Camping and Retirement Blog - Page 3 of 16

Changes, Retirement Year Five

Many Changes

Year five of retirement was kind to us. Looking back through 2021 photos emphasized that thought for me. It was a year of changes and some challenges, but those changes enhanced our year and our lives. The Covid pandemic that began in 2020 kept us isolated early in the year, with the exception of camping. However, the Moderna vaccine enabled us to be around people more, starting in May.

A Puppy, Our Biggest Change

Our sweet Sophie came into our lives right at the end of 2020 and became our obsession for 2021. We have not had a dog in decades and never one so fully integrated into our lives. However, it was quickly clear that we did not correctly anticipate the amount of work a puppy would bring.

We had many challenging moments. Potty training was certainly not easy. Puppy biting was not fun. But she is now well over a year old and is the sweetest thing.

One of our changes, a puppy — Our puppy, Sophie

Sophie is very smart and has gone through a couple of training courses, Basic Obedience and Impulse Control. She did a great job at Love Them, Train Them. Our greatest challenge today is that she is still excitable when people come into our home and there is way too much trying to jump on them.

One thing that made our life much easier as puppy parents was having a portion of our yard fenced. It gives her a place to run around when she gets the zoomies and we don’t have to watch her every moment she is outside.

Sophie is a great little traveler. She loves riding in the car and we discovered she especially likes being on a boat. We rented a pontoon boat in Carabelle on one of our trips and she was so happy. We will seek out more boating opportunities in the future.

More Changes, A Much Bigger Camper

Last year, we were content with out T@B 400 trailer. It had all the basic comforts in a size that could fit into any campground. We camped in it for three years, but having a dog in that tiny camper was a different story.

After a six-week trip covering over 6 thousand miles, we were happy to welcome our new and much larger Lance 2075 trailer. It is a good size for our now larger family and we feel it is a real beauty. It’s definitely not as cute as the 400, but is so comfortable in our new puppy world.

Changes in our camper — New Lance 2075 Trailer

Last Major Change, a New Truck

So we got a puppy and then felt we had to get a bigger camper. Once we had the bigger camper, we felt we needed a stronger tow vehicle. Though vehicles were scarce, we located a Ram 2500 diesel. It does a much better job of pulling our Lance than our SUV. An added bonus, we traded my husband’s 2016 Camaro convertible that was mostly sitting in the garage for an excellent amount. Win/win!

Changes with a new tow vehicle — Ram 2500, Our last big chance in 2021

Travel in 2021

We were fortunate to be able to take some wonderful trips in this year five of retirement, including two long ones. Our longest trip was out west to The Great Plains, Our Summer Trip in 2021. We were in our T@B 400 and it was tight with the pup, but we managed. We camped in six new states and visited four national parks and many national monuments. It was an extraordinary trip!

Our Lance arrived in August and in time for our other big trip, Lance Shake Down Trip was a Long One. This time we were headed northeast and we were on the road for three and a half weeks. The Lance made it much more comfortable. That trip included three new states, Niagara Falls, and the Roosevelt Museum and Library. That trip made nine new states for us in 2021.

We also took four smaller trips to meet friends in our T@B camping group and two shorter trips to Florida. Needless to say, we love to travel!

Family

I am happy to say that one constant in this fifth year of retirement was family. Though Covid was still an issue, vaccinations enabled us to spend more time with them. We are very grateful that our immediate family remained healthy and prosperous in this year.

Though they live in another state, we are happy we were able to visit our son and daughter-in-law a couple of times. They are well and recently purchased a new home.

Lori and Mitch live fairly close to us and we were able to freely see them once vaccinations were available. They had a good year overall, but Lori got the flu and we were unable to see them for Christmas. The photo below was taken on Memorial Day.

Angie and Steven live relatively close to us and we are happy we are able to spend time with them. The photo below was taken at a celebration of Steven’s birthday.

The photo below is our granddaughter, Kayla, and her family. It was also taken at our house on Memorial Day. Who knew that Memorial Day would be our big get together with photos? They are all doing well and also moved into a new home this year. I am happy that it is just a few miles from us.

I don’t have photos of several of our grandchildren from 2021. We did get to see them, but sadly, we did not take any photos.

Dancing

Dancing was a major part of our retirement life prior to the pandemic. But we danced only a couple of times this past year and none last year. It was so good to dress up and finally get out and see our dance friends.

In Conclusion

I am grateful for so many positive changes in our lives this last year! We are really enjoying the new trailer and tow vehicle. Our sweet puppy was a wonderful, though sometimes challenging change. She is such a joy!

Our family remained healthy overall, which is vitally important in a year where COVID harmed so many. For that, we are very grateful.

Though we are certainly getting older, we remained relatively healthy and able to travel. Every day with my sweet husband is a blessing! We were able to see some incredible parts of our country and meet lots of interesting people. Also, we were blessed to be able to connect with friends.

Lookin forward to 2022 and year six!

December Camping with Friends, 2021

December Camping

December was a great end to our 2021 camping year. We camped with Southeastern Tabs, Tags, and Friends (SETTF) at two great campgrounds, Stephen C. Foster State Park in Fargo, Georgia and Silver Springs State Park in Ocala, Florida. We were also joined for a couple of days by two of our dance friends who formerly lived near us. It was so wonderful seeing everyone!

Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge

Stephen C Foster State Park is located within the wildlife refuge. It is a small, but well- maintained Georgia State Park. Though we now have a much bigger camper, there was plenty of room on our site.

December camping at Stephen C Foster State Park — Site # 30

We were only there for two nights. Our friends spent their days paddling the rivers, but we didn’t think our shoulder issues would allow it. However, we were able to experience the water on an interpretive tour led by a park ranger.

December camping and on a boat tour — View from Ranger boat tour

Our boat ride was mostly on Billy Lake, near Billy Island, the largest in the area. It was a beautiful day to be on the water and we saw lots of wildlife, including birds, turtles, and alligators. One alligator was quite large and we were fairly close, but when the gator started moving, our ranger moved us away.

There were also several egrets on the water while we were on our ride.

