Better Late than Never

   Fort Pickens – Florida trip 11/9/2024 to 11/20/2024 - 1705 miles

 The first long trip in Park-er, and it was an adventure. We learned a bit more and have some things we would like to change, discovered some leaks, and really need to address the doors. All in all, it was a good trip and Park-er performed like a champ. We have learned that finding some cool old cemeteries to stop at along the route is a good way to break up the drive for the animals.

1st leg of the journey – 258 miles to Mammoth Cave Campground, Kentucky.

Luckily, we just stayed here overnight because I was not impressed. The area is beautiful, so I would go back I just wouldn’t stay at this campground. There were no hook-ups which we were aware of and that was fine because it was just a night and we have the solar generator but the bath house “yuck” and it cost like $5 for 3 minutes of shower. We did not shower. We did have a couple of exciting moments. When we pulled in there was a Mamma deer with her fawns at the entrance and they were not afraid, the dogs were in awe of the deer. We were able to start a campfire, which was nice, but I made the fatal error of sitting my hot, hot tea on my chair to get up and poke the fire. I sat back in my chair forgetting my tea and it went down my back and butt and literally burned my ass. So, I had to deal with the burn for a few days, not a good start to the trip.

2nd leg of the journey – 240 miles to Cathedral Caverns State Park, Alabama.

 This was a beautiful campground; we were here for 2 nights. The camp hosts were fabulous and Alabama is beautiful. We had some really nice people camping around us and it was a very enjoyable place. The only downside was there was a no burn order so no campfire for 2 nights. We were able to hide a bit and the animals were able to roam so they were pretty happy in this spot. The big excitement was a stray friendly cat that wandered into the camp the 1st night and the host were on a mission to catch him. Later the next day he showed up again and one of kids camping was able to catch him and the hosts picked him up. The funny part is the cat actually belonged to one of the park workers, his cat had, unbeknownst to him, came to work with him the day before. We didn’t get to do the Cavern tour since we are still unsure as to how the animals will act being left alone in the camper.

3rd leg of the journey – 166 miles to Fort Toulouse – Jackson Park, Alabama.

 Another fabulous spot in Alabama, with a bonus cool old Fort to check out. The spot here was on the river and we were allowed to have a fire so it was a nice evening. There were campers next to us strumming a guitar and singing, so we had free entertainment. The Fort was very cool and the dogs were able to roam freely, which mad everyone happy.

4th leg of the journey – 198 miles to Fort Pickens Campground, Florida.

 

The weather is damp and chilly but the campground is very nice. We are able to stop at the dog beach before we get to the campground and the dogs were so funny, they didn’t know what to think of the crashing waves. It was very comical; the weather was so yucky we were the only ones on the beach. On day 2 we wake up to rain, so we decide to go into town pick up a few things and do some sight-seeing. We return to the campground at Noon and there are barricades up, the ranger informs us that evacuation is in progress we need to pack up our campsite and leave. I ask if we will be allowed back tomorrow and he says “maybe Thursday”, great. So, we get to our campsite and someone has stolen our rug but luckily our other stuff is there. We pack up and proceed to try to find a place to stay after striking out at a couple of RV Parks I remember I have Harvest Host so I start messaging people to see if they can take us in for a night or two, the third person I message responds right away and says come on down. He is about 20 minutes away and has electric hook-ups and a space in his driveway. So off we go, he was a lifesaver. It is torrential rain now and we have leaks 2 of them, one at the fan and one at the doors in the front. Probably wouldn’t have found them if it wasn’t raining so hard and we were parked on a level surface, so it is good to know we will fix them. The host was great but it was a residential area so we decided to find a different place the next day and were able to get a spot at a state park called Blackwater River, it was beautiful there as well not super dog friendly but there were nice hiking trails and the campground was very well maintained. We were able to return to Ft Pickens on Thursday, which was our anniversary so that was nice. We stopped at Joe Patti’s Seafood and got some fish and shrimp to cook and it was delicious. We visited the dog beach again. I was hoping to find some nice shells after the storm but had no luck, not one decent shell. I did however get chased by an armadillo on the boardwalk, unfortunately I did not catch it on camera. Friday the day we leave was beautiful, warm and sunny, of course. We visited the fort and left the animals in the camper, they did fine, the fort was very cool and I did a bit of ghost hunting got some good responses but I didn’t actually save any of them to the app I was using. The fort was very cool and very interesting history.

