Lance Camping Archives - Big Guy Tiny Trailer

Trip Interrupted – Winter 2023

Trip Interrupted

Until it was was interrupted near its end, our Winter 2023 trip was wonderful. We were revisiting very nice campgrounds and having a fantastic time. After more than six years of traveling without incident, I guess we were due for a bit of heartbreak. We missed the last three stops. More about that later, but first, the good part of our trip.

The Good Part

We had five weeks of smooth sailing in five campgrounds that we have previously visited. Though the weather wasn’t always great, it was good overall and we loved our time camping.

Topsail Hill State Park

Two weeks in site #55 at Topsail State Park on Santa Rosa Island was glorious! The weather was almost perfect and there was lots to do in the area.

Kith and Kin, a coffeehouse at the park, had live music on one of the nights we were there. The music was pretty good. The place also had some killer pastries and we frequently stopped there.

One great thing about Topsail was that is is fantastic for riding bikes. We rode our bikes almost every day and the frequency got me much more comfortable on my bike.

We bought our pup a trailer made by Dutch Dog with high hopes of her enjoying biking with us like she enjoys camping. It did not quite work out that way. She didn’t like it, so her trips had to be sort with bribes of bully sticks.

A day trip to nearby Eden Gardens State Park was a nice break. It was lovely with a historic house, beautiful grounds, and gorgeous flowers.

The private beach at Topsail is our favorite thing about the park. The water was clear and beautiful. The sunsets were spectacular! We rode our bikes to the beach at sunset on one occasion and it was our first ride in the nearly dark. Slightly scary for me.

While in the area we shopped at Bealls and had some excellent meals. Our favorite restaurants were Shunk Gully, Dewey Destin’s, Stinky’s Fish Camp, and Cappriccio Cafe.

Port Saint Joe

Though it was weeks before our trip was interrupted, our week in Port Saint Joe at Presnell’s was a mixed bag because of the weather. We like the area because it is not highly developed and has a lot of natural beauty. Also, our site was right on the water.

Every morning, we were able to see egrets from our back window. This was true in good and bad weather.

A storm came through while we were there that made a couple of our days merely a hunker down experience. But, the storm free days were glorious.

The storm brought 30 mph winds, gusting to 50 mph. Opening the trailer door was a real challenge because it felt like the wind would tear it out of our hands. I have to say, two days with that kind of weather and being confined to a small trailer was not our best time.

Biking in the campground was somewhat limited, but we really liked riding the bike lane at Cape San Blas. We actually rode our bikes along Highway 30A to get to the cape on one of our rides. The speed limit was 55 with lots of traffic. It was very much a white-knuckle ride for me! The next time, we drove to the area with the bikes.

There are some nice restaurants in the area. Our favorites were Peppers Mexican Grill, Shipwreck, and Provisions Restaurant.

Eastbank COE

Eastbank COE is located near the intersection of Alabama, Florida, and Georgia. There is not a lot to do in the area, but the campground is top-notch. The sites are large and our site was right on Lake Seminole. We were there for six nights.

The sunsets are beautiful on the lake and we had a great view from our campsite.

Most of our time was spent in the campground. We rode our bikes and took Sophie on lots of walks.

We made a day trip to Tallahassee to visit the State Capital. Florida has preserved its historic capital that was built in 1845 while having an ultra modern building across from it that serves the state’s business today. Lunch was at nearby Harry’s Seafood Bar and Grill. Delicious! We also had a couple of excellent meals near our campground at The American.

Manatee Springs State Park

We had absolutely no cell service at our campsite at Manatee Springs, no phone calls-nothing. I was going into electronic withdrawal. But there was a great signal at the concession stand. So, phone calls and e-mail made me feel better. We had a nice site with a bit of shade.

There is a beautiful boardwalk that overlooks the Suwannee River. We rented a couple of kayaks and were able to see two manatees.

Kayaking before our trip was interrupted — Kayaks and a close view of a manatee

The park has some great bike trails and we had a bit of an adventure. We took a wrong turn on a late afternoon ride and it was beginning to get dark. I always go to worst case scenario and was imagining spending the night in the woods. A dog chased us too! Happily, we made it out while there was still some light and saw a group of about ten deer.

Hillsborough River State Park

Hillsborough River is a frequent stop for us because it is near our family in St. Petersburg. We left the camper for a couple of nights and stayed in St. Pete with our family. It was a great visit with them.

While in the area, we checked out the new Rad store. It was new and shiny and we got to see all the Rad bike models.