Silver Springs State Park

We were at Silver Springs State Park for four nights and it has become one of our favorites. The park offers an nice campground, excellent paddling opportunities, and good bike trails. We were there with SETTF and were joined by our dance friends for two nights.

The Campground

Our site was nice, but pretty much all the sites in the campground were good—large and level. All had electricity and water, but a few, like ours, had sewer. Unfortunately, the sewer was located at the far back corner of our site and was not useful to us because our hose was not very long.

December camping at Silver Springs State Park — Site # 31 was great

My husband was delighted to see a big gopher turtle in the road. He moved it to an open area near our campsite and it disappeared quickly.

December Camping with Friends

We spent a couple of nights at campfires with members of SETTF and accompanied them as they were putting their kayaks in the water at the Silver River. It looked like so much fun! We learned that the padding was relatively easy there, so we decided to come back later prepared to try it ourselves. So, we came back the next day and did the loop. It was an awesome time! There was lots of wildlife: a manatee, and many turtles, alligators, and birds. However, we didn’t see any monkeys.

December camping and kayaking on the Silver River — Kayak Launch at Silver Springs

We had a few meals with our dance friends and took a ride on the glass bottom boat in the park. It was great to spend time with them.

Views from the Glass Bottom Boat

The glass bottom boat was a very pleasant time on the Silver River. We learned that a glass bottom boat has been operating there since the 1870s. The river, which is estimated to have over 600 springs, has a daily flow of 500 million gallons per day. It was clear with silver hues. It was the setting for multiple Tarzan movies and Creature from the Black Lagoon.

Through the glass bottom of the boat, we saw an ancient canoe and several of the major springs.

The view of the river from the boat and later in our tandem kayak was amazing. It is such a beautiful place!

We saw a manatee underwater and many fish and turtles.

There were several ahingas on the river and it was easy to get a photo because they can’t fly well until their feathers dry. I have never seen them before this trip.

Rawlings Historic State Park

A SETTF friend suggested a stop on our way home at Marjorie Rawlings Historic State Park . Though the house wasn’t open, we are very glad we made the stop. Rawlings is the Pulitzer award-winning writer of the “Yearling” and “Cross Creek”.

Her home and the land is much like it was when she lived there. The photo below was taken from outside. She sat on the porch at that typewriter when she wrote her famous novels.

A really nice park ranger told us a lot about the place and Rawlings’ life. He also gave us some grapefruits from the citrus trees.

December Camping Conclusion

We loved this last trip of the year. The parks were extraordinary and spending time with our friends was wonderful. More of our adventures can be accessed on our webpage, Retirement and camping!

Wishing everyone a merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Lance Shake Down Trip was a Long One

Lance Shake Down Trip

Our Lance shake down trip was much longer than we planned. Our 2075 camper was projected to arrive in May, but it was August when we took delivery from Bankston Motorhomes in Huntsville. We were so excited and Bankston gave us a red-carpet delivery!

It was also just a few days before a long trip that had been on the books for many months. We tried to squeeze in a short trip for the Lance, but it was just too busy a time. However, we did have several days in our driveway where we were able to test some systems and get somewhat comfortable with the Lance.

Our first trip in the Lance was over 2,500 miles, covering six states, with twelve stops, and twenty-four nights. It wasn’t quite as bad as it sounds because we were able to test some of the systems in our driveway and get to know it better. We did not, however, cook in it or sleep in it until the trip.

Towing the Lance

One reason we were unable to do a short Lance Shake down trip was a change in our tow vehicle. We just were not happy with the impact of big trucks on the interstate with our Ford Expedition. The long trip was coming up quickly, so we rushed to purchase a truck and equip it with a bed-liner and cover. Those few days were quite the whirlwind! We managed to acquire a Ram 2500 diesel. It towed the camper well and big trucks did not push us around nearly as much.

Ready for Lance Shake down Trip — New Ram Truck and Lance 2075

The Campsites

We have camped for five years in small, teardrop campers. A twenty-five foot camper was a big change regarding flexibility in campsites. We have not really worried about the size of sites before, but it is definitely a consideration now. This trip involved twelve different campsites, so there were a lot of unknowns.

First Night

Our very first night in the Lance was dry camping at a Harvest Host. It went well and there was plenty of room for us. However, we were uncertain what to expect from the batteries. We only have one solar panel, but it did a good job of keeping the battery up until the sun went down. I set the refrigerator to propane and it was a game changer. It significantly reduced our electrical draw. We used as little power as possible and were able to use the inverter to power our morning coffee. So, this stop confirmed successful operation of the solar panel, inverter, and refrigerator on propane. Yay!

Lance Shake Down Camping — Dry Camping at Silver Springs Vineyard

Five Nights with a Teardrop Camping Group

We have enjoyed camping for several years with Southeastern T@Bs, T@Gs, and Friends. It is always a great time with the wonderful people in the group. This trip we were at Roan Mountain State Park in a bit of a challenging site. My husband had to back in uphill and the truck had to be parked in an angle because the site was not very long. He is an excellent backer though and it went well.

The larger holding tanks in the Lance came in handy for this extended stay. However, we relied on the bathhouse quite heavily and did not do a lot of cooking as we did not bring a honey pot.

Sadly, one of our friends noted an issue with the roof rack. One rail had come undone. It was very disturbing because it was dangerous to travel with it loose. It required getting to the top of the roof. Fortunately, one of our friends who is younger and more limber climbed up and attached it for us. We did not have any kind of an incident that would have caused the rack to come undone and will be requesting warranty repair.

Another Challenging Site

Ohiophyle State Park in Pennsylvania was another stop that was quite challenging. It is in a very mountainous area and many of the campers were in tents. Our site was not level and there was a lot of small hills. We had lifted one side up, but could not get the trailer off the ball because the truck was in a slant. Finally, we had to give up the side leveling to make it work.

This was two nights of dry camping and we made it through okay. Loving the solar panel and propane-burning refrigerator!

The Other Sites

Setting up the Lance in the other nine stops was blissfully uneventful. There was electricity in all nine and they were relatively large and level.

