Teardrop Camping Archives - Page 2 of 5

Iowa Camping During a Pandemic

Iowa Camping

Camping in Iowa was more like our typical travel because we were near mid-sized cities and there was lots to do. We camped in two fabulous campgrounds, a Corps of Engineers (COE) and a county park. Therefore, Iowa was a great leg of our trip!

Sandy Beach Campground

Sandy Beach is a Corps of Engineers campground and was only $10 a night with our Senior Pass. Though inexpensive, it was an excellent campground! We had a water and electric site and the lake just beyond the trees in the photo below. However, our camper was in the sun for most of the day, but our tow vehicle was under a bit of shade. A real plus at this campground: the bathhouse was nice and very well-maintained.

The Sandy Beach is in the photo below. Some people were in the water, but this lake appears to be primarily a haven for boating.

Iowa Camping at Coralville Lake — Coralville Lake

Cedar Rapids

Our Iowa camping included a trip to Cedar Rapids, which was only seventeen miles away from our campground. We spent one of our two free days there.

National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library

The Czech and Slovak Museum is one of the main attractions at Cedar Rapids and was well worth the time. I felt it was safe because it was not crowded and masks were required. The museum is about the history and culture of the Czech and Slovak people. A special section honored women, including Madeline Albright and Martina Navratilova in commemoration of 100 years since women’s suffrage.

A Czech writer, Karel Čapek, first coined the phrase “robot” in the play, R.U.R. in 1920. The museum has many examples of robots from the Iowa First Tech Challenge.

Much of the museum is devoted to the history of the country, Czechoslovakia, which was an advanced and prosperous democracy from 1918-1938. But the country and its people experienced massive change over the course of just just fifty-five years.

Firstly, Nazi Germany occupied it in 1939 and divided it. Entire towns were destroyed and the people were massacred. Many were put into concentration camps. This occupation existed until 1945. Next, the end of the war in 1945 led to communist rule and an alliance with the Soviet Union. During the 41 years of Communist rule, more than a half a million people fled the country. In 1993, Czechoslovakia peacefully split into two democracies, the Czech Republic and the Slovak Republic. I can’t imagine living through that much difficulty and change.

Our Iowa Meal with Outdoor Seating

While in Iowa, we had a couple of meals at restaurants with outdoor seating. One had all our desired elements, an expectation of safety from COVID, great food, outdoor seating, and shelter from the sun. Parlor City was a recommendation of a woman at the museum. It had all the desired elements and we really enjoyed the meal. We also had a good meal at Mullets (like the hairstyle) in Des Moines.

Drinks and a Great Meal Outdoors with Shade

Iowa City

The Old Capital Building

We spent our other free day in Iowa City, which was also just seventeen miles from our campground. Iowa City is a college town, home to the University of Iowa. The old Capital Building was on my list, but it was closed. Sadly, vandals had put graffiti on the lower levels of the building.

Iowa Camping near the Iowa Old Capital Building — Old Capital Building in Iowa City

Waterworks Prairie Park

Waterworks is a 200-acre park that features three miles of paved paths that encircle several ponds. It is a lovely park—nice for walking or biking. We planned to just walk a portion of the it.

The temperature was in the low eighties, but the sun was extremely intense. However, we expected a bit of shade. Unfortunately, there was none on the path. We had started around the largest pond and the sun was bearing down on us. Both of us were sweating profusely. In the photo below, my expression shows how I felt. My husband was miserable too, but if there is a camera, he smiles. We were so grateful to get back to our car!

Iowa Camping in Des Moines

Yellow Banks County Park

Yellow Banks was a great campground and is located in Des Moines, which was a big plus. We had a level, gravel site with electric and water. The bathhouse was modern and quite well-maintained. It was only $25 per night and we were there for two nights.

Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden

The Botanical Garden was so beautiful. We had to make an appointment because they were limiting the number of people there at one time. Masks were also required.

There was a large pond with beautiful lily pads and many frogs.

It was so nice and peaceful in the garden, which had an abundance of flowers.

Iowa State Capital Building

We made an appointment for a guided tour of the Capital Building. I have found that a tour adds so much to my appreciation of buildings and historic sites. We certainly had a great tour guide and she shared lots about how Iowa government works. The building is breathtakingly beautiful and sits high over the city. The surrounding grounds are also nice and have many monuments.

Pappajohn Sculpture Park

The Pappajohn Park was so much fun! Many large scale sculptures were there to enjoy and photograph. It was a relaxing afternoon.

Iowa Countryside

Furthermore, as we crossed through the state, we were able to enjoy the lovely Iowa countryside. There was lots of corn and farms like the one in the photo below.

Iowa Camping and enjoying the countryside — The Beautiful Iowa Countryside

The old barn in the next photo was at a turn at one of the campgrounds. It’s not in great shape, but I enjoyed seeing it.

In Conclusion

So, we really loved Iowa! The cities were fun and we felt that while being safe in the pandemic, we were also able to do many cool things. Lastly, if you would like to see other posts about our camping experiences, check out States Visited, a Campsite Resource.

Happy camping and stay safe out there!

Travel Amid Covid19 for At-Risk Campers

Travel Amid Covid19

Travel amid Covid19 is a whole new ballgame. The next twelve months have a look of extreme uncertainty. There is the danger of the virus, plus the risk of lack of access to needed goods and services while away from home. I am also concerned about our personal safety. I haven’t really worried a lot about safety while camping in the past, but now feels like a greater risk.

Our Situation

My husband and I are part of the at-risk population. Both over sixty-five, we also have lung issues. We can’t just go out into the world like younger, healthier members of the population. The virus could easily prove serious or even deadly for us.

However, at our age, there are only so many opportunities to get out and see this beautiful world. I believe there will be some time to hang around the house when we are not able to travel, but we don’t want to start that phase of our life just yet.

Travel is our favorite retirement pastime. We love air travel, but will have to wait until the virus risk is greatly diminished. Camping is considered much safer and we plan to actively camp this year. Our ultimate goal is to camp in all fifty states. We planned to visit more than a dozen new states this year. I have partially booked a long, far away, autumn trip and an extensive summer trip is now reserved.

Our Preferred Travel Style

Under normal circumstances, we like to cover a lot of ground on our longer camping trips. Our desire is to experience life in other parts of the country. We prefer State and National Parks because they generally offer a closer experience with nature and a bit more privacy than commercial campgrounds. Additionally, we like to check out small and medium cities while on the road. Museums, historic sites, and presidential libraries are also sought. Lastly, we like to experience the local cuisine and have had some exceptional meals on the road. Our last trip, Skidaway Island State Park, One of Georgia’s Finest, is a good example of how we like to travel and camp.

