Roam With Friends

Category: State Parks

Denver Colorado

There is something about the mile high city. Maybe it is from the years I spend living there. Or the friends that remain their. But I carry a piece of Denver in my heart everywhere I go.

In planning a Colorado vacation, I knew we needed to schedule a few days in Denver. I needed some friend time and there were just so many things I wanted to introduce my daughter to in the Denver metro area.

In 2018 we passed through Denver and stayed at Clear Creek RV Park in Golden. It was a nice park with full hookups right next to Clear Creek allowing us to hear the water all night long. But, we really found the traffic getting in an out of Clear Creek a real challenge. So, we decided to seek lodging elsewhere.

Through social media I knew that Cherry Creek State Park in Aurora came highly recommended. However, there were no openings when we went to book. I also knew of Golden Gate Canyon State Park, due west of Golden Colorado. But in the end, we chose to stay at Chatfield State Park, on the southern end of the metro area in Littleton. We chose this location for a few reasons: 1) we could secure a full hook up site, 2) it was close to our good friends home, and 3) it was virtually in my old stomping grounds.

We found Chatfield to be under a lot of construction but that was really not a problem for us, we used it as a base camp that allowed us to tour the metro area. Chatfield has three different loops: we were in D loop. One of the loops was a group camping loop and they honestly had the best group camping I have ever seen. Four sites were combined forming a square. Each square had a community pad in the middle with picnic tables and a water spigot. I decided if I ever own a campground I am making some of these group camping “pods”.

Our site was a paved pull through. We had a gravel patio with a campfire ring and a picnic table. When we arrived, everything was prestine. The campfire ring had been cleaned (there was no evidence of previous campfires). The gravel had been raked and showed no signs of any previous trash.

What to do in Denver/Metro Area

Really, there is anything and everything to do in the Denver metro area. We had more than enough time to fill our days. Whatever we did, we knew it would be with friends.

Our first activity was heading downtown to check out the new Denver Trolley. The Trolley begins at Confluence Park, right outside REI and takes riders past some of Denver’s highlights: Mile High Stadium, Children’s Museum, Denver Aquarium, and Elitch Gardens. The track is one way, so we had to stop and switch engines for the way back. The cost to ride the Denver Trolley was $5 per adult and children up to 4 to 13 were $2.

After the trolley we went to eat at Brider on Platte Street. We were joined by several of our friends: Leslie and Mark, Jackie, and Harry. Wayne and Mark ate in a hurry and decided to pop into two local breweries while we were in the area. So, while we finished eating and packing up, they checked out Denver Beer Co and Cerveceria Colorado. It was a warm and sunny day in Denver and it was nice just sitting back and enjoying a cold beer with friends., others must have thought that too as both places were very busy! Olivia enjoyed trying a variety of Mexican candy that Cerveceria had out and I tried fried crickets. Yes, I ate a cricket! And to be truthful, I actually ate more than one.

Later, on the second evening in Denver, Leslie and Mark were so gracious and hosted a backyard bbq for us in their new home. We were so luck to have our friends join us and even luckier that my dear cousin Sarah and her son came to visit with us. Leslie treated us to a great meal, Mark kept us all warm with a fire and we all enjoyed each others company. Their company was so food for my soul!

I have been to Red Rocks Amphitheater more times than I can count. I was even lucky enough to catch a Bon Jovi concert there back in my younger years. I am sure Leslie has been there just as many times as I have but we stopped by, on our way to Boulder, to introduce Red Rocks to Olivia. As expected, the crowd was a mix of tourist as well as folks out getting their fitness on. There was also set up for an evening concert so unfortunately for Olivia she could not stand on the stage. But, she got to run the stairs and she was pretty happy with that.

Our next stop was Boulder for the Celestial Seasonings Tea Tour. My girl has grown to love tea. I can’t explain it and I don’t really try. The bottom line is, she loves herself a good cup of tea so taking her to Celestial Seasonings in Boulder seemed like a no brainer. This tour was actually a first for Leslie and I. We struggled to find it but we ended up arriving at the perfect time, the next tour was about to begin. We were treated to samples of tea before the tour which set the stage to learn all about the company that started by hand sewing their muslin bags. We learned that all Celestial Seasoning teas are actually made from herbs so they are all caffeine free. We survived the peppermint room. And we bought more than our fair share of tea from the gift shop!

You would think that our tea lover would have gone home happy but Leslie had one more surprise for her. An actual visit to a teahouse in Boulder. And not just any teahouse. Leslie took us to Dushanbe Teahouse. Dushanbe Teahouse was built in Tajikistan and shipped to Boulder one piece at a time. The finished product is similar to the many teahouses in Central Asia and stands for peace and friendship. There was really no better place for a couple of longtime friends to enjoy brunch and spoil one little girl.

