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From Bears to Gators

10/19/2015

Not that we've seen any of either, but there's always that possibility. Saturday night we were camped by a mountain stream in a narrow hollow surrounded by pines and fall color. Last night we were in a huge flat site with palmettos and oaks dripping with Spanish moss.

We are at Skidaway Island State Park near Savannah. It's a beautiful park with great facilities. (Only one hook in each shower, though.) Of course, as my mother would have said, it should be at the price. Iowa still has the best state park camping bargains that we've run into. But this is a great place for bike riding for those of us who look for flat trails and, as I said, very spacious sites.

Our trip here was all down hill. Literally. The only frustration was seeing $1.87 gas and not being able to get near the pumps with our rig. By the time we got set up here, it was time for supper so it was 'Encore Buffet' night: some leftover rice with chicken strips thrown in and leftover stew on bread. The Moosetracks ice cream was new however.

We are anxious to explore Savannah. We have heard so much about it. And today is our 52nd anniversary (as well as 232 years since the surrender of Lord Cornwallis at Yorktown) so we will find some way to celebrate.

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More from the Top

10/18/2015

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On yesterday's agenda was a drive along the Blue Ridge Parkway. Yes, I went along. No, I didn't get sick. Yes, my knuckles were white. But of course I get that way on a ladder, too. It was a beautiful fall day and, being Saturday, the crowds were out.

We stopped at a couple of visitors' centers, the larger one being the Oconaluftee Visitor Center. There were mountain musicians performing inside and they had a restored mountain farm on the grounds. I was particularly taken with the structure of the old barn. They had a great gift shop too.

Once back, we had a beef and butternut squash stew with biscuits and a little campfire time with the neighbors. Perfect end to a fall day. Today we will pack up and head to Savannah, Georgia to become flatlanders again.

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From the Top

10/17/2015

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Yesterday started out as a utility day--laundry and groceries. We did squeeze in a visit to Barber's Orchard and picked up some lovely Red Romes. Perfect for baked apples. The crowd at this place on a Friday morning was unbelievable. We had hoped to pick up some of the apple cider-cinnamon donuts our camping neighbors had told us about, but the line into the bakery side seemed like a message to me from my cholesterol fairy godmother and we gave it up. It wasn't easy--they pipe the aromas into the produce side.

We both stewed all day about apparel for our evening out. The dress code at the Grove Park Inn said 'resort casual' but we had not planned for a fancy dinner out and suspected that 'camping casual' wasn't quite the same thing. However, the forecast told us that we'd better dress warm for outdoor dining; thus the dilemma. So we concocted some layers and arrived on time for our reservation. We were seated right by the stone railing of the upper terrace. The view was outstanding, our waiter was gracious, and the sun was beating down on our table enough that I soon removed my jacket.

We began by splitting a roasted beet-pistachio salad that was out of this world. I opted for the North Carolina trout and roasted asparagus while Butch ordered the sea scallops--both delicious. Meanwhile, a couple was seated at the table next to us and we visited a little while waiting for our entrees. They were also celebrating an anniversary and were staying at the Inn for the weekend. When the husband grumbled that it was costing 'more than thirty days of camping,' we knew we had found soul mates. They lived in Raleigh although were originally from Canada and Massachusetts. He was a semi-professional photographer and took a couple of photos of us. Unfortunately, I had done something to the settings on my camera and was unable to get very good shots of the sunset. But we ended the evening with the creme brulee plus a plate of macaroons with a sweet message. By that time the sun was sinking behind the mountains and we headed back to camp.

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Bear with Me

10/16/2015

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So yesterday morning, I was visiting with the campground owner, Jim, and he was regaling me and others with stories he had told the children of friends to give them a good scare involving bears and a headless man running through the creek, etc. Then he proceeded to tell us that this actually is a very active bear area and that there actually is a den at the top of the hill but he only sees the mother bear occasionally.

