much that I actually made a short video so I can remember these moments forever!

https://youtu.be/pBRXnepaIEk

We had a many moments that were memorable but a few made our the list of least favorite moments. We almost flooded our camper in Cody Wyoming by leaving the water on while flushing the black tank. That moment when we opened the door to the camper not knowing what we would find will haunt us for a very long time. We also found ourselves on the bad side of a shared site over Father’s Day weekend. We spent the entire weekend staring at the backside of a strangers camper parked some 8 feet from our front door. The Boy will not forgot an unfortunate encounter with a kraken. Before you ask, yes we know krakens are mythological creatures.

We each had a favorite camping location/trip.

The Short Chic: Treetop Adventures, Branson, MO

The Boy: Monster Lake, in Cody, Wyoming

Wayne: Fishing Bridge in Yellowstone National Park

Me (Pamela): Watkins Mill State Park and our annual Halloween Camping trip.

As a family we have set some new goals for the 2018 season. We would like to hike more. Wayne wants to fish more. I just want to spend another 50 nights in the camper. We do have one “new” thing to look forward to in 2018: camping with a dog!

The Todd Family

Spent at least 35 nights in their camper

12 different camping excursions

6 Private Campgrounds

6 Public Campgrounds

Favorite camping moments the Todd family listed were: Yellowstone National Park and Mount Rushmore. Angie stated they have always dreamed of going to these locations but they are happy to say that they were more than she expected them to be. Allen reported his favorite camping moment of 2017 was the couples trip he and Angie took to Old Highway 86 in Branson, MO. They spent the week relaxing, antiquing, wine tasting, and they even made an appearance at Silver Dollar City. Z’s favorite camping trip of the year was Yellowstone. At her core, Z might be destined to be a full time RV’er. She loves longer trips and can’t wait for the next one.

Angie could not think of any moments that she would call her least favorites. We are thankful for that, because in years past we have had a lot of crazy moments; finding a mess of seed ticks while hiking, losing power in the middle of the night, calling in on-sight service for a hot water heater problem that just needed a switch flipped. But this year, nothing came to mind.

The Todd family is looking forward to exploring new places in 2018, Perhaps they will be exploring in a new fifth wheel camper?

The Masters Family

Spent 40 nights in their camper

They stayed in 12 different campgrounds this year

The Masters family reports they had an amazing camping season, in fact so many great moments it was really hard to identify their favorite moments. In the end their youngest selected Yellowstone National Park as his favorite overall moment. Their daughter put our Halloween camping trip as her high moment. Meeghan said our Big Lake trip as well as the Mother’s Day, Father’s Day and Yellowstone.

With such an amazing camping season, was it possible for the Masters to select a least favorite moment? Meeghan stated if she had to pick something it would be shared sites. We have not blogged about this yet but this was a summer that we tried shared RV sites. I won’t say too much but knowing Meeghan put it on her least favorite moment list says enough.

Jeremy had his own least favorite moment. This entire camping season our camping group has been teasing Meeghan that she needed a new bike. Meeghan got an old green Huffy from an auction. She had to ride it with the tires nearly flat because it rubbed against the frame if fully inflated. Despite having several speeds, it was stuck in one gear. It was old and heavy. At the Big Lake camping trip, Jeremy bet Meeghan he could beat her in a bike race. He would take the Huffy and she would ride a borrowed bike. If he won, there would be no more talk of getting a new bike. If she won, he would buy her a new bike. Jeremy’s least favorite camping moment was losing to his wife in a three mile bike race witnessed by twenty or so of their closest friends. Maybe bike riding on a new bike will make Meeghan’s favorite list in 2018?

The Masters had three favorite campgrounds this year. They loved Rafter J Bar Ranch in Hill City, South Dakota. They also loved their site at Smithville Lake for the Family Campout (Spot 334) and they loved Watkins Mill State Park in the fall.