As we left Dushanbe we noticed a large crowd gathered in front of the teahouse. The extra crowded teahouse or parking lot, or even gated off roads maybe escaped our attention in all of our excitement. But the crowds of people caught our attention. Ending right in front of Dushanbe Teahouse was the Boulder Ironman. So, we were able to watch the winner cross the finish line to the excitement of his family and friends.

While we girls were off chasing tea leaves, the men were wetting line at Eldorado Springs near Eldorado Canyon State Park. The river was running hard and fast with the spring run off making fishing difficult. Mark, the more experienced Colorado trout fishermen, was able to coax a couple of more adventurous and hungry trout from their rocky hideouts where they were seeking shelter from the strong currents.

During the time that I lived in Denver, I worked in Golden, so the little town is one of my favorites. We found the men folk at Mountain Toad Brewery so I took advantage of the time to antique shop in downtown Golden. Several years ago, while visiting Leslie in Leadville Colorado I found beautiful purple glass. I learned that glass use to contain manganese and when exposed to sunlight the glass would turn from clear to purple. I purchased some antique purple glass but a child visiting my home broke my purple glass. So I scoured every antique shop in Golden with no success. (so, do I maybe see a return trip to Leadville in my future?)

The only thing we did not get accomplished that Olivia really wanted to do was visit Voodoo Doughnuts on east Colfax. So after leaving Denver to spend five days in the mountains I convinced my dear husband to stop by Voodoo on our way through Denver heading home. I researched, I found a parking lot a few blocks from Voodoo. We just needed to navigate our camper through the streets of downtown Denver.

All was going so well until the traffic got so heavy. Then the road we wanted to take was blocked off by police officers. So we were diverted to another road. Then the traffic stopped. And we sat in traffic for what seemed like forever. Then I started seeing rainbows. Everywhere. Rainbow balloons. Rainbow tutu’s. Rainbow t-shirts. My mind is racing. I quickly google “gay pride parade Denver”. The result was June 15. The exact date we were trying to visit Voodoo Doughnuts. So, here we were stuck in traffic because the pride parade was staging and starting across the road we were on. Then my mom called. And I explained to her how we were stuck pulling our 35 foot camper in the pride traffic two blocks from Voodoo. Wayne looked at me as he pulled it all together. Two blocks away. He then kicked Olivia and I out of the truck and told us to walk to Voodoo. He joked that of course we would know where to find him.

So, Olivia and I got out of the truck, walked to Voodoo, which was right on the path of the parade. We waited in line, snagged ourselves some Voodoo donuts and Wayne called. Denver Police halted the parade staging to let some of the traffic pass by. Wayne was forced to move forward. He found some random spot to park the camper but not knowing Denver, he had no idea where he was in relation to where we were.

Many blocks later, we found each other. And then we found a 35 foot camper which Wayne had illegally parked along York. We took our pink box full of yummy doughnuts and headed east towards home. Laughing the entire way about how we ended our Rocky Mountain vacation by taking our 35 foot camper to the Denver Pride festival.

January 12, 2020
Reason #13 Why I Love Camping

I went for an early morning walk today.

By campground standards 8:00 am could be considered late.

But there was hardly anyone stirring so it felt even earlier.

A chorus of birds sang to me the entire walk. The sopranos and mezzos leading a lovely song I felt honored to here preformed.

The air was sweet; fragrant from the wild flowers. Beyond the sweetness was a hint of musky earth. And somewhere off in the distance was the smell of new rain waiting for just the right time for its release.

It is humid. The air is so thick you can feel it; the kind of air that sticks to you. The humidity building with anticipation of the upcoming rain.

It is peaceful. It is quiet. I realize that while I am alone with my thoughts, I am not alone. For I have so many other things to share this space with me, if I can just quiet myself enough to experience them.

As I am here in this space, I realize this is one of the reasons I love camping. It maybe hiking, a morning stroll, or just sitting outside under a shade tree but taking the time to enjoy the sights, sounds, and smells of the outdoors is reason number 13 of why I love camping.

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July 7, 2019
Knob Noster State Park

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.

March 26, 2019
Our 2018 Favorite Camping Trip: Eugene T. Mahoney State Park Ashland, Nebraska

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.

Happy Camping!

January 12, 2019
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
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
Campground Review: Arrow Rock State Historic Site

Arrow Rock State Historical Site

Arrow Rock, MO

dates of stay: June 30 – July 4, 2017

Sites 44 and 45.

Winter solstice has come and gone and while we may not be able to see it the days are getting longer leading us right back to our favorite season: camping season. As I sit with my computer covered in my flannel blanket and watch the snow fall out my window, I am reflecting on camping trips of the past.