5th left of the journey – 127 miles to Isaac Creek – Alabama.

  Another wonderful campground in Alabama. We were on the river and this would be great for fishing, not any real hiking trails I could fine but just sitting by the fire watching the river was nice and the dogs were fine. Just a very nice relaxing spot, which we needed because we were tired.

6th left of the journey – 189 miles to Rickwood Caverns State Park, Alabama.

 This was beautiful but very small and lots of campers, there were maybe 10 rv spots and they were tight. The caverns were also decorated for Christmas, had I know we would have found something else. But it was very pretty and lots of nice hiking trails. There were giant boulders and leaves knee deep, when we first got there Keith went to check in and I took the dogs for a potty break. I was walking along and the leaves were so deep I didn’t realize there was a step down into a picnic area and I fell buried in the leaves. Keith says he saw it but thought it was a kid playing in the leaves, nope just your stupid wife. Any how nice park to spend the evening we did some hiking but no campfire there was a no burn order.

7th leg of the journey – 147 to a Harvest Host site the South 40 Farm, just outside of Nashville, Tennessee.

This was a good stop for the night, it was cold, really cold but they had electric hookups for us and a nice farm we could let the dogs run around on. It was a good stopping point; we were all getting a little road weary and the weather has been chilly so we decided this would be the last stop and we would cancel our last stop which was to be 3 days at Nolin Lake but the forecast was calling for snow and cold so we decided we would just get up early and make the very long ride home in the morning.

Headed home, 381 miles, it was a long, long ride.

So, we did get to see a lot of cool and beautiful things. We were able to hike a bit, I actually lost about 10 lbs. on this trip, so that is a win. After all was said and done, I am glad we went, wished the weather was better the experience might have been different then. We both decided Florida is off of our future travel plans but would go back to Alabama in a hear beat. The people at the Alabama campground were so friendly and nice, the scenery was beautiful. Some very cool cemeteries and the cotton fields were pretty to look at. So much water in Alabama and hills and caverns, spectacular. Florida was ok, the people at the campgrounds were not as friendly, the whole place was not very dog friendly. Even the dog beach required the dogs to be on leash, what fun is that. I will say this the rangers at the Blackwater River state park did point us into an area the dogs could run off leash, so that was nice. All in all, still not a Florida fan.

So, the bus was great but we do want to do some rearranging. Probably replace the couch with a dinette, that would be better and then just where we put things. The front doors need addressed the current set up just is difficult, so we will work on that too. But the animals did pretty well, they don’t love it but I think once we get to the actual campground, they are much happier.

So, this is a little late but the holidays came and went and I forgot to update the blog.

We have our next adventures planned for this year just shorter trips that are about a week long. We will be checking out Lake Vesuvius in Ohio in April, then Seneca Shadows in West Virginia in May and Colwell Lake Campground in the UP Michigan in June. Many more plans in the works.

 

 

Better Late than Never

   Fort Pickens – Florida trip 11/9/2024 to 11/20/2024 - 1705 miles

 The first long trip in Park-er, and it was an adventure. We learned a bit more and have some things we would like to change, discovered some leaks, and really need to address the doors. All in all, it was a good trip and Park-er performed like a champ. We have learned that finding some cool old cemeteries to stop at along the route is a good way to break up the drive for the animals.

1st leg of the journey – 258 miles to Mammoth Cave Campground, Kentucky.

