Camping and Retirement Blog - Page 16 of 18

Tampa, Stop #2 Hillsborough River State Park

Hillsborough River is a Florida State Park located about a half hour northeast of Tampa. It is a beautiful park with a “Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil” look with its gorgeous live oak trees and abundance of spanish moss.

Teardrop Left at Campground

We have family in Tampa and this trip was more about visiting them than camping. So, we decided to spend a couple of nights at their home. Therefore, we left Endeavor, our teardrop, all alone at Hillsborough River.

Link to park.

We set up our rug, awning, and chairs so it would look like we would return at any time. Teardrops are so light, it is easy for them to be stolen and we worried a little about being gone so long.

Our time with family was great and we did a lot of cool things in Tampa. I will cover those activities in a separate post.

On the afternoon before we left to return to the park, I received a disturbing message via Facebook Messenger. It went something like: “Ma’am, this is the Ranger in Charge at Hillsborough River. I need you to call me ASAP.” This freaked me out! My first though was that something had happened to our camper.

I called immediately and spoke with the ranger. He was concerned about us and said that several people had noticed that we had not been around. He wanted to be sure that we were okay. I thought it as really great that he went to the trouble of tracking us down to confirm that all was well.

Camping at Hillsborough River

We had two nights and one full day with Hillsborough River as home base. The river and a canoe launch was just across from our site, #32.

Hillsborough River empty campsite — River is beyond the trees

View of Hillsborough River from State Park — Hillsborough River

We sometimes camp with friends and play games at night. The above shelter would be nice for this as it is screened and would enable us to be protected from bugs. Bugs were not bad at all during our time at the park, but we were not outside with lights on for a long period.

We did not use some of the nice amenities. There is a very large pool, a cafe, and rentals for canoes and bikes. Also, there is a playground and several hiking trails.

One thing about Florida State Parks that I really like is that they have dishwashing stations with hot water. With our limited cooking, I loaded up our dirty dishes in a plastic bucket and carried them to the station for washing. With no sewer available, this was a lot easier than it is in parks without this option.

Our New Accessory

We were given a large, heavy-duty cot by our son’s girlfriend and we tried it out one beautiful morning. It was glorious laying on the very comfortable cot looking up at the gorgeous blue sky and amazing trees! The cot actually holds both of us.

Man laying on cot in Campground — Our new equipment—thanks Laura!

Spanish moss in trees — View from the cot

Road inside Hillsborough River State Park — Path to our site

In conclusion, we had a very relaxing stay at the campground and hope to visit it again. It is the most beautiful park I have visited in my limited camping experience. We are big fans of Florida State Parks. One tip, the bathhouse near site #77 is much newer and nicer than the one nearest site #32. However, we loved our site and think it would be a good one for bigger rigs as well.

Lastly, if you would like to follow our adventures, below is a link to our main page.

Retirement and teardrop camping!

HAPPY CAMPING!

Retired couple — Hanging out on the new cot

Tampa-Stop #1 Falling Waters State Park

Falling Waters State Park was a place to stay the night on our way to Tampa. It was the first of three Florida State Parks on this trip. The park has Florida’s tallest waterfall, which is 73 feet. A gristmill was powered by the waterfall during the Civil War.

Camping at Falling Waters

This trip was primarily to visit family in Tampa, but we did not want drive the ten-hours to get there in one day. Falling Waters State Park is roughly at the half-way point, which worked very well for us.

We reserved site #3 and were very happy with it. It was on a pull-through concrete slab and, for the first time, I parked us at our campsite. My husband is the back-up king and getting us installed at campsites has always been his job.

This was our first Florida State Park and we really liked it. It was a small campground, but very well-maintained. Typical of state parks we have visited, it has electrical and water, but no sewer or cable. There is an older bathhouse and two newer family bathrooms with heat. There is also a dishwashing area.

We did not disconnect from our tow vehicle as we were not leaving the park until the next morning. We had a late lunch in Dothan, Alabama, at the Thai House, so dinner was only minimal snacks. By the way, the food at Thai House was delicious.

Teardrop camper at Falling Waters campsite — Site #3 Falling Waters State Park

We removed items stored in the cabin and set them under the galley door to protect from moisture. We did not set up any tents, not even the privacy tent, as the bathhouse was very close. In the photo below, you can see the bathhouse from our site.

The Waterfall and Sinkhole

We had a couple of hours of daylight left, which we used to check out the waterfall and the sinkhole into which it flows. It was an easy walk to the waterfall with a path that was mostly level trail with an abundance of boardwalks along the way.

