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Retirement Year Seven, Still Going

Retirement Year Seven

Year seven of retirement in 2023 went by so quickly! We saw some beautiful new areas of the country on an epic trip to the Pacific Northwest. However, the year was not without its challenges, particularly related to health. But, we and our family are doing well overall.

Retirement Year Seven Travel

Anyone who has read my blog knows that travel, mostly in our camper, is an enormous focus of our time in retirement. The goal is to do everything we can while still able. Fortunately, it was a very active year in this area.

Our Winter Getaway

Our winter getaway was a little more than six weeks in several Florida campgrounds.

Topsail Preserve State Park

Firstly, we had two weeks at Topsail, a favorite campground, near Destin, Florida. It has a private beach and great places to ride our e-bikes. We bought a cart Sophie and provided lots of treats, but she was not a happy biker. So, she stayed at the camper for most of our rides. We rode bikes almost every day!

Retirement Year Seven biking — We tried to get Sophie involved

The park is close to Destin with all its restaurants and shopping and is one of our favorite areas in Florida.

Topsail State Park — Our home for two weeks

The beautiful beach at Topsail never gets old, particularly during sunset.

Presnell’s at Port St. Joe

Secondly, it was a week at Presnell’s and we loved our site that was right on the water. It is more expensive than State Parks, but, it has more amenities like a heated pool and clubhouse.

Every morning, there were egrets in the water right behind us and there were stunning sunsets each evening. The area has several nice restaurants, so not much cooking by me.

Retirement year seven at Port St. Joe — Egrets behind our campsite

Eastbank COE

Next, we spent a week at Eastbank, Corps of Engineers. Our site was right on the water there as well and the views were spectacular. There is a nearby restaurant, The American, that we really loved. We visited it twice.

We took a day to drive into nearby Tallahassee to visit the State Capital and it did not disappoint. There is a historic building and right across from it is the currently used, ultra-modern building. It was quite the contrast! We toured both. There were films, exhibits, and artifacts, but no tour by a person. A nice lunch downtown at Harry’s completed our excursion.

Manatee Springs State Park

We just had three nights at Manatee Springs, but we loved being able to get in the water and paddle in a couple of rental kayaks. Two manatees were just hanging out where we put into the water.

We took a wrong turn on a bike trail and were a bit lost as the sun was going down. I was worried we might end up all night in the woods. Happily, we found our way out before it was too dark. It’s not good when neither of you have a sense of direction.

Hillsborough River State Park

The stop near Tampa at Hillsborough was primarily to visit our son and daughter-in-law. They took us out on a boat and it was glorious with the sun on our faces and breathing the sea air. Our dogs loved it too!

Problems with our Truck

It was a wonderful trip with mostly great weather. However, it ended on a sour note when our practically new Ram 2500’s transmission failed. The truck was under warranty, but we had to find a truck to tow our camper home. Then, we had to drive back to Ocala to pick up our truck after the new transmission was installed. It was all very stressful.

Camping with Friends

We have camped with a group related to our former camper for many years and were able to take a three trips with them this year. However, also we had three trips on the books that we had to cancel. One was because of bad weather, one because of our truck problem, and one because we contracted Covid.

Falls Creek Falls in Tennessee was a lively trip for us in early May. It is always a good time seeing the folks in this group, many of whom we have camped with several times a year during most of our retirement. They are an active group who hike, bike, and kayak every opportunity they can. (We do our best.) Later in May, we met the group at Monte Sano State Park in Alabama.

Retirement Year Seven with Friends — Fun times at Calfkiller Brewery

Lastly, in September, we camped with the group at Cloudland Canyon State Park in Georgia. I did a hike that was very challenging for me that I was proud to complete with my lung issues. I believe that it was close to four miles with a fair amount uphill. The views were certainly worth the effort.

The Pacific Northwest

The highlight of our retirement year seven was the trip to the Pacific Northwest. In fact, it was our most epic trip ever. We were gone for almost all of June and July and towed the trailer approximately 7,000 miles. This trip included four new states for us: Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and Colorado. It included six National Parks/Monuments, two State Capitols, and the Eisenhower Presidential Library. Upon retrospect, I believe this was our best trip ever.

Glacier National Park

Montana was not a new state for us, but we didn’t include Glacier on our previous visit because it was so far north. We made it a point to visit Glacier on this trip and it was so worth it. The Going-to-the Sun road into the park is only open for a limited time in the summer months because of the climate and opening day depends on current conditions. Coincidentally, it only opened two days before we were there on June 15th. We weren’t aware that it could be an issue when I planned the trip.

Idaho

I did not expect to love Idaho as much as I did. It actually blew me away. We had three very different stops and all were outstanding. In the north, we visited Farragut State Park, one of my favorite parks in all our travels. We also stayed downtown in Boise and loved our time there. If it wasn’t so far from family, I would love to live in Boise. We visited the State Capitol and the Territorial Prison. Lastly, while visiting out-of-the way Arco, we saw Craters of the Moon National Monument. It was very otherworldly. See my post, Idaho Camping, Summer 2023 for more details about this incredible state.

Washington

Our time in Washington included five different stops, a day trip to Seattle, Puget Sound, Mount Rainier National Park, and Olympic National Park. I was expecting it to be wonderful and it was. We did some dry camping at a couple of stops and all went well. Washington Camping, Summer Trip 2023 has more details.

Retirement year seven in Seattle — Post Alley in Seattle

Oregon

Oregon was another surprise for me. It was another favorite state. The most beautiful and memorable view on this trip of beautiful views was in Crater Lake National Park. At almost 2,000 feet, Crater Lake is the deepest lake in the U.S. It was so beautiful that it felt like a religious experience to me. We also really enjoyed the little town of Prospect, which is near the park.

Retirement year seven at Crater Lake — Crater Lake National Park

Another breathtaking area of Oregon is the Columbia River Gorge and the many falls along the historic highway. More information about our time in this beautiful state is at Oregon Camping, Summer 2023.

Colorado

Colorado was a world of its own with its unique beauty. We had three stops in the state with Rocky Mountain National Park as our ultimate destination. High elevation dominates most of the state. I did okay around five thousand feet, but in Gypsum, which had an elevation of 6,400, it was beginning to be difficult for me.

We traveled on to Estes Park Campground near Rocky Mountain National Park, but the elevation was over 7,500 and my blood oxygen levels were dropping too low. So, our three night stay became only one night. The National Park has elevations as high as 14,000 and I knew that would not work for me. So our only activity there was The Stanley Hotel., which was the inspiration for the movie, The Shining. For more on our time in Colorado, see Our 49th State, Colorado.

Our Dance Group

When in town, we still tried to meet with our dance group friends and dance a little. But, I am sad to say that with the infrequency of our dancing and declining health that our dance skills are poor. But, we still enjoyed the time with friends in this seventh year of retirement.