Luckily, we just stayed here overnight because I was not impressed. The area is beautiful, so I would go back I just wouldn’t stay at this campground. There were no hook-ups which we were aware of and that was fine because it was just a night and we have the solar generator but the bath house “yuck” and it cost like $5 for 3 minutes of shower. We did not shower. We did have a couple of exciting moments. When we pulled in there was a Mamma deer with her fawns at the entrance and they were not afraid, the dogs were in awe of the deer. We were able to start a campfire, which was nice, but I made the fatal error of sitting my hot, hot tea on my chair to get up and poke the fire. I sat back in my chair forgetting my tea and it went down my back and butt and literally burned my ass. So, I had to deal with the burn for a few days, not a good start to the trip.

2nd leg of the journey – 240 miles to Cathedral Caverns State Park, Alabama.

 This was a beautiful campground; we were here for 2 nights. The camp hosts were fabulous and Alabama is beautiful. We had some really nice people camping around us and it was a very enjoyable place. The only downside was there was a no burn order so no campfire for 2 nights. We were able to hide a bit and the animals were able to roam so they were pretty happy in this spot. The big excitement was a stray friendly cat that wandered into the camp the 1st night and the host were on a mission to catch him. Later the next day he showed up again and one of kids camping was able to catch him and the hosts picked him up. The funny part is the cat actually belonged to one of the park workers, his cat had, unbeknownst to him, came to work with him the day before. We didn’t get to do the Cavern tour since we are still unsure as to how the animals will act being left alone in the camper.

3rd leg of the journey – 166 miles to Fort Toulouse – Jackson Park, Alabama.

 Another fabulous spot in Alabama, with a bonus cool old Fort to check out. The spot here was on the river and we were allowed to have a fire so it was a nice evening. There were campers next to us strumming a guitar and singing, so we had free entertainment. The Fort was very cool and the dogs were able to roam freely, which mad everyone happy.

4th leg of the journey – 198 miles to Fort Pickens Campground, Florida.

 

The weather is damp and chilly but the campground is very nice. We are able to stop at the dog beach before we get to the campground and the dogs were so funny, they didn’t know what to think of the crashing waves. It was very comical; the weather was so yucky we were the only ones on the beach. On day 2 we wake up to rain, so we decide to go into town pick up a few things and do some sight-seeing. We return to the campground at Noon and there are barricades up, the ranger informs us that evacuation is in progress we need to pack up our campsite and leave. I ask if we will be allowed back tomorrow and he says “maybe Thursday”, great. So, we get to our campsite and someone has stolen our rug but luckily our other stuff is there. We pack up and proceed to try to find a place to stay after striking out at a couple of RV Parks I remember I have Harvest Host so I start messaging people to see if they can take us in for a night or two, the third person I message responds right away and says come on down. He is about 20 minutes away and has electric hook-ups and a space in his driveway. So off we go, he was a lifesaver. It is torrential rain now and we have leaks 2 of them, one at the fan and one at the doors in the front. Probably wouldn’t have found them if it wasn’t raining so hard and we were parked on a level surface, so it is good to know we will fix them. The host was great but it was a residential area so we decided to find a different place the next day and were able to get a spot at a state park called Blackwater River, it was beautiful there as well not super dog friendly but there were nice hiking trails and the campground was very well maintained. We were able to return to Ft Pickens on Thursday, which was our anniversary so that was nice. We stopped at Joe Patti’s Seafood and got some fish and shrimp to cook and it was delicious. We visited the dog beach again. I was hoping to find some nice shells after the storm but had no luck, not one decent shell. I did however get chased by an armadillo on the boardwalk, unfortunately I did not catch it on camera. Friday the day we leave was beautiful, warm and sunny, of course. We visited the fort and left the animals in the camper, they did fine, the fort was very cool and I did a bit of ghost hunting got some good responses but I didn’t actually save any of them to the app I was using. The fort was very cool and very interesting history.

5th left of the journey – 127 miles to Isaac Creek – Alabama.

  Another wonderful campground in Alabama. We were on the river and this would be great for fishing, not any real hiking trails I could fine but just sitting by the fire watching the river was nice and the dogs were fine. Just a very nice relaxing spot, which we needed because we were tired.

