Teardrop camping Archives - Page 3 of 6

Kentucky Camping, Start and Finish of 2018 Summer Trip

Our Kentucky camping was part of a larger, monthlong trip that began with a plan for the NuCamp Rally in Ohio. NuCamp is the company that produces our T@G camper and also a larger model we are considering. We chose a path to Ohio and beyond to see previously unseen states. The link to the plan for our overall trip is below.

Summer Camping, Planning a Long Summer Trip

This was our first time to camp, or really spend any sort of time, in Kentucky. We had three quite different stops. First, we stayed at Holly Bay, a National Forest campground with full amenities. Next, we parked our camper in Versailles and spent a couple of nights in our cousin’s home. Lastly, on our way back home, we visited Mammoth Cave National Park, where we camped without electricity. There was definitely a wide range of amenities.

Kentucky Camping, Holly Bay Campground

Holly Bay was our first experience with Kentucky Camping and our first time to camp in a National Forest. Our site, D03, was extremely large and well-shaded. I was concerned that we would roast considering it was July and still very much the South. Thankfully, the immense shade provided by the forest greatly reduced the heat. We did not bother with our side tent as our site was not very hot and the restroom was close.

Kentucky camping at Holly Bay — Site D03

Laurel River Lake surrounds the campground. We spoke to several campers from nearby areas who were there with their boats. The water is very clear. We took the small hike to the waterside, but did not go swimming. It was so pleasant in the campground that we spent a good bit of time just hanging out there and talking with our camping neighbors.

Cumberland Falls

However, we did leave camp the next day to visit nearby Cumberland Falls State Park. We were there for lunch at the Riverview Restaurant and particularly to visit the Falls.

We have not yet visited Niagara Falls, which I am sure is very grand. But, frankly, the waterfalls we have seen on our past travels have been sadly lacking in the water part of the description. Not so, however, for Cumberland Waterfall! It is 68’ high and has been called the Niagara of the South. It is the only place in the Western Hemisphere to have a regularly visible moonbow. There is a schedule for when the moonbow occurs, but unfortunately, it was not visible during our stay.

We viewed the waterfall from several lookouts and it was incredible! I particularly liked the lower lookout. You could clearly see the the mist rising from the falls and feel it on your face. Invigorating, to say the least!

Cumberland Falls Downstream — Downstream of the Falls

The Wilderness Restaurant within the park served a dish we have never encountered, Kentucky Hot Brown, which was quite good.

Visiting Family

Stop number two was not Kentucky Camping at all. We stayed a couple of nights in Versailles, Kentucky, to visit cousins.

The countryside around Versailles is beautiful! Green rolling hills with spectacular-looking horses and stately homes nestled behind immaculate fences are abundant in the area. Justifify, the winner of the 2018 Triple Crown, hailed from one of the horse farms in the area.

Kentucky countryside — Beautiful countryside

While visiting, we parked our camper in our cousins (Jamie and Ellen’s) driveway. We enjoyed their hospitality and guest room during our stay.

Camper Considerations

Our Norcold cooler was packed with food, so we hooked up to their 110 using an adapter. It is important to remember when parking a camper with a cooler that is on for an extended period of time to hook it to a power source. This is because the Norcold will eventually drain the battery. It is my understanding that it is very damaging for batteries to be fully drained. Also, it is important to remove the 7-pin adapter from the tow vehicle so it will not drain its battery.

Family Time

Our time spent with family was great—we loved hanging out with our cousins and seeing their home and the area in which they live.

They provided us with a couple of home-cooked meals during our stay, which was very nice. Also, I had a delicious lunch at Glitz, a local restaurant, with Ellen. It is located in a store/antique shop that was fun to browse as well.

Woodford Distillery

We all took a tour of nearby Woodford Distillery, which produces the official bourbon of the Kentucky Derby. The tour was quite interesting and featured a tasting of two bourbons and a bourbon chocolate candy at the end of the tour. Yum! I bought a bottle of a special production of their double oaked Rye to take to the rally in Ohio.

We headed to Ohio next and then Michigan and Indiana. However, our last site on the way home was also Kentucky camping.

Kentucky Camping, Mammoth Cave Campground

Our last opportunity for Kentucky camping was at Mommoth Cave National Park. We had booked Site # 11 at Mammoth Cave Campground. This was our first time to actually camp inside one of the National Parks. Our site was only $10 a night with the Senior Pass. However, the showers are provided by a vendor and there is a $1.50 additional charge for them.

The sites do not have electricity and we were there for two nights (Yikes!), so it was a real test of our new solar panels. There is a separate post that includes what we learned on this trip about using solar panels. It was not a rousing success!

Site #11 was large with an asphalt pull through, which was perfect for us. It had a lot of shade, but also some sunlight for the solar panels. Another plus, it was right across the street from the air-conditioned restroom, which appears new and is immaculately maintained. Truly, this was the nicest and cleanest restroom of all the sites on our trip!

We were concerned that we would be miserable camping this far south in August. However, it was reasonably comfortable sitting in the shade. Sleeping was more difficult because we are accustomed to sleeping in a cool environment. When camping, we usually have the fan or air conditioner running. It took some time to get to sleep, but it was nice to be sleeping with just the sound of the crickets. I feel this is the closest we have been to real camping since we began. My big guy did not love it though.

The Cave Tour

We had the 8:30 Frozen Niagara tour the next day. It lasted about 90 minutes and was quite nice. It includes some of the more spectacular parts of the caverns, but is considered a relatively easy hike.

We learned that Mammoth is over 400 miles long and is the longest cave in the world. It is about twice as long as the second longest.