Retirement year seven leadout — Our leadout was “Come Back to the Prom”

We dressed up for the Halloween Dance too

Sophie

Our sweet Sophie was a big part of daily life in our seventh year of retirement. She turned three at the end of the year and is such a good girl! Sophie went through e-collar training in 2023 and her behavior was taken to a much higher level. We love our baby!

Our pup made retirement year seven special — Sophie is a great traveler

Other Interests

I developed two other interests during retirement year seven. The first was Ancestry and I can literally spend hours working on it and the time flies. I have learned so much about my ancestors, some were quite impressive and some shocking.

My second new interest is the game of bridge. It started near the end of the year. I have joined the Birmingham Duplicate Bridge Club and really enjoy it!

A Wedding in Louisville

Our year ended with a beautiful wedding of a cousin in Louisville, Kentucky. Our hotel was downtown in a cool area and the wedding was on New Year’s Eve. So, we were able to ring in the new year with many cousins we adore. Win/ Win!

The wedding was wonderful and the venue was perfect for the night. We generally don’t go out on New Year’s Eve and often don’t even manage to stay awake. Most importantly, we were awake for it all. Retirement year seven ended on a high note.

New Year’s Eve in retirement year seven — Wedding at the Mellwood Arts Center

Retirement Year Seven, In Conclusion

As I look back on these memories, it is clear that in retirement year seven we were very blessed. We have had some health challenges and are clearly slowing down, but we are still going. I’m so thankful for the year we have had and for the people in our lives!

Wishing everyone a wonderful ‘24!

Flooding at Fort Desoto

We had no idea that flooding was predicted at Fort Desoto Campground in Tierra Verde, Florida when we departed for a few days to spend with family who live in the area. They predicted the weather to be colder than the last few years, but we did not expect a tropical storm.

Falling Waters State Park

Falling Waters was a stop along the way. It was our second visit and everything was great. We had a level, concrete site and it was warm and sunny when we arrived.

I enjoyed a relatively short hike with our pup to the sinkhole. It was just over two miles, with a good bit of uphill on the return. It felt good to get some outdoor exercise.

It was an easy path to the sinkhole.

The viewing platform for the sinkhole is on the left in the photo above. That is a waterfall on the right. You couldn’t see much in the sinkhole. When we were there before, there was a lot of trash that people had dumped. It was good to see that it had been cleaned up.

We got up very early the next morning because we had a long drive and it gets dark so early. We were rewarded with a beautiful sunrise. Falling Waters was a good time for us.

Fort Desoto

Fort Desoto is a favorite park for many reasons. It’s county park on an island just south of Saint Petersburg with beautiful beaches. There are great bike trails and an audacious dog park where dogs can also access the beach.

We had reserved four nights, but were only sleeping at the park on the first and last nights. The two middle nights (weekend nights) we were spending with our son and daughter-in-law at their condo in Saint Petersburg. We learned after we arrived at Fort Desoto about the flood warning.

Our first night was uneventful. The park was more empty than we have seen it, but given the weather, it made sense.

Before the flooding at Fort Desoto — Site #96

It wasn’t cold yet and it felt good outside as I walked our pup around the park.

We headed to Saint Petersburg the next morning, leaving our camper for two nights in the park. It was disconcerting to leave it with the weather conditions, but we didn’t have a good option other than leaving the area entirely and not visiting our children.

Two nights with Family

It became quite cold that Friday night. We stopped at our son’s local American Legion Post at Madeira Beach and sat outside. It was quite nippy.

It had a beautiful view, despite the overcast skies. We had drinks before heading to Indian Rocks Grill for dinner.

It was a lovely evening, but the weather was getting progressively colder with high winds. We settled in for the weekend in our family’s condo. With the winds, rain, and potential for tornados, we were grateful to be there instead of back at the campground. It was a lovely and restful time. Our kids kept us well-fed and entertained while the weather raged on outside.

Fort Desoto After the Flooding

So, we made our way back to the campground with hopes that our camper would not be damaged. The campground had a few areas where you could see that the water had flooded some, but it didn’t look significant. We were so relieved when we first spotted our camper and there was no visible damage. We could see where water had flowed through our site bringing vegetation with it.

After the flooding at Fort Desoto — Our Camper was Intact!

The next big question was whether the water rose enough to penetrate the undercarriage. Fortunately, the tires clearly showed that the water level did not reach the bottom of the camper. What a relief!

Water was still collected in the back of the site

If we had stayed in our camper instead of in town, we would have had a scary night during the storm and coming outside with several inches of water would have been very difficult. But, we would have had no choice because we have a dog.

Three Rivers State Park

Our last night on the road was at Three Rivers State Park.It is a park we often use as a stopover when heading to central Florida. The park is on Lake Seminole and is a hidden gem. There are deer all around. This one seemed to wait patiently while I snapped her picture.

The park has a lake view, super clean facilities, a boat launch, and hiking trails. It is a very nice park.

We were able to snag a pull-through site with a concrete pad. I noticed that the picnic tables were all nice too.

In Conclusion

After all the angst about the flooding at Fort Desoto, our trip went well. The weather was cold and stormy, but we had a couple of wonderful days with family and nice stops along the way. This trip falls into the “Good Times” category. Check out our page, States Visited, a Campsite Resource for other posts of our travels.

Merry Christmas Camping Buddies!

Our 49th State, Colorado

Our 49th State

Our 49th State for camping was Colorado. For seven years, we have been working on a retirement goal to camp in all fifty states. Finally, in the summer of 2023, we took a trip to pick up the last four unvisited states in the continental United States. The entire trip was challenging because it was over 7,000 miles and two months on the road. I was actually concerned about our ability to do such a long trip as we are older with some health issues. But, we forged ahead, and I’m so glad we did.

However, I wish we had traveled to Colorado years ago because the altitude was too much for me. Despite the issues, I’m so grateful I was able to spend some time in this beautiful state.

Colorado

Our intention for Colorado was to visit Rocky Mountain National Park for three days, with a couple of one night stops getting there. I knew the elevation was high, but we had already stayed in Arco, Idaho and Salt Lake City, Utah for several days and the elevation for both was in the 5000 range. I was struggling a bit, but hoping that acclimation was occurring. Plus, we were excited about seeing Rocky Mountain NP.

Grand Junction

Our first night in Colorado was in Grand Junction at the KOA. The altitude was 4,593, which is similar to what we experienced on our previous five nights. I could feel the altitude, but it wasn’t extreme.

We had a relaxing night at this very nice KOA. All was good!

The Ride to Gypsum

It turned out that the trip to Gypsum and then to Estes Park was a major part of our Colorado experience. In our travels in the Pacific Northwest, we traveled around mountains. In Colorado, you travel through them!

For example, Hanging Lake Tunnel is almost a mile long. The roads carved out in the mountains were impressive.