Lance Shake Down Performance

During the trip, everything in the Lance was used. Though we use bathhouses often, we did use the shower. It took some trial and error to figure out the hot water, but we got there. However, it has very limited capacity. The heat, air conditioning, and outside kitchen were also used.

We discovered on the trip that the space under the bed is not aligned properly and is rubbing. The lock is also bent. Additionally, the door is not locking securely. We are taking the camper to Bankston to leave for these and previously identified warranty repairs.

Three New States

We planned this trip to camp in three new states toward our goal of camping in all fifty. The new states were Pennsylvania, New York, and New Jersey. Below are links to individual posts regarding our time in each.

We are looking forward to having the Lance for camping in the remaining ten states in the lower forty-eight. Rentals are planned for Alaska and Hawaii.

Pennsylvania, A New State on a Long Trip Fall 2021

New York, a New State on a Long Trip Fall 2021

New Jersey, New State on Fall 2021 Trip

Room for Our Pup

Our goldendoodle, Sophie, was the main reason we moved from a teardrop to a much larger trailer. We lost our dining area to her crate and also had practically no floor area. It was so much more comfortable in the Lance. One day we were inside the entire day because of heavy rain. It was quite comfortable.

Puppy on Lance Shake Down Trip — Room for Sophie

Lance Shake Down Conclusion

Our Lance Shake down trip confirmed that we are in love with the 2075. It suits our needs in this new puppy-parenting phase of our life. Not too big, not too small—just right! It is a beautiful camper and I am confident we can get our list of issues resolved before our next trip.

Happy Camping!

Pennsylvania, A New State on a Long Trip Fall 2021

Pennsylvania

We have visited Pennsylvania before, but this was our first time to camp there. Our camping included two state parks on the western side of the state and an RV park on the eastern side. Western Pennsylvania is very mountainous and reminds me of West Virginia. We focused on Harrisburg, the State Capital, as we traveled through the eastern portion of the state. It was quite different.

Ohiopyle State Park

Ohiophyle State Park is a highly-rated park because there is so much to do. It has whitewater rafting, rail trail biking, canoeing and kayaking, hiking, and zip lining. The park is a dream if you are young and agile. Unfortunately, we are neither. Therefore, we did not experience some of the park’s finer things.

The Kentuck Campground

The park’s Kentuck Campground was a challenge for us. We arrived later than normal and mistakenly passed our campsite. This led us to a dead end and a need to turn around in an uphill campsite. The Lance is a much bigger camper than out T@B 400 and the space was very tight. Consequently, my husband felt a lot of stress because of the event.

Pennsylvania Kentuck Campground — Site # 155

Our site required a sizable lift to level the trailer. However, the truck was uphill and we couldn’t get the trailer off the ball. The trailer released when we finally gave up on the side-to-side leveling. By that time, it was quite dark. We were also dry camping. It certainly was a stressful set up!

Fallingwater

I wish I could say we were there for all the outdoor activities, but that was not the case. We were there to see one of Frank Lloyd Wright’s most famous creations, Fallingwater. Wright designed it as the summer home for a Pittsburgh businessman. The 1939 house rests over a waterfall and is most impressive. We obtained tickets for an outdoor self-guided tour. We would have needed to book an interior tour in April. I had no idea that kind of lead time was required, so it was outdoors only for us.

It was a beautiful day and the property that surrounds the house was quite extensive. Actually, it was like an easy hike in the woods.

The campground is only a few miles from Fallingwater which was very convenient. It is a very mountainous area and it was a beautiful drive.

Lastly, we had an excellent meal at Brenda’s Family Restaurant. It was just down the road and the food was delicious.

After such a difficult start, our stay at Ohiopyle State Park was great for the rest of our time there. Sometimes, you just have to push through.

Raccoon Creek State Park

Our two nights at Raccoon Creek were very relaxing and low stress. I had to be careful to book a site that allowed pets because they are pet specific. Apparently, it is a requirement for Pennsylvania State Parks. We did, however, have a nice level site. The only negative was hickory nuts that frequently dropped from a nearby tree. We had a little sunshine, but it was mostly cloudy or raining.

We just hung out at the campground for our one full day there. Our day involved a ride to the beach and a drive around the park.

We also stopped at the Wildflower Reserve. It was closed, but I left husband and pup in the car while I looked around.

Wildflower Reserve in Pennsylvania — Wildflower Reserve

I bet it is very nice if you are there at the right time of the year. However, this wasn’t that good time to be there. There were only a few wildflowers, including the strange one below.

Lastly, we had ice cream cones for lunch and hot dogs for dinner. It certainly was not an eating healthy day!

Pennsylvania Capital, Harrisburg

Because we like to visit cities and state capitals, Harrisburg was a natural choice for a stop on the way back home. It is also near Hershey, on our list as well, but we didn’t quite fit it in. Harrisburg’s 2010 population was 49 thousand so it is a good sized city to visit while camping. (We prefer to visit large cities by staying in centrally-located hotels.)

We got a Rover sitter close to our campground in Carlisle for our puppy because we were gone for several hours.

Western Village RV Park

Western Village is a large RV park in nearby Carlisle. It is quite nice. The campground offers full hookups, level, shaded sites, a nice bathhouse, and a laundry. It has a pool too, but it was not open while we were there. I liked that it is so close to Harrisburg.

The Campground’s only negative is that the sites are short. We had to park the truck across the road. It was okay in this instance, but if there had been more cars parked, it could be difficult getting in and out with the camper.

Pennsylvania Western Village Campground — Site #229

Pennsylvania State Capital

Our day in Harrisburg was a Saturday, but happily, the Capital Building was open and a tour was available. The outside of the building is majestic, but the interior is opulent beyond belief.

The photo below is a view from the second floor. It is absolutely gorgeous! In 1903, when President Theodore Roosevelt attended the dedication of the building, he said it was the “handsomest building I ever saw.”

The building cost 13 million at the time it was built and is considered priceless by today’s standards. The dome was inspired by St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome and there is an untold amount of 24 karat gold in the building.

While we were there, a Womens Rights Group was holding a rally on the Capital steps protesting the new Texas anti-abortion law.