Trail to Falling Waters waterfall — Trail to the waterfall

Boardwalk at Falling Waters Campground — Boardwalks along the path

We had inquired if the waterfall had very much water and already knew it had been dry in the area and it was only a trickle, so it was not a disappointment. It was interesting to see it with the sinkhole below. It was certainly worth the pleasant walk to get there.

Waterfall at Falling Waters — The waterfall

The sign below reminded me that we are in Florida and alligators are everywhere. Not a pleasant thought when you think about getting up in the middle of the night and walking to the bathhouse. I kept my flashlight close.

Alligators have been known to attack humans

Our Evening

We showered when we arrived back at our camper and had some snacks, then we settled in for the night. We are off daylight savings time and it gets dark early. It was cool to be outside, but very comfortable in our camper.

We tested our little makeshift air antenna and were pleasantly surprised to see that it pulled in ten stations, all with a great picture. Of course, results would vary greatly by location. I like it because it is so small and easy to store and retrieve.

Air antenna on teardrop camper — Air antenna

There was a gentle rain most of the night. We had our fan vent slightly open but rain did not penetrate our cabin. We were warm and comfortable.

On the Road Again

The next morning, there was very little to do before leaving as we were having breakfast on the road. Next stop, Hillsborough River State Park, which is in the Tampa area. This link will take you to our main page if you would like to follow our adventures.

HAPPY CAMPING

Camping: Hiawassee and Herman’s Hermits!

Camping in Hiawassee

Our very first camping trip in our trailer was last October with friends who are long-term campers. This trip to Hiawassee was with most of the members from the same group and also planned by my good camping friend, Peggy.

Herman’s Hermits

A few of us arrived a day early to visit the Georgia Mountain Fair and see Peter Noone and Herman’s Hermits perform. I must admit, I did not have high expectations. I have seen several bands from my youth perform and am not usually impressed. The Hermit’s were amazing and Noone is an excellent entertainer. He still sounded pretty good and did all the band’s hits, as expected. Surprisingly, he was also very funny. He did a Johnny Cash song too, which sounded just like the man in black. The performance was in a heated building with seating and was included in the $12 price of admission to the fair. I am so glad we were able to make that performance. We had hamburgers at the fair before the concert. It was a great start to our trip.

We were at Site #39 at Bald Mountain Camping Resort for four nights. Our site was beside a babbling brook, so we were able to sleep with those wonderful water sounds. The site was shady with full hook ups, cable, and very slow WiFi. The rate was $45 a night, but they do offer a 10% Good Sam Discount. It is a pretty campground and we really enjoyed our time there. The park has a swimming pool, paddle boats, and a mini golf course. It was too cold for swimming, but we did play putt putt and the course was pretty nice.

Evenings at the Campground

Dinner our last three nights was at different campsites with everyone contributing. We had some very fine meals! After dinner, we played games a couple of times in a friend’s Class A camper. It was very roomy and it was nice to be able to play inside. We do appreciate the amenities of the large rigs!

One couple in our group was having their Airstream renovated during the trip and they rented one of the cabins. They are really cute, basically like a tiny house. It was very compact, but would easily sleep a family of four.

Tiny cabin at Bald Mountain Camping Resort — Our friends and one of the tiny cabins

Brasstown Bald

Day two, we visited Brasstown Bald, a National Forest and Georgia’s highest point at 4,784 feet. We were hoping our trip would include the turning of the leaves, but most were still green. It was still quite lovely. From the top, you can see four states, Georgia, Tennessee, North Carolina and South Carolina. There are stuffed black bears and animated Android park rangers in the Visitor Center. It was a little bit of Disney special effects in the forest.

Animated park ranger reminiscing about the good ole days

Helen, Georgia

We visited nearby Helen, Georgia, on our last day. Oktoberfest was in full force. There was live music and lots to see and do. We had a delicious German lunch at Holfbrauhaus.

Lunch at Hofbrauhaus, a local German Restaurant

This trip was very special because we were there with good friends. We were also blessed with great weather. We were able to sleep with the window slightly open, warm under our electric blanket and listen to the sounds of the water behind our site. Camping in Hiawassee was very good for us. It doesn’t get any better than this!

Happy Camping!

No Toilet in Our Teardrop and How We Adapted

A bathroom was on our list of “must haves” for a camper. We ultimately purchased the NuCamp T@G for many good reasons, but having no toilet required a major adaptation on my part.

Purchase of Camper with No Toilet

I am a newly-retired, former accounting professional, newbie camper who has never been particularly outdoorsy. We wanted to give camping a try, but did not initially consider campers with no toilets. I felt that having no toilet was just too much sacrifice. However, we settled on our T@G, which has no toilet. We chose it because it fits in our basement and is easily pulled by our tow vehicle.

For some readers, this post may be TMI, but I would have liked to have read something like this when we first considered our camper and in the early days of our camping.