This past July we visited a new state park that I think is worthy of visiting again so I thought I would spend some time reminiscing about Arrow Rock State Historic Site.

I first visited Arrow Rock State Historic Site the summer of 2016 when I started the Centennial Passport. I am not sure what I was expecting the first time I visited Arrow Rock but it certainly was not an entire little town along the Missouri River. The town of Arrow Rock is rich with historical relevance to the westward expansion and the Sante Fe Trail to name a few. And a bonus, this historical site has a beautiful camping loop.

Arrow Rock is conveniently located just north of Interstate 70 between Marshall MO and Booneville MO. The first observation we made on our trip there was just how quickly we arrived, in fact it took us only an hour and half. Traveling with us on this trip was the Todd’s but we also had other friends in the campground.

In our research of Arrow Rock and things we should do while we were there, two things bubble up: J. Huston Tavern and The Lyceum Theatre, J. Huston Tavern is the oldest continuously serving restaurant west of the Mississippi with nearly 200 years of service to the public. Historically this tavern, which started as a family home, boarding house, served meals to traveling settlers and local citizens. Today, it continues to serve two meals a day to travelers and locals. Reservations are highly recommended if you plan to eat at J. Huston Tavern. I tried so hard to get reservations and the wait list was the best I could do.

Thankfully, my phone rang on the way to Arrow Rock telling us they could fit us in at 6:00 p.m. the night of our arrival. We were so excited! At dinner time the menu is streamlined; they serve fried chicken and country ham with all the fixings family style. Our meal was delicious! Everything, from the fried chicken to the potato salad to the mashed potatoes, green beans, corn, and even the buttermilk biscuits, was amazing. We left full and carrying giant to-go boxes.

Before you leave J. Huston Tavern take a moment to look around. We did not realize the restaurant was more than a restaurant and we did not look around. Later we learned about the restored kitchen and bedrooms upstairs so we had to make a second visit during the crowded lunch service.

After a large meal, we did a cursory walk around the town. The roads are flanked by cobblestone drainage ditches. Store fronts have boardwalks with large porches that provide shade from the summer son. First impression of the town of Arrow Rock, I felt like I was in the little town that Mark Twain was in when he wrote The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. What I did not know at the time is that in fact in 1973, Arrow Rock was the setting for a Mark Twain musical staring Johnny Whitaker (any other Family Affair fans out there?), Jeff East, and Jodie Foster.

On our first morning at Arrow Rock we got up early and went for a hike. We found a trail head to the Pierre A Fleche trail was at the end of our campground loop that looked to take us around the entire camping area. Somehow we managed to get ourselves off the trail. We lost the trail down by the original spring but we took a gamble by climbing a steep bank and found ourselves in the primitive camping loop. It may not have been the trail we were suppose to follow but we had a nice hike and by the time we made it back to the campground we were ready for breakfast.

Mid-morning we set out with the Todd’s to do a bike tour of Arrow Rock. The campground is less than 1/2 mile to town but the way to town requires biking on the blacktop highway. There was very little traffic and the vehicles we did encounter were very gracious to us. The entire town is about 8 blocks long and four blocks wide. We followed the self-guided tour. We visited the Shelby Log Cabin, the Masonic Lodge, the Lyceum Theatre, Courthouse, the Calaboose (jail), and the gun shop. We also visited several buildings with historical significance to the black community of Arrow Rock.

I should note that the Lyceum Theatre comes highly recommended. Each year they host a traveling performers group that preform several Broadway worthy productions at a fraction of the ticket price. When we were visiting Mama Mia was showing but we could not get tickets to the show. The 2018 schedule is out and you can find shows like: Mary Poppins, Crazy for You, Footloose, The 39 Steps, Souvenir, A Comedy of Tenors, Honky Tonk Angels, and A Christmas Carol. If you are planning a trip to Arrow Rock in 2018, or any other year, make sure you plan early and get your tickets to the Lyceum. I will give you an insider tip: J. Huston Taven is open every single day the Lyceum has a performance.

History lessons are not contained to the city limits. The Arrow Rock Ferry Site is a short hike/drive from downtown. The Sappington Cemetery State Historic Site and Boone’s Lick State Historic Site are two other historical relevant points of interest very near to Arrow Rock all worthy of day trip visits. The nearby town of Blackwater is also another great day trip destination during your visit to Arrow Rock. Blackwater is home to the Iron Horse Hotel and Restaurant, the Blackwater Telephone Museum (which was not open during our visit), a Calaboose, several antique shops, beautiful gardens and a train depot.