National Civil War Museum

Typically, the Civil War sites and museums we have visited are dedicated to portions of the war, like Gettysburg. However, this museum covers the war in its entirety.

I liked that it provided a balanced approach to the war and the exhibits offered the perspective from both sides.

One exhibit addressed the cost of this terrible war. I had heard the statistic before, but revisiting it was still disheartening. The Civil War was the most costly war ever in our country’s history in terms of lives lost and human suffering. Approximately 700,000 died and nearly 400,000 were wounded. The number of deaths was greater than the number of lives lost in all other American wars. The loss of livelihood and property was disastrous as well.

There is a bittersweet monument in front of the building. It is dedicated to the act of providing water to suffering soldiers by the opposing side. Both sides performed this act of mercy many times throughout the war.

My husband and I recently toured the Alabama State Capital in Montgomery. I remember our guide discussing that the delegates from the southern states organized a new government, the Confederate States of America, in Montgomery and swore in Jefferson Davis as President. This picture in the Civil War Museum depicts that event. It was interesting to see that link.

The Cork and Fork

The Cork and Fork is a lovely restaurant just a couple of blocks from the capital. We had amazing weather that day and our outdoor table was perfect! The food and service were very good and my handsome date was very attentive.

In Conclusion

I am grateful that we were able to enjoy so much of the things Pennsylvania has to offer on this recent trip. Fallingwater and Harrisburg were both very wonderful to see and the state parks offered an opportunity to experience the Pennsylvania countryside. Other states we have visited can be seen on our page, States Visited, a Campsite Resource.

Happy camping!

New York, a New State on a Long Trip Fall 2021

New York

This was our first camping in New York, but we visited New York City several years ago. First, we stopped for three nights in western New York near Niagara Falls. Second, we spent a couple days in central part of the state in the Finger Lake area. Our last stop for a couple of nights was in the southeastern corner near Hyde Park. Throughout it all, we saw quite a bit of the beautiful New York countryside.

A significant portion of our travel was on interstates and most, if not all, were toll roads. None of the toll stations were manned and they bill using your license plate. I expect we will be getting a sizable bill in the mail after we return home. There were many service center exits and exits for texting, which is not seen in our state.

As we drove close and parallel to the lakes, Lake Erie in particular, it was windy and driving felt uncomfortable. Big trucks passing coupled with the wind made it feel quite treacherous.

Grand Island

Grand Island is just a few miles south of Niagara Falls and we chose it for that reason. Our campground was Branches of Niagara and it was very nice. The bathhouse and laundry were immaculate and modern. We did our only laundry of the trip while there.

The weather was not very nice during our stay. It as overcast or raining most of the three days se were there, but the temperatures were mild.

Branches of Niagara New York — Site # 23

Niagara Falls

We have long wanted to see Niagara Falls and it did not disappoint! The park is beautiful and very well maintained. The falls were incredible!

Our plan was to cross over into Canada as well, but it didn’t work out. I tried to get a sitter for our pup and did not have any luck. We could have left her for several hours in the crate, but we were not comfortable crossing the border under that circumstance. Also, the Covid test that would have gotten us across was $140 each. That seemed too much for just a couple of hours.

Niagara Falls in New York — Beautiful Niagara Falls

What we ended up doing was spectacular because we rode the Maid of the Mist. It is a ride in an electric boat that takes you right under the American and Canadian falls. We really felt the force and magnificence of nature under the falls. I don’t remember seeing my husband happier than he was on that ride. He said it was almost a religious experience.

Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural Historic Site

Buffalo, New York was very near our campground. So, we took a day trip to see some of the sights. The actual house where Theodore Roosevelt was sworn in as president is a historic site. They did a re-enactment of the circumstances surrounding his taking office. It was quite dramatic because he was sworn in after President McKinley was assassinated.

The guide at the site provided a lot of information about the issues of the day and President Roosevelt’s demeanor. It was definitely worth a stop!

Manilus, New York

Manilus is located in what is known as the finger lake area. The area is very beautiful and there are many quite large, finger-shaped lakes. I chose this area because it was close to where we needed a stop on our route and the state park was highly-rated. Also, I like to book state parks when we visit new states.

Green Lakes State Park

Green Lakes State Park was awesome! The park was beautiful—clean, well-maintained, and nicely-landscaped. We had an amazing corner site with lots of grass around and well-shaded. Our electric site was only $35 a night. We did, however, have to be careful to select a pet site. I also had to show our pup’s vaccination record.

Se used our one free day to just enjoy the park. The two lakes at Green Lakes are a sight to behold. I personally think they should be called Blue Lakes because they are really more like the color of the Caribbean. The two glacial lakes are very deep and are products of the last ice age. The lake appears green because of the presence of calcium carbonate.

In the photo below, the chalky white areas are reefs comprised of living organisms called “microbialites”.

The park allows swimming in the lake from Memorial to Labor Day. One can also rent rowboats and kayaks.

There is a wonderful trail around the lake that is relatively flat and wide. My husband hiked it with me and it was a wonderful afternoon. We encountered these weird-looking mushrooms. I thought they were kinda cool.

Rhinebeck, New York

Rhinebeck is very near Hyde Park and we were there because we wanted to go to the nearby Franklin D. Roosevelt Library. The countryside there was very beautiful.

Interlake RV Park

Interlake was a very cute campground because it was very decorated for Halloween. We had full hookups for $63 a night.

We were just beginning to see some turning of the leaves during the last couple of days in September. The photo below was taken from an empty site in the campground.

Reinbeck New York — Beginnings of Fall Colors

Franklin D. Roosevelt Library

The FDR Library was our main reason for stopping at Reinbeck. We had a full day dedicated to seeing it but discovered that because of Covid reduced hours, it was closed that day.

Our day was spent instead in the camper while it rained heavily and in late afternoon walking the grounds of the library. We were also checking to see if we could tour it as we left the next day with trailer and Sophie in the parking lot. We knew she would be okay with windows open because the high temperature was forecasted to be in the low seventies.

The Roosevelt family home is also on the property, but was not available for tours. It appeared to be undergoing significant work. It was a grand old home for its time with an incredible view from the rear.