The biggest challenge for me would be to adapt to very uncertain and varied bathroom options. I was not worried about showering at campsites, but I was worried about how I would handle getting up in the middle of the night, which happens often.

We have been on nine camping trips to ten different campsites and I can honestly say that I am far more comfortable with camping in our T@G, but it has been a process.

Worst Nightime Experience

This occurred on our first camping trip. On the first night, I had a flashlight handy and had checked out the bathhouse location in the daylight, so felt I was as ready as I could be for my nocturnal trip. The bathhouse was down a trail with a couple of turns. It was well-lit, so I had no trouble finding it. Coming back, I took a wrong turn and ended up in a different area. I could have wandered around for quite awhile, but recognized one of our friend’s campers, which helped me navigate to ours.

The next night I used a five-gallon bucket filled with kitty litter and topped with a toilet lid. (This was our very low-tech solution.) It was in a tent on our campsite and was far better than hiking in the woods. Despite the convenience, I did not like the cleanup.

New Strategy—Camp Near a Restroom

This strategy actually worked very well! Compared to hiking through the woods, walking a short distance to a bathhouse you could see from your campsite was easy. I stayed with this strategy through several camping trips and will use it again whenever it is a good option.

It was not a good option on a trip with a group of our friends. We booked our sites early and they had prime spots. I chose not to stay in their area because it was not near a restroom. Our area was not as shady as theirs, had far more bugs, and we were not able to be where the action was with them. This got me to thinking another option was needed.

Next Strategy—A Porta Potty

A friend had been suggesting that I get a porta potty since we began camping, but I had been resisting. Concerned that dealing with cleanup would be gross, but ready to give it a try, I bought one on line. Also, having discovered that we did not always have the option to set up a tent, we bought a privacy tent.

I was also a little bit intimidated about how they worked. However, I will go into some detail here for those who may be unfamiliar with them. The one we purchased seems pretty standard. There is a top section where water is stored for flushing and a bottom section for waste. We also use holding tank deodorant and it works very well; there is no unpleasant smell.

Disassembled porta potty — Disassembled Porta Potty

Our Setup

The photo above shows the potty we purchased disassembled. Upon arrival at campsite you just fill the section on the right with water and the attach it to the section on the left. Then toss in one of the deodorant packs into the bottom section. When utilizing it, you pull out the lever on the bottom and when finished, you press the waffle valve on the top to flush. You then close the lever on the bottom.

Cleanup was not bad at all. My husband volunteered to handle it, but as I am the primary user, I felt I should do it. It was far easier to use and clean than I feared. The assembled product is below.

This gave me such flexibility! I no longer worried about being near the restrooms. We always brought the new equipment when we were uncertain about the closeness of campsite facilities, though sometimes we did not take it out of the box. We could camp at the best sites with our friends. Our little privacy tent goes up and down very easily and we were set.

Porta potty in privacy tent — Privacy tent/toilet

You would think that with our new equipment and my adaptation to using them that having a camper with no toilet would be a non-issue. However, we have encountered one other situation that is not resolved. Here is a link to a tent identical to the one we purchased.

The No Tents Dilemma

We recently camped with friends at a beautiful RV Resort. Upon arrival, we learned that no tents were allowed, not even a privacy tent. I raised it a couple of times with management and they were not budging. We were not near a restroom, but we were only there a couple of nights. We were with friends and I decided to just make the best of it. It was a pretty far hike for the middle of the night, but it was well-lit and easy to navigate. Fortunately, my previous trips trekking to restrooms has made me flexible about nightime walks.

Summary

The fact that our camper has no toilet is no longer a big deal. I could not have said this at the beginning of this journey. We love our T@G and the economy it brings to our camping trips. For those who are first considering camping with no toilet, I offer the following recommendations:

Be open to new experiences. If you want to adapt, I believe you can. Also, this is camping, not luxury travel. It has its own kind of special beauty, but it is not primarily about the comfort.
Remember that you are getting a lot on the plus side with a teardrop. Light, easy towing and the ability to conveniently store in your garage. That was worth a lot to us.
Always look for the close restroom option when it works for you. No bathroom to clean at all; how cool is that?
Don’t wait to get a porta potty. They are easy to set up, use, and break down.
When booking campsites, always get a clear understanding of any restrictions related to tents. I suspect this would be primarily related to RV resorts. You may want to go anyway, but it is a good idea to know what to expect.
Enjoy your camper and embrace new adventures!
We now have a camping resources page for new campers. You might want to check it out.

Happy Camping!

Retirement Year 1: Unexpected Health Issues

We often hear that you should retire when you are relatively young so you will have good years to travel and enjoy retirement. However, there are no guarantees.