6th left of the journey – 189 miles to Rickwood Caverns State Park, Alabama.

 This was beautiful but very small and lots of campers, there were maybe 10 rv spots and they were tight. The caverns were also decorated for Christmas, had I know we would have found something else. But it was very pretty and lots of nice hiking trails. There were giant boulders and leaves knee deep, when we first got there Keith went to check in and I took the dogs for a potty break. I was walking along and the leaves were so deep I didn’t realize there was a step down into a picnic area and I fell buried in the leaves. Keith says he saw it but thought it was a kid playing in the leaves, nope just your stupid wife. Any how nice park to spend the evening we did some hiking but no campfire there was a no burn order.

7th leg of the journey – 147 to a Harvest Host site the South 40 Farm, just outside of Nashville, Tennessee.

This was a good stop for the night, it was cold, really cold but they had electric hookups for us and a nice farm we could let the dogs run around on. It was a good stopping point; we were all getting a little road weary and the weather has been chilly so we decided this would be the last stop and we would cancel our last stop which was to be 3 days at Nolin Lake but the forecast was calling for snow and cold so we decided we would just get up early and make the very long ride home in the morning.

Headed home, 381 miles, it was a long, long ride.

So, we did get to see a lot of cool and beautiful things. We were able to hike a bit, I actually lost about 10 lbs. on this trip, so that is a win. After all was said and done, I am glad we went, wished the weather was better the experience might have been different then. We both decided Florida is off of our future travel plans but would go back to Alabama in a hear beat. The people at the Alabama campground were so friendly and nice, the scenery was beautiful. Some very cool cemeteries and the cotton fields were pretty to look at. So much water in Alabama and hills and caverns, spectacular. Florida was ok, the people at the campgrounds were not as friendly, the whole place was not very dog friendly. Even the dog beach required the dogs to be on leash, what fun is that. I will say this the rangers at the Blackwater River state park did point us into an area the dogs could run off leash, so that was nice. All in all, still not a Florida fan.

So, the bus was great but we do want to do some rearranging. Probably replace the couch with a dinette, that would be better and then just where we put things. The front doors need addressed the current set up just is difficult, so we will work on that too. But the animals did pretty well, they don’t love it but I think once we get to the actual campground, they are much happier.

So, this is a little late but the holidays came and went and I forgot to update the blog.

We have our next adventures planned for this year just shorter trips that are about a week long. We will be checking out Lake Vesuvius in Ohio in April, then Seneca Shadows in West Virginia in May and Colwell Lake Campground in the UP Michigan in June. Many more plans in the works.

 

 

We didn't DIE but....................

So we made our first trip out trying some dispersed camping close to home. For those unaware of dispersed camping it is camping with "no hookups". In a nutshell all of the Country you will find public land that allows you to camp on it for free, typically no amenities. Now, thru hikers know all about dispersed camping/primitive spots that you find along hiking trails, but there are plenty of sites that you can drive right up to you just have to know where and how to find them. Since we are newbies we don't fully understand the where and the how but we are learning.

So as luck would have it, the Hoosier National Forest in Indiana has tons of dispersed camping spots, so we though perfect place to get our feet wet since it is just a few hours away. So we finish the bus build, pack up our gear and the animals and off we go. A bit nervous but excited at the same time. Hey we watched a YouTube video, how hard can it be.......................

We have built Park-Er for dispersed camping, she has 1200 watts of solar power on the rood and a pretty hefty solar generator . The big question is that enough power to really sustain life for a few weeks at a time. We don't know but we plan on finding out on this trip.

I use an app called The Dyrt to help locate some possible spots, my first choice being Buzzard Roost overlooking the Ohio River. We get to Buzzard Roost pretty smoothly, made one wrong turn (thanks Google), and ended up in someone's driveway. Apparently they are aware of Google's error because there was a sign when we turned that said "Do not turn, Dead End". We did not listen to the sign. But we eventually found Buzzard Roost and it was not what I expected there were about 5 or 6 spots, all had pads to park on, no electric or water but pit toilets were available. We were right on the trail head it was absolutely GORGEOUS, very impressed. There was one other camper on the other end so basically the whole place to ourselves. 