Another attraction in nearby Booneville MO is Warm Springs Ranch. Warm Springs Ranch is a breeding facilities for the Budweiser Clydesdale horses. Advance tickets are required and advance planning to get tickets is a must. We were able to secure 6 tickets but on two separate days. We took the Guided Walking Tour and we were able to talk to the horse handlers, see the harnesses, a 1903 beer wagon, the luxury semi trucks, we watched the grooming of a Clydesdale, and we we able to meet a brand new foal. Tickets cost $14 per person and you will spend 1 1/2 to 2 hours on the ranch.

We enjoyed our time exploring the town of Arrow Rock and the local community. We also enjoyed our time in the campground. Wayne spent some time fishing in Big Soldier Lake. He successfully caught some bass and tried out his new Whopper Plopper lure. Fishing came to an abrupt end when Wayne lost his fancy lure and my cousin’s lure landed in his finger and had to be cut out.

When we checked into the park we had the most amazing attentive campground host we have ever had at a state park. The host helped us with recommendations for local activities, fishing, and hiking.The shower houses were the cleanest in any state park we have ever been to. Unfortunately, they left during our stay to move to a new location. The new host arrives on site but were not ready to resume host duties. This caused a delay in cleaning the shower houses as well as there was no ice or firewood. to purchase.

Our sites at Arrow Rock were huge. They were very long and the mature trees provided great shade. We had lovely neighbors who played the guitar and serenaded me to sleep in the afternoons. I enjoyed it so much I ask them to consider camping with us for the rest of the camping season! When making our reservations, Allen and I carefully selected our sites. Insider tip: this campground is set up to have two campground host but only has one. That leaves one full hookup site to be rented by guest. It is worth it to plan ahead and book this one site if you can.

Overall, we found this to be a lovely place to visit. We loved the small town and the activities. We loved the sites. Arrow Rock State Historic Site felt like we were visiting a community an that community welcomed us with open arms. They even had a Fourth of July pot luck dinner at the campground the afternoon of the holiday.

December 29, 2017
Ahoy Ye Scallywags, The Pirates Have Landed

Each year we participate in a Halloween Camping event at Watkins Mills State Park in Excelsior Springs, MO. Each year this event grows in popularity and I will warn anyone interested in attending; the entire campground was sold out within a few hours.

We were luck to reserve six camping sites in a row and we set about creating a scene worthy to compete in the scariest campsite contest. Should I mention we have won this contest for the past two years and feel a need to defend our “title”?

In years past we used easy up tents to contain our decorations. It has worked well for us but we decided this year to tackle a larger space. We made the decision to move away from the tents, Our theme for this year was Pirates.

Our goal was to turn the front of our campers into large pirate ships. We also knew we wanted to use our outdoor movie system to show a popular pirate movie and we wanted to make our visitors walk the plank. The rest came together with the help of a well pinned Pinterest board.

Thankfully, our camping group really likes hanging out together so we had a few work days prior to the event. We painted a lot of cardboard, empty wine bottles, and put our creative minds together to sketch out a plan that we hoped would be sufficient to win this contest for the third year. I should also state that our goal for this contest is always to use as much recycled/reused materials as possible.

So, please let me walk you through our 2017 Halloween Campsite: Shipwreck Cove.

Up till this weekend we had pretty much a beautiful, dry fall. Our children had been counting down for this weekend; madly crazy about the idea of camping and trick-or-treating as well as seeing our campsite plans come to life. Not only where the kids excited but we adults were as well.

Unfortunately, Mother Nature had her own plans for this weekend. A massive storm was scheduled to move through and it should be hitting the campground right around trick-or-treating time. We were determined that the show must go on despite the weather. Mid Saturday morning the campground host came around to tell us the organizers had moved up the time table in anticipation of the storm.

We scampered to set everything up. We had to bail on the night time effects (outdoor movie, fog machine, lighting, ect). We barely finished decorating in time and found ourselves with only twenty minutes to get ourselves into costume/make up. The wind kept picking up the entire day. Our massive sails took a beating. We ended up having to cut tears into them to allow the wind to pass through.

From the moment trick-or-treat started until the costume contest started we had a line of kids (and parents) coming through the site. They entered and got their candy, walked a path by the pirate table, Played the Hook Toss game and then got to claim their bounty. However, they soon found out that since they touched the bounty they had to walk the plank, right past a “giant kraken”!

The scariest site judging was a little odd this year. The judges came by our site during the trick-or-treating but the organizers had told us that actual judging would not occur until 8:00 p.m. We stayed in costume the entire day despite trick or treating ended by 4:00. The judges came by a second time right before 8:00. We started taking things down as soon as they left and by the time they came back 10 minutes later to tell us we won, it was pouring down rain! What amazing timing!

So, here is to another year of Halloween camping. We are excited to have won but most importantly, we are excited to have another weekend together. Sadly, the grand fall weather we had been having blew away with the rain we got that night. It has been very cold since then.

November 11, 2017