Retirement Expectations

Everyone knows as you get older, you are more likely to have health issues. I retired this year with goals of traveling and adopting a very heathy lifestyle as primary motivations for leaving the workforce. I loved working, but wanted to do so many other things. “Life is short, even in the longest days” to quote John Mellencamp. (Great song, by the way)

Our year started great, with both of us feeling good with trips to the gym each weekday. Our days were slow and leisurely. We had more time with family and to do those things around the house that we were always postponing. We planned trips in our tiny trailer and worked on ways to make it more functional. I began writing this blog.

Mild Health Issues

Just three weeks into the year, I developed a respiratory infection that kept reoccurring and then I got the flu. I was sick for three months with three separate episodes of fever over 101. There were times when I was getting better-before the times I was getting worse. During those better times, we were able to take a couple of preplanned trips, but had to cancel one. But I was not really well during any of this time and it was very frustrating. I felt like I would never be back to where I was before getting sick. Finally, a diagnosis of mild intermittent ashma and it came as a relief. Hopefully, next time I am sick I will be able to get medications to make me well.

We really love to travel. We bought our camper because it allowed us to travel as often as we liked because it is so inexpensive. While we did a good bit of traveling this year, we did not plan any big or long trips. My husband has a knee that has been very painful for several years. Many have told him how much knee replacement changed their quality of life. We planned for this to be the year to take care of that knee, so we spent a lot of time pursuing a knee replacement for him.

Seeking Knee Replacement

His orthopedic surgeon identified vein issues in his leg, which is why his leg always swells. The veins increase his risk of a blood clot with knee replacement, but the risk is less if the vein issue is addressed.

A vascular surgeon assessed him and an ultrasound identified a vein in his leg with a defective valve, technically called Venus Insufficiency. It allowed blood to flow down into his leg, but not back up. The pooling of blood in his leg caused it to swell. We scheduled an ablation procedure to stop blood from flowing into that vein. We did not expect a long, painful recovery time and we would schedule the knee replacement after vein surgery recovery.

My husband had the surgery and went home with no issues. He was also doing very well in his follow up visit.

An Unexpected Outcome

However, he had extreme pain in his chest a few days later and was spitting up blood. The E/R visit confirmed blood clots in his lungs (pulmonary embolism) and in his leg. This was a very serious complication and very painful. He had to stay in the hospital for three days while they administered heparin, a blood thinner, intravenously. They also had to manage his pain, which was very intense.

During the time in the E/R and the first day or so at the hospital, we were both very scared. We could not be certain a clot had not gone to his heart, which can be deadly. He hurt so bad, I think he must have felt he was dying. It was so hard to watch and not be able to stop it. They gave him very strong painkillers, but they only mildly relieved the pain.

Prayers of many were answered and he was remarkably better by the time we left the hospital and continues to get better every day. His lungs sustained some damage, but his doctors expect minimal impact when they heal.

Going Forward

I also have had some new health issues: a high heart rate during exercising and dizziness after working out. For awhile, I feared that something was wrong with my heart, but recent tests have not identified any issues. I still do not know the specific cause of my symptoms, but thankfully it is not related to my heart.

My husband and I have been sicker this year than we have ever been. It makes me acutely aware of the frailty of life. I am so grateful that we are now looking at full recovery from his recent health issues, though it is uncertain if he will be able to have the knee replacement surgery. I would love for him to get his knee fixed, but his life is more important than his mobility.

We have been married for thirty-one years and are fortunate they were very healthy years. This is our first year with so much illness but at this stage of our life, there is no doubt we will have others. I do not look forward to the sickness part of our marriage vow, but will definitely want to be there for that part as well.

Carpe Diem

Carpe diem is Latin for “seize the day”. It used in literature and poetry to urge one make the most of the present. It is especially relevant to me at this point in life.

Recent health issues have shown me not want to take anything for granted. I cherish each day that I can spend with my husband and our family. We may have many more good years or it could all come to a grinding halt in a heartbeat. We do not know the future, but should live each day knowing that it will not go on forever. I will try to do that.

First Year Summary and T@G Modification

Year one of camping is under our belts! We bought a new T@G MAX XL and it was pretty much good to go. However, we have made a few modifications.

First Year in our T@G

We purchased our teardrop, a T@G MAX XL, in September 2016. So, it has been a year now since we became teardroppers. Being new to camping in general and never previously having owned any type of camper. We learned a lot in this first year and have implemented T@G modification. Additionally, in the past year, our camper has been towed 3,430 miles on eight camping trips to five different states (AL, GA, FL, TN, & AR).