FDR’s home in Hyde Park New York — Roosevelt home in Hyde Park

Careful planning made the strategy work. We had scoped out a corner of the parking lot and had sandwiches ready for lunch so we wouldn’t have to stop on the road to make up for the late start.

Entrance into the library required tickets and a specific time. We obtained the earliest possible tickets. They were for 11:30. So, we were able to spend about an hour and a half touring the library.

I learned that this was the first ever presidential library and the presidential office in the photo below is only office in a presidential library that was actively used by a president.

Val-Kill

We also stopped by Val-Kill, which was Eleanor’s home for a number of years. The home was not open, but you could tour the property. It was nice to see.

The Great Lakes

We have now seen all five of the Great Lakes. Before this trip, Lakes Ontario and Erie were outstanding. While on a day trip to Buffalo, my husband and I drove to Wilkeson Pointe Park to see Lake Erie. It was a cold and very windy day, but I managed to put my hands in the water.

While camping at Branches of Niagara, we drove to Porter on the Lake Town Park to access Lake Ontario. It was getting close to dusk and the lake was quite beautiful.

In Conclusion

I never expected New York to be so beautiful. Two places we really wanted to visit on our trip, Niagara Falls and the FDR Library, are there and were the highlights of this long trip. Each stop in the state was different, yet very special.

Conversely, the worst thing thing on our trip also happened in New York. I got a ticket that will be almost $200 for taking a trailer on the Taconic Parkway. Evidently, everyone in New York knows that you can’t take a trailer on any “Parkway”, but this Alabama gal was oblivious to the rule.

Check out our adventures in other states on our page, States Visited, a Campsite Resource.

Enjoy the ride, guys!

New Jersey, New State on Fall 2021 Trip

New Jersey

This was our first visit to New Jersey. Almost all of our time there was spent in Sussex County, the northernmost county in the state. It was rather difficult to find campgrounds there because it is the most densely-populated state in the United States. However, Sussex County is a relatively rural area and the countryside is beautiful.

Two things we learned about New Jersey: you do not pump your own gas there and you cannot buy a New Jersey refrigerator magnet to save your life. We collect magnets on our travels and attempted at least seven or eight times to acquire one. No such luck!

The Great Divide Campground

The Great Divide Campground was a relaxing stop on our trip. Our site, G20, was nice and level. We had our whole section to ourselves the first night, but several campers were nearby on our second night.

This campground, like a few others on our trip, was highly-decorated for Halloween.

The Great Divide is a family campground and is set up for lots of activities for children. We were there during the middle of the week, but the owner said they are 80-90% occupied on weekends.

We spent most of our free day at the campground. It is a cute place and we mostly had it to ourselves. It was one of those beautiful fall days where the temperature is almost perfect and it felt great just being outside.

All About the Puppy

Sophie liked walking in the campground with us, but she really loved the dog park. Practically every campground requires dogs to be on leash, so it was great for her to be able to run in the dog park.

I just love to see that little girl running around at breakneck speed. She always seems so happy!

Deer in the Campground

On three separate occasions, we saw deer in the campsite across from us. They did not seem especially afraid of us as long as we didn’t get too close. It was pretty cool to have them in the neighborhood.

Deer in New Jersey Campground — Deer across from our campsite

Jersey Food

However, we did briefly go into nearby Newton, the county seat. It is a lovely little town with some interesting old buildings. It is only 60 miles from New York City, but it is a totally different world.

Interestingly, most of of the highest-rated restaurants in Newton feature pizza. Dominick’s is number 1 and they make a fine pizza. The photo below is of what we took back to the camper. They also had great service and we got to enjoy a young woman with a lovely New Jersey accent. She could tell that we were not from around there.

In Conclusion

Because of the whirlwind of our many stops on this trip, it was nice to have a laidback day to just chill. I know that Sophie enjoyed the time with us focusing on her. Lastly, Sussex county was beautiful as the leaves were just beginning to turn. We will have to visit Newark sometime to get a taste of big city New Jersey. However, I do feel we have experienced some of the best of its rural countryside. Check out our page, States Visited, a Campsite Resource to read about other states.

Happy Camping Y’all!

Roan Mountain with the SE Tab, Tags, & Friends

Roan Mountain

This was our first visit to Roan Mountain State Park in northeastern Tennessee, very close to North Carolina and Virginia. It is a beautiful, mountainous area and we were there for five nights. A big plus for us was that we got to see our camping friends.

Camping in the Mountains

It was only the second night in our new Lance camper and our first night in a high elevation campground. Fortunately, our site was not too challenging. I have to say, though, that I was grateful for our Ram 250 truck on those hills. So, we are now in the category of “friends” for this group as we are selling our T@B 400. Just happy to hang out with these wonderful people!

Miller Farmstead

A highlight of our time in the area was a tour of the Miller Farmstead, which is a part of the campground. Tours are free, but you need a reservation. Barb, in our group, had a reservation for twelve and we tagged along. It was a lively group!

It was a lot of fun and very educational to see how three generations of a family lived from the late 1800s to the 1960s. The Park Rangers provided a lot of personal information about the family, which I really enjoyed.

The house gives an insight to life during the time the family was there. Electricity and running water were only added later, when the place became a hunting lodge. I had to be a hard life.

The Outdoor Tour

Marco, a Park Ranger, provided an outdoor tour of the property. He was very knowledgeable and enthusiastic about all the plants. The outdoor part of the tour was also very interesting.

Roan Mountain Wildflowers — Wildflowers at Miller Farmstead

Roan Mountain Activities

Members of our group did some amazing hiking through some difficult terrain. Several in the group also did a bike ride in Virginia, called the Virginia Creeper, a long bike trail. Unfortunately, we couldn’t go because it was too long to leave our dog. We did, however, do some limited hiking and I really enjoyed it!

Hiking at Roan Mountain — Hiking with Friends

Sitting around the campfire was another activity. Every night, there was at least one campfire, including a big one for everyone in the group. I believe I heard that there were about forty people at the event and around thirty campers.