It was distressing to learn that Mammoth has lost approximately 80% of its bat population to a fungus called white nose syndrome that is present in caves in the eastern United States and Canada. The disease has been associated with the death of 5.5 million bats and there is currently no known cure. This is very disturbing as bats devour insects that are harmful to agriculture. After all tours, everyone must walk through sudsy biosecurity mats to remove spores and dirt from their shoes to prevent spreading the fungus to other caves.

Currently, the Cave has bats, crickets that do not chirp, and unique blind creatures far below that have no eyes. We only saw crickets on our tour.

National Park Land

The land for the park was purchased from farmers in the 1930s and the Civilian Corps planted miles and miles of trees and laid out the road for the park. Prior to that, the park was not forested at all.

Many of the people on the land lived and died on what is now park property. A church and graveyard still exists with headstones that indicate people who were born in the early 1800s, along with some much later dates.

Couple buried on park property, each almost 100 years old

Exploring the Park

We also took a scenic drive through the park and saw a cool place, Dennison’s Ferry, where rental canoes are put into the water. A young couple was leaving for an overnight trip in which they would camp on an island on the river. Very daring and cool!

We never left the National Park during our stay and had meals the full day that we were there at the Lodge. It was not the greatest, but it was okay and very convenient. We were enjoying the park and also babysitting our solar panels.

Our evening ended with a ranger presentation at the Amphitheater. It was a presentation about the land above the caves and the abundance of wildlife. The morning that we left to return home, we saw a doe and her fawn on the road about twenty feet away. They allowed me to get fairly close. It was a great way to end our time in the park.

We survived two days without electrical hookups. I’m proud of us!

One Last Stop

Bowling Green was on our path home, so we stopped at the Corvette Museum. My big guy really enjoyed it and is posing below with his favorite car.

We thoroughly enjoyed Kentucky camping! It is a beautiful state with friendly people. We hope to return someday.

Summer Camping, Planning a Long Summer Trip

Summer Camping

We have attempted camping in the south during the summer and were uncomfortably hot because my husband and I are very hot natured. After some very hot days last year, I vowed that we would always travel north for the summer. This will be our first long summer camping trip and we are very excited about it. We took our first long trip last winter out west. It was for a similar length of time, but we traveled many more miles in that first trip.

This summer camping trip will last twenty-eight days covering 2,773 miles in fourteen stops. It includes approximately forty-five hours driving time. This trip is much more leisurely than our first long trip with longer stays and fewer miles between stops.

We expect to see three of the Great Lakes and two larger cities, Cleveland and Indianapolis. Our most anticipated area is Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. It is our understanding that it is incredible.

Goal: Camping in Each State

Teardrop camping became a major activity for us nearly two years ago, when we first retired. Our camping retirement goal is to camp in each state in the United States. So far, we only have fourteen states, but this trip will get us four more: Kentucky, Ohio, Michigan, and Indiana.

Kentucky is pretty far south, so we will still have hot weather, but are counting on the other three states to be more comfortable. July average high temperatures are around 90 degrees in our state, with lots of humidity! Not much cooler, the average high temperature for Kentucky is in the high 80s. However, Ohio highs are in the low to mid 80s and Michigan highs are around 80. We will be on the road for twenty-eight days, so we are really hoping it will not be miserably hot.

Visiting with Cousins and Friends

Our trip has two stopovers, one with cousins in Kentucky and one in Michigan with friends we have traveled with in the past.

One of my husband’s favorite cousins lives with his wife in Kentucky and we will be staying with them a couple of nights. While there, we will have all the comforts of their home and our teardrop will be parked at their house. The stop is early on our trip and we are really looking forward to spending time with them!

The visit with friends in Kalamazoo is nearer to the end of our trip. We will be camping in our teardrop on their property for a couple of nights. This would be a first for us as we have only camped at campgrounds in the past.

uCamp 18

The second annual rally hosted by nuCamp is the cornerstone of our trip because we have their T@G MAX XL camper. The rally is held in Sugarcreek, Ohio, near the factory where all nuCamp campers are manufactured. They also produce a larger camper we are considering, the T@B 400. Owners of their campers come from all over to attend this rally, which includes a tour of the factory. We missed the first rally, but it looked like a great time based on the feedback we have seen.

The dates for the rally were set, so we planned the remainder of the trip around it.

Reservations

We have reservations at every stop on this trip because it is a popular time for camping in the areas we are visiting. Four nights are with friends/ relatives, five are at the rally, and four are in National Forests. Also, we were fortunate to book a good bit of time at State Parks: one night in Ohio, five nights in Michigan, and three nights in Indiana. We only have four nights at private campgrounds, this is to be near the two larger cities we will be visiting. Lastly, we have two nights at a National Park.

I love that we know where we are going and that we are staying at desirable places. However, we could not stay everywhere we wanted. Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore was already fully booked, despite the fact that I was booking about four months in advance.

Unfortunately, there can be a downside to prior reservations. If something happens and you need to leave early or stay longer, it can create problems.

Dry Camping

We have booked three nights at campgrounds with no electricity. This will be a first for us. Our most recent camping purchase was solar panels and we hope they will make it a pleasant experience. We have read posts from many campers who seem to manage well without electricity provided at campsites. I really hope we can join their ranks! If we can do this successfully, it opens the door to all kinds of boondocking options!

Packing for Summer Camping

As it will be summer, we do not need to pack any heavy clothing, but we might need a light jacket for a cooler evening. I plan to take more changes of clothing than on our prior trip because I do not anticipate as many opportunities to do laundry.

We have a standard camping checklist, but some optional items are needed. From the optional category, we will take our smaller side tent on this trip and, of course, the solar panels. We will also need the awning, porta potty, and privacy tent. We will pack using our typical packing method.