Travel Amid COVID19 Modifications

Spending More Time in the Campground. While we love visiting the local sights, they often involve close contact with others. Also, two presidential libraries I wanted to visit during our summer trip will be closed. It is likely this will be true for most attractions. So, we will be prepared to enjoy the natural beauty of each area we visit without having as much of the cultural experience. Games and leisurely walks will be our entertainment.
Cooking Most Meals at the Campsites. For many, this may be the norm, but we love finding great food on the road. We will do takeout in the local areas and perhaps to eat outside at a restaurant. However, we will not be having any meals inside restaurants.
Fully Utilizing Our Camper’s Bathroom. Many of the campground bathhouses in our summer trip are currently closed. Also, there has been some indication that public bathrooms can be somewhat risky because of the virus. We generally take showers in campground bathhouses because our shower is small. The toilet in our camper has mostly been used at nighttime. However, travel amid Covid19 will require our T@B 400 to be our only bathroom resource for much of the trip.
Safety Precautions. Masks, increased hand washing, and social distancing will be a part of our camping trip, just like it has been at home. The greatest risk will be when we buy groceries and fuel or go out among people.

New Gear as a Precaution

I was concerned that if there is a severe outbreak of the virus while we are on the road, we might not be able to get back home when planned. We thought a generator was a good idea. We chose the Sportsman 2200 because it runs on propane and gasoline.

Our 2019 400 has a heavier tongue than later models. So, we don’t have the option of adding the platform to mount a generator and gasoline to our camper. Additionally, our tow vehicle is an SUV. So, we don’t have any outside storage. The propane option for a generator meant that we wouldn’t have the gasoline smell inside our camper or tow vehicle. We hope this proves to be a good purchase.

A generator for travel amid Covid19 — Sportsman 2200 Dual Fuel Generator

The thought of being on the road again and visiting unfamiliar places is exciting. However, it will be different from trips of the past.

Happy and Safe Camping!

Update

Here are posts about our travels during the pandemic.

The Florida Coast is Great Winter Camping

Camping Along the Florida Coast

This winter trip camping along the Florida coast was more than a year in planning because we tried to reserve in the more popular Florida state parks. We also camped at three campgrounds last year, Florida Campgrounds, Three Highly-Rated Parks.

Topsail Hill Preserve State Park

Topsail is one of the nicest state parks we have visited. It is on Santa Rosa Island in a beautiful resort area. We paid $46 a night for an immaculate pull-through shaded site with a concrete slab and full hookups. However, you must book extremely early to snare a spot at this popular park.

A gorgeous, isolated beach is a 3/4 mile walk or a free tram ride away. The tram runs every hour from 9 to 5.

Boardwalk at Topsail Hill Preserve — The boardwalk to the beach

The Florida coast at Topsail Preserve — Enjoying the beautiful Topsail Beach

The park and the beach were wonderful, but our weather was not the best. It rained the first full day we were there and it was very cloudy and humid with drizzle the next. But, we enjoyed it because we went to see the movie, 1917, on the first day and some friends drove in from Port St. Joe to visit us on the second day. Overall, our stay at Topsail was very nice.

Manatee Springs State Park

Manatee Springs is a very special park. For a very economical nightly rate of $25 a night, we had a large, level site with full hookups.

Within the park, we had many sightings of deer and we saw manatees on two separate occasions.

Deer at Manatee Springs State Park — Deer at Manatee Springs

Manatees at Manatee Springs — Manatees in the Springs

The Springs are beautiful and you can experience them up close in one of the canoes that are offered for rent. Bikes are also available. If you are hungry, barbeque is sold on site daily. There is very little cell reception in the park, but there is WiFi in the rental area.

Hillsborough River State Park

We had three nights in site #26 at Hillsborough River, which is near Tampa. Our new awning was up for the second time and we liked the bit of privacy it provided. The park has nice hiking trails and a large pool. However, we did not utilize either on this trip.

camping near the Florida coast — Site #26

Our first full day was cold and rainy. So, our camping friends went with us to Tampa where we visited the Tampa Bay History Center and had lunch at Columbia Restaurant. At Columbia, the White Chocolate Bread Pudding was amazing and so was its 1905 Salad.

Lunch at Columbia Restaurant at Riverwalk

Our next day, we really enjoyed a visit to a small museum in Zephyrhills, the Museum of Military History. It has many artifacts from several wars. The museum is free, but is only currently open on Saturdays. Strawberries were in season in Plant City, so we ended our day with strawberry shortcake from one of the local farms. Timing was with us for these two special treats.

Museum of Military History at Zephyrhills — Museum of Military History

Florida Coast at Collier-Seminole State Park

Collier-Seminole is about twenty miles southeast of Naples and it has vegetation and wildlife typical of the Everglades. I was pleasantly surprised at how nice it was. There are multiple bathhouses which were very nice for a state park.

The park began in 1924 to build the Tamiami Trail (U.S. 41) which crosses the Everglades, linking Tampa and Miami. The Walking Dredge was used to build the road and is now a National Historic Landmark.

National Historic Landmark, the Walking Dredge

Access to the Blackwater River is within the park. It is a beautiful place to canoe and the park offers them for rental. Tours are also offered on certain days.

Blackwater River at Collier-Seminole Park — Blackwater River

Because we only had one full day at this park, we just stayed onsite. In addition, the park had bikes for rent at $10 for two hours. It was a beautiful, breezy day—perfect for biking. So we really enjoyed it!

The Florida Coast, Camping in the Lower Keys

Sadly, we could not get a spot at a state park for the Keys. We actually booked at an RV park almost a year in advance because there were not many options. Lazy Lakes RV resort in the lower keys proved to be a nice place to stay, but it was expensive. We had full hookups and a heated pool, but it was $100 a night. Not your typical camping rates.

We had a partial day of beautiful, sunny, and warm weather. This part of the Florida coast was astounding to see—so much gorgeous water everywhere. We drove around and just took in the atmosphere.

Florida camping in the Keys — View from a boat launch

Old Railroad Bridge in the Florida coast — Old Railroad Bridge

An huge (to me) iguana was a frequent visitor at our site. My husband gave him some sweet potato. I stayed away.