But as you can see it was also very shady, so not much sun to charge the generator. This could be a problem.

 Get camp set up, do a bit of exploring and then it is nightfall. We wake up in the morning and decide to take a hike down to the river. The trail looks steep and says it is a "moderate" trail so we figure we can make it. We grossly overestimated our hiking skills, well we could have probably made it but we were worried it may be a bit much for the dogs. The Cat (TT) on the other hand was fine in the backpack I carry but negotiating steep terrain with and extra 10 lbs on my back was a bit tricky. We decided to turn around about 2/3 of the way down.

We make it back to the camper and realize we are using more power than we are pulling in on the solar panels, so we decide to go for a drive to find some sun and other spots to explore.  It is such a beautiful place we drove along the road that followed the river but we couldn't seem to find a good sun place. We decide to head back to Buzzard Roost and get something to eat because I felt a migraine coming on. We make it back and I take a nap, when I wake up from the nap the headache is gone but I realize that someone (probably me) turned the generator off. So basically we were pulling in no power for a few hours, we are at 40% power, I don't think we will make it through the night. I start searching on my phone for a new spot, there are a few more dispersed options but if they are shady too then we will be in the same boat. So I find a County run campground just up the road so I make reservations (had to do 2 nights) and we leave for there.

The campground, Sycamore Springs Campground in English, Indiana, it wonderful. Not horribly crowded but a lot of people, but they have full hook ups, a shower house and all the firewood you could want. Our spot is right along the "river" it looked more like a creek but they called it Little Blue River. The little part was correct. It is great for us but the dogs can't roam and explore so they aren't happy but it was nice. If you want a cute family campground, this is it. We ate some food and got a nice campfire going it was nice and we were plugged in charging the generator. We watched the stars, may have seen a ufo, there was a star that we swear was moving. Ok probably not a UFO but maybe it was ?

A UFO?

The next morning we went exploring we went to an area in the Hoosier Forest called Indian-Celina Lake recreation area, great place as well did some hiking and let the dogs stretch their legs. Checked out the camping areas in the area and met the camp hosts, they were great. I wish we would have just went there and camped there was a small fee but they had hook-ups, next trip. So the camp hosts tell us to check out the Tipsaw recreation area just up the road, so we headed that way, it was nice as well. This area had a swimming beach which was closed but we decided to let the dogs go for a swim (even though it said no dogs) but the beach was closed so really no harm. So the dogs are enjoying the beach and I am holding  the cat who does not have her harness or leash on (this is a very bad decision on my part). Keith says "there is a drain pipe right here you better watch her". Now we are pretty far from the pipe so I'm kind of watching but not really and sure enough off she goes right to the drain pipe. It is a good size pipe so I can see light from the other end so I run down to that side which is like a pit so if she makes it to that end she could get out and get into the woods, this would be bad. So I'm trying to get her to come out, I see her eye shine but she isn't coming out. Finally she decides to come closer to my end and I think she is going to come all the way out but she turns around and shoots toward the other side. At this point Keith has returned from putting the dogs in the bus and I say stay on this end and I will try to get her to come out. If she comes out grab her. So I go to the pit side, "it says do not enter", as you may realize by now I don't really follow signs to well. So I jump down in the pit and pick up a rock to toss inside thinking the noise will scare her out, it doesn't. So after a little bit I figure the only way to get her is to crawl in an get her, so I start crawling. I want to say it was about 3 feet tall inside so I have to crawl. It is filled with rocks and debris and lord knows what else because it is pitch black and I'm feeling my way along the sides so if she runs by me I can catch her. I am praying there is nothing else in there. So I make it to the half-way point and I see eye shine, I grab her and pray it is her and not something else. So I drag her out by the neck scruff and emerge into daylight and Keith says "dumbass". He has a point, so we decide to head back to the campground I have had enough adventure for the day.