I also anticipate more cooking on this trip than our first long trip. However, I really want to keep it simple. More planning is needed in this area.

Conclusion

This summer camping trip will indeed be an adventure for us. We have never before spent any time in these four states and everything will be new to us. The rally should be a lot of fun and the dry camping will be a challenge. Can’t wait for it all to begin!

Update

Our summer camping trip was wonderful! We saw some amazing sights and met lots of friendly people. If you are interested in reading how the trip went, below are links to posts for each area.

Kentucky Camping, Start and Finish of 2018 Summer Trip

Michigan Camping, the Lower Peninsula

Ohio Camping: Rally, Big City, and State Park Campsites

Great Times in Gulf Shores, Key Lime Rally 2018

Key Lime Rally Campground

The Key Lime Rally was a gathering of the group, Firty and Over RV’ers – Life on the Road. The rally was held at Gulf State Park in Gulf Shores and almost 300 Key Limers were in attendance.

This was our second time to camp at Gulf State, one of our favorite parks. Our earlier trip is described in the following link. We were right on the water that trip and as a result, I was very worried about alligators. http://www.bigguytinytrailer.com/2016/12/

Gulf State Park offers everything you could want in a state park and it is located in a desirable resort area. Beautiful biking trails, spacious sites, and a nice large pool make it also a great place to camp. http://www.alapark.com/gulf-state-park

We enjoyed beautiful weather the entire five days we were there, with highs in the upper 70s and lows in the upper 50s. However, we were in the South! The humidity made it quite hot at midday if you were not in a shaded area.

Our site had shade in the late afternoon, but was in direct sunlight most of the day. Therefore, we were happy to have our screen room to provide a little shade. Because we registered late for the rally, we were a good distance from Key Lime Rally activities. (Several camp sites were designed Camp Lime and it was the main gathering place.)

Teardrop campers and tent — Campsite 76 at Gulf State Park

Interior view of Pahaque 10x10 side tent — Inside our 10×10 side tent

Visiting with Good Friends

Our very good friends—the ones who originally talked us into camping—recently moved to Florida. They met us at the campground and stayed a couple of nights before heading on to the Grand Canyon. We loved having them there; it really made this trip special! We had dinner with them the night before the rally. The next day, we spent some quality time on the beach and in the pool. Very relaxing!

Man and woman standing on the beabh — Our friends soaking up some sun

Couple sitting on the beach — Chilling at the beach

Key Lime Events Day 1

The rally organizer very graciously allowed our friends to attend the Key Lime Bash at the Beach, the first official night of the rally. It was held at Gulf State Pavilion, which is right on the beach. Fresh gulf shrimp was served for dinner and bread pudding for dessert. Key Lime Rally members decorated the tables and they were amazing. For entertainment, Elvis performed for us!

Elvis impersonator standing on a table surrounded by fans — Elvis was in the Building

Two women in a pavilion on the beach — My friend Peggy and me

Key Lime Events Day 2

The rally was like a well-oiled machine! There was a morning coffee, then a craft fair and yard sale, CPR training, a corn hole tournament and an Instant Pot cooking demo. We did not attend them, but went with a smaller group on a Dolphin Cruise that afternoon. Others also played Key Lime Bingo and went on a tour of Group 1’s rigs.

A Key Lime Food and Drink contest preceded dinner, which was a Quatro de Mayo Fiesta at Camp Lime. Key Lime members and the Key Limer Band provided the entertainment and it included some specially written songs that were quite funny.

In addition, there were door prizes. Group members had contributed gifts for contests and door prizes. My husband won a great door prize, a basket full of collapsible bowls, measuring cups, and spoons. It was a very nice gift!

So, it was a great day to be a Key Limer!

Key Lime Events Day 3

Day 3 was more laid back and everyone was on their own for dinner. Also, there was a Balloon Festival in Foley that afternoon, which many were attending. The morning activities were Rock Painting Class, a Pet Parade, Corn Hole Tournament, and a tour of Group 2 Rigs.

Therefore, we took this opportunity to enjoy our campsite in the morning and to have an early dinner at a local seafood restaurant. The Fish River Grill was pretty tasty and I had a margarita to honor Cinco de Mayo.

Seafood platter — Late lunch at Fish River Grill #3

Finally, we rounded out our day at the Gulf State Pier. The water was beautiful and it was nice to just hang out there for awhile and enjoy the view.

Gulf Shores sandy beach — View of the beach from the pier

Woman on Gulf State Park Pier in front of sign — Hanging out at the Gulf State Park Pier

Key Lime Events Day 4

The day began with a nondenominational worship service, a great way to start our Sunday morning. Soon after, there was a Dutch Oven Cooking Class given by Dave, a master in the field. I had never seen this type of cooking before and found it fascinating. Audience members assisted in cooking a pork tenderloin with sweet potatoes in one pot and a pineapple upside down cake in another. All were delicious!

Two Dutch ovens with coals on top — Dutch Oven Cooking Class

Pineapple upside down cake cooked in a Dutch oven — Pineapple upside down cake cooked in a Dutch Oven

Next, we attended a wine tasting. Group members each brought a bottle of wine and many also brought snacks. There was a great variety of lovely wines and some awesome snacks. One lady brought the best stuffed jalapeño peppers I have ever tasted. It was a very enjoyable afternoon.

Dinner that night was again at the Pavilion and it was a luau. Key Limers were dressed in their best tropical attire. There were hula dancers who also danced with fire, led a limbo contest, and conga line. Additionally, there were more door prizes and I won a bottle of wine!

We were sad to see the Key Lime Rally ending because it was such a great experience. Most of all, we loved that we met lots of really nice people. We felt we already knew some of them from online posts and it was great to finally meet them in person.