Florida Keys Iguana — Our Visiting Iguana

Dinner was at our campsite with our friends who were camping with us, followed by a game of Mexican Train. It was a rainy evening, so we did not leave the campground.

Key West

We drove to Key West for our next full day. The weather had turned cold and wet. We stood in line for about 15 minutes to get a photo of the marker for the Southernmost Point in the continental U.S. Cuba is only 90 miles away and we were told that on a clear night you can see its lights. A couple in our campground planned to take a flight there that included meals and a tour for $900 each. That’s a little too rich for my blood.

The Southernmost Point of the Florida Coast — The Southernmost Point

The Truman Little White House

My favorite part of the day was a visit to the Truman Little White House, but getting there was quite challenging. Parking was nonexistent except for a few lots and traffic was very heavy. Then, there was quite a walk through a neighborhood to get to the house, which has a very interesting history. However, I really loved what we learned about Truman on the tour. We have not yet visited the Truman Library, so it was good to learn about him personally and his accomplishments. The guide was excellent! Also, it was inside and away from the cold and rain.

We had a delicious lunch at Blue Heaven. Though it was late in the afternoon on a cold, rainy day, there was still a wait of about 20 minutes. The food was good though.

We tried to visit the Hemingway House, but they only accepted cash, which we did not have with us. So, we walked around a bit and bought some macaroons at a nearby bakery. We were back at our campsite before dark. Old folks!

The next morning, we said goodbye to our camping friends and were on our own for the remainder of the trip.

The Everglades

Our Everglades home for three nights was Long Pine Key Campground in Everglades National Park. Though it was dry camping, the campground was excellent. The roads were paved and the sites were roomy with pretty vegetation. The bathhouse and separate restrooms were nice and well-maintained. There is also a dump station and fresh water available. It was inexpensive at $24 a night. So, on our first afternoon, we cooked hot dogs and enjoyed all the birds that came to visit, including a pair of cardinals. It was so peaceful!

The Miami Connection

Last year, we visited Miami on a non-camping trip and I got a short haircut that I loved. Wanting to obtain another magical cut, I contacted the same hairdresser and arranged for her to cut my hair again. So, we drove approximately an hour to Miami Beach and I had the same lady cut my hair. It was not the worst haircut I have ever had, but still, it was pretty bad. So disappointing!

Afterwards, we had a nice Italian meal outside at Mercado Della Pescheria on lively Española Way. The meal was good and the people watching was pretty interesting as well.

Lunch on Española Way — Late lunch at Mercado Della Pescheria

Exploring the Glades

Our second full day was all about exploring the National Park. We took a short walk on a nearby trail. It would be great for bikes, but was a little boring to walk. There were bikes available for rent in the campground.

However, we decided our time could best be spent driving the 35 miles south to Flamingo, which is at the bottom of Florida and the Everglades. There is a campground there and we checked it out. It has full hookups, but is not nearly as nice as Long Pine.

Along the way, stopped at Mrazek Pond, one of many in the area. It was teaming with wildlife.

Flamingo

Flamingo was rather lively. There was a a marina and you could take boat rides. We got hamburgers at a food truck. When I got up to throw away the containers, a large crow grabbed the strap on my camera and attempted to fly away with it. He didn’t get far and my husband was chasing him, but my camera dropped on the concrete. It seems to be working though.

The excitement continued when we had the opportunity to see a crocodile pretty close. He was just sunning himself on the shore. I personally think my husband was a little too close.

Lastly, we visited the beach. The water was very shallow and calm. The color was different from what we have seen elsewhere along the Florida coast. It was kind of a mint green—rather strange, but pretty in its own way.

The weather was fabulous while we were in the Everglades, so we did not miss having an air conditioner. Mosquitos were my biggest fear, but they were not bad at all. That was probably because we were there at the end of February. In conclusion, we loved this stop on our trip.

Tomeka State Park

Our last stop along the Florida coast was Tomeka State Park at Ormond Beach. It has an amazing canopy of live oaks nestled between the Tomeka and the Halifax rivers. The campground was beautiful and there was a lot to do and see nearby.

We had an excellent meal at nearby Hulls Seafood. Another winner in the area is Donnie’s Donuts. Both were recommended by the park ranger. Needless to say, we both gained some weight on this trip.

The Casements

Sadly, we only had one full day in the area. The summer home of John D. Rockefeller, the Casements, was our first stop. The tour was free, donations requested. We really enjoyed it. The house has an interesting history and there was also lots to learn about Rockefeller.

We had Thai food for lunch and spent our afternoon at the Battle of Dunlawton Plantation. It was another free activity that offered the history of a plantation during the second Seminole War in 1836. Some of the equipment used for sugar production still stands. This eclectic site also has lovely and whimsical gardens.

This was a wonderful stop on our trip and the community of Ormond Beach spoke to me. I would like to return someday.

Conclusion

We were so blessed to be able to take this trip along the Florida coast! But, when it was time to go, I had been sick for months with a respiratory infection. I was on my sixth round of antibiotics and my doctor said if I didn’t get better, I would need intravenous antibiotics in the hospital.

We departed with just a few days of antibiotics remaining and me with a considerable cough, not knowing if we would have to return early. I am happy to say that steadily I became better in the warm, sunny Florida climate. It was such a great trip!

Cold Weather Camping in North Carolina

Cold Weather Camping

Cold weather camping can be tricky because of uncertain temperatures and the necessity to prevent water from freezing in the camper. Our trip was in mid-November to North Carolina with the Southeast T@B group. Ironically, we experienced temperatures in the high nineties just a couple of weeks prior.

We had been tracking our local weather and the weather in Apex, where we would be camping. It became clear that temperatures in the teens would be occurring in our home area a couple of days before we left, so we had to winterize our camper. However, we wanted to use our water system camping in Apex and it would be above freezing while we were there. So, we used the blowout method for winterization and filled our fresh water tank while on the road. If freezing temperatures had continued on our trip, we would left our camper winterized.

Crosswinds Campground

Our group had a nice representation at Crosswinds Campground, despite the weather. There were approximately 10 campers from our group. The campground is very nice with an immaculate, heated bathhouse. We kept our campsite pretty basic because rain and high winds were expected.

Cold weather camping at Crosswinds — C Loop Site #27

Southeastern T@B Group

It was good to see several friends with whom we have camped before and to meet new people. The weather impeded some activities, but we were still able to spend some quality time with group members. There was a meet and greet by a campfire one night and a potluck on another. We also met several in the group for an early dinner out at nearby Al’s Burger Shack. The weather was good enough one day to allow for a brief hike with a few from the group. We really enjoy camping with these people!