The tiny village at the campground

We get to the campground and get settled in, later Keith decides to go take a shower at the shower house. I am going to get the fire going but instead of leaving to shower Keith starts messing with the fire. I said you should take a shower, it was getting dark. He finally leaves and he is gone forever, I was actually worried about him. He makes it back and is madder than a hornet, I said what happened, he got lost. He said he was walking across the field to come back and fell in a ditch 4x's ( I wanted to laugh but I didn't). So after the 4th fall he thought I should go down the road so he said he made his was to the little play village and must have turned the wrong way. He didn't have a flashlight and couldn't see anything, I couldn't believe he didn't take a flashlight since he is kind of obsessed with them. So I had to laugh because it was funny. I said you didn't take a flashlight, "dumbass". We sat by the fire for a bit then called it a night, clouds were rolling in couldn't see any stars.

The next morning we explored a bit more but decided to head home because rain was moving in and we were done. All in all it was a wonderful trip and we learned a little bit. Can't wait to get back there it was a beautiful place and so much more to explore there.

We were all glad to be back home. 

On to the next adventure!

We didn't DIE but....................

So we made our first trip out trying some dispersed camping close to home. For those unaware of dispersed camping it is camping with "no hookups". In a nutshell all of the Country you will find public land that allows you to camp on it for free, typically no amenities. Now, thru hikers know all about dispersed camping/primitive spots that you find along hiking trails, but there are plenty of sites that you can drive right up to you just have to know where and how to find them. Since we are newbies we don't fully understand the where and the how but we are learning.

So as luck would have it, the Hoosier National Forest in Indiana has tons of dispersed camping spots, so we though perfect place to get our feet wet since it is just a few hours away. So we finish the bus build, pack up our gear and the animals and off we go. A bit nervous but excited at the same time. Hey we watched a YouTube video, how hard can it be.......................

We have built Park-Er for dispersed camping, she has 1200 watts of solar power on the rood and a pretty hefty solar generator . The big question is that enough power to really sustain life for a few weeks at a time. We don't know but we plan on finding out on this trip.

I use an app called The Dyrt to help locate some possible spots, my first choice being Buzzard Roost overlooking the Ohio River. We get to Buzzard Roost pretty smoothly, made one wrong turn (thanks Google), and ended up in someone's driveway. Apparently they are aware of Google's error because there was a sign when we turned that said "Do not turn, Dead End". We did not listen to the sign. But we eventually found Buzzard Roost and it was not what I expected there were about 5 or 6 spots, all had pads to park on, no electric or water but pit toilets were available. We were right on the trail head it was absolutely GORGEOUS, very impressed. There was one other camper on the other end so basically the whole place to ourselves. 

But as you can see it was also very shady, so not much sun to charge the generator. This could be a problem.

 Get camp set up, do a bit of exploring and then it is nightfall. We wake up in the morning and decide to take a hike down to the river. The trail looks steep and says it is a "moderate" trail so we figure we can make it. We grossly overestimated our hiking skills, well we could have probably made it but we were worried it may be a bit much for the dogs. The Cat (TT) on the other hand was fine in the backpack I carry but negotiating steep terrain with and extra 10 lbs on my back was a bit tricky. We decided to turn around about 2/3 of the way down.

We make it back to the camper and realize we are using more power than we are pulling in on the solar panels, so we decide to go for a drive to find some sun and other spots to explore.  It is such a beautiful place we drove along the road that followed the river but we couldn't seem to find a good sun place. We decide to head back to Buzzard Roost and get something to eat because I felt a migraine coming on. We make it back and I take a nap, when I wake up from the nap the headache is gone but I realize that someone (probably me) turned the generator off. So basically we were pulling in no power for a few hours, we are at 40% power, I don't think we will make it through the night. I start searching on my phone for a new spot, there are a few more dispersed options but if they are shady too then we will be in the same boat. So I find a County run campground just up the road so I make reservations (had to do 2 nights) and we leave for there.