Fire dancers at Key Lime Rally — Fire dancers

Sunset over sand and water — Sunset from the Pavilion

In conclusion, Aloha Key Limers and Happy Camping!

Retired couple wearing Hawaiian clothing

Wheel Bearing Maintenance-A Safety Necessity

This post is for new campers who may not be aware of important maintenance that should be routinely performed on the wheels of their campers for safety.

Reasons for Wheel Bearing Maintenance

Wheel bearing maintenance is not an exciting topic, but it is something in which campers should know. As members of several Facebook camping groups, we have learned that wheel bearings on campers should be packed with grease routinely. On this topic, we have seen recommendations for annually and for every 10,000 miles.

This maintenance prevents unnecessary friction on the bearings and enables the identification of worn bearings or a dry axel. Grease breaks down over time and the heat generated during braking speeds up that process. Therefore, adding fresh grease addresses this problem.

This maintenance is an important safety procedure. First, if bearings are not properly greased, the wheels could lock up and cause an accident. Additionally, the axel could also be damaged by improperly greased wheels.

Our Wheel Bearing Maintenance

As we have had our camper for about eighteen months and have towed it close to 10,000 miles. Clearly, it was time to perform this maintenance.

We contacted a local RV dealer to have the work done as my husband has a very bad knee. They said that they do not usually do the work and that it would be a significant wait. However, they informed us that a local tire dealer has a person who routinely does this task. We contacted him and got an early morning appointment. The technician completed the task in a couple of hours for $150.

E-Z Lube System

We later learned that if you have one of the later NuCamp campers with the E-Z Lube System, it is a very easy and quick process to add fresh and remove old grease using a grease gun. Our camper has this Lube System. The link below is to a very informative video with detailed instructions. If we had known it would be this easy, we would have done this ourselves.

https://youtu.be/XT0RKDGgDm8

It seems that many who own campers do this work themselves. To assist, there are several YouTube videos with detailed instructions. It is my understanding that it does not require a lot of special tools.

Sealed Bearings on Some Models

There is one last bit of information provided by a reader of this post. Early T@B models have sealed bearings that cannot be cleaned or repacked and it was recommended that owners keep a set of bearings with them as spares. This is probably true for some other camper models as well. It would be a good idea to determine if this is true for your camper if you have an older model.

Whether you do it yourself or find an expert to do the job for you, I encourage new campers to not ignore wheel bearing maintenance, an important safety task.

If you would like to read more about what we have learned on our camping adventures, we have a Camping Resources page for new campers you might want to visit.

Happy and Safe Camping!

Reflections on Our First Long Camping Trip

This post is directed to new campers who have not yet made a long trip. Included is detailed information that would have been helpful to us. The trip was four times longer than our previous ones and just under 5,000 miles. It gave us an opportunity to see nine states and three national parks.

First Long Camping Trip Recap

Our first long camping trip was four times longer than our previous trips and nine times as many miles. The trip lasted twenty-seven days during the last month of winter, beginning mid-February and ending mid-March. We camped in Mississippi, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, California, Nevada, Utah, Oklahoma, and Louisiana.

We wanted to accomplish a few things. First, to get away from the boredom and cold of winter, so we needed to go south. With a teardrop camper, we would not be comfortable if was very cold outside. Second, we wanted to visit as many states as was practical. We have a goal to camp in all the lower forty-eight. A southwestern path all the way to California became our choice with a more northerly return to include a Utah if the weather permitted. Lastly, we wanted to experience something of the local area at each stop, knowing we could not see everything. An earlier post details the planning we did for this first long camping trip. Planning That First Long Trip

Our Concerns

It was an ambitious goal for us of towing just under 5,000 miles, much in areas we have not visited nor driven. It was also a lot of together time. We generally get along well together, but a month in a vehicle and tiny camper was new territory indeed!

The Campgrounds

There were stops in 17 different areas, nine states, and 18 campgrounds. The type of campground with number of visits and average costs per night were as follows:

Five State Parks, $27.11
One County Park, $20
Five KOAs, $40.49 (with KOA membership)
Three Small Commercial Campgrounds, $27.77
Three Large Commercial Campgrounds, $45.13
One Large Commercial Campground Overflow, $15

The campground prices did guarantee enjoyment of them. Ironically, the most expensive campground was our least favorite. The small campgrounds and State Parks were overall the best, offering a comfortable stay, reasonable privacy, and a relatively low price. The KOAs were consistently near popular areas and provided full hookups, laundry, and nice bathhouses. The large RV campgrounds were our least favorite. They offered full services and generally some extra entertainment, but little privacy. They seemed to cater to longer term guests.

Campground Challenges

Two campgrounds did not have showers. Okay for one night, longer stays or a string of them would not be desirable. One had pit toilets, but it was not an issue. We were in overflow one night at a large RV campground with no electricity and water. The water was not an issue as we had access to very nice facilities, but we sorely missed the electricity. We were a bit cold overnight and concerned we would drain our battery.

Though we visited three national parks, we did not stay at the national campgrounds. Most sites did not have hookups and we did not have solar panels or a generator. Also, reservations should be made early for the national parks as they fill up quickly.

To Reserve or Not

Reservations give you a better shot at desired campgrounds, but take away flexibility. If you are having a very good or very bad time in an area, you may not be able to cut your stay short or stay longer if reservations are upcoming. Also, we were traveling in the winter in a camper that does not provide comfortable daytime accommodations. Our solution was to book the first few sites, including Big Bend, the single national park we were certain to visit. We wanted to visit two others in Utah, but they are much further north. If the weather was bad, we did not want to risk travel in ice or snow.