Cold weather camping and potluck — Group Potluck

Cold Weather Outside Activities

Cold weather camping also means that it is more likely to be unpleasant outside. Two of our days were windy, cold and/or rainy. We went to nearby Raleigh one of those days. I needed a refill on antibiotics for an upper respiratory issue and Raleigh’s CVS took care of my meds. I was happy to have that done as I was beginning to feel quite unwell.

Because we have visited this area before, North Carolina Camping, Mountain, City, and Coast, we had seen several of its major attractions. So, on this very cold and windy day, we visited one of its lesser attractions, the City of Raleigh Museum. It is a small museum, but indoors and free! I enjoyed a display on “A History of Political Cartoons”, featuring the career of Dwane Powell. It gave me a new appreciation for the craft.

Political Satire — “Mom Begged Aunt Myrtle”, November 2000

Dinner in Raleigh

We topped off our day in Raleigh by meeting Kevin and Gloria, a couple we have known for a couple of years, at a new trendy Raleigh Food Court, Morgan Street Food Hall. They have just about every food you can imagine. The food was good, but pricey for what you get. It was good to spend time with Kevin and Gloria.

Camping Drama

Our last day camping, most everyone from our group had left and it was a rainy day. We planned a movie and dinner out. Leaving the campground, we encountered a truck whose driver was behaving suspiciously. The driver was going slowly through the campground and stopping as various campsites. We felt that our campsite was at risk in this mostly deserted campground, so we followed the truck. The driver continued to behave suspiciously and because the entrance to the park was not manned, we called the number associated with the park. The said they would send someone. When we returned, we met a ranger and we told him we were the ones who called. Was it paranoia or a real threat? We will never know.

What’s Next

While we enjoyed this trip with our SE camping group, it was a long way to travel and the weather was far less than ideal. However, it was a bit of an adventure.

Our next trip is Pensacola and the Tiny Christmas Campout.

Happy Camping!

Camping at Pigeon Forge with Friends

Camping at Pigeon Forge

This was our first time camping at Pigeon Forge or anywhere in the Pigeon Forge/Gatlinburg area. We have visited several times in the past though, staying in a cabin or chalet. This was a trip planned by our friends from ballroom dancing. We stayed at Kings Holly Haven RV, which is in a great location near Pigeon Forge attractions. Holly Haven offered full hookups for only $40 per night, which was good considering the location. Our friends have much larger RVs and the campground can easily accommodate large rigs. We were the only small camper there.

Tennessee is a beautiful state for camping. We have also camped in Crossville and following is a link to that post: Camping and a Total Eclipse of the Sun.

Cades Cove

We visited Cade’s Cove many years ago, but wanted to see it again. It is an 11-mile scenic loop located within the Smoky Mountain National Forest. The establishment of the park was in 1934. There are several hiking trails along the road, but we were with non hikers, so we just checked out the buildings. The road is one way and even though it was a weekday after school has started, it was quite crowded.

Camping at Pigeon Forge — Blue Ridge Mountain View from Cade’s Cove

The park has several buildings dating back to the 1800s, built by European settlers.

The establishment of the Primitive Baptist Church was in 1827, but the building below replaced the original in 1887. Some early settlers are buried in the cemetery. However, we saw graves dating from the early 1800s to as recent as 2019.

We made several stops along the loop and while at the Methodist Church, a bear cub whizzed by and crossed the street into the woods. So exciting!

The Methodist Church at Cade’s Cove — The Methodist Church

We stopped at the Cable Mill Area and saw several old buildings including a blacksmith’s shop, grist mill, and the large Gregg-Cable house. A park ranger provided a lecture about how life was in the Cove so long ago.

Grist Mill at Cade’s Cove — John P. Cable Grist Mill

Gatlinburg Skybridge

The Skybridge is relatively new to Gatlinburg and was on the top of my list of things to do. A few of our friends went while we were at Cade’s Cove and one couple was a bit nervous crossing the bridge. I still wanted to do it, but was prepared for a little uneasiness.

The Skybridge is 680 feet long, consequently, it is North America’s longest pedestrian suspense bridge. It opened in 2019. Because it is a suspension bridge, it wobbles a bit as you move across it. A section of the bridge has a glass bottom and you can see the drop of 150 feet below.

I was a little nervous, but it was not too difficult to manage. We arrived at a time just after a rainy morning and the bridge was not at all crowded. However, I did see a few people who appeared quite uncomfortable crossing it. I just walked it without holding on to the side except for glass bottom. I could just imagine the glass cracking under my weight. My husband had no qualms whatsoever.

Man on Skybridge — My Big Guy on the Skybridge

View From the Top

The view from the top was so worth the effort. The entire Skybridge area is new and attractive. More noteworthy, the view of the mountains from the bridge was breathtaking.

Gatlinburg From the Skybridge — View of Gatlinburg

Camping at Pigeon Forge and visiting the Skybridge — The Mountain View from the Skybridge

Our senior discounts made our trip to the top plus access to the Skybridge cost only $46.82 for both of us. The price of a ticket also allows as many trips to the top as you wish for the day. I doubt we will do this again, but am so glad we were able to do it once.

Camping at Pigeon Forge Activities

We had two potluck meals with all the couples in our group that included games after dinner. On another night we had an amazing time at the Smoky Mountain Opry. It is a variety show that was surprisingly good. My favorite was the aerialists, but the juggler/comedian was also very good. I highly recommend the show.

My husband also had the opportunity to visit Smoky Mountain Knife Works and also was able to fly his new DJI drone near the campground. We stayed busy our four days in Pigeon Forge.

Restaurants in the Area

We had two very good meals in Pigeon Forge. My favorite meal on our trip was at The Old Mill Restaurant. We had a 30 minute wait, but it was worth it. Be aware that the meals are huge. We shared an entree and it was still plenty of food. The Local Goat was also quite good. Everything is fresh and homemade. The Goat also has an extensive offering of craft beers. We tried an oddity for me, fried deviled eggs. They were quite tasty.

In Gatlinburg, we ate at Blaine’s Grill and Bar. The food was good and reasonably priced for being in the center of Gatlinburg. The only thing to be aware, the restaurant is on the second floor and there are quite a few steps.