Campfire at Roan Mountain — Sitting Around the Campfire

We have camped with some of these folks for five years and they are good friends. New folks are always fun to meet too!

Lastly, we visited Jarret’s Orchard. We purchased some apples, tomatoes, and corn. They had some beautiful flowers outside their building.

Fabulous Food

For such a small area, the food was outstanding! Our favorite was Smoky Mountain Bakers, which serves fresh pastries daily. They also have delicious thin crust pizzas baked in a wood stove. Lastly, they have a pretty good breakfast. Many in our group visited this establishment more than once.

Another great eatery was Puerto Nuevo Fresh Mex and Seafood. A group of us had dinner there and it was excellent as well. It will also be a must visit if in the area again.

The Lance

The Lance was very spacious and comfortable. We did lots of tours at the campground because our friends were curious about it. Happily, the Ram 250 truck did a very good job pulling it, but we were very aware that it is a much bigger trailer. Most importantly, we had room to relax with our dog.

However, we were disappointed to learn that one of the bars on the roof had come off of one side. A friend in the group put it back in place for us. I posted to a Lance Facebook group and learned that this is an apparent problem with the rack. So, fingers crossed for the rest of our trip!

In conclusion, it was a wonderful five days at Roan Mountain! Next, we are headed to Beckley, West Virginia as part of a 3 1/2 week trip. Check out our travels to other states on our page, States Visited, a Campsite Resource.

Happy Camping!

A Bigger Camper for Big Guy Tiny Trailer

A Bigger Camper

Yes, we purchased a bigger camper after almost six years of teardrop travel. My blog is named Big Guy Tiny Trailer and we are clearly out of that category. So, I guess now the name only fits ironically. This post is about the why and what of this dramatic change for us.

Our nuCamp Teardrops

We have been proud owners of nuCamp RV products for the entire time of our camping history. Six years ago, we started with a 2017 T@G XL MAX and used it extensively for almost three years. It was a wonderful starter camper that we took all the way west to California and north to the Upper Peninsula. The camper performed flawlessly, but ultimately, we wanted a space to be comfortable inside when the weather is too hot, cold or wet.

Our bigger teardrop was a 2019 T@B 400 Boondock Lite and it was exactly what we wanted. Though still rather small, it brought a bathroom, indoor kitchen, and indoor dining area to our camping experience. However, camping became more expensive because we couldn’t store the camper in our garage. Also, fuel economy decreased from around 17 mpg to 11. The most expensive change was an upgrade to our tow vehicle from an Acura MDX to a Ford Expedition. We like having surplus capacity when towing and the heavy tongue on our camper was an issue with the Acura.

The 400 was an excellent camper and the extra amenities were greatly appreciated. It provided wonderful times during the several trips we have taken in the last three years. We especially loved the indoor bathroom and kitchen. The Alde system was incredible with heat and hot water that was super quiet and comfortable. Most importantly, NüCamp quality continued in the 400.

A New Family Member

Late last year, we decided to get Sophie, our goldendoodle puppy. She is a sweetheart and a great little traveler. For instance, we have taken her on four camping trips in the last year and she was a real trooper. However, she weighs 35 pounds and will grow a bit more. Consequently, the space that she and her crate takes in our camper made it very cramped inside.

Our New Bigger Camper

After having adequate room, we weren’t happy in such limited space and so decided an upgrade was needed. We would have liked NüCamp as our brand for a bigger camper, but the Avia, nüCamp’s larger camper, is no longer in production. Quality was the most important factor in our search and we landed on the Lance for its perceived quality. I really hope that perception proves to be true!

We ordered a Lance 2075 in March from Bankston Motor Homes of Huntsville and took delivery in August. I highly recommend this dealership. We bought our 400 from them as well and have been pleased with their service.

The 2075 is a cool-looking 25’ travel trailer with some of the European styling we loved in our previous trailers. We specifically did not want a slide out because we didn’t want potential issues with it and are trying to keep it as simple as possible.

Our Lance 2075

We picked up this beauty in mid-August and have spent weeks getting it and our new tow vehicle ready for our next trip. The storage we have inside and outside is intoxicating.

Our bigger camper — Lance 2075 travel trailer

Some Interior Photos

We think the Lance 2075 is an attractive camper. The bedroom is perhaps it’s best feature. It has room for Sophie’s crate and there will be no more climbing over each other to get up. The bed is a full-sized queen and can use a residential mattress. It has windows all around and a skylight. Lots of ambiance, but I hope it doesn’t get too hot.

Bedroom in our bigger camper — Lance Bedroom

With Sophie’s crate in the bedroom, we can actually use the dining area again. We really missed having a place to eat, play games and relax.

The kitchen area is not really any larger than our 400, but the refrigerator is a little bigger and easier to access. The 2075 does have a small rear kitchen which might encourage more outdoor cooking.

Lastly, the bathroom is bigger and has a shower that should be a bit easier to use.

Bathroom in our bigger camper — A roomy bathroom

Déjà Vu on the Tow Vehicle

Our Expedition was within weight limits for the 2075, but we were not happy with how big trucks on the Interstate impacted us. With the 400, we had a lot of surplus capacity and we didn’t feel we had it with the Lance. We very much wanted that same comfortable feeling. So, a Ram 2500 diesel is our new tow vehicle.

A bigger vehicle for our bigger camper — Ram 2500 is our new tow vehicle

In Conclusion

Our two teardrop travel trailers were perfect for us as new campers who didn’t even know if we would like it. They gave us optimal flexibility in campsites and made travel relatively inexpensive. The quality of those campers was extraordinary. I wouldn’t trade a thing for our time in them, but we are ready for a little more room and comfort. If you would like to read more about our travels, check out our page, which is now ironically named Retirement and teardrop camping!

We take the new camper and truck on the road soon for a 2,500 mile trip. Hoping all goes well!

Happy camping!

The Great Plains, Our Summer Trip in 2021

The Great Plains

Our 2021 summer trip was to the Great Plains and focused on six states in which we have never camped. Those states are Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota, North Dakota, Montana, and Wyoming. It was a long trip—five and a half weeks and over six thousand miles in our vehicle.