There were not any exceptionally long trips this first year for two reasons: 1) we had to figure out what we were doing and 2) we are actively working toward a knee replacement for my husband and it precludes long trips planned well in advance. Our longest trip lasted a week. We expect much longer trips next year.

Our T@G is really well-designed and is comfortable and functional, despite its size, but we did make a few minor changes.

1) Removal of the Headboard:

We had our dealer remove the headboard at the time of purchase. My husband is 6’3″ and he really needs the extra space. The headboard was nice, but comfort trumped utility in this instance. He is able to sleep very comfortably with this T@G modification.

2) DVD Light-Blocking Panel

My big guy cannot stand any light while sleeping and the light on the DVD player is quite bright. One of the first things he did was to make a panel to block the light. It attaches with Velcro and works very well. This T@G modification may appeal to those sensitive to light while trying to sleep.

3) Head Protection, Cabin and Galley

My husband’s height has caused some pain on a couple of occasions because the open shelving over the head of the bed had some hard edges. Bumping his head motivated him to look for a solution. He installed foam padding attached with glue strips. There have been no injuries since this was done.

He also shortened the length of the hex studs on the galley door. They were longer than necessary and he had scraped his head on them before the mod.

4) Greywater Drain Access

Having to crawl around on the ground to attach the hose to drain water from the sink was not one of my favorite things. A lady on one of the teardrop Facebook groups posted that she has a solution to provide easy access and I immediately requested the modification for our camper. Her solution was lower to the ground. We raised ours upon the recommendation of a plumber so it would be less likely to get caught on a curb or on uneven terrain.

5) License Plate Holder

The original way the holder was mounted was flimsy and hung low to the ground. One of the first things we did was to purchase a black plastic tag holder and mount it appropriately 1 1/2″ higher to the lower frame using the existing screws.

6) Naming the teardrop

We had no idea how camping would be for us and did not have a name for the trailer initially. After a little experience, we named it Endeavor and had the name installed on the back. There is an older post that describes the naming process and installation.

7) Inexpensive and easy air antenna

We purchased an air antenna at the time we got our camper and tried to use it several times. It did not do a great job, but we were often not in high reception areas. I saw a post on a Facebook teardrop group a where a gentleman was using a co-axel cable about 6″long to attach to the cable receptacle with the outer insulation stripped off by about 2.5″. It worked fairly well the one time we tried it and is more compact than the one we purchased. I am not sure how useful it will be as reception is not usually strong at campsites, but I like its simplicity.

8) Memory Foam Cover

As many campers have suggested, we installed a memory foam cover over the mattresses Ours is a 2″ cover and we also use a mattress pad for comfort and an added layer of separation from the memory foam itself for allergy reasons. It has made our bed quite comfortable. I don’t think the mattresses alone would have been adequate.

T@G Modification Reversal

We had a diffuser over the air conditioner because the constant blowing of air directly on us was annoying. It was a plastic traylike apparatus that was rather flimsy and stuck out quite a bit. However, we seemed to have more issues with condensation using it and it was an obstacle to be avoided. I managed to knock it down and break it the second trip it was used and we decided to not replace it.

Under Consideration

My tall husband has to stoop when under the galley. We checked with our dealer about the possibility of adding the Outback wheels to raise the overall height. This would get us electric brakes as well. It is a little pricey, but the bigger issue was a concern about the width and getting it into our garage. We still may do this at a later date.

Summary

In conclusion, our first year in Endeavor was wonderful and we have not make a lot of changes. We are happy with our T@G modification. Looking forward to year two!

With Family at the Beach in Redington Shores

This is not my usual camping or travel post and as such, therefore, it will not be posted to camping sites. This post is to capture some wonderful memories with family at the beach. If you happen upon this post, there are some photos of some beautiful sunsets and some great times with family.

Redington Shores Opportunity

Our son, Shawn, and his girlfriend, Laura, rented a condo at North Redington Shores, Florida, for Labor Day weekend. What could be better than being with family at the beach? They offered us one of the extra bedrooms and Laura’s mom and her boyfriend the other. We really enjoy Laura’s mom and was just meeting her friend, Jack, who was fun to be around too. We had a wonderful time with them all.

Most of our past beach trips have been in the panhandle while we have never spent time on the eastern Florida coastline. Redington Shores is in the Pinellas Park area and very nice. It was not especially crowded considering it was Labor Day weekend. The beach was nice and well-maintained.

The condo, the Ram Sea, is right on the beach and the unit we were in was nice because it was newly-remodeled. Below is a photo of our bedroom. This was not tiny trailer camping!

With Family at the Beach

Shawn and Laura were outstanding hosts. Laura cooked us big, delicious breakfasts, venison stew, and baked ziti. They had an abundance of Cuban sandwiches and fried stuffed potatoes (a delicacy with meat in the center).