Our son and daughter-in-law took us on a boat ride on the Intracoastal Waterway. It is a beautiful area and was so much fun to be out on the water. The day was perfect with clear skies.

It was so nice to feel the sea air on our faces. While on the boat, we had Cuban sandwiches from Barracuda Deli. They were absolutely the best I have ever tasted.

While in St. Pete, we also had a great lunch at The Lure and a fantastic dinner at Thai Prajamm.

Our stop at Hillsborough River was great, mostly because of the quality time we were able to spend with family. However, our time in the campground was also good. We rode bikes and had a very peaceful stay.

Good times before our trip was interrupted — Our pup loves being on the water

Trip Interrupted- The Bad Part

The bad part of our trip was not all bad, but we had a very stressful experience that ended up being very costly.

Ocala North RV Park

We had a two night stay booked at Ocala North. The park is very nice with lots of amenities, including a heated pool, multiple dog parks, pickle ball courts, bingo, etc. We didn’t think we would have much time to enjoy the amenities, but our interrupted trip morphed to eight nights and three different sites in the park.

This is where our trip was interrupted

It was to be a “take care of business” stay. On our one full day, we did laundry, gave the dog a bath, and I got a haircut. Then a “Check Engine” light came on in our 2021 2500 Ram.

Phillips Dodge Ocala

Phillip’s Dodge Ram was surprisingly a very good part of this stop. We rolled into their service center in the late afternoon. They were kind enough to check and see what our code’s indicated. We dealt with Derek and Ryan and they were fantastic! The codes indicted three parts, including the engine computer. They ordered the parts and when they arrived a few days later, they immediately began to install them.

We were preparing to head home when we got a call from them. When they pulled the transmission pan to install the parts, they discovered metal fragments that indicated that the transmission needed to be replaced. Phillips was great in filing a claim for a transmission under warranty. We only had 22 thousand miles on the truck.

Getting Home

So, we had to figure out a way to get our 25 foot trailer home. Manny at Enterprise Truck had a truck we could rent. It was a Ram2500, but a gas burner. He first wanted us to bring it back to Ocala because he needed it there, but as we talked, he decided to let us turn it in to the Birmingham location. This made our difficult situation much better. Enterprise Truck Rental at Ocala and Birmingham were very helpful and professional.

Canceled Stops

We had stops at Hanna Park Campground, Skidaway Island State Park, and Hunting Island that had to be canceled. Hunting Island was especially sad because it was with a group we have camped with for many years. Instead, we headed home with our rental truck.

The Good in the Bad

There was a lot not to like because of the issue with the truck. It was extremely stressful and expensive. The stress was ongoing for a couple of weeks and we both had elevated blood pressure. We lost funds on campground cancellations and had significant fuel costs and hotel bills coming back to pick up the Ram.

Despite the negative aspects, we dealt with really nice people and businesses. Our experience with Phillips Dodge was above and beyond our interactions with other dealerships. Enterprise Truck was also good and Ocala RV found spots for us as we extended our stay.

Lastly, we met some really nice people. Our last neighbors, Michael and Angie were wonderful. They gave us two rides into Ocala. We had a lot in common with them, including our sweet doodles. Sophie and Cali played so well together.

New friends on our interrupted trip — Our great neighbors, Michael and Angie

In Conclusion

Our past trips have not had the stress and drama of this one though I think we have always feared something like this happening. But, this interrupted trip makes it more scary now thinking about going far from home. We just have to get out there again and not let this deter us! If you would like to read about other places we have camped, check out our web page, States Visited, a Campsite Resource.

Happy and Safe Travels Everyone!

Retired couple on interrupted trip

Massachusetts Camping Summer 2022

Massachusetts Camping

We have never done any Massachusetts camping before, but we have been to Boston. This visit began in the Berkshires on the western side of the state and ended on the eastern coast. Camping in the Berkshires was easy, but there is a story to tell about our coastal camping.

Bonnie Brae in Pittsfield

It was smooth sailing at Bonnie Brae because we had a nice, shaded, level site and the campground had a pool and laundry. We used the laundry, but did not have time for the pool.

Massachusetts camping at Bonnie Brae — Bonnie Brae is a cute little campground

The campground is on a steep hill. Consequently, it gave Sophie and me a workout coming back up on our walk. It was a friendly area and we interacted with several neighborhood residents below and they gave us tips on restaurants in the area.

Hancock Shaker Village

We had one full day to explore the area and we spent most of our time at the Shaker Village. Shakers inhabited the village from 1783 to 1836. Today there are twenty historic buildings. The countryside was so beautiful and the village was quite interesting.

