Camping–Just the Two of Us

Camping at Site 245

Just the Two of Us

Our first camping trip was with seasoned campers, and after it, we felt ready to try it alone. Even though it was getting a little cold for camping, we wanted one more trip for 2016. We only had three days, so could not go far. We decided to try Gulf State Park  in Gulf Shores, Alabama. I called to make the reservation and they were able to provide a camping spot on the water and near a bathhouse.  Arriving just before dark, we set up quickly. We brought along an EZ 10X10 tent and stored our table and food bins under it as there was a very slight chance of rain.

That First Night

No cooking was required that first night because we stopped along the way.  We did not do anything special, just listened to music and talked till sleepy. Sleeping was wonderful in the LG. We have learned that it is important to keep the cabin ventilated, so we kept the fan vent on the top open. It was not cold at all under the covers, even though the temperature went down to the mid-forties!

A Windy Camping Day

We awoke the next morning to the wind howling and when I checked, winds were at 19-20 MPH. We quickly took down the EZ tent as we were afraid it would blow away and perhaps do some serious damage. It is quite heavy and though we had it staked, it did not seem adequate. We were down to just our LG on our campsite. It was a few days before Thanksgiving and the campground was filled with many large RVs. Next to them, our little spot looked barely populated.

A Beautiful View

We had a fantastic view! We were there for two full days and three nights and each day was filled with abundant sunshine and deep blue skies. Again, we had chosen a time with a cold front. While we were there, it became colder and after we left, it became warmer. At least no rain though! Below are some photos taken from our campsite.

Camping at Gulf State Park
View from Site 245

Excellent Raw Oysters

The first day, we had a very simple breakfast of instant oatmeal and then went exploring the area. The park is very nice and there are many trails and sites to see. We had lunch at the Oyster House in Gulf Shores. I have always been a fan of raw oysters, but these were perhaps the best I have ever had. Two factors, I think, contributed to this: the cold weather and the nearness to the source. These had to be very fresh and they were large.

Oyster House Raw Oysters

More About the Park

A nice pier and beach access is provided by the park. There is also an outdoor swimming pool. This will be a good place to take grandchildren later. We visited the pier and walked on the beach. A few seagulls posed for some photos. If you are into fishing, this seems to be a good place to go as well, however, according to some fishermen we met, they were not biting on the day we were there.

We went shopping in Gulf Shores that evening and saw the movie, Hacksaw Ridge. It was a great movie! When we arrived back at the campsite it was getting quite cold, so we pulled out our new electric blanket.

Hanging Out at the Gulf State Park Pier
Seagulls Posing for Photograph
Beach beside Gulf States Park Pier

Easy Like Sunday Morning 

It was very cold outside when we awoke the next morning. I believe it went into the mid-thirties the night before. The idea of preparing any kind of breakfast in that cold was very unappealing, so we went out for breakfast at Another Broken Egg in Orange Beach. It was a first for us and we really enjoyed it. By the time we returned to the campsite, it was much warmer and the winds were calmer. We went to a small Sunday service at the Education Center with some people we had met the day before. After that, we rented bikes. There are many trails in the park and we had a great time! Much of the trails were paved and shaded with beautiful trees and Spanish moss.

Camping and enjoying bike trail at a Gulf State Park
Enjoying the View
Gulf States Park Biking and Hiking Trail

Evenings Camping at the Park

We planned to cook some spicy sausage on the grill that night and went to the nearby Walmart for charcoal. However, we were lured by Auntie Annie’s pretzels located within Walmart, and that killed our appetite. Consequently, there was practically no cooking on this trip. We sat outside for a couple of hours with our new electric blanket over us. It was not enough! However, for sleeping inside the LG, it did a great job. All three nights at Gulf State were great sleeping for us–no cold and no discomfort.

Our Puppy Wakeup Call

We awoke the final morning to a Lab puppy whimpering just outside our door. He had gotten loose and wanted in our LG. Greg could not get out because of this. Eventually, he crawled over me to get out on my side to avoid the puppy jumping into our cabin. The puppy was very friendly and followed Greg to the bathhouse. Greg found a tag with a phone number on him and called the owner, who was frantic to find him and came to get him right away. He was very grateful and had been looking for him since daylight.

On Gulf State’s Bike Trail

Camping Lessons Learned

1) Buy high-quality water hoses and fittings. Our cheap hose leaked and we had to find a hardware store to be able to hook up to the water without leaks.

2) Alligators are not a likely to come into your camp if you are near a lake in November. This may seem silly, but the website stated to beware of alligators and I was a little concerned about getting up in the middle of the night with an alligator nearby. A ranger told me that it is very rare for them to get out of the water and they are not very active when it is cold.

3) It’s not so bad to not have a toilet in your camper if you are near a bathhouse. 

4) Lastly, and more importantly, we can go away camping for several days and totally enjoy each other’s company. Our first trip was with friends, which was great fun and helped to keep us entertained. We now know that it can be great fun for just the two of us as well!

What’s Next?

We are looking forward to 2017 and more camping adventures.   Heck out our page, States Visited, a Campsite Resource  to follow our camping trips.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year everyone!

 

10 thoughts on “Camping–Just the Two of Us”

  1. I assumed you’d realize that retirement is fun. We aren’t campers but love traveling. I laughed trying to imagine an electric blanket on a camping trip; especially sitting outside under the stars. I have an important suggestion when camping in the Smokey mountains or wherever there are bears. Campgrounds always remind campers to have food locked in a car and not in a tent. Bears can smell food from afar. Enjoy!!! Am so happy for you both.

    1. I have actually read some articles about how you should deal with food and bears. You have to take so many precautions. It was a little scary. You are correct, Dianne, we will have to be much more careful in bear country.

      Thanks for the reminder.

  2. Great blog Donna! Enjoyed reading about your adventure and the pictures are beautiful! Look forward to seeing you and Greg soon.

  3. Donna and Greg, I felt that I was on this trip with you guys! It was so detailed and entertaining, based on a “true story”! Isn’t it wonderful knowing you can enjoy each other’s company. Alligators, ” oh my”! Glad you did not have any visitors. I love the restaurant, “Another Broken Egg”( the shrimp and grits are fab. with the Gouda cheese)! Can’t wait to hear about the next adventure!

    1. Donna,

      It was truly fun! I had really feared retirement, but being able to go on trips like this is so much more fun than working.

      Thanks for your kind words!

      Donna

  4. I am so excited to read this and know you are enjoying this new adventure! I can tell you each time gets better! I like your idea of the blanket outside!

    1. Thanks Peggy!

      Looking forward to our trip to Florida in February with the Beavers and you and Chan!

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