Now I know this is certainly possible--after all I read and saw A Walk in the Woods, but Jim had pretty much admitted he is a shameless storyteller. But just to be on the safe side, we went into Asheville for the day and, after scoping out the Grove Park Inn and making anniversary dinner reservations for tonight, spent a couple of hours at the Southern Highlands Craft Fair. The wares included incredible weaving, wood working, jewelry, and pottery. We didn't buy anything--after all we're trying to downsize--but I did pick up several business cards of people I may want to contact later. There even was a woman who makes oilcloth floor cloths and place mats in the manner of the Craftsman style of the Twenties.

This morning, laundry for sure and probably a grocery store run. Plus our neighbors told us about a great apple orchard nearby. Then tonight we will have dinner on the Sunset Terrace and probably have to sell the camper afterwards to pay for it. Our anniversary isn't actually until Monday--52 years--but we were told not to miss out on this dining experience. Besides, Monday is also the anniversary of Cornwallis' surrender at Yorktown so we can celebrate that instead.

I wonder if that's a bear I hear outside...

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Fire and Water

10/15/2015

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From Fall Creek Falls in Tennessee to Moonshine Creek in North Carolina is not far as the proverbial crow flies but it is through the mountains and a thirty-foot trailer makes the going even slower. Moonshine Creek is a private campground buried in a narrow hollow along a small mountain stream. Because of the terrain, sites are very small, but right along the creek and pleasant. The host guided Butch’s back-in, possibly better than I would have done.

The shower house with laundry facilities has been totally remodeled this year and resembles a hotel spa, except you know what? Only one hook in each shower stall. I mean, granite counters on the vanity and granite window sills and glass tile trim, but one hook? We have occasional phone and internet--I may have to wait and load this post when we venture out today. We are going to check out the Blue Ridge Parkway and the city of Asheville. And maybe do some laundry, as soon as we stock up on quarters.

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On the Road Again

10/14/2015

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This morning we will take off as early as possible because we will be crossing the mountains into North Carolina for a campground called Moonshine Creek near Asheville. Not that far as the crow flies but perhaps a challenge to truck and trailer. We'll see.

Anyway, yesterday we decided to hike the bike path from the dam to the Fall Creek Falls overlook--a pretty easy hike on a beautiful fall day. It's a little difficult to discern which trail goes where or how far because both the maps and the signage are somewhat lacking. I have always wondered if most state park maps were actually drawn on the back of a napkin over a beer after a long day outside. And this sign does raise questions, doesn't it?

We did avail ourselves of the campground showers and they are quite nice, except for only one hook--my perpetual complaint. Keep in mind is that almost never do campground showers have a place to put your clothes where they will remain dry and the one hook they do put in is for your towel, clothes, shoes, shampoo and soap. If there is a soap tray, often as not it and the hook were designed by ski jump specialists. What is with that? I understand why solving the federal budget problems is difficult, or why all disease in the world hasn't been eradicated, but decent hooks in showers? C'mon.

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Hello Again

10/13/2015

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First, I need to correct yesterday's entry: we are at Fall Creek Falls State Park, not Fall River Falls. After you look for it on a map, Google it, and look at tee shirts and souvenirs with the right name, it should register, but it didn't until a native Tennessean pointed it out. Ooops. So after visiting the General Store and the Gift Shop and poring over the somewhat inadequate maps, we decided to take the driving tour first to get our bearings.

We crossed the dam and took a long loop to reach, first of all, the overlook for Fall Creek Falls. This is either the highest or one of the highest falls east of the Rockies, depending on the brochure you're looking at. And the overlook, as the word implies, is much higher. Those of you who know me know I wasn't going to get too close to the railing so Butch took most of the pictures. The flow is much less than in spring or summer but still it is a beautiful spot.

We continued the drive, pulling over a couple of times at overlooks with stunning views of the gorge. At the first one, a nice couple from Jackson, Tennessee offered to take our picture and he confessed that he feels much the same about heights as I do. As we were leaving, a family with two boys arrived and I thought how glad I was not to be keeping track of kids in these spots. At the next overlook, there were our friends from Jackson and we exchanged a few comments.

The next stop was for Piney Creek Falls and as we picked our way down the short but treacherous trail to the overlook, we met the family again. Piney Creek is much more spectacular right now with more water than Falls Creek and the family offered to take our picture after we took theirs. Before we left the overlook, here came the people from Jackson. We're old friends by now and took their photo.