The campground, Sycamore Springs Campground in English, Indiana, it wonderful. Not horribly crowded but a lot of people, but they have full hook ups, a shower house and all the firewood you could want. Our spot is right along the "river" it looked more like a creek but they called it Little Blue River. The little part was correct. It is great for us but the dogs can't roam and explore so they aren't happy but it was nice. If you want a cute family campground, this is it. We ate some food and got a nice campfire going it was nice and we were plugged in charging the generator. We watched the stars, may have seen a ufo, there was a star that we swear was moving. Ok probably not a UFO but maybe it was ?

A UFO?

The next morning we went exploring we went to an area in the Hoosier Forest called Indian-Celina Lake recreation area, great place as well did some hiking and let the dogs stretch their legs. Checked out the camping areas in the area and met the camp hosts, they were great. I wish we would have just went there and camped there was a small fee but they had hook-ups, next trip. So the camp hosts tell us to check out the Tipsaw recreation area just up the road, so we headed that way, it was nice as well. This area had a swimming beach which was closed but we decided to let the dogs go for a swim (even though it said no dogs) but the beach was closed so really no harm. So the dogs are enjoying the beach and I am holding  the cat who does not have her harness or leash on (this is a very bad decision on my part). Keith says "there is a drain pipe right here you better watch her". Now we are pretty far from the pipe so I'm kind of watching but not really and sure enough off she goes right to the drain pipe. It is a good size pipe so I can see light from the other end so I run down to that side which is like a pit so if she makes it to that end she could get out and get into the woods, this would be bad. So I'm trying to get her to come out, I see her eye shine but she isn't coming out. Finally she decides to come closer to my end and I think she is going to come all the way out but she turns around and shoots toward the other side. At this point Keith has returned from putting the dogs in the bus and I say stay on this end and I will try to get her to come out. If she comes out grab her. So I go to the pit side, "it says do not enter", as you may realize by now I don't really follow signs to well. So I jump down in the pit and pick up a rock to toss inside thinking the noise will scare her out, it doesn't. So after a little bit I figure the only way to get her is to crawl in an get her, so I start crawling. I want to say it was about 3 feet tall inside so I have to crawl. It is filled with rocks and debris and lord knows what else because it is pitch black and I'm feeling my way along the sides so if she runs by me I can catch her. I am praying there is nothing else in there. So I make it to the half-way point and I see eye shine, I grab her and pray it is her and not something else. So I drag her out by the neck scruff and emerge into daylight and Keith says "dumbass". He has a point, so we decide to head back to the campground I have had enough adventure for the day.

The tiny village at the campground

We get to the campground and get settled in, later Keith decides to go take a shower at the shower house. I am going to get the fire going but instead of leaving to shower Keith starts messing with the fire. I said you should take a shower, it was getting dark. He finally leaves and he is gone forever, I was actually worried about him. He makes it back and is madder than a hornet, I said what happened, he got lost. He said he was walking across the field to come back and fell in a ditch 4x's ( I wanted to laugh but I didn't). So after the 4th fall he thought I should go down the road so he said he made his was to the little play village and must have turned the wrong way. He didn't have a flashlight and couldn't see anything, I couldn't believe he didn't take a flashlight since he is kind of obsessed with them. So I had to laugh because it was funny. I said you didn't take a flashlight, "dumbass". We sat by the fire for a bit then called it a night, clouds were rolling in couldn't see any stars.

The next morning we explored a bit more but decided to head home because rain was moving in and we were done. All in all it was a wonderful trip and we learned a little bit. Can't wait to get back there it was a beautiful place and so much more to explore there.

We were all glad to be back home. 

On to the next adventure!

Park-Er

In 2020 we purchased an old church shuttle bus to convert to an RV, this is our retirement plan. We spent 3 years (we are slow) converting her and are just beginning our travel adventures. 