We were blessed with a beautiful sunset our first evening. The sun sets directly over the water and it is an incredible sight. We used it for a photo opportunity.

Foremost, this trip was about relaxing on the beach. Shawn and Laura love spending all day on the beach because they do it with maximum comfort. They put up two tents with chairs for each of us, plus snacks and adult beverages. So relaxing! My husband is not a big lover of the beach, so I am not accustomed to this much time and comfort. Greg would hang out with us for awhile each day and then head for the condo. He was a really good sport about it.

With family at the beach — Relaxing under the tent

The condominium also has a nice pool that we enjoyed as well.

Food and Entertainment

We also had dinner out a couple of times. Our favorite was Seabreeze Island Grill because it had delicious grilled grouper and fantastic drinks. We were also joined by Rose’s sister, Josie and her husband, Ross. They were fun and we have a good bit in common; they are dancers. After dinner, we played a game that was new to me, Rummy Royal. Fun!

We spent four nights at the Ram Sea and I loved every minute of it. It was great being with Shawn and Laura and her family were incredible. Also, the weather was perfect with the exception of some hours of rain one day.

Ironically, the very next weekend the area was under extreme threat because of Hurricane Irma. I am so glad that the worst case scenario did not occur.

In conclusion, we loved our time with family at the beach!

Camping Etiquette, How to be a Considerate Camper

As a relatively new camper, I want to be a good neighbor to my fellow campers. I posted a request for dos and don’ts on a couple of large camping groups on Facebook and received many comments. Most are on existing lists, but there are a few that I have not seen published.

Camping Etiquette

My background is in accounting and auditing and I am very much a rule-follower, but my husband is just the opposite. He, on the other hand, is very charming and gets away with a lot. 😏 Camping etiquette, however, is about being a good neighbor, which we both want to be.

The list below is not in the order of importance. I think if you had ten people rank the list, you would get many variations. I have tried to organize the information into just a few categories. Also, remember to observe and obey the rules at your particular campground.

Respect Your Neighbor’s Space

This was the area where I received the most feedback. Do not run, walk, or bike across an occupied site. Also,do not allow pets or children to invade the area. Lastly, do not block access to the site. These were all mentioned multiple times in the feedback I received. Park in the middle of your campsite or in such a way that you allow neighbors on both sides adequate space.

Control Noise

Respect quiet hours, generally from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. Run generators only in the daytime. Keep music at low levels that extend only to your campsite. Use quiet voices, especially when arriving late. Don’t leave outdoor TV on when not there and don’t leave outdoor speakers on when inside. At night, don’t slam doors and double click remote door locks if horn beeps. Don’t let diesel engines idle unnecessary.

Fires

Always thoroughly put out fires before going to bed or leaving. Be sure to have enough water to ensure fire is out. Do not leave fires unattended. Do not burn trash, plastic, or styrofoam as this creates very unpleasant odors. Build fires only in designated areas and not where it will allow smoke to drift to open windows. Do not allow cigarette to smoke go into campsites of others. (In the responses I received, it was acknowledged that controlling where the smoke goes can be difficult.)

Don’t bring firewood from other areas as this may bring non-native insects that can devastate an area. I did not previously know the reasons for this; it is always good to know the why.

Clean and Tidy

Keep hoses, power lines, and sewer lines as close to your rig as possible for groundskeeping. Keep your campsite neat and tidy and don’t let trash accumulate around your site. Don’t use the fire ring as a garbage can. Clean up after yourself in bathrooms.

Leave your campsite clean for the next camper. Do not leave garbage or cigarette butts behind. Put everything back to original spots if moved.

Water Issues

Don’t wash dishes in the bathhouse. Don’t take longer than necessary showers if others as waiting. Appropriately dispose of grey water.

These next items are a bit unfamiliar to me as we have a teardrop, but I am including for those who have a black water tank. Don’t dump at campsite that does not have full hook-ups; use dump station. Don’t dump while neighbors are eating. Don’t leave black water tank valve open at full hook-up site as it can result in a “pyramid of poo”. I don’t know exactly how that works, but it sounds really bad.

Lights

Turn off lights when going to bed, generally during quiet hours. Do not leave outside lights on overnight. Many people mentioned lights left on at night as an issue, though often they specified bright or LED lights.

When arriving late or departing early, use lowlights. If setting up or tearing down in the dark, use flashlights.

Children

Teach children to be respectful of others and their camping space. Teach them to not leave bikes, toys, etc. in the road. Don’t let them over utilize the bandwidth by excessive use of the Internet.

Don’t use bad language that children can hear. Also, keep in mind that children are there to have fun.