That ended the driving loop so we decided to check out the conference center and restaurant overlooking the lake. It was lunch time and we found the fare at the restaurant reasonably priced and good.

The nature center and third falls, Cane Creek Falls, are located on the other side of the campground from the morning's drive. The nature center is small but informative. Some steps outside lead down to the overlooks for Cane Creek Falls and the Cascades. Cascades just seem to be much wider falls. There is a suspension bridge just above the Cascades and I enjoyed watching other people cross. Low and behold, there are our friends from Jackson and the family with the two boys. We visited and I almost invited them for Thanksgiving but didn't know any of their names.

Back at the campground, we collapsed before making preparations for supper--salmon and roasted veggies on the grill. Our campsite backs up to a large open field and we enjoyed watching the kids--more than I've seen in any campground--play baseball, kickball, Frisbee, and turn cartwheels, until dark. It reminded me of Calhoun Street in the 70s when kids whirred by on bikes and concocted games based on the equipment they had and the number of players. Our only regret for the day was not putting a few things away before the storm hit about 9:30. Ooops again.

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A Precarious Perch

10/12/2015

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So. Fall River Falls State Park in Tennessee is forty or so miles south of the interstate and then a LONG ways back from the highway on windy roads. We arrived mid-afternoon and finally found our site. It is right off a turn in the campground road, but then the site itself turns. It was not a pretty parking job but the parker and the parking assistant are still married.

Not only does the site curve but it slants to the east. The pad is quite narrow, so when we finished, the bottom step hit me at the knee and there was no place to put our extra step that we carry for these occasions. Butch rigged a support with an extra board but that first step is still a doozy. We will need a step ladder to get our bikes off the back end.

However, it appears to be a beautiful place. There are loads of families here, so obviously there is no school in this area today in honor of the Italian who sailed for Spain looking for China and accidentally ran into the West Indies. We will do a little exploring ourselves in search of the falls that this park is famous for. And perhaps we will have spaghetti tacos with a little soy sauce for supper. Eww.

One amazing site that we have already seen: last night, five or six teenagers from a group near us sat at a picnic table playing cards. We did not see a single cell phone. We don't have any TV stations here but we do have cell and internet service so that wasn't the reason. I wanted to go over and congratulate them.

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Subtlety and Splash

10/11/2015

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I used to find fall disappointing in the years when, due to rain or temperatures, we didn't get the dramatic display of color. But as I grow older, I find a lot of gratification in the subtle shading throughout the fall. Yesterday we started on our odyssey to Georgia, traveling south through Iowa into Missouri and across into southern Illinois at St. Louis, and the scenery was awesome on a beautiful bright blue day. There's something about spring and fall when the bones of the earth seem more visible that appeals to me beyond the exuberance of summer.

We spent the night at South Marcum campground on Rend Lake south of Mt. Vernon. This is a great Corps of Engineers facility and looks like a good place to return to. The campground is pretty full with lots of families due to the long holiday weekend. Our site has a slant requiring three boards under one side of the camper but the payoff is an incredible view from the picnic table at the back of the site. Several kids cut through while we were eating supper to fish below us on the bank--one young girl with her first catch. And I should mention that this place has A+ shower houses.

After a long day of driving, we were delighted to do a basic, simple setup, throw on a quick supper, and enjoy the scenery. Our neighbors brought over a plate of delicious fish for a perfect appetizer. Then we walked the loop as a glorious sunset provided the splash for the day and enjoyed the campfires and fall and Halloween decorations. We saw a couple of unusual lights hanging from trees and realized they were made from five-gallon plastic buckets. A man across the road from us gave me a detailed description of how he had made it--very ingenious.

Today we will head through Kentucky to Tennessee--another long driving day--to Fall River Falls State Park and spend three days there. Maybe we'll see Dan'l Boone.

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Glamping on the Cheap and Lazy

10/6/2015

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I am not a frilly person. I shudder when I pass the Barbie aisle in the chain stores. I don