The Shakers believed in communal living, equality, obedience, humility, simplicity, and perfection. Their work was of the highest quality. All those traits led to a harmonious and simple life. However, they also believed in celibacy. I think that was an unsustainable aspect of their survival as a congregation.

Massachusetts camping ear the Shaker Village — Shaker Village

This round barn was built in 1826 and was an engineering marvel for its day and stabled 52 milk cows. We attended an interpretive talk and were amazed at how innovative they were and how they lived. People traveled from all over when this barn was being used to see it.

Walking around enjoying the beauty of the Berkshires was another thing we loved about being at the Shaker Village.

Hilltop Orchards

Our rainy afternoon was spent at Hilltop Orchards Home of Furnace Brook Winery. We did a wine tasting and purchased a bottle of ice wine, which is unique and something we have never tried. They also had the best cider doughnuts we had on our trip. It was a good way to spend an afternoon.

Gloucester

It was a couple of weeks later when we reached the coastal side of the state. Our first impressions were not the best. The roads in the Gloucester area were very narrow and curvy. The speed limits were low, however, which helped. Unfortunately, my husband had a bit of a bad attitude about the area before we even turned into the campground.

Cape Ann Camp Site

The campground was all uphill and again with the narrow roads. The staff checking us in were very friendly though. The road up to most of the campsites is in the picture below. It is steep with a pronounced curve. When my husband saw it, he said, “Oh, hell no!” He turned down an alternative road to the left, but you couldn’t get up it. A camper who was there said a woman tore up her camper trying to go up that way. So, we turned around and braved the big hill. I got out and watched from all sides as my husband drove up. We made it!

Massachusetts camping at Cape Ann — The road up to the camp site

An added risk was the huge rocks and protruding trees all along the road. The rocks were everywhere, but there was a path for a careful driver. We saw campers that were our size, but none any larger in that top area. Finally, we made it to our site and breathed a huge sigh of relief.

Ironically, this was one of our favorite stops on our trip. The area was beautiful and there was a lot to do. Also, the other campers were very friendly. This part of our Massachusetts camping turned out to be extraordinary.

Massachusetts camping at Cape Ann Camp Sites — Site 196E

The Overlook

An added bonus of the campground was a trail that led to an overlook. We walked up the trail several times and enjoyed the view and the discussions with the other campers. Cars and boats get trapped by the tides in the water below because the level varies by as much as six feet daily.

Massachusetts Camping at Cape Ann Camp Site — View from The Overlook

My husband and dog really liked going to the overlook in the early morning. Unfortunately, they never quite made it for the beginning of sunrise.

The Harbor and City

We were in Gloucester over Labor Day weekend and there was a lot going on. Everything big was happening the Saturday before Labor Day. There were schooners racing in the harbor and that evening a large live band would be playing. A parade of boats with lights would be on the harbor at dusk and later there would be a big display of fireworks. I say “would be” because we only spent the afternoon there. We were worried about the loud noises having a negative impact on our pup. In fact, the fireworks were quite loud in our camper, which was miles away.

We did see the boats going through the drawbridge. I think they were practicing in the daylight. It looked like it would be grand evening.

However, we got to enjoy the beautiful harbor with its monuments, flags, and flowers.

Stage Fort Beach

Stage Fort Beach is near the harbor and it enabled us to get close to the shoreline to see how different it is from the southeast. Half Moon Beach had just a small area of beach and many rocky cliffs.

There was more beach at Cressy’s Beach but what I found most interesting was the big rocks and the house on the cliff. I tried to find out information about the house, but was unsuccessful.

We were impressed with how long Gloucester has been around. Tablet Rock below has a commemorative plaque dedicated to the founding of the Massachusetts Bay Colony by the Dorchester Company in 1623. It also states that Tablet Rock was used by native Americans as an alter to invoke the Great Spirit.

Salem

We took a short drive to Salem for our other free day in Gloucester. It is a cute town that embraces its dark history. We learned the specifics of what happened at the Witch History Museum and had Thai food in the Witch City Mall.

Salem is also the birthplace of Nathaniel Hawthorne, who wrote The Scarlet Letter. The House of the Seven Gables, which was inspirational to him, is available for tours, but we didn’t have the time to see it. However, I plan to check out the book from the library when we return home.

Massachusetts Camping Conclusion

After settling in, both of our Massachusetts camping stops were wonderful. I am so glad we were able to camp in this beautiful state with such a rich history. Check out our visits to other states on our page, States Visited, a Campsite Resource.

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!

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