Our route was quite scenic because most of it wound along the Colorado River. The river was very wide with fast rapids. We saw a lot of people enjoying the river.

River rafting in Colorado, our 49th state. — Glenwood Springs Rafting the Colorado

My husband did all the driving because the road was very curvy, yet with a fast speed limit. So, I was free to just enjoy it. Sometimes it’s good to be the less-competent one.

River Dance RV

River Dance in Gypsum was gorgeous. We arrived during very high winds. So, we just plugged up the power for the air conditioner and waited for the wind to calm. It was very hot.

After awhile, we ventured out and walked the park. It was very challenging for me to do anything. The altitude was 6,300 and it took my shortness of breath to the next level.

I began to think that Rocky Mountain NP was not going to work for me. My blood oxygen levels were lower than the should be and our next stop was even higher. I looked to see how we could head in the direction of home and get to a much lower elevation in one day’s drive. Unfortunately, all the places we could practically get to were quite high elevations.

So, we decided to go to Estes Park, where we had reserved three nights and to buy some Boost oxygen. It is sold there because of the high altitude and I hoped that it would enable us to complete the trip. In the meantime, we enjoyed the beautiful surroundings at our current stop. Once it cooled down a bit, I could walk around, but I was not moving fast at all. The Eagle River was behind the campground and it was pretty.

Our 49th State Destination, Estes Park

As planned, we made it to Estes Park Campground, which is just a few miles from Rocky Mountain Park. To get there, we drove through Loveland Pass with an elevation of almost 12,000 feet. Both my husband and I were not feeling well. We also went through the Eisenhower-Johnson Tunnel and after it the road was covered with potholes. I later learned it is because it receives so much heavy ice and snow. I heard some pretty serious cussing from my husband.

We headed first to a pharmacy for the Boost oxygen and then to the campground. Our site was quite short, but adequate for our trailer. The views were very nice though.

The oxygen helped me a little, but the effect was very short-lived. The elevation at Estes Park was 8,000.

We drove around town looking for a place for dinner. The small town was jam-packed with people. We tried to eat at a popular barbecue restaurant, but the parking was insane and once parked, we discovered there was an hour wait. This was on a weeknight. Big Horn Restaurant, however, was not so crowded and we had a very good meal there.

If all was well, we planned to go to the park early the next day to beat the crowds. But, several times during the night, I checked my blood oxygen levels. I used the Boost oxygen, but my levels of 87-88 were below what is considered safe. This meant that my organs and brain could be compromised. We would have to leave!

The Stanley Hotel

I wanted to see two things while at Estes Park. The National Park, of course, and The Stanley Hotel. We didn’t have time to see the National Park and didn’t need the higher elevation, but we could drive just a few miles to check out the Stanley.

The enormous hotel was built in 1909. Stephen King stayed there in the 1970s, when it was in disrepair. It inspired his third novel, The Shining. At that time, it did actually shut down for the winter and required a caretaker. It was also reputed to be haunted.

The Stanley Hotel in Colorado, our 49th state. — The Stanley Hotel

It was gorgeous, upscale, and very well-maintained. We checked out the lobby and gift shop and also walked around it, but did not get to take the nighttime tour that I would have liked.

The view of the Rockies from the Stanley was stunning! So, we had been able to breakfast at a popular restaurant, The Egg of Estes, and tour the lobby and grounds of the Stanley. It was not all we had planned, but better than nothing.

Departure Landscapes

Before we left, we checked out Mary’s Lake. Pretty, but no swimming or boating there.

The road to our next destination was not as challenging to drive, but still pretty. Colorado, you are beautiful!

Our 49th State Conclusion

I am so glad we were able to visit Colorado, our 49th state, but boy did it kick my butt! I think most people would do fine there, but I have some significant lung issues. If you are interested in any of the other forty-eight states we have visited, check out States Visited, a Campsite Resource. Now all we have left is Hawaii.

Happy camping!

Idaho Camping, Summer 2023

Idaho Camping

Because we have never done any camping in Idaho before, we really didn’t know what to expect. Our three stops were all wonderful, but vastly different. We visited a state park, an RV park in Boise (the state capital and biggest city), and Arco, a small town near Craters of the Moon, a National Monument. Each stop was certainly a uniquely memorable experience.

Farragut State Park

Our Idaho camping began with Farragut State Park. But, I must admit, I had a bad attitude about it before we arrived. I wanted to stay in an Idaho State Park and Farragut is one of its most popular. It also worked well with our route. But, when booking, I learned that out-of-State visitors pay double the rate of state residents. I felt that was excessive, but booked it anyway. I’m so glad I did because it was worth every penny.

We had a very nice pull-through site in this beautiful campground. The park was well-maintained and our stay was most pleasant.

Idaho camping at Farragut State Park — Site # 138

Farragut is in Athol, which is the northern part of the state and the whole area looks much like Montana with beautiful mountains all around. It is in the top, skinny part of the state called the panhandle.

The Lake

Lake Pend Orielle access is in the park. The water was a clear, topaz blue with mountains all around. It was incredibly windy while we were there.

Most importantly, the lake is 1,158 feet deep, the fifth deepest lake in the United States. It covers a lot of territory with 111 miles of shoreline. I took a short hike along the shoreline enjoying the view. It was cool that day and my long sleeves felt good.

Coeur D Alene

Coeur D Alene is a highly popular city in Idaho that is known for water sports and golf. It was a very cute, super clean city. Our pup with us, so we were looking for outside seating. Collective Kitchen was in the heart of downtown with the seating we needed. However, it was so cold! The food was good, but our server gave us a bit of attitude because she had to come out in the cold to wait on us. She was not charming!

There is a really nice park in the city. I liked the Blue Heron statue dedicated to a popular local physician. It’s a cute city.

Blue Heron was dedicated to a popular physician

Farragut Naval Center Museum

A visit ti the museum is free to Farragut State Park visitors and it was definitely worth the time. The 4,000 acres that is now the state park was once owned by several families. When the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, the United States had to ramp up its Navy immediately. They bought the land and built enormous barracks. The Navy ultimately housed and trained over 200,000 sailors at the facility. They tore the barracks down many years ago. The only original building that remains is the brig, which now houses the museum.

Idaho camping at the Farragut Naval Museum — Farragut Naval Center Museum

Teaching sailors who lived in land locked areas to swim was the major training objective and there were multiple training pools for that purpose. The museum has a lot of information about the times and how the facility was built in record time to ready the United States Navy for WW II. We really liked it and learned a lot.

Boise

Our second Idaho camping stop was Boise, the largest city in Idaho and its capital. We loved the city! It was very clean and easy to get around. Boise is very rapidly growing, but is not yet a big city. Its population was approximately 237 thousand in 2021. If it wasn’t so far from family, I could envision living there.

However, we were in southern Idaho now and it was mid-August. So, it was very hot!