We were traveling in our NuCamp T@B 400. It is a fine camper and I am happy to say it performed beautifully. The only issue we had was that the air conditioner did not cool as much as we would like when in direct sun and 100 plus degrees in high altitudes.

Mountain View Campground in Sundance, Wyoming

It was a long trip, but was worth the effort because each state was beautiful and a joy to experience. Also, our map of states we have camped in is filling up nicely. So, we now have thirty-eight states.

National Parks

This Great Plains trip included four major National Parks: Theodore Roosevelt, Yellowstone, Grand Tetons, and Badlands. These iconic parks have been on my bucket list for a long time.

Theodore Roosevelt National Park

North Dakota’s Theodore Roosevelt National Park was our first encounter with the Badlands. The desolate landscape of the Badlands was exquisite and was filled with creatures, great and small. For example, we saw hundreds of bison and thousands of prairie dogs.

While in Medora visiting the Roosevelt National Park, we saw the Medora Musical. It was a fantastic show and the best evening of our entire trip! I am so glad we were able to see it.

Yellowstone National Park

Yellowstone in Wyoming was the pinnacle of National Parks for us. The park is enormous, encompassing 3,471 miles. It has an abundance of wildlife, geysers, a Grand Canyon, rolling hills, rivers, and lakes. We completed the south loop, but did not have time to see the north loop.

Grand Tetons National Park

Grand Tetons is a much smaller National Park at 485 square miles. It is located directly south of Yellowstone in Wyoming . We stayed in a Jackson Hole campground, which is in a deep valley surrounded by mountains. There was not an abundance of wildlife, but it was breathtakingly beautiful.

Grand Tetons in the Great Plains — Grand Tetons Jackson Lake

Custer State Park

Custer State Park in South Dakota is large for a state park at 114 square miles and has all sorts of wildlife. Two of the most exciting times on our trip occurred while at Custer. Firstly, we had an up close and personal encounter with many bison when at the dump station. After we left, they were all over the spot as you can see in the photo below.

Secondly, we traveled through Needles Highway. It is considered one of the most epic routes in South Dakota. Portions of the highway only exist because workers in 1922 blasted holes through several solid granite “needles”. The road is extremely twisty with multiple narrow tunnels. I was on pins and “needles”, but my husband loved it.

Great Plains Memorials and Monuments

The Great Plains has many iconic memorials and monuments. So, we tried to see as many as possible.

It was so cool to see Mount Rushmore in South Dakota after seeing it in in photos or prints for so many years.

Mount Rushmore in the Great Plains — Mount Rushmore National Memorial

I hiked the 1.3 miles around the Devils Tower in Wyoming and was able to enjoy some astonishing views.

Devils Tower in the Great Plains — Devils Tower

Wyoming’s Little Bighorn Battlefield was a sobering place to visit. The countryside is very beautiful and it is sad to imagine all the lives lost in that famous battle.

The Crazy Horse Monument is near Mount Rushmore and is a work in process. The vision for the completed monument is of epic proportions.

Crazy Horse Monument in the Great Plains — Crazy Horse Monument

Presidential Libraries

We tried to visit the Truman Library last year, but it was closed because of Covid and renovations. While in Topeka, Kansas, we made a day trip to Independence, Missouri to see the library. Truman was an amazing president and the newly renovated library was wonderful to visit.

Abilene, Kansas was a stop for us to see our next presidential library, the Eisenhower Library. Unfortunately , it closed before we arrived because of a spike in Covid cases. We did, however, walk the grounds. Ike was an incredible president and I would love to know more about him.

Great Plains Capital Buildings and Museums

I love visiting capital buildings because of the history and architecture. We saw the outside of three state capitals and toured one while in the Great Plains.

The museums we visited were all compelling in different ways. Each contributed to an understanding of those earlier times in our history.

Capital Buildings

We took a tour of Nebraska’s capital building in Lincoln, which was completed in 1932. It is a beautiful building with a very ornate foyer with arches, mosaics on the walls, and magnificent marble.

We checked out two other capital buildings (Bismarck, North Dakota and Topeka, Kansas), but it was on weekends and they were closed.

Moss Mansion

Moss Mansion Museum showcases a house built in 1903. The cost of the home was $105,00 at a time when the national average cost was $5,000. The home was extremely opulent and there is a room in the house that looks much like the Palace of Versailles. It was used exclusively as the home of Preston Boyd Moss and his family until it became a museum.

Seelye Mansion

Seelye Mansion is an impressive old home built in 1904 in Abilene, Kansas. It is still intact with all the original furnishings. Most importantly, it has connections to a young Dwight D. Eisenhower. The story of the home, its residents, and current ownership is fascinating.

Durham Museum

The Durham Museum in Omaha, Nebraska was delightful! It is an old train station and has some actual old trains inside. It was like a walk back in time to old movies I have seem.

Hjemkomst Center

The Hjemkomst Center is actually in Moorhead, Minnesota. But, it was less than ten miles from our campground in Fargo, North Dakota. The centerpiece of the museum is a replica of an actual Viking ship dating back to 800 AD. The ship was actually sailed to Norway and at great risk to those on board. This museum is a must see, if in the area.

Fort Casper Museum

Fort Casper Museum is a replica of an actual fort and the original was key to the westward movement in the 1800s. The fort is furnished as it was in those days. It is an educational and extremely interesting place to visit. Also, check out those mountains in the background. The area is so beautiful!

Challenges of a Long Trip with a Puppy

Sophie, our puppy has been on several camping trips with us and is a great little traveler. But, those trips were only two weeks long and did not involve more than two or three stops This trip was five and a half weeks and twenty-two different campgrounds.

Sophie was wonderful on the trip, but there was very little room in our camper. As you can see in the photo above, dog and crate leave very little room for other inhabitants. It was very, very close in our camper, but we managed.

Also, we were traveling during a terrible heat wave. Most days it was quite hot, but we encountered highs between 100-105 degrees a few days. On one of the hottest days, we couldn’t let our pup walk on the ground because we were afraid it would burn her feet. So, on stops that day, my husband had to carry her.