It actually worked out well for us. We booked stops one, two, three, and five. The remainder were booked a couple of days out. We were very lucky to get our spot at Augua Caliente State Park in California, but struggled in Tucson and spent one night without electricity.

If traveling during the popular times in an area, reservations are more critical. We are making a second long trip later in the year and are reserving all the stops, but will be traveling during popular times.

Our Campsites

We did not stay long at any one place and spent the majority of our time away from the campgrounds, so our set up was always very simple. If we were only at a site for one night, we often did not even connect the water as it was cold outside in the early morning and we frequently had breakfast away from our camp.

Setup and breakdown was very quick and easy. We just put the items that were being transported in the cabin on a picnic table, stabilized the camper, and plugged in the electricity. Below is an example of how simple our sites were for much of the trip. We were basically traveling with our camper as our bed versus spending time in a campground.

We used our Kingcamp awning a few times in places with longer stays when shade was needed. It was nice to have and setup was quick and easy.

Packed Versus Needed

Two items were never used: a small attachable tent and a porta potty. We managed to always be within a reasonable distance from restrooms and the tent was not needed as so much time was spent away from the sites.

We took a bit more food than was needed and had our footlocker with all our dishes. Had we known how little cooking would be done, we could have greatly reduced the dishes. We also took a small folding table that was only used once. We could have easily done without the table.

Clothing for a week was packed with the intent to do laundry. This worked pretty well. We had some winter outerwear that was not used and could have used a little more lightweight outerwear.

Biggest regret: no solar panels for the trip. It would have made the night with no electrical hookup much better and would have provided flexibility for other stops. We now have solar panels for future trips.

We were relying on a small heater and an electric blanket to stay warm as nights were cool. Solar panels would not enable those options, so for future trips like this, we have purchased a down comforter rated for cold weather. It would have likely been adequate for this trip.

There is a new earlier post with information on how we typically pack for camping where we consider a long camping trip as well. Packing for Teardrop Camping-Our Process

The Weather

The weather was quite good considering we were traveling in the last month of winter. It was pleasant to be outside most days with no more than a lightweight jacket. We had one rainy day in Austin, Texas, and one cold day in Julian, California, where there was some snow on the ground. Utah, the most northern part of our trip, was warm and sunny the entire time we were there. During the entire trip, typical nights were high 30s and typical days were low 70s.

Our Health

I worried about one or both of us getting sick while in the trip, but we managed to stay healthy. Last year during this time, I was on my third bout with being sick. Thankfully, we were well and able to enjoy this trip.

A prescription needed to be filled near the end of the trip, but we use a national drug chain and they filled it just as easily as it would have been at home.

The Tow Vehicle

We drove our SUV an extra 1,000 miles more than the camper because we used it to visit the surrounding areas. We had no issues towing and our camper was a breeze to pull, even through some quite high elevations. I had worried a little about not having electric brakes, but our camper is very light.

Our tires were almost new, but at one point, my husband noticed that one of the tires appeared to have slung a weight and there was vibration. We bought the tires from Pep Boys and local dealer in Arizona corrected the issue under warranty. We also needed an oil change while on the trip, which we had done while in Utah.

Our tow vehicle suffered a minor ding at one of the stops at a very crowded campground while trying to turn around when our way was blocked. Frustrating, but that’s life.

We were always careful to keep at least a half tank of fuel, which was important because fuel opportunities were few and far between in some areas. We had no problems, but if we had waited until a quarter of a tank, we might have ran out of gas. Our gas mileage for the entire long camping trip was 17.4 miles per gallon. We thought that was pretty good.

Long Camping Trip Favorites

Our best stop was in Moab, Utah. The area was absolutely gorgeous and we loved the town and Arches National Park. We had beautiful weather and a fabulous time at this stop!

Our favorite campground was Kartchner Caverns State Park in Arizona. The park was beautiful, fairly new, and very well-maintained. It had all the amenities we needed. However, for those who prefer to have sewer, it did not have that.

Surprisingly, our best meal was at Big Texan Steak Ranch in Amarillo, Texas. The entire meal was delicious at a reasonable price, with a limo that picks you up at your campground. You have gotta love it! Here is a link to Big Texan if you would like to check it out. https://www.bigtexan.com

Other food highlights were apple pie in Julian, green chili cheeseburgers at the Blue Moon Diner on the way to Albuquerque, and fabulous Mexican food at La Posta in Las Cruces and Tacos El Cositas in Yuma.

There is a post to my blog for all the stops along our long camping trip for anyone interested.

We had a wonderful time! That said, we were ready to be home near the end. I think that for us, four weeks is about as long as we should travel, considering we have a tiny camper.

For those new to camping, get out there and take a long camping trip. Go see some of this beautiful country. It is so worth the effort!

HapPy Camping!

SW Trip Stop #17, Shreveport Camping

Shreveport was our last stop on our way home and the weather was glorious. We noticed as we were getting nearer how green everything was becoming!

Shreveport camping was a relaxing last stop. However, the drive to Shreveport (6 1/2 hours) was longer than our usual and we had a comparable drive the next day because we were driving straight home. We were rather tired and just wanted to get to the campground and chill. A very late lunch while on the road at Weidman’s in Meridian meant that we would not have to go out for dinner.

As soon as we neared the state of Louisiana, It was evident that everything had begun to turn green. We did not really see that in our earlier stops. Also, my allergies kicked in with a vengeance. The official date of the beginning of spring was just around the corner.

We had one tow vehicle issue to address first. Our SUV indicated that the battery on the remote needed to be replaced. We found one at a nearby Wal-Mart and while there, we rented a couple of movies.