Lunch at Blaine’s Bar and Grill — Lunch at Blaine’s

It was a wonderful four days camping at Pigeon Forge with our friends!

Alabama Camping with a SE Camping Group

Alabama Camping at Cheaha

Alabama offers great camping opportunities. We often use our camper to travel to far away places and consequently, our home state’s campgrounds have not been extensively visited. However, Southeastern T@Bs, T@Gs and Friends, a camping group for owners of smaller campers like ours, held a meetup at Cheaha State Park. So, we were happy to have the opportunity to camp with them so close to home.

The State has made a good many recent improvements to Cheaha State Park. The campground is really quite nice now because two loops offer full hookups. We had Site #5 and it was a wonderful, shady site. The shade was needed because temps were in the high 80s. The sites included nice picnic tables and a fire ring.

Alabama Camping at Cheaha State Park — Site #5 at Cheaha State Park

Alabama Camping with a Camping Group

We had a fabulous time camping with Southeastern T@Bs, T@Gs and Friends, which is a Facebook camping group. Everyone was friendly and fun to be around. It is a very laid back event, which we like. There was a potluck that everyone attended and several hikes with varying group members. I really love that there are so many opportunities to camp with this group because there are about five or six meetups per year.

View Above Bald Rock — View above Bald Rock and SE Camping Group

Hiking at Cheaha

I really enjoyed hiking with our friends with the SE camping group. My husband is not a big fan of hiking so I don’t often have others with whom to hike. It was a real treat for me. I participated on three small hikes and my husband was on two of them.

CCC Observation Tower, Highest Point In Alabama

Cheaha CCC Observation Tower and Alabama camping — Cheaha Observation Tower

Cheaha State Park was built in 1933 by the Civilian Conservation Corps and the Observation Tower at its highest point (2,407) was dedicated to the park on April 4th. The hike from the upper improved campground to this spot was pretty easy except for a small area with big rocks over which you had to climb. Also, the last bit of the hike had a pretty good incline.

I climbed to the top of the tower and the view was not outstanding, but the tower and surrounding area was pretty nice.

Pulpit Rock

My husband passed on this hike and I was very glad he did. It was very steep in places and since he has had a knee replacement. The hike is only .3 mile, but the terrain makes it a workout. There is a big payoff in the end though, that makes all the effort so worth it. Pulpit Rock was my favorite view at Cheaha.

Bald Rock

Bald Rock was the easiest hike that I did at Cheaha because the incline was not steep. There are two options: a trail or a boardwalk. I did the boardwalk with my husband and it was a very easy .3 mile hike.

Bald Rock Overlook Alabama Camping — Bald Rock Overlook

Cheaha also has several other trails that were taken by members of our camping group.

Other Alabama Camping Activities

When my husband and I are camping by ourselves, we spend a lot of time visiting surrounding areas. Because we had our camping group friends to hang out with, we stayed at the campground the entire time. We had lots of campsite chats, shared drinks and snacks, plus the big potluck. Lastly, we had a very rousing game of Mexican Train Dominos with a few friends.

There are quite a few activities that would be fun in the surrounding area of Anniston. Cheaha is a beautiful park and with the surrounding area attractions, it is a very desirable place to camp.

Previous Alabama Campgrounds Visited

Alabama is a beautiful state with great areas in which to camp. The following are other Alabama campgrounds we have visited with links to the posts:

Deerlick Creek Park, Tuscaloosa

Desoto State Park, Fort Payne

Gulf State Park

Happy Camping Y’all

Delaware Camping at Cape Henlopen

Delaware Camping

Delaware camping was very new to us. Neither of us had ever been to the area before. We were there as part of our Long Summer Trip 2019. It is a lovely state, but not exactly what I expected.

Crossing the Chesapeake Bay

To begin Delaware camping, we crossed the enormous Chesapeake Bay. I found the Bay very beautiful and quite interesting. It is an estuary, which means it is a mix of saltwater and fresh water. It is the largest estuary in the United States and the third largest in the world. The surface area is approximately 4,480 square miles. It is quite shallow with an average of only 21 feet, but a six foot person could wade through more than 700,000 acres. However, an area near Annapolis is 174 feet deep. As an estuary, the Bay supports more than three thousand species of plants and animals.

Bridge to Delaware camping — Crossing the Chesapeake

The Bay Bridge opened in 1952 and is 4.3 miles long. There is a toll crossing it eastbound only. We crossed it on a Monday and all the traffic was going the other way where it was very slow and congested. Consequently, it was a was cool experience for us to cross this amazing body of water. When we crossed leaving Delaware, the same was true. It was on a Thursday and there was very heavy traffic going into Delaware. Timing is everything.

Cape Henlopen State Park

Our Delaware camping was entirely at Cape Henlopen State Park , where we spent three nights. We had an electric and water site near the front gate, site 27A , and it was not a bad site. It was quite hot, but we had a little shade, plus the important A/C.

Delaware camping at Cape Henlopen — Site 27A

Cape Henlopen has some extraordinary attractions! There is a fort with a unique history. Additionally, there is a beautiful beach, well-stocked store, single-user bathhouse, fishing pier, nice laundry, and fabulous bike trails. I loved this campground!

The Beach

The beach is accessible by walking. Additionally, there are places that can be reached by car or bike. The water was a bit cold for my Deep South blood, but it was very pretty.

There is also a place called The Point, which was isolated and relatively unpopulated. You can see a lighthouse, the Delaware Breakwater East End Light built in 1885, in the distance. There are benches and it is a great place to just sit and enjoy the view.

Lastly, there is a less populated beach by the fishing pier.

Delaware camping at the beach — Beach by the pier

Fort Miles Museum and Historical Area

Fort Miles is like no other fort we have seen because of its interesting history dating to before WWII. Funds for the fort were approved in 1934, but construction did not begin until 1941. The gun batteries at the fort were to defend the Atlantic Seaboard against the German Navy. More than 2,500 soldiers were stationed there in a high alert status.

There were a series of observation tours designed to spot approaching enemy ships. We saw two of them in the park and were able to climb to the top of one.

View from top of observation tower — View of top of observation tower

There are still six barracks buildings on the site, plus many types of armaments and the Artillery Park.

The most fascinating piece, however, is Battery 519. It is a 15,000 square-foot fortified underground building. We took a tour that explained how they built the battery and the complicated process used to determine how the gun should be shot. It was a part of our history of which I was totally unaware.

At the end of the tour, they demonstrated an example of 1/10th of the fire power. We both both heard and felt the blast!