Their goals for 2018 are simple: to continue to camp with friends, to get five Missouri State Parks and earn the Missouri Campers Award, and their final goal is to take a camping trip somewhere with just their family of four.

I think I speak for all of us group campers, we had a busy camping season. It was full of many great moments that finding just a few to select as our favorites was actually rather difficult. From the activities we do yearly to a historic solar eclipse we may not see again in our lifetime, we shared these moments together. And maybe that is our favorite part of it all.

Here is to 2018!

January 9, 2018
The Adventures of Betty, Roxie, and The Rockwood: Mount Rushmore

Occasionally I make public confessions when they are relevant. I open myself up to public judgement by sharing a personal thought. I share because maybe some of you can relate. Maybe others of you can’t.

My confession today is, Mount Rushmore was never one of those places I cared to visit. If it had been up to me, we would have made a loop and skipped Mount Rushmore during our 2017 That’s WY vacation. But, the joy of group camping is the plans are not made by one person. And thankfully, yes thankfully, Angie really wanted to go to Mount Rushmore so we planned to hit Mount Rushmore on our return home because she really wanted to include it in our itinerary.

During our time in Yellowstone, we listened to other tourist. They like us where on the same vacation route, although not in the same order. Those who had already been to Mount Rushmore highly recommended it. Raved about it. They recommended visiting it in the daytime and the night time. So, we listened.

Before You Go: What You Want to Know:

Admission to Mount Rushmore National Memorial is free. However; you do have to pay for parking. The parking fee in June 2017 was $11 for an annual pass. Meaning you can use the pass as many times as you want in a calendar year.

Mount Rushmore by Night:

Each night park rangers conduct a closing ceremony. It includes a patriotic video, Freedom: America’s Lasting Legacy. Part of the ceremony is to illuminate the memorial and let it shine in the darkness. The final part of the ceremony sure to pull at your heart strings is when all the Veterans in the audience are invited to the stage to participate in the f the flag ceremony each night.

My husband, Wayne, is a Veteran and he participated in the ceremony. Our hearts, and eyes, swelled with pride as we watched him take the stage with so many other Veterans. I don’t know what it is like on other nights but the night we were there, there were at least 50 – 65 Veterans on the stage from every branch of the military.

The entire ceremony lasted an hour. The traffic was not heavy. The parking was not a mess. The outdoor amphitheater was full but not packed. It was a nice evening and I would say we all left humbled and glad we experienced Mount Rushmore by night.

Mount Rushmore by Day:

Each of the three families visited Mount Rushmore by day but we were all three there at different times. Outside The Avenue of Flags, The Masters family caught a presentation of Native American dancers. We all enjoyed finding our home state in The Avenue of Flags and then finding all the places we have visited.

The young members of our group enjoyed the Junior Ranger Program and earning their badges. We all enjoyed the interactive displays in the Visitor Center.

We all walked the Presidential Trail which is a short, less than 1 mile trail around the base of the memorial. I was pretty impressed with the memorial from the view by the Visitor Center but seeing it from the Presidential Trail was pretty amazing. As the trail progresses you get up close and personal with each of the four Presidents. Just when you think there can’t be a better view, you turn a corner, climbs some stairs and find another view that makes you gasp.

The Presidential Trail leads to the Sculptor’s Studio. Inside the Studio you will find plaster mask of each Presidents. The plaster mask were used during the carving of the mountain as a “map” of sorts. Models and tools used to carve the monument can be found in the Studio. In the Studio we also learned and saw a replica of the Hall of Records. We were fascinated to learn about the hidden room in the mountain. Seeing the replica of it in the Sculptor’s Studio.

I should note that the Sculptor’s Studio closed in September 2017 for rehabilitation. It is expected to be closed until Summer 2019.

So, I began with a confession. I will own that by the time we left Mount Rushmore, I was beyond happy that we made the stop. It was more than just a rock carving, it was very moving and breathtaking. And a testament to a vision and a lot of hard work and dedication. I am thankful Angie was insistent we stop here because she changed my mind.

January 6, 2018