Shreveport Camping

We then settled in for the evening at the campground. Our last night on the road was very relaxing and quite comfortable, but we were both ready to be home.

The Shreveport-Bossier KOA was very nice. It had concrete pads and a wrought iron table with chairs. The bathhouse was immaculate and our site was lovely. We had no complaints whatsoever. For those interested, below is a link to the website.

https://koa.com/campgrounds/shreveport/

This was our first time to camp in Louisiana, though we have visited several times. Unfortunately, we did not really have an opportunity to any sights. However, I do want to acknowledge the very best rest stop of our trip. According to my phone, the photo below was taken in Choudrant, Louisiana. The facility looks new and is very, very nice. Thanks Louisiana!

Next stop—Home!!! A link to a summary of our entire trip covering over 5,000 miles and twenty-seven days follows. Reflections on Our First Long Camping Trip

Happy camping, everyone!

SW Trip Stop #16, Oklahoma City Camping

Oklahoma City camping included the memorial in Oklahoma City. It was a lovely dedication to the victims of the bombing.

Oklahoma City Camping

Oklahoma City camping was a lot of fun for us. It offered sites to see, good food, and very nice weather. The memorial was one of the main reasons we chose Oklahoma City for this stop. It was a somber reminder of what was for me, the beginning of a heightened awareness of the dangers of terrorism in this country.

The Bombing

The bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building on April 19, 1995, shocked the nation. Later, it was incomprehensible to learn that the horrific act was performed by a homegrown terrorist. It marked a profound change in the way most Americans regarded safety. It has been almost twenty-two years since that act occurred; yet, this violent trend has continued.

However, Oklahoma City is so much more than this act of violence. We are aware there is much to see and do in the state. For this trip though, as we were so near Oklahoma City on our return home, the memorial stood out as something we needed to see.

The Memorial

Oklahoma City Memorial view from rear — View from rear of monument

The memorial was dedicated exactly five years after the bombing. The photo above was from the rear and is my best overall photo because of the direction of the sun. It was taken from an overlook from the Federal Building.

In the photo above, you are seeing the backs of empty chairs, each one representing a life lost in the bombing. The smallest chairs represent children who died in the bombing. A reflecting pool is beyond the chairs and the building in the background is the museum.

Most noteworthy the chairs and each represents a victim and the floor in which they were on that day. Each chair includes their name of a victim. The photo below shows them from the front.

Oklahoma City Memorial Empty Chairs — Empty seat for each person lost

Tragically, the bombing killed 168 people, of which 19 were children. In addition, the bombing injured more than 500 people. Consequently, it was a devastating day for Oklahoma and for our country. The reason so many children died is there was a daycare center in the building. The plaque and lawn pictured below is a memorial to those children.

The memorial addresses the timing of the blast with what is called “The Gates of Time”. There are doorways and a clock on each side of the reflecting pool, one stopped at 9:01 and the other at 9:03. The 9:01 represents the innocence of the city just before the bombing, which occurred at 9:02. The 9:03 represents the moment that the city began healing. There is also a Survivor’s Wall with each of their names and there is a Survivor Tree.

Below is a link to the website for the memorial and museum.

https://oklahomacitynationalmemorial.org

Oklahoma City memorial view from front — Front of monument

The Museum

The museum is very much worth the effort to visit. While the memorial is free, there is a charge for the museum. However, it has a wealth of information about the bombing and the recovery that followed. There were many films with personal accounts of the day and there were artifacts. Most is all, it illustrated how the people in the city came together to help and to heal.

The building was named for Alfred P. Murrah. I have heard that name many times, but knew nothing of the man. I learned that he was orphaned at 13 and was covertly riding the rails before he was booted from a train in Oklahoma. He got a job milking cows and convinced school officials to allow him in classes with other thirteen year olds despite his fourth-grade education. He worked two jobs and graduated with honors. After high school, he continued to distinguish himself academically. Most noteworthy, he was appointed as a Federal District Judge in 1936. He was the youngest to have ever achieved that position at 32 years old. Very impressive!

Other Activities

We like to find a unique local restaurant on our stops. For this Oklahoma City Camping trip, it was Cattleman’s Steakhouse. It is located in historic Stockyard City and has been in business since 1910. We had a delicious steak with all the trimmings and the service was excellent.

There were a couple of large stores with western clothing nearby. They they were calling my husband! Previously on this trip, we have hardly done any shopping. However, in this case, we walked away with a big bag of clothing—mostly jeans.

The KOA Issue

Oklahoma City camping would have been better for us if we had not had a problem at the KOA. The Oklahoma City KOA was pretty nice overall, but I did not like how it managed its bathhouse. It had seven private rooms, each with a toilet and shower, but the campground had reserved one restroom for handicapped. Theoretically, guests are provided access to six non-gender specific rooms.

First, while at the campground, we had two occasions where we were waiting outside for a long time because no bathroom was available. Subsequently, we learned that they were keeping a couple of them locked because the campground was not full.

Consequently, I was quite angry after standing outside for twenty minutes waiting to use the restroom to learn that there were locked rooms. After my husband made a request, they opened a door for me. It is one thing to have inadequate facilities, quite another to not offer what you have. Because of this, it is my least favorite KOA.

In conclusion, we enjoyed our Oklahoma City camping experience, despite the bathhouse wait.

One more stop in Shreveport, Louisiana, and we are home! It has been wonderful to be on the road, but home is sounding pretty good.

A link to our post of the Shreveport stop is below.

SW Trip Stop #17, Shreveport Camping

SW Trip Stop #15, Amarillo Camping

Amarillo was only a one-night stop on the way home, but we discovered our favorite KOA, had a great meal, and saw an interesting nearby attraction.