The tour was free and I recommend it to anyone interested in history.

Loaner Bikes and Bike Trails

Cape Henlopen has some of the best Bike Trails I have seen at a State Park. There is a 3.5 mile paved trail through the park and to the beach and pier. There is also a much longer loop, but we only did the shorter one.

We stopped to check out the pier. Many were fishing and the beach had a few sunbathers as well.

While the trail is excellent, for me the special thing about this park is the loaner bicycles they provide at the Nature Center. There is a program ran by volunteers which loans a bike for two hours, free of charge. You must return the bike within two hours, but you can borrow it again. We really appreciated this because we do not bring our bikes on a long trip like this and do not have a way to transport them if rented offsite. We had a nice morning on the bikes. Rain threatened, but did not materialize.

Delaware camping and Bike Trail — Bike Trail

The Town of Lewes

The State Park is in the Town of Lewes. It is a quaint little town with a population of around 3,000. The thing about it is that it is so old. It began as a Dutch colony in 1631! It was the first European settlement in Delaware. I really wanted to go inside the Zwaanendael Museum, but it was closed. The unusual building below was built in 1931 to commemorate the 300th anniversary of the settlement

The other interesting thing in the town was how the cemeteries closely surrounded the churches. In the South, it is not unusual to see a nearby cemetery, but these churches had the cemetery all the way around the building.

We observed two downtown churches that had the same situation with the cemetery, so it must have been a custom. However, it is not something I have seen in the South.

I could see from looking at the headstones that some were quite old. The sign below states that the cemetery is over 300 years old. Very interesting!

Plaque regarding graves — Plaque regarding cemetery

On the subject of cemeteries, we also noticed a very large one as we drove through the area. It looked strange at first to see such a large cemetery in such a small town, but this small town has been around for almost 400 years and that would create a need for far more graves than the typical Southern town.

Rehoboth Beach

Rehoboth is a nearby beach and boardwalk. You can bike or hike to it from Cape Henlopen, but it is much further by car. The City of Rehoboth is also old. It was incorporated in 1873 by the Methodist Episcopal Church as a “permanent camp meeting ground and Christian sea-side resort.

Today, Rehoboth Beach is one of the most popular resorts on the Atlantic coast.

Crab Cakes

I only mention food from on our travels that is extraordinary. Maryland crab cakes were something I had several times on the trip and they were very good, but the ones I had in a place in Delaware was hands-down the best I have ever tasted. They were at The Surfing Crab. Wish I had some right now!

In Conclusion

Delaware camping at Cape Henlopen State Park was one of my favorite stops on our trip. It is the second smallest state, but it is a great place to visit.

Virginia Camping, State, City and National Park

Virginia Camping

Virginia camping was new to us, but we have previously visited the state. Some of the best experiences of our Long Summer Trip 2019 were in Virginia and each stop was a different variety of camping. We stayed at a State Park, a City Park, and also mooch docked with friends.

Claytor Lake State Park

Claytor Lake State Park was an amazing campground—one of our favorites! We had an unassigned, but guaranteed, water and electric site. Upon checking in, I learned that they have reserved sites as well, but they fill up quickly. We had our choice of at least ten sites, all okay, but I loved the one we chose.

Virginia camping at Clayton Lake — Site # 11

Our site was large, level, shaded, and secluded—some of my favorite things in a campsite. The surrounding forest had a heavy layer of pine needles and for some reason, I found it quite appealing.

Virginia Camping in the Forest — View of our back yard

Hiking in the Forest

There was an entrance to a trail at the back of our site. The trail was mostly shaded and level and also wide. It was a very pleasant walk in the woods.

Virginia camping and hiking at Clayton Lake — Hiking Trail

The Lake

We liked the campground so much, we spent our free full day there. The lake had a beautiful marina and a very nice beach, complete with lifeguards.

Marina at Claytor Lake — Claytor Lake Marina

We spent several hours at the beach because it was a comfortable temperature in the shade. I briefly got in the water, which was very clear for lake water.

Virginia camping on the Beach at Claytor Lake — Beautiful beach at Claytor Lake

There were a few picnic tables with grills in shaded areas. We grilled hot dogs and had our lunch there. It was beautiful and peaceful.

Virginia Camping on the lake — Lunch on the lake

We had a relaxing tine at Claytor, which is definitely in the top ten campgrounds we have visited. Everything about the campground was well-maintained and the staff was very friendly and helpful.

Virginia Camping with Friends

We met Heidi and Mark at a Tiny Christmas Campout a couple of years ago and they offered to let us camp on their property near Shenandoah if ever in the area. We had Shenandoah National Park as a stop on our trip, so we took them up on their offer. They have hookups on their beautiful property and we spent three very comfortable nights there. This was Virginia camping at its finest and they were amazing hosts!

Their property is so beautiful and it has Shenandoah National Park as a backdrop.

Virginia Camping with friends — View from the property

Shenandoah National Park

One of our two full days was spent at Shenandoah National Park. Heidi and Mark guided us to things we would like. We saw Skyline Drive and views from an amazing lookout, plus a hike to an incredible Overlook.

Heidi and Mark took us on the Stony Mountain trail because it was not too strenuous in deference to my husband’s knee replacement. It was a very pleasant experience because it was quite cool. It felt good to move around to get warm.

Couple hiking Stony Mountain Trail — Hiking Stony Mountain

The payoff for our efforts was an incredible view that overlooks Shenandoah Valley, the town of Luray, and the Massanutten and Allegheny mountains. Heidi and Mark’s home is also down there.

We had lunch at the park and it was quite good. After that, we went back to Heidi and Mark’s and spent the evening playing Mexican Train Dominos, drinking adult beverages, and eating Amish cheese and sausages.

Montpelier, James Madison’s Home

Montpelier is an hour and a half away from Luray, where we were camped. However, we decided to make the drive because it was something we really wanted to see. It was the home of James Madison, the fourth president of the United States, and his wife, Dolly. The home, built in 1764, has been designated a National Historic Landmark. Our docent was very knowledgeable and painted a vivid picture of the life and times of this famous couple.

James Madison is considered the architect of the Bill of Rights and he shaped the ideas that would become the U.S. Constitution. His wife, Dolly, was a very popular lady and a warm, gracious host. She was gregarious, while her husband was a quiet intellectual. But, they seemed to offset each other well.