State Capital Building

We try to visit State Capitals whenever possible because I love the architecture and the history of such buildings. At this capital, there was a film about the building and visitors can access most of the building. They completed the building in 1912 for just over $2 million. In 2000, a major restoration cost $64 million.

Idaho Camping near the State Capital — Idaho State Capital Building

The building is very ornate with a gorgeous dome. A major focus of the building is marble and something called scagliola, a laborious process to create a marble look with a goal of “ A Capital of Light.”

There are several important pieces of art at the capital that you would expect to see in a prestigious art museum. The French gave the State of Idaho a famous piece, “Winged Victory”, which was once on display at the Louvre in Paris. The statue is 11 feet tall and was discovered in 190 B. C. in Greece. The statue was a part of the Merci Train to thank the United States for its efforts in WW II.

In addition, new artwork on the lawn commemorates 100 years of women’s suffrage. The statue represents past, present, and future Idaho women and she walks in the footsteps of those who have gone before. I loved it!

Best Idaho Meal

Idaho is known for its potatoes and our favorite meal in the state was at Boise Fry Company. We had already discovered that hamburgers in the area were outstanding because of the sourcing of local meat. This combo was a home run. The burgers were excellent and the fries were next level! They also had a wide selection of dipping sauces. The owner came to our table and chatted for a long while and offered suggestions for how we could best enjoy the city. Additionally, we had a fantastic waffle dessert from Waffle Me Up located in the same building.

Mountain View RV

Our campground was in the city. The good was convenience, excellent management, an immaculate bathhouse, lovely trees and landscaping. The negative was it was right beside the interstate. It was noisy, but with the A/C on to address the heat, we were less aware of it.

Idaho camping in Boise — Site # 130 at Mountain View RV

Idaho Territorial Prison

We visited the Yuma Territorial Prison a few years ago. It surprised me how interesting it was, so we checked out this one. There are only four in the United States.

So, why would this be interesting? To me, it tells the story of our civilization and how we deal with problem residents. Above all, this country has criminal justice issues today and knowing the history of how the issues have been addressed in the past is relevant to me. The stories about specific inmates and how the system evolved in Idaho was fascinating.

Many of the buildings have cell blocks on display. The courtyard is peaceful and well manicured today, but it must have been a miserable place in its day.

One of the more modern buildings had a single, disastrous execution by hanging. I think it was the last death by hanging in the state. They closed the prison and converted it to a museum over fifty years ago. Our tour guide did a wonderful job of telling the stories of the prison and its inmates.

Craters of the Moon

Our last Idaho camping was to visit Craters of the Moon, a National Monument and Preserve. The landscape has been described as a wierd combination of lava and sagebrush. It did look otherworldly.

The volcanos that dominated this area erupted many thousands of years ago and left this barren 52-mile system of fissures. I walked the loop and enjoyed it.

The photo below is a Cinder Cone. Many people were walking to the top, but I was feeling the elevation (5,900 feet) and didn’t attempt it.

Meanwhile, nature finds a way to spring forth new life in several different types of flowers in this desolate land.

The seven volcanos that erupted and whose remains can be seen inside the park can be viewed at a lookout on the road outside the park. The oldest is on the left and is believed to have erupted 15,000 years and the most recent on the right about 2,000 years ago.

Craters of the Moon is off the beaten track, but I am so glad we had the opportunity to see it.

Arco, Idaho

Our home for three nights while visiting the monument was in nearby Arco, Idaho. It is a quaint little town with friendly people.

So, Arco is near a decommissioned nuclear reactor and it was the first city in the world to be powered by atomic energy. They were having a festival while we were there called Atomic Days with a rodeo and live music. But, we were too tired to participate. Late nights are not our thing these days.

This mountain in Arco has the class year of each graduating class going back 102 years. Our server at a local restaurant said her mother told her the students were lowered on a tire to paint their year. I have since wondered about upkeep. Do they go back to freshen the paint?

Pickle’s Place is one of very few places to eat and the locals favor it. We had atomic burgers one afternoon and a big breakfast there one morning.

Craters of the Moon KOA

The remote KOA was very nice with a most friendly staff. After the heat of Boise, we enjoyed its temperatures in the eighties instead of sweltering in the nineties. Our pup enjoyed lounging in the shade, something it was too hot to do in Boise.

Free pancake breakfasts and ice cream socials for a dollar made this a fun place and they had huckleberry ice cream! Also, we met some interesting people and enjoyed the shade while doing some laundry.

Another special moment was when Sophie got to meet a horse up close. She always gets excited when we are driving and they are nearby. However, she didn’t know quite what to do with it this close.

Idaho Camping in Conclusion

Idaho camping was so much more spectacular than I anticipated. It is a very beautiful place with lovely people and an awesome variety of terrain and things to do. I feel so blessed that I was able to experience it! If you would like to read about visits to other states, check out States Visited, a Campsite Resource.

Happy and safe travels!

Oregon Camping, Summer 2023

Oregon Camping

Oregon camping trip far exceeded my expectations! We were looking forward to this new state, but had no idea how wonderful it would be. For instance, Oregon State Parks (Fort Steven’s, Cape Blanco and Ainsworth) were great because there was so much to see within and near the parks. Also, Crater Lake and Multnomah Falls are a couple of the most beautiful places we have seen in the United States. Lastly, temperatures were cool while much of the country was under extreme heat.

Fort Steven’s State Park

Fort Steven’s State Park was our favorite park on this trip. It is on the coast and is just across a bridge from the quaint town, Astoria. There are a few small municipalities very near the park, so the location was convenient. We actually got an oil change there and a guy servicing our truck gave me a cutting of a spider plant. It made it back to our house alive after sixteen stops.

The campground is enormous with sixteen loops. We had an electric and water site on loop O. The campground includes a historic fort, a lake, an interesting shipwreck, and a beautiful beach.

Lewis and Clark National Historical Park

Our campground was just a short drive from Lewis and Clark National Historical Park. It was a small park that has a Visitor Center with some nice exhibits and a film. The park included a replica of a fort built by Lewis and Clark to survive the winter. A ranger, dressed in period clothing, told a story related to the time there.

The Oregon coast was the final destination of the famous Lewis and Clark Expedition and the park commemorates it. It also has a lot of interesting information about the expedition. Travel is so educational!

“Arrival”. They accomplished their goal!

The Historic Fort

The historic fort included old military buildings and some exhibits. There were gun batteries in position towards the water. I had never heard that the Japanese fired upon the US during WWII, but Fort Steven’s is where this occurred. The land and water around the fort was beautiful and we saw about four or five elk in the wild.

The Beach

The beach in the park is rocky and lovely near the jetty. It was also quite windy.

There is an area where the coast includes a sandy beach and quite a few people were there. It is also where a very large ship, the Peter Iredale, wrecked on the coast in 1906. The sea has certainly done much to reclaim the ship.