Pets

Keep pets on a leash and limit barking. Clean up after your pets and do not allow them into the campsites of others. Don’t leave a barking dog at a campsite. Do not walk your dog during quiet hours, which causes all other dogs in the area to bark. Don’t wash pet bedding in public washers unless you intend to clean them after you have used them.

Interactions with Neighbors

Greet neighbors and be friendly and polite. With new arrivals, give them time to set up before going to talk to them. However, do offer help if it appears it is needed. Be friendly, but do not overstay when talking as walking by. Leave any leftover firewood you may have for the next camper or give it to a neighbor. Share excess goodies if you have them.

Wildlife

Lastly, don’t feed the wildlife. They remember where they have been fed and will come back for more. The results can be a nuisance to others and may also be dangerous.

Summary

Many people mentioned the Golden Rule and just being considerate and respectful of others, which is at the heart of camping etiquette. We are all in very close proximity in a campground and our behavior can significantly impact others and their ability to enjoy their vacations. I prefer to know the things that can irritate others so I can be as considerate as possible.

The items in this post originated from comments from camping groups and multiple camping etiquette documents. I hope you will find this post above camping etiquette useful! If you would like to read about our camping adventures, please follow this link.

Enjoy Camping and Your Neighbors!

Camping and a Total Eclipse of the Sun

This trip included a solar eclipse, two waterfalls, two campgrounds, more cooking than I have ever done while camping, a fabulous play, and lots of games with some wonderful friends.

A Campground for the Eclipse

A good friend proactively booked us a campsite in the path of totality for the solar eclipse that occurred on August 21st. We viewed the eclipse from Deer Run RV Resort in Crossville, Tennessee. The campground was packed with moon gazers, but very nice.

We scored a couple of the last available sites and they were great, except for being in full sun. Temperatures were in the upper 80s and we really felt the impact. Our 10×10 screen room and a new awning were utilized this trip, more equipment than is typically used. It was great having the shade, but putting the screen room up and down in full sun was miserable. We have decided that summertime camping in the South is not for us. (Looking for recommendations for summer camping locations that are not hot.)

Deer Run has full hookups, a beautiful lake, swimming pool, and very nice bathhouse. It was more expensive than the state parks we usually visit, but we received a 10% Good Sam discount. It also has a restaurant and grocery store with limited options.

The Eclipse

The eclipse was the big event for this trip and it was amazing. The full process of the eclipse lasted about three hours and I expected it to be gradually getting darker until fully dark and then gradually lighter. Wrong! We were viewing the sun through the special glasses and could clearly see the moon as it blocked the sun, but it remained very bright outside until the sun was completely blocked. I did get an interesting photo (below) of gravel with sunlight coming through the trees that showed the crescent shape of the sun. The coolest part, of course, was the two minutes of total eclipse. It was like nighttime and the temperature dropped significantly. The two minutes went by very quickly and then it looked like normal daytime again.

Sunlight through trees during total eclipse — Sunlight Through Trees During Eclipse

Falls Creek State Park

Crossville is near Fall Creek Falls State Park and we went to see the waterfall and walk across the hanging suspension bridge. The area was beautiful, but the waterfall did not pack very much power and bridge was very shaky. We sat around for awhile and watched people trying to coaxe their dogs to walk across. The dogs were not interested! Lunch at Gaul’s Gallery Restaurant in the park was excellent. It had the best banana pudding I have ever had at a restaurant.

Entertainment and Food

While in Crossville, we saw the play, “Lying in State”, at the Cumberland County Playhouse. It was a hilarious political satire with flawless performances by the cast. The theatre is a “must see” for visitors to Crosssville and people come from all over to visit.

Most of our Crossville time was at the campground. We spent an afternoon in the pool and played games with our friends most evenings in the 10x 10. It was very nice to be outside with lights on and not be overrun by bugs. I cooked a couple of dinners while there and omelettes one morning. The teardrop galley did well overall, but it was very hot cooking in the evenings. Crossville camping was four nights.

Camping in Gadsden

The second leg of our trip was in Gadsden, Alabama, at the River Country Campground. This time we were right on the river with a gorgeous view and afternoon shade. There was a downside though; the campground does not allow tents, not even my small privacy tent. It would not have mattered if the bathhouse had not been about three blocks away. Therefore, our campsite was very simple, but it was pretty. How could it not be with that view?

Camper with no toilet — Site P12 at River Country

While in Gadsden, we visited nearby Noccalula Falls, which bears the legend of an Indian princess who jumped to her death over a tall ledge because she could not marry her true love. Her father had promised her in marriage to one from another tribe.

The park was lovely with beautiful landscaping, a quaint little train, a Pioneer Village and a petting zoo with a lioness. It was a relaxing and inexpensive way to spend a few hours.