Statues of James and Dolly Madison — James and Dolly Madison

I remember studying the constitution in college and reading a couple of books about the men who influenced the formation of our country. Madison, of course, was very prominent in those books. It gave me great pleasure to see his home and to hear about his life.

Guest Room in Montpelier — Montpelier Guest Room

There were always guests at the home during the time the Madisons lived there. The most fancy room in the house was for guests.

The Dark Side of Montpelier

Certainly, the issue of slavery was prominent in the tour of the home and there are exhibits dedicated to the enslaved population who lived on the property. The suffering that resulted from slavery was openly acknowledged.

The Montpelier home and tour also did not sugar-coat the personal history. Madison’s stepson was a gambler and drinker who was always having money troubles. He brought them much grief. The Madisons paid so much related to his actions that after James died, Dolly lost her home.

The Home After the Madisons

Consequently, the home was sold in 1844 and was occupied for many years by private owners. The DuPonts purchased it in 1901 and kept it till 1983. They made several changes to the house and dedicated the land to horses. One room in the house was ultra modern in their time. The room below is a replica of how one of the major rooms looked under their ownership.

duPont Art Deco Room at Montpelier — DuPont Art Deco Room

Lastly, when Marion DuPont Scott died, her estate transferred the property to the National Trust for Historic Preservation It provided funds for restoration to the house to make it look the way it did when the Madisons were there.

This was a great way to spend our second day in the area.

Newport News

Our last camping in Virginia was in Newport News. I like to visit small to medium cities while camping. It helps me know more about the culture of the area. In addition, there is always something of interest to see. We searched for camping near Newport News and were happy to learn there is a city campground.

Newport News Park covers over 8,000 acres and, consequently, is one of the largest city parks in the United States. There is a lake and golf course, plus a very large campground. It also has an archery range and a field for remote controlled aircraft.

Newport News is very near the Historic Triangle: Jamestown, Williamsburg, and Yorktown. However, we visited there several years ago and wanted to do something else this trip.

The Campground

We liked everything about the campground except the maintenance of the bathhouse. Our visit was in the middle of the week and there were very few campers. However, the bathhouse was filled with bugs and spider webs, inside and out. A utility door was open with ugly maintenance things strewn about and a light was on the entire time we were there. I had to kill a big, scary spider in order to take my shower!

Virginia camping at Newport News — Site A 12

Other stuff—the site, the park, store personnel, and laundry facilities—were great. I don’t know what happened on the care of the bathhouse.

The Mariners’ Museum & Park

Mariners’ is America’s National Maritime Museum and is so worth the time and effort to see. For example, there isthmus Nolan Trail, a wonderful trail around the museum and Lake Maury. It is beautiful, wide, and shaded with birds and turtles to see. We walked a good part of it. It is a popular place; there were lots of hikers and runners.

The museum itself has so many artifacts and lots of information related to maritime topics.

Within the museum is a 3D movie, model ships, and artifacts from ships dating back to the 1700s. There is a wooden anchor from 1783. The racer from the America’s Cup was in display with videos about the team and training. There were so many other full size boats as well.

Boat at Mariners Museum — Boat at the Museum

Lastly, the museum’s biggest claim to fame is major pieces of the actual USS Monitor, the Union Navy’s iron-hulled steam-powered warship used during the Civil War. The wreck of the Monitor was discovered in 1973. The story about the Union and Confederate clash of iron-bulked warships is very interesting. In addition, there is a replica of the monitor and a very compelling dramatization of the battle between the two ships.

Replica of the Monitor — Replica of the USS Monitor

Lastly, we visited the City Center, which has beautiful fountains, restaurants, and shopping. So, we walked around a bit and had some delicious ice cream.

In conclusion, Virginia Camping was a delight! We are so glad we were able to be there.

Maryland Camping Adventures

Maryland Camping

We included Maryland camping in our Long Summer Trip 2019 and it was one of our favorites. Neither of us had been there before and were happy to visit two very different campgrounds, Cunningham Falls and Assateague State Park.

Cunningham Falls State Park

Cunningham Falls is a very nice state park and we had a good site with water and electric. We arrived on a Saturday night though and the campground was very crowded. There were lots of loud, unruly children producing much yelling and screaming. They had also trashed the men’s bathhouse. No one appeared to be providing any supervision. It was so unappealing that we closed our shades and spent the afternoon and evening in our camper.

Maryland camping at Cunningham Falls — Site # 20

The Lake and Falls

Sunday was Fathers Day and we checked out the swimming area at the lake. It was nice, but we did not get in the water.

The Falls were more of an attraction to us. We took the easy hike to the falls. The path was wide and though there was a bit of a climb, it was not too steep. There were lots of families on the path.

The waterfall was pretty and well worth the effort to see it. We stayed there for awhile just taking in the view and watching the people.

Back at the campsite, all the people with the unruly children had left and it was so pleasant to be there. My husband heard from all our children, wishing him a Happy Father’s Day. That made him very happy.

Gettysburg

Gettysburg is not in Maryland, but it was only a thirty-minute drive from where we were camping. We had the afternoon and I was afraid if we didn’t see it at this opportunity, we might never. Gettysburg was the site of the bloodiest battle of the Civil War with over 40,000 casualties. We have wanted to visit it for some time. So, we drove to Pennsylvania to visit the Gettysburg National Military Park.

We did not get to do everything, but toured the museum and saw exhibits and a movie. There was an enormous Cyclorama Painting depicting the battle. The canvas is 42 feet high and has a circumference of 377 feet. It took the artist, Paul Philippoteaux, and a team of assistants a year to complete. There is a show with lights and sound effects. I really preferred seeing the painting with full lights on though.

There was a bus tour of the battlefield, but we did not have the time for it. However, we saw part of it as we were leaving. It was worth the drive to visit this historic site.

Sachs Covered Bridge

The Sachs Bridge is very near the Gettysburg battlefield. It was built in 1852 in Adams County.

The truss bridge was standing during the Civil War and was used by both Union and Confederate soldiers. It has been designated Pennsylvania’s “most historic bridge”. It is also reputed to be severely haunted.

Maryland Camping at Assateague State Park

Assateague State Park was my favorite Maryland camping. We could only get one night there, but were nearby and very much wanted to see it. It is on a barrier island inhabited by approximately 150 wild horses.

Assateague Visitor Center — Visitor Center

Most importantly, the island is natural and undeveloped, a rarity for such a desirable vacation spot. The northern two-thirds is in Maryland and includes Assateague State Park and Assateague Island National Seashore. The remaining third is in Virginia and is managed by the National Park Service.