This was probably the best campground during our entire trip. The only downside was that we heard some strange noises one morning and it appears that one of the many strange-looking squirrels in the park was somewhere in the engine of our truck. It freaked us out! My husband examined it. The squirrel had pulled out a piece of insulation, but no other issues arose. For our next several stops, we put lights out around the perimeter of the truck.

Ainsworth State Park

We had three nights booked at Ainsworth State Park in Corbett, Oregon to visit Multnomah Falls and the Columbia River Gorge. As we drove through Portland on our route, we were astounded to clearly see the enormous mountain in the photo below. I learned that it was Mount Hood, elevation 11,250 feet. I thought we would be able to enjoy seeing it for the next couple of days. Sadly, driving through that day was the only sighting.

Mount Hood was very visible as we headed for Multnomah Falls

The Falls

Multnomah Falls was just a few miles from our campground and it did not disappoint. We couldn’t see it on our first attempt because we didn’t start early enough. It was the weekend before July 4th and we began at 10 am. However, there was no available parking near Multnomah Falls or the popular Vista House. We were able to see some of the less popular views and waterfalls, but not those two spots. So, we got up early the next morning and were able to enjoy the falls and Vista House without the crowds. It was wonderful!

Oregon camping near Multnomah Falls — The majestic Multnomah Falls

Historic Columbia River Highway

The Historic Columbia River Highway opened in 1916 and was designed like the great scenic roads of Europe. One goal was to recognize the natural beauty along the route. A modern highway, Interstate 84, has replaced it for transportation, but sections of it remain open and it draws hoards of visitors every year.

The early morning photo below was the view from Vista House, at Crown Point. It was built in 1916 originally as a rest stop for travelers on the historic highway. Much care was taken to make it beautiful with an outstanding view. The Columbia River and valley below were mesmerizing.

The vast Columbia River in the early morning

Vista House is in the distance in the photo below. It was taken from the Women’s Forum Viewpoint. The photo was taken on the day that crowds made it impossible to see. It was closed the next day when we visited.

Oregon Camping in Eugene

Our stay two night stay at Deerwood RV in Eugene was on July 3rd and 4th. It had been getting warmer as we traveled south and while in Eugene it was in the mid-nineties. Fortunately, they switched us to a shady site that helped tremendously with the heat. The campground was very nice with so many beautiful flowers.

Oregon camping at Deerwood RV in Eugene — Shady site at Deerwood RV

Eugene Activities

We had hoped to do some things in Eugene, but most attractions and many restaurants were closed for the holiday. So, our experience with Eugene included a popular noodle restaurant and a grocery store.

Mount Pisgah Aboreum

Mount Pisgah Aboreum was open though and was nearby. It was nice, but very hot. We took a walk on a shady trail to the water where many locals were swimming.

The holiday proved to be relatively quiet in the campground. We had a nice meal with our next door neighbors, Marty and Becky from California. That plus doing some laundry was our holiday.

Cape Blanco State Park

Cape Blanco was our third Oregon State Park and it was excellent as well. We had moved further south, but back to the coast. I was thinking that we could be laying on the beach there. Not!! It was actually cold, windy, and raining. We did not expect weather like this! Our site was nice, shady and near the bathhouse and we were warm and cozy in our Lance. The campground is tucked well into the forest.

The Beach

The beach was equally unexpected. We first visited an area accessible inside the campground. Great amounts of driftwood lay against the bottom of the cliffs like a massive stack of bones. People can drive their vehicles down there and my husband initially considered it. But, I dissuaded him by telling him how dirty it would get. A truck was down there and, for a moment, it looked like they might become stuck. But, they finally made it back up. A host told us that it costs $1,000 just for someone to come out there if a vehicle gets stuck. We certainly didn’t need any of that.

The Lighthouse

It was incredibly windy at the lighthouse. This part of the Oregon coast is the most westerly. Perhaps this explains why it is colder and much more windy than the more northern shores. The lighthouse is the oldest standing one in Oregon, dating back to 1870. It is still operational. We took a tour and went inside, but could not go to the top.

The shore around the lighthouse is very rocky and windy, but quite beautiful.

The Hughes Homestead

The Hughes Historic Homestead is also within the park. We took a tour and learned that the Hughes settled the land that they obtained through the Homestead Act. They were very successful dairy farmers. Most importantly, their land became what is now Cape Blanco State Park.

Crater Lake National Park

We spent two nights at Crater Lake RV in Prospect, Oregon to visit Crater Lake National Park. The campground is very convenient to Crater Lake and the small town of Prospect was fun to visit. While we were there, we did laundry at the campground and had meals at Prospect Pizza and Beckie’s Cafe. It was an awesome stop and included the most natural beauty we saw on our trip.

The Lake

Crater Lake was breathtaking to see. The deep blue color is like no other I have encountered. The lake is almost two thousand feet deep and is the deepest lake in the United States. It is only feed by rain and snow. It gets plenty of snow because Park Headquarters averages 42 feet of snow per year. The lake is actually the shell of a collapsed volcano that erupted almost eight thousand years ago.

We arrived early in the morning to beat the crowds. I highly recommend going early because we got a sense of how crowded it becomes as we were leaving. It was also wonderful to see the lake in the early morning light.

Though we were visiting in mid-July, there was still snow in the area. The lake elevation level is approximately six thousand feet and any time I was very active, I was reminded of the high elevation.

Rogue River

The Rogue River is the most beautiful river I have ever seen. Our viewing of it included waterfalls and a natural bridge. The water is a tropical looking aqua color and is crystal clear. It is in the Siskiyou National Forest and there is a lovely area that has multiple easy-to-access places to view the river. All I can say is, “Wow!” The beauty of Crater Lake and the Rouge River made this the best overall stop on our Oregon camping adventure.

Oregon Camping in Burns

Our last stop was just a one night travel stop in Burns. We did not see anything in the city or have any meals there, but we did enjoy the countryside along the way. The roads were still curvy and mountainous, but the green of the forest was no longer present. Still beautiful though, just different.

We weren’t crazy about our site at the RV Park because it was awkward to park and near a pretty grungy bathhouse with some stored rvs. There was a nicer area, but they were full hookups, which we didn’t need for one night.

Oregon camping in Burns — Site #14 at Burn RV

The best thing about our time at the RV park was the sunset. This was across the street from us. It wasn’t a bad end to our Oregon camping adventure.

Oregon camping with a beautiful sunset — A beautiful sunset

Oregon Camping Conclusion

To sum up our Oregon Camping experience, it was perhaps the best state we visited on this trip. The State Parks were all above average and Crater Lake was perhaps the most spectacular natural beauty that I have seen. The people we encountered were all nice and the weather was more comfortable than many places on our journey. The driving, however, was very challenging with curvy mountain roads, relatively high speed limits, and a few crazy drivers. But, all things considered, we highly recommend a visit to this beautiful state! Check out our page, States Visited, a Campsite Resource if interested in more of our travels.