Dogs hiking in the Great Plains — Sophie with a Rover Sitter

Lastly, some of our activities could not include a dog. We needed a dog sitter three times on our trip because we had to be away longer than we could leave her in the crate. Fortunately, we had three excellent Rover sitters and our girl had some fun times.

Great Plains State Posts

Lastly, there is a separate post for each of our new states in the Great Plains. If traveling to any of these areas, you might want to review.

Kansas, A New State on Our Long Summer Trip

Montana, a New State on our Long Summer Trip

Nebraska, a New State on Our Long Summer Trip

North Dakota, a New State on Our Summer Trip

South Dakota, a New State in Our Long Summer Trip

Wyoming, a New State on Our Long Summer Trip

In Conclusion

This was a trip of a lifetime for us and we thoroughly enjoyed it. It was a long trip, but we saw so many beautiful and interesting places.

Happy Camping!

South Dakota, a New State in Our Long Summer Trip

South Dakota

We were excited to visit South Dakota and it did not disappoint. We stopped at Sioux Falls early in our trip and circled back to the southwestern portion as we were heading towards home. Both areas were awesome, yet quite different.

Sioux Falls South Dakota

Sioux Falls is by far South Dakota’s largest city. For instance, Rapid city is next largest and is less than half its size. While we were there, daytime temperatures were quite comfortable, which was not true for most of our trip. We loved the city, but are not sure how we would feel about visiting in the winter.

Sioux Falls KOA

This was one of two KOAs on our journey and was by far our favorite. The staff was amazing and everything about it was great. We had a level, shaded site. While there, we utilized its heated pool, laundry, and dog park. So, we had a very comfortable stay!

Downtown

Downtown Sioux Falls was charming and offered lots of cultural entertainment. I especially loved Sculpture Walk, which features fifty different sculptures each year in the heart of downtown.

The Washington Pavilion is another cool spot downtown. It has art galleries, science exhibits, and theater performances. We walked around inside, but didn’t have time for anything else.

A landmark downtown establishment is Minerva’s and our lunch there was outstanding. I loved my salad with grilled salmon so much that I ordered the same thing at two other restaurants later in our trip. However, neither came close to the delicious dish at Minerva’s.

Falls Park

Falls Park was a beautiful way to spend an afternoon. We took our puppy with us and walked around the multiple viewing options for the falls. The park covers 128 acres and includes the 1908 Light and Power Company building. The building is now the Falls Overlook Cafe. We were able to take our dog inside to enjoy some delicious, locally made ice cream. My cherry cone was to die for!

Traveling to Custer State Park

We had an unusual situation at Custer. I booked it four months prior, but could only get three separate sites. That meant that we would have to move twice and did not have a lot of control over the time of day because check in and out time was noon. Also, as we traveled to Custer, we were fairly near some places we wanted to see. So, we decided to arrive later at Custer and make the relatively short trip longer because of side trips.

Deadwood/Lead

Firstly, we went through Deadwood and into Lead. We drove through the main street of Old Deadwood and it was hopping. Parking nearby was impossible because we were pulling the camper, but it was good to get a visual on the town.

Lead was very close and much less crowded. It is a very old mining town, dating back to 1876. Today it is a very charming town with many historic buildings.

Sturgis

Sturgis was next on our route and it is a much larger town. We had lunch at the Knuckle Saloon. It has a restaurant, craft beers, a gift shop, and an entertainment venue. We were interested in the covered outdoor seating because we had our dog with us. So, we had a nice lunch and were able to take in the atmosphere of this iconic place. I can only imagine what it would be like next week when all the motorcycle riders arrive.

Wall Drugs

Wall Drugs has been around since 1931 and is more of an attraction than a drug store. We saw about a dozen signs for it along the highway. Long ago, it received a big boost in sales by its offer of free ice water. Today it has a variety of gifts and souvenirs, the free ice water, ice cream, and fresh baked donuts. It also has a restaurant. Though it is in the middle of nowhere, it was as crowded as any place I have ever visited. The website says it has over 2 million visitors a year.

It was certainly hot the day we visited. Out SUV showed an outside temperature of 105 degrees. It was so hot that my husband carried our pup to the drugstore because we feared the road would burn her feet. We had ice cream!

Wall Drug Store in South Dakota — Ice cream at Wall Drugs

Badlands National Park

I really wanted to see Badlands National Park, but wasn’t sure we could fit it in as it was quite a drive from Custer and having to be at the park to switch sites every day. We spent about an hour in the park, which wasn’t enough. But, it was the best we could do.

We were towing our camper and it made me quite nervous through the twists and turns of the mountains.

Badlands National Park in South Dakota — Badlands National Park

It was very windy at this beautiful overlook. This park has a completely different look and feel from the other parks on our trip. It is so vast and rugged!

Custer State Park

Custer State Park is certainly a South Dakota gem! It seems more like a National Park than a State Park. It is enormous, covering 71,000 acres. There are multiple campgrounds and lodges and a sophisticated Visitor Center. I wanted to stay there so much that I was willing to move to three different sites.

We arrived around six at the Blue Bell campground after our drive all over the area and did not unhitch.

Custer State Park in South Dakota — One of our three sites

After a delicious breakfast at the Blue Bell Restaurant across the street the next morning, we drove to our next campground, Legion Lake.

Custer State Park has such an abundance of wildlife.

Every time we left our campsite, we saw animals and birds.

The Buffalo were up close and personal when we were at the dump site right before leaving. It was a bit disconcerting.

Lastly, we made the drive through Needles Eye Tunnel. It is only 8 feet wide and going through it was very close in our big SUV.

Needles Eye Tunnel in South Dakota — He drove Needles Eye Tunnel

Mount Rushmore

While at Custer State Park, we visited nearby Mount Rushmore. I have seen images of it for years, but it was great to see it in person.

Crazy Horse Monument

We also visited the nearby Crazy Horse Monument. It is enormous, but still a work in progress.

This model below shows the vision for the monument in the future.

In Conclusion

South Dakota was a whirlwind of activity for us, but it was such a great time! The three sites at Custer was not as much trouble as I feared. Check out other posts for states at States Visited, a Campsite Resource.

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