River Country Campground has the nicest pool area of any campground we have ever visited. There are actually three pools: an infinity pool, regular pool, and kiddie pool. The infinity pool is right next to the river, which creates a striking effect. We spent a very peaceful afternoon at the pools and then had a delicious dinner at Top O the River.

River Country RV Resort Infinity Pool — River Country Infinity Pool

We loved the time with our friends at both campgrounds. The distant bathhouse at River Country was not fun when I had to get up in the middle of the night, but the amazing view was worth it.

Lessons Learned:

Our cooking equipment needed to be updated. We inherited our son’s camping utinsels, which are geared to cooking over a campfire. Recently, we purchased some items more suited to our cooking methods.
We love, love, love our KingKamp awning. It was easy to set-up and provided much needed shade.
It is just too hot to camp in the South during the summer months. We will have to find cooler areas to visit.
We should confirm the tent policy for future camping at commercial campgrounds. Better to know before you go.

If you would like to follow our adventures, please click the following link.

Happy Camping!

Packing for Camping-Our Process

The smaller the camper, the more important it is to be organized and have needed items in a place that is predictable and easily accessible. We have now been on several camping trips and have a process that works for us.

Packing for Camping

Approximately once a month, we take a camping trip. To simplify our packing for camping, we try to keep as much equipment as we can packed in some manner so it is always ready to go. For example:

Under the Bed-Extension cords, co-axiel cable, television antenna, awning, a few long tools that will not fit in our toolbox, charcoal, umbrella, 30/50 amp converter, nylon cord, and extra flashlight are kept under the bed in the camper and are always ready to go.
Inside the Cabin-Hanging shoe bags are attached to the wall on each side of the bed. A laundry bag and manuals are in a cabinet. A flashlight for getting up in the middle of the night is in the space between the bed and wall. These items are always there and ready to go.
In the Galley-The galley always has some basic items: dish cloths and towels, salt and pepper, basic spices, olive oil, a small coffee pot, toaster, small garbage can and trash liners, small flashlight, lighter, wet wipes, Saran Wrap, aluminum foil, bug spray, dish drainer mat, scrubber, tire gauge, wet wipes and hand sanitizer. We also keep our 30/15 converter on a shelf in the galley because we always hook our camper up to our home power before trips.
In a Footlocker- All the dishes that we might use for cooking are stored in a large plastic footlocker. This includes plates, utensils, glasses, bowls, skillet, pan, etc. The only extra we sometimes bring is a crockpot or small grill, but that is only if there is a specific plan to use it.

Galley Storage

When leaving for a trip, we use the galley area to store items needed to hook up. We put the electrical cord and water hoses there, plus the hand tool for the camper stabilizers. We also strap gallon containers of water to the cabinet and store a foam rubber that rug we always use behind the galley. Those items are readily available when we arrive at our campsite.

Cabin Storage

We always transport the footlocker, rectangular table, small blower bucket, and small folding table in the cabin of the camper.

Packing for Camping T@G cabin — Items Transported in Cabin

Tow Vehicle Storage

We use the back of our SUV to store food, chairs, a rug and whatever optional equipment we are taking. We have a 10×10 screen room, EZ tent, porta potty, and privacy tent. If the trip is more geared to sightseeing or we are at a site for less than 2-3 days, we do not set up a tent or screen room. If we are very near a restroom, we leave the porta potty at home.

With most camping items pre-packed, I spend most of my trip preparation on determining what food to bring and what clothes to pack. We store food that does not require refrigeration in three covered bins. One bin is always prepacked with dishwashing liquid, a small bottle of laundry detergent, tablecloths/clips, and coffee filters and the other two have specific food for the trip. There is also a bin for tools–my husband likes to be prepared.

We each pack a small suitcase and take a pre-packed bath bag with toiletries. We have found that it works better to use the backseat of our SUV for personal items. They are always in the same spot, therefore, it is easier to locate needed items. My husband’s items are on one side of the backseat and mine the other. We each use the floorboard for extra shoes, hats, etc. Also, we generally transport a small ice chest in the middle and a couple of lanterns in the floorboard.

Packing for camping SUV backseat — Back Seat of SUV

Length of Trip

Our longest trip so far has been a week. We have discussed much longer trips and the plan for those is not very different from our packing for camping today. For those longer trips, we would just do laundry and buy groceries while traveling. I can’t wait to try out this theory! (This link is to a post for planning our first long trip)

Packing for camping takes effort, but for me, prepacking and organization makes it easier. I am sure that most seasoned campers have methods that work for them and may be quite different from what I have described, but this is what works for us.

HAPPY PACKING!