Happy and safe travels!

Washington Camping, Summer Trip 2023

Washington Camping

The thought of camping in Washington seems like being on the other side of the world to us because we live in Alabama. Parts of it are over 2,600 miles from home, so we tried to see everything possible during our time there. We camped in two state parks, two National campgrounds, and a Harvest Host. The highlights of our time in Washington were its two National Parks, Rainier and Olympic. We visited cities of Seattle, Tacoma, and Federal Way, plus the small towns of Packwood, Orchard Bay, Bremerton, and Kitsap. It was a whirlwind, but we loved our time in this beautiful state.

Trinity Gardens Lavender Farm

Our first night of Washington camping was a one-night stopover in the small town of Quincy at a Harvest Host. It was a pleasant with rows of lavender and mountains as our view. The hosts provided a flat gravel site and we were the only ones there. It was dry camping, but we managed fine as it was not hot. We purchased a few lavender products as repayment for our stay.

Washington camping in Quincy — Flowing Fields of Lavender

It was very windy while we were there, but the area was lovely. They also are a venue for weddings.

Dash Point State Park

Next, we visited Dash State Park, located on Puget Sound. It is very lush and green. The park was quite shady and the temperatures while we were there were nice. The park is located next to several cities, so there was a lot to do.

Washington camping at Dash State Park — Tall, green Douglas Firs made this park special

There is a very shaded trail to the beach that I did with our pup. The trail was wet and slippery in places. Going down wasn’t bad, but I called my husband to pick us up instead of hiking back.

The beach was a surprise to me. It appeared that the water was low. It was too cold and windy for the water, despite it being mid-June.

Because the campground is close to Seattle, we took a day trip and visited Pike Place Market. It is massive with much of it underground. We had the best New England chowder ever at Pike Place Chowder. They have won lots of awards and there was quite a line.

A day trip to Seattle and Pike Place Market

Next, we had a scenic dinner on the water. I had some wild-caught salmon, which is a Washington must have.

Mount Rainier

Mount Rainier was on our bucket list and we stayed two nights at Silver Springs Campground near the park. It was dry camping in the middle of the Mt Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest. Big trees and lots of shade made it cool in the daytime, but we needed heat at night.

Washington camping at Silver Springs Campground — Dry camping at Site #45 Silver Springs Campground

There wasn’t much nearby and it was nice to spend a couple of days away from crowds and concrete.

Washington camping near Mount Rainier — Majestic Mount Rainier

Mount Rainier, at an altitude of 14,411, is the most glaciated mountain in the lower 48 states. It is also an active volcano with 25 named glaciers. The Paradise Visitor Center was the highest elevation that we could access. Another area has a higher altitude, but it was not yet open while we were there.

We saw several waterfalls. I hiked to the bottom of Narada Falls. It wasn’t bad, but I was wishing I had my hiking poles because it was slippery. Since I didn’t fall, it was worth it.

Rainier and the surrounding peaks were all around, so it was a very scenic drive. Temperatures were mild to chilly, depending on the altitude.

Manchester State Park

Our next Washington camping was at Manchester State Park,also on Puget Sound. It was the nicest Washington campground on our trip because it was very well-maintained and beautiful. It seemed somewhat tropical with enormous trees and ferns. We had a dry camping site one night and water and electric for the next.

There wasn’t a lot to do in the area, but we enjoyed a slower pace for a couple of days.

The water on the sound was very pretty and there were lots of wildlife.

We saw some really cute geese.

Olympic National Park

Lastly, Olympic Park was our last Washington stop. We just had one night in the area, but it was enough time considering we are not able to do any serious hiking.

One problem was happily solved. We didn’t fit into our site in the campground where we had reservations. Miraculously, a spot was available in the RV Park. Disaster averted! It was tiny, but it worked for us.

Washington camping at Sol Duc. — Our smallest site ever #3

Crescent Lake is a big attraction at Olympic Park. It is very beautiful.

The Lodge is right next to the RV Park. We spent a couple of hours in the saltwater pools there. We also had a delicious breakfast there.

Hot Springs and a delicious breakfast were had there

Washington Camping, In Conclusion

Washington wasn’t exactly what I was expecting because it was more beautiful than I had imagined. It was so green! But, the driving was far worse than expected with weary curvy, mountainous roads and locals who are accustomed to going faster than we felt capable towing a trailer. My poor husband had to do it all because he is a much better driver. Despite that, I am so glad we had the opportunity to see this beautiful state!

If you would like to read about our other adventures, check out our page, States Visited, a Campsite Resource.

Safe travels!

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

New Interests, Retirement Year Six

New Interests

New interests has been the theme of this sixth year of our retirement and at this stage in our life, it is exciting to be doing something new. When I first retired, how to fill the time was a concern. Fortunately, camping and our sweet girl, Sophie, kept us mostly busy and engaged. However, it is nice to have a couple of new interests.

Biking

Biking is one of our new interests and I have to give my husband credit for making it a thing for us. It’s an obsession for him and I was more of a reluctant participant. He has been wanting an ebike for a year or so, but I was always cool on the idea. But, we finally pulled the trigger and bought a couple of Rad Rover 6 bikes.

It was a big deal to figure out how to transport these heavy bikes when camping, but we discovered that they transport quite well on the front of our truck. See Hauling Bikes Camping With Lance 2075 for details on how we carry them. Once we had an easy way to haul them, we have taken them everywhere.

New interests, one is in biking — Riding the Santos Trail in Ocala

Kayaking

I wasn’t sure that kayaking was something I could do because of a bad shoulder. So, we never gave it a try until a camping trip with a favorite group at Silver Springs State Park. They made it look like so much fun that we had to try it. I loved it and my husband was the one who was not so enthusiastic. He seems to be coming around though and I think a purchase of a couple of kayaks is in our future.

Family

The most important time that we spent this year was with our family. I am happy to say that our children are doing well and we have a close relationship with them.

Our son and daughter-in-law live in another state, but we were able to visit them a couple of times in 2022. They are doing well and have just bought a beautiful condo. We enjoyed their company for several days.

Our oldest daughter lives near us and we are able to see her and her husband more often. She hosted us for Christmas this year and really made it special. She is so sweet and always works hard to make birthdays and holidays nice for us. We really enjoyed seeing them and the grandkids.

Our youngest daughter and her husband live nearby as well, so we are able to see them frequently. They took great care of our pup when we were in Alaska for a couple of weeks. We always have fun with them.

Long Winter Trip

We were fortunate to be able to spend several weeks in Florida during the winter and it was an amazing trip. Topsail State Park, near Destin, was our home for two weeks. The weather was nice and the sea air was good for my underlying lung condition. Our pup loved it too!

Port Saint Joe was our second stop and it was a wonderful week . Our friends from Michigan were also there, so that made it a lot of fun.