We might be crazy, 2 old people traveling with 2 large dogs and a cat but we think we have it all under control we will see. We plan on doing a lot of boondocking since we have built Park-Er to be totally self sufficient for at least 2 weeks at a time. She has 1200 watts of solar on the roof, a solar generator to power everything, toilet/shower, kitchen, living space and a bedroom. Our own retirement home on wheels.

Wish us luck and make sure you check the website, blog, youtube, facebook and instagram for all of our updates.

Park-Er

In 2020 we purchased an old church shuttle bus to convert to an RV, this is our retirement plan. We spent 3 years (we are slow) converting her and are just beginning our travel adventures. 

We might be crazy, 2 old people traveling with 2 large dogs and a cat but we think we have it all under control we will see. We plan on doing a lot of boondocking since we have built Park-Er to be totally self sufficient for at least 2 weeks at a time. She has 1200 watts of solar on the roof, a solar generator to power everything, toilet/shower, kitchen, living space and a bedroom. Our own retirement home on wheels.

Wish us luck and make sure you check the website, blog, youtube, facebook and instagram for all of our updates.

Keep the Stories

Returning to the blog.

Wow it has been almost 2 years since I even looked at this. So, I guess I'm going on 2 years as being an orphan as well. The Holidays have passed, a bit easier than last year but still not the same. Especially Thanksgiving, that is a tough one, Halloween, they loved to dress up and go to Halloween parties. The 4th of July, Mom loved the 4th - Parades, Family, Fireworks what could be better.

When I stop to think about the last 4 years, it all seems so overwhelming. The loss of a Parent is tough but to lose both in just 2 years and find yourself suddenly orphaned is life altering. The entire family dynamics change. In addition to my Parent's our family has also lost Aunts and Uncles, we only have 1 Uncle left.  What was once a plethora of Aunts and Uncles now is limited to just 1. I do try to keep it in perspective, I am a grown woman with a husband, a grown child and grandchildren. It is the natural progression that you parents pass away and you become the elder of the family. Elder, so weird, I don't even adult well so me being the elder is laughable.  I can't even imagine how a younger person deals with this, my parents both lost their parents when they were young. My Mother lost her Father when she was a teen and her Mother when she was in her 30's. My Dad was in his early 20's when he lost his Father and 30's when he lost his Mother. I can't help but think that altered them somehow. Then of course I know people who have lost both parents when they were children, so I do feel blessed that my parents were around until I was in my 50's. 

I like talking about them, looking at their pictures, remembering the stories.  I am trying to find a way to keep them around in memory. I don't want my Grandchildren to forget them, they were to special. I need to start writing down the stories, the stories that make our family our family. You know not only who, what and where’s but the stories that show the personalities. They were larger than life. I try and somehow the words just don't do them justice but I need to do it so they are recorded for future generations. I obsess about remembering the stories, that is what I do, I guess that is why Mom called me the keeper or the papers.  Somewhere is a past life I must have been a story teller or maybe that is what I yearn to be. Those that know me know I always have a story, and those that know me often wish I would just shut up for once, seriously. I guess I know where my Granddaughter Chloe gets it from, well I for one hope she never loses that. I try to share the stories with Chloe, but for the moment, she really only cares about her own stories. 

I have my Grandmother's old postcards, and the ones I love the most are not the ones she collected that are blank but the ones that were sent either from her or to her because they capture the personality of the person in about 5 lines. Wish you were here, we had the best beer at this restaurant. Wish you were here, caught the biggest fish. I guess some would look at them and say it is a postcard, but when I read them I imagine the person in my head and those 5 lives give be a small glimpse of them. You can tell the ones that were real cards, the ones that were way to serious, the ones that loved beer and those that just loved the adventure. Even the card they sent tells about them, the ones that loved off colored jokes always pick that type of post card to send. See there I go, a story about postcards.

Well 2019 is just around the corner. I am going to really make an effort to write down the stories. I am also going to work on making new stories.

Happy New Year to all, make it the best year ever.