Conditions at Assateague — Conditions at the State Park

The park has a very nice gift shop and a restaurant. They warn you about the wild ponies—no food should be left out or taken to the beach. Plus, you are told to stay at least forty feet away from them.

Maryland camping at the state park — Site H302

We arrived at our site at about 2 p.m. There are very few sites with electricity, so we we dry camping. However, we were good for everything except the lack of A/C. It was very hot with zero shade. The wind was very high though, so it was fairly comfortable to be outside. However, inside the camper was hot.

The bathhouse was right behind us and was the nicest I have ever seen in a state park because it was very new and immaculate. The path to the beach was right in front of us, so we had a very good location.

The Beach

We spent some time on the beach. It was certainly windy. Our umbrella blew backwards and consequently, we had to retire it. I did put my feet in the water and it was a bit cold. While at the beach, we kept an eye out for ponies, but no luck.

Maryland camping at the beach — Testing the water

Wild Ponies!

I read reviews of the park and sometimes people come and do not see ponies or they see the from a great distance. We had been in several areas of the park for a couple of hours and no ponies. I told my husband to be prepared for a visit without them. While he was in the restroom, I saw four walking along the road on our loop. Quickly, I got the phone to take some photos. While I was standing on the step at the door, they started towards me. I quickly ducked inside. The park information stated that they bite!

Wild horses at Assateague — Wild Ponies!

As my husband headed back to the camper, I signaled him to look a couple of sites down at the ponies. I did not want him to miss them. Later, I had to keep on him not to touch them.

Man and wild horse — My husband getting too close

The ponies stayed in our area all evening. One also came back and visited our site. We loved seeing them! It made our visit to Assateague so special!

Maryland camping with wild ponies — Wild Pony in our campsite

Maryland Food

Generally, we had good food on the road, but we had some particularly good food in Maryland. Before entering the park, we had lunch at Crabs to Go Seafood Market in Berlin. Everything was good, but the fried scallops were divine!

We also had an extraordinary lunch in Annapolis at Red Hot and Blue. I believe it is a chain. I had barbecue and my husband had one of his top ten ever hamburgers.

Lastly, I had a delicious seafood dinner, including crab cakes at Rik’s Cafe in Hagerstown. However, the absolute best crab cakes I had was in Delaware, near Cape Henlopen at The Surfing Crab.

Maryland Camping was superb!

West Virginia Camping in the Mountains

West Virginia Camping

West Virginia camping was part of our Long Summer Trip 2019. This trip was the first time in the state for both of us. I expected mountains, but was surprised that we did not encounter any relatively flat areas as we made our way through the state. I learned that WV has an average elevation of 1,500 feet and the highest elevation of any state west of the Mississippi. So, we were always going up and down some pretty big hills.

Kanawha State Forest Campground

I chose Kanawha for several reasons: it was a State Forest, on our pathway to üCamp 19 in Ohio, and near a city we wanted to visit. It also had a Google rating of 4.3.

The drive to the campground was somewhat daunting. We went through multiple neighborhoods with very curvy, narrow roads. I was grateful we did not have a big camper. Sadly, the last neighborhood before reaching the campground was very economically depressed.

We were happy to see that once we were in the forest, it was lush and beautiful. However, there was a pretty long drive to the campground and absolutely no cell signal.

West Virginia Camping at Kanawha — Site # 27 at Kanawha

As we drove through the campground, I was alarmed at the small and uneven sites we saw along the way. I was afraid we would have difficulty making a lot of them work for us. As it turned out, we had the best site in the entire park; large, level, secluded, and utterly beautiful.

There was a road above us on both sides, but no campsites in our little wind in the road. The area surrounding our site was very green with a creek flowing nearby.

West Virginia camping at Kanawha Sate Forest — Our little part of the forest

Unexpected Power Outage

Though isolated with no cell service, we had water and electric at our site. It was rather hot despite the immense shade. While spending the late afternoon planning cards, we noticed our air conditioner had stopped coming on. We first thought there was an issue with it, but discovered our power was out. Having no nearby neighbors, we did not know if it was an problem with our site or the entire park. So, we went to the bathhouse and discovered it too did not have power. As there was nothing we could do about the situation, we settled in that night with no power. It was a bit warm without the A/C, but not too bad. Out T@B Boondock provides lights and television through the batteries, so it was not a big deal. The power was restored mid-morning the next day and we were glad to see it.

Charleston

As this was our first visit to the state, we wanted to see one of its major cities. Charleston was perfect because it is the largest city in West Virginia and the capital. The capital building is very beautiful, but we did not get to see it in its full glory because of work being done on the dome. The building was open to the public however, so we went inside and roamed about quite a bit. The building was dedicated in 1932 and has a very retro feel on the inside.

The grounds in the area were incredible! Beautiful flowers and amazing green grass and foliage. The city’s groundskeeper is doing an amazing job.

Grounds of WV Capital — Beautiful grounds of the Capital

The West Virginia State Museum is in the same area as the capital. It is free to the public and well worth taking the time to see.

West Virginia has a rich history of coal mining which is honored with the statue below and with multiple exhibits within the museum.

The Company Store was an major part of life in coal mining areas for many years and this exhibit has examples of what they were like.

A fact of which I was unaware. Our Civil War resulted in only one change of territory. West Virginia separated from Virginia and became the 35th State.

35th State of the Union — Civil War Change of Territory

The Origin of Mother’s Day

Mothers, you can thank West Virginia for giving you your day of honor. Before the Civil War, Ann Reeves Jarvis formed Mother’s Day Clubs in an effort to improve health and sanitary conditions and they raised money toward those goals. During the war, the clubs remained neutral and treated both Union and Confederate soldiers. I love the way that Mother’s Day began! She was such a hero!

Mother’s Day Origin — Mother’s Day Began In WV

Downtown

The city of Charleston was lovely as the photo below shows. We had lunch at an excellent restaurant, Pies and Pints. We ordered Char-grilled wings and they were unlike any other we have had . . . in a good way. Also, we had a large pizza, half Chicken Gouda and half Pine and Swine. We had lots of leftover pizza, but it did not go to waste. The pints were also delicious! I was happy to learn that this is a chain and we have one in our city. We will definitely be visiting.

Our one day in Charleston was great. West Virginia camping was so much fun! The state is beautiful with its own unique character. We loved our time there!