Our last stop, was Gamble Rogers State Park. It was a wonderful week that included meeting our friends and having a few days on a beautiful site with an ocean view. We were there for Valentines Day and our friends hosted us for a delicious steak dinner. A day trip to St Augustine and another to Ravine Gardens State Park kept us entertained.

Not a new interest, camping — Gamble Rogers State Park

New States

Our summer included a trip to New England. That trip added six new states to our effort to camp in all fifty. We camped in Connecticut, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island. While in Maine, we had lobster on multiple occasions. It was fabulous! If interested in reading about this trip see New England Camping.

A favorite in Newport, Rhode Island was Cliff Walk. It is a gorgeous trail by the sea with enormous old-money mansions on the other side. So beautiful!

Vermont was a standout because of the many quaint covered bridges. Really, each of the states we visited was special in its own way. I hope we get to come back to the area again.

Alaska

Our trip to Alaska included a rental camper and a train trip to Denali National Park. The weather was great, but a little cool on some of the days. We were camping right on the water at Resurrection Bay in the photo below.

Homer Alaska was another beautiful spot and the shot below was taken from the beach below our campground. It felt other worldly with very large rocks on the shore.

Our rental camper was from Great Alaskan Holidays. They were a pleasure to deal with and the camper was a current year model that was in great shape. We highly recommend this company.

One of our new interests is Alaskan Travel — Rental camper for our 10 days in the Kenai Peninsula

A highlight of our trip was seeing the Aialik Glacier in Kenai Fjords National Park. The glacier was calving while we were there, meaning big chunks were falling off. If interested in more details about our Alaskan adventure, see Alaska Camping in a Rental RV.

Aialik Glacier in Kenai Fjords National Park one of our new interests — Aialik Glacier in Kenai Fjords National Park

Other Camping

We made it to three camping events with Southeastern T@Bs, T@Gs and Friends. It is a great group and we have known many of its members for several years. They are a lot of fun and they allow us to hang around even though we are in a bigger camper now.

Lastly, there was one short solo trip to Tupelo, Mississippi and Tombigbee State Park. It was a nice campground and Tupelo is a nice city. Elvis tributes are everywhere.

Downtown Tupelo, one of many guitars — One of many guitars in Tupelo

Dance and the Vikings

Dancing is not one of our new interests. In fact, we have been dancing for more than ten years. When in town, we still dance with our Viking Dance Club. There were two Viking-sponsored lead outs this year and we were happy to be able to attend both.

Dancing is not one of the new interests — Tuxedo Junction Lead Out

In Conclusion

It was an incredible year for us and we were so blessed to be able to have lived it. At this stage of our life, we are trying to live life to its fullest. Our new interests give us something to look forward to that will be a bit of a challenge. However, we will have to stay as healthy as possible to be able to enjoy them.

Be happy and healthy!

Hauling Bikes Camping With Lance 2075

Hauling Bikes Camping

Hauling bikes and camping goes hand-in-hand. Campers travel to places with roads and trails that make bikes very enjoyable, yet a good method for hauling them isn’t always available. We personally like having our bikes on camping trips. However, we didn’t have a great method to haul them.

The Lance Rear Receiver

We were excited when we ordered our new 2021 Lance 2075 travel trailer. One main reason was because we planned to haul our bikes on the back. We added the receiver as an option to the build of our camper.

So, we happily prepared to utilize the Lance Receiver. First, we contacted eTrailer for a new bike rack. Unfortunately, information we learned from eTrailer eliminated the Lance receiver as an option for us.

Lance specifications limit the 1 – 1/4” receiver to 130 pounds.
Hauling behind a trailer requires a trailer-rated bike rack because its normal motion fatigues bike rack metal over time. The motion results in fine cracks and ultimately breakage.
No trailer-rated bike rack is available that also fits a 1 – 1/4” receiver.

I know that several Lance 2075 owners haul bikes on the back. But we did not want to take the risk because a travel trailer-rated bike rack is not available that fits a 1 – 1/4” receiver. An adapter to a two inch receiver would cut the capacity to 50% (65 pounds).

However, one Lance owner had the back of the camper reinforced and a 2” receiver installed. This option appears to safely enable hauling bikes on the rear of the 2075 trailer.

Trailer Tongue Option

Some people haul bikes on the tongue of their trailers. Some teardrop trailer owners successfully use this option. However, we were looking for something that would work with the heavier ebikes. I am not aware of anyone using this option on these much heavier bikes.

Bikes in the Back of the Truck

Before we got our ebikes, we laid our regular bikes down in the bed of our truck under the tonneau cover. It was a pain to get them in and out, but it worked. However, our ebikes are larger and heavier and would not fit well under the cover. So, we tried hanging them over the back of the tailgate using the Yakima Gatekeeper Tailgate Pad. We also tried hauling them anchored upright in the bed. Our bed is 6’4”, so the bikes had to travel with the front wheels turned.

Hauling Bikes over tailgate for Camping — Bikes hanging over tailgate

Hauling Bikes in bed of truck for camping — Bikes anchored inside the truck

This was doable, but there were some disadvantages.

It was very time consuming and quite exhausting to get them in and out of the truck.
There was little room for the things we normally carry in the truck.
Nothing in the truck was covered when it rains.

Front Receiver Option

While visiting Yellowstone National Park, my husband saw a truck with a bike rack and bikes on the front of a truck. He spoke with the owner and learned that he was happy with the option. It is extremely rare to see anyone with bikes on the front of a tow vehicle, but it got us thinking about trying it.

We talked to a local truck accessory shop and got a quote for installation of a front receiver. We asked if others use that option for hauling bikes and were told that a few do and they seemed satisfied with it. It was not cheap, parts and labor were $418. Our 2021 Ram 2500 Front Receiver has a 2” receiver and a 1,000 pound vertical and horizontal capacity.

The Bike Rack

Our bike rack decision was based on eTrailer’s recommendation. Our ebikes are on the heavy side at sixty-six pounds each without the battery. We needed one that would hold heavy bikes and also work with a front receiver and fat tires. We settled on the Hollywood HLY64FNR . It will carry two bikes weighing up to 80 pounds each.

The rack weighs 58 pounds and has the longer straps that are required for fat tires. It also works with a rear receiver, so we can use it on the back of our SUV when not towing a trailer.

The Extender

We needed one more item to make this solution work for us, a hitch extender. The receiver does not come out far enough to work with the bike rack without it. We got the Curt 8” Hitch Extender from eTrailer. The issue with using an extender is that it reduces the capacity of your setup by 50%. Our extender has a maximum tongue weight of 350 pounds.

The math works in this case. The receiver normally has a capacity of 1,000 pounds, but 500 in our case. The extender is the weakest link at 350 pounds tongue weight. The bikes weigh 66 pounds times two which equals 132 pounds. Adding the 58 pounds for the rack, we are at 190 pounds and well within our limits.