Amarillo Camping

Amarillo camping was for just one night, but it was a wonderful stop for us. The area provided interesting attractions and a unique and wonderful restaurant. We also loved the campground and enjoyed very pleasant weather. Who could ask for more?

Cadillac Ranch

I have heard the name, Cadillac Ranch, a number of times along the years and it is referenced in several songs. I really had no idea what it was. We had the opportunity to see it on our stop in Amarillo. It turns out, it is ten Cadillacs from the years 1948 to 1963 that were buried face down in the ground in 1974. Vandals with spray paint arrived soon after. Eventually, the vandalism was encouraged.

Cadillac Ranch is located on a large field very near Amarillo on historic Route 66. It is visited by tons of people armed with cans of spray paint to add their artistic touch to the graffiti-covered cars.

Wikipedia describes Cadillac Ranch as “public art” and “sculpture” . To me, it is a perfect example of “if you build it, they will come.” Nonetheless, I am glad we stopped to see it.

Our Favorite KOA

The Amarillo KOA Was a big reason Amarillo camping was so great for us. We just loved it because it has all kinds of cute southwestern art and the folks who checked us in were wonderful. Also, the facilities were very nice and the cable and WiFi were strong. I asked about nearby restaurants and they offered to have the limo from Big Texan Steak Ranch pick us up at our site and bring us back. We thought this was a great idea, especially after our nighttime driving in Las Vegas.

Big Texan Steak Ranch

A driver in a limo with big horns on the hood picked us up and drove us approximately five miles to the restaurant. The restaurant also provides this service to several hotels. Our driver was very friendly.

I did not expect much from the food since they were escorting customers to the restaurant and because of the free giant steak deal if you ate it all. Surprisingly, the restaurant was huge and very crowded. We had about a fifteen-minute wait.

We shared a very large ribeye steak and it was excellent! They also had craft beers in big mugs. We each had one as we were not driving nor navigating back to the campground. The Big Texan also has many flavors of gelato, which got my attention. However, my husband saw a piece of carrot cake he really wanted, so we shared a piece. The entire meal was wonderful and totally unexpected. A link to the website follows.

https://www.bigtexan.com

Big Texan Steak Ranch exterior — Big Texan

In conclusion, we had a fun and relaxing stay in Amarillo. Our next stop is Oklahoma City . Below is a link to that post.

SW Trip Stop #16, Oklahoma City Camping

SW Trip, Stop #13, Arches National Park in Moab

Moab, Utah was the most beautiful stop on this trip. Mere words cannot describe the splendor of Arches National Park!

Arches National Park

Arches National Park in Moab, Utah, is the most amazingly beautiful place I have ever seen. A climate of extreme temperatures coupled with water and ice over an underground salt bed for millions of years created this compelling, otherworldly environment. It continues to change today as erosion creates new arches and destroys others. The park has over 2,000 cataloged arches, but some at the minimum considered an arch, which is three feet. The largest arch is Landscape Arch and it is 306 feet.

Campground

We did not know what to expect for weather in Moab, so we waited for reasonably accurate weather predictions before making reservations. We were very early in the season and were able to stay at Pack Creek Campground. It is just outside the main commerce in Moab. Our site had water and electricity for only $30 a night. The bathhouse was clean and there were laundry facilities as well. https://packcreekcampground.com

T@G Teardrop Camper at campsite — Pack Creek Site

Our Visit to the Park

Arches National Park was not very crowded while we were there in early March and we were able to see it at a pace that was comfortable for us. An added bonus, it was a beautiful, warm, and sunny day. The Welcome Center had a very informative orientation film about the how the arches formed and the environment within the park. Most noteworth, there is a surprising amount of biodiversity in this magical place.

Woman in front of Arches National Park sign — So happy to be here!

Amazing Sights

Most of the photos below were taken from the road or from only a short walk. Park Avenue is a very popular stop and only requires minimal walking to see incredible sandstone formations.

Park Avenue at Arches National Park — Arches National Park

The La Sal Mountains are often in view at the park and add to the gorgeous landscape. There is a place to pull off the road and take photographs.

La Sal Mountains from Arches National Park — La Sal Mountains

I took the short hike to see the North and South Windows. It was a pretty easy hike, which enabled me to photograph the two windows and the Turret Arch. Turret is one of the younger arches. While my husband’s bad knee did to allow him to walk that distance, there was still much for him to see. The park map showed the hike to be .7 mile, but most was uphill. However, is worth the hike though, if you are up to it.

North and South Windows Arches National Park — North and South Windows

Turret Arch at Arches National Park — Turret Arch

Woman waving from Windows at Arches National Park — Hiking to the windows

A special parking area makes it very easy to view Courthouse Towers, a series of spires that extends to almost 5,000 feet from the desert floor. The Three Gossips and Sheep Rock are also easily seen from this spot. To give you an idea of scale, the Three Gossips are 350 feet tall.

Courthouse Towers at Arches National Park — Courthouse Towers

Three Gossips and Sheep Rock at Arches National Park — Three Gossips and Sheep Rock

Garden of Eden at Arches National Park — Garden of Eden

The Moab Fault, pictured below, is about twenty-eight miles long and runs along the west side of the park. Hence, it is a much studied fault.

Balanced Rock at Arches National Park — Balanced Rock

Desert Floor at Arches National Park — Desert Floor has organisms that can survive for years without water

Delicate Arch

Delicate Arch is the most famous in the park and can be viewed a number of ways. Especially relevant, the route that provides the best view is three miles on a difficult trail with an elevation gain of 480 feet. If I had made this hike, I would have been by myself and would also have left my husband waiting for a good bit of time. I passed on this option, but later discovered it was the only way to get a really good view of the arch.

However, the other two options are distant views of the arch. The upper viewpoint is a hike of half a mile and is moderately difficult with a rocky uphill route. I made that hike and it was not a walk in the park. The photo below was from the upper view. The lower viewpoint is even further away, so I was glad I was able to made the upper viewpoint.

Below, I centered on the Delicate Arch so you can see it better.

The distinctive shape of Delicate Arch has inspired nicknames of “Cowboy Chaps” and “Old Maid Bloomers”.

Wrap-up

In conclusion, our stop in Moab was everything we hoped and Arches National Park is our favorite National Park of this trip. It seemed the stars aligned and everything was fun and easy. My only regret is that we did not make this visit many years ago so we both could have hiked the more difficult trails.

Lastly, after a delicious breakfast at the Moab Diner, we left Moab and were headed in the direction of home for the rest of our trip. Next stop is Albuquerque, New Mexico. If you are interested in how we planned this trip, the following link has that information. Planning That First Long Trip

Safe Travels!

SWTrip, Stop # 12, Zion National Park

Zion National Park is a national treasure! We loved our stop in Hurricane, Utah, which is very near Zion National Park.

Zion National Park was high on our list of “must sees”. However, just driving into Utah was also an amazing sight. I expected it to be beautiful and it did not disappoint. Everywhere you look, there are amazing views.

The Campground

We stayed in Hurricane at our first KOA and it offered everything we needed. There was a large day room and we spent an evening in it watching a movie. It was good to have a place to sit comfortably for a couple of hours as it was too cold to be outside once the sun was down.

We liked the KOA. The cable and WiFi were weak, but everything was else was great.

KOA campsite at Hurricane UT — Hurricane Utah KOA

KOA Dayroom and Laundry — View from our campground

Zion National Park

Zion National Park was indeed gorgeous, but not exactly what I expected. There was no Visitor Center or restrooms inside the Park. However, there were a couple of porta potties at one spot. We did not go into the campground, so don’t know what it was like.

We discovered the Visitor Center is in Springdale, just outside the park. They were widening the road in Springdale and construction was everywhere with delays in being able to continue on the road. Interestingly, the website for Zion National Park showed lodging information with an average cost for a three star hotel room of $283. The hotels did not look impressive. Our campground site was $51 a night and quite close to the park. We certainly didn’t have the amenities of a hotel, but I am feeling that we are being quite economical!

Zion offers camping, canoeing, and hiking. My husband’s bad knee makes any significant walking a problem; so for us, it was the scenic drive through the park. There are many amazing sites that cannot be seen from the drive, but we waited too long to make this trip. Nonetheless, it was a gorgeous drive. Lastly, a link to the park follows. https://www.nps.gov/zion/index.htm

Amazing Sights

Zion National Park — Blue skies and gorgeous mountains

Lady Mountain at Zion National Park — Lady Mountain

Colorful mountain in Zion National Park — Amazing colors

There is a tunnel on the scenic drive that is 1.1 mile straight through the mountain. It was dark and a little creepy. I was happy when we made it to the other side. The photo below is not very good, but will give you an idea of how it was inside.

The tunnel at Zion National Park — Tunnel over 1 mile through mountain

Inside tunnel at Zion National Park — Inside the tunnel

An interesting fact, as you look down from higher elevations, the road does not contrast with the surrounding canyons because of its unique color.

Colored road at Zion National Park — My big guy in an amazing spot

View from Zion National Park — Great colors in this landscape

Woman standing in Zion National Park — A stop along the way

It would have been great to do some strategic hiking in Zion, but absent that, it was wonderful just to be able to see it. My photos turned out well, but to actually be there was so much more beautiful.

Pipe Spring National Monument

We actually just stumbled upon Pipe Spring after visiting Zion and did not want to go back through the park and all the construction in Springdale, so we went through Kanab. We had been driving through the Kaibab-Palute Reservation for awhile and when we saw the monument, were curious.

It turned out to be very interesting. In the late 1800s, the Mormons were settling the area and the fort was an outpost. The fortified ranch house was called Windsor Castle after Anson Windsor, the first ranch manager. There was two-story housing was on both sides of the fort and Ranger Bennjamin Pikyavit gave a guided tour. He showed everyone the rooms in the fort and explained how they were used.

Inside fort at Pipe Spring Monument — Pipe Spring Fort

Pipe Spring Monument upper level — Upper level of fort

Ranger Ben was an impressive man and he made the times come alive for me. He is a Vietnam veteran who has worked tirelessly to preserve the culture of his people. His tour and the film in the museum highlighted the culture clash that occurred between the Mormons, the United States Government, and the Native Americans in the area. There were also lots of exhibits and artifacts from earlier times.

Man and Park Ranger at Pipe Spring Monument — Ranger Ben

The Fort was very interesting. It covered the main spring in the area and was the site of significant butter and cheese production. There were bi-monthly deliveries to St. George for the workers who were building the new Mormon temple. The Mormons also had large amounts of cattle. Unfortunately, the land became overgrazed.

Painting of ranger in regalia — Ranger Ben in regalia

The visit to Pipe Spring was a vivid history lesson about this part of the country, how it was settled, and the impact on the Native Americans. It was well worth the visit. If you are old like me, it can be totally free with the National Parks Senior Pass.

In Closing

Hurricane was a great leg of our journey. The town was very close to Zion National Park with a good assortment of restaurants and shopping. We took the opportunity to get our oil changed while there. We have put so many miles on our SUV that it was needed.

Next stop, my most anticipated place, Moab! If you are interested in how we planned our trip, this link explains our process. Planning That First Long Trip

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