Our Solution for Hauling Bikes Camping

Of all the options, the front hitch offered the best camping experience. It is relatively easy to get the bikes on and off the rack and we have the covered bed of the truck for camping accessories.

The Issues

While the front receiver is good in many ways, it isn’t a perfect solution.

The bikes are exposed if it rains, but that was true for the other methods as well. However, the bikes could be covered in the bed of the truck. They can’t be covered in the front because the air must flow through the grill of the truck.
Bugs get on the bikes because they are on the front. We minimize this by not driving as it begins to get dark.
The bikes are visible on the lower part of the windshield. They don’t seriously obstruct the view, but they are in the line of sight.
Turning requires accommodation for the extended front. A tight turn would have to be done more carefully. In all situations, the front of the truck has a longer profile.
There is reduced clearance on the front of the truck. We lost approximately four inches of clearance with the front bike rack installation.

While at the campground, we leave the bike rack on our vehicle. It folds up, which makes it not stick out so far in the front.

Hauling Bikes Camping Conclusion

We are happy with our current method for hauling our bikes while camping. For information on other things we have learned regarding camping, check out Camping Resources for New Campers.

New England Camping

We were happy to finally be able do a New England camping trip that was cancelled in 2020. The trip lasted 4 1/2 weeks and covered six states in the northeast corner of the country: Vermont, New Hampshire, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine, and Rhode Island. Those six states were new states in which we have not previously camped.

Stops and Miles

We towed our camper approximately 3,188 miles with a total of 18 stops. Also, there was a good bit of driving without the trailer attached because the Ram traveled 3,600 miles. Our focus was getting to the New England camping areas, so it was longer drives and one night stops until we got there.

New England camping path — Our New England part

The States

Connecticut

First, we camped on the western side of the state, near the charming town of Litchfield. Our campground was Cozy Hills, the most friendly of all our stops. We were near Hartford which allowed us a day in there. The majestic Connecticut State Capital was a highlight, made more enjoyable by a tour. Our Sophie stayed with a sitter who lived in Hartford, so we had plenty of time to enjoy the city.

After the capital tour, we had a delicious lunch at Pepe’s Pizza and then a tour of Mark Twain’s home. It was interesting and informative about his later years.

On our way home after many more stops, we camped on the eastern side of the state, but it was only an overnight stop. I really love Connecticut. More on our time there is at Connecticut Camping Summer 2022.

Maine

The highlight of our trip was Maine. We camped in three different cities in Maine: Bangor, Bar Harbor, and Kennebunkport for a total of eight nights. Each city was special in its own way, but Acadia National Park was unparalleled. We camped two nights at Hadley’s Point campground with full hookups in Bar Harbor and two nights of dry camping in the National Park at Blackwoods Campground. Inside the park was my favorite! The terrain in Bar Harbor was mountainous and rugged.

Bangor

Firstly, Paul Bunyan Campground in Bangor was our home for two nights. We used our time there to check out Stephen King’s house and the Cole Transportation Museum. It was cool to see Kings house, but the Transportation Museum was amazing. For example, it has tractors, snowplows, and vehicles that are over a hundred years old.

Bar Harbor/Acadia

Acadia National Park is small, but so very beautiful. It and Bar Harbor are on an island called Mount Desert. I wish we could have done more hiking, but am glad we were able to do a little.

New England camping at Acadia National Park — View from the top of Cadillac Mountain

We stumbled upon the beautiful garden below in Bar Harbor and just stopped for awhile to enjoy its serenity.

Kennebunkport

Kennebunkport is a beautiful, small coastal town. Most importantly, it is known as the summer home of the George H.W. Bush family for over a hundred years. We saw the home from afar, but we mostly enjoyed checking out the small town and the amenities at our nicest campground on our trip, Sandy Pines Campground.

This was the only time to get in a pool during our trip. It is a saltwater pool and it was exhilarating—the perfect temperature and no chlorine smell. Sandy Pines was our favorite campground because of the nice amenities.

All of our stops in Maine were great. The only regret was no autumn leaves. For more details, check out Maine Camping Summer 2022.

Massachusetts

Traveling through the Berkshires, our first Massachusetts stop was in Pittsfield at Bonnie Brae Campground. We were there two nights. We spent our free day at the Hancock Shaker Village and we stopped at a nearby winery for a tasting. Both were fun, especially the Village. The Berkshires was so beautiful and the weather good except for an afternoon shower.

When we came back down the eastern coast, Gloucester was our next Massachusetts destination with camping at Cape Ann Sites. It was very mountainous there with narrow roads. We didn’t like it at first, but our three nights there gave us a great appreciation for the area. So much was this that we would like to visit again. More photos and details about our Mass stops are at Massachusetts Camping Summer 2022.

New England camping in Gloucester — Fisherman’s Memorial

New Hampshire

The White Mountain range is in New Hampshire, so we got to see a lot of them. Our only stop in the state was in Wolfeboro at the Wolfeboro Campground. It was a nice, inexpensive campground in a lovely town with lakes all around. We took a day to ride the Cog Railroad to the top of Mount Washington, elevation 6,288. The railroad was a couple of hours away from Wolfeboro, but worth the trip.

We had three nights in Wolfeboro and stayed in town our other free day to take in the scenery and nice weather. I especially loved this small town! More about this stop is at New Hampshire Camping Summer 2022.

Rhode Island

Our worst weather was in Rhode Island. It was cloudy or raining during our entire stay. The goal was to take the ferry into Providence for a day, but there was actually some flooding there. So, it was a no go.

Despite the weather, we had a few hours to drive around a bit and enjoy Cliff Walk, a 3 1/2 mile walk alongside the ocean and the famous Newport mansions. I absolutely loved it! The views were stunning and the salt air felt rejuvenating for my lung condition.

New England camping near Cliff Walk — Cliff Walk

Our other free day was a visit to The Breakers, one of the most famous Newport mansions. I loved it and my husband tolerated it. I would have liked to visit others, but marriage does involve compromise. More on this rainy stop is at Rhode Island Camping Summer 2022.

New England camping in Newport — The Breakers

Vermont

The Green Mountains of Vermont were very beautiful. The state is crystallized in my mind for its incredible scenery, rich history, and covered bridges. Of all the states we visited on this trip, I think Vermont would be the most beautiful for the turning of the leaves.

Our time in Vermont was only at one stop, Camping on the Battenkill in Arlington. Most importantly, there were three nearby covered bridges that we got to enjoy. For more about our Vermont experiences, see Vermont Camping Summer 2022.

New England camping and covered bridges — Paper Mill Bridge

New England Camping in Conclusion

This trip was long awaited and delayed by COVID, but it was an incredible experience. We loved each of the new states we visited because each was special in its own way. So, we now have camped in forty-five states!

Happily, our New England camping had no snags and we certainly had gorgeous weather most of the time. Fall leaves would have been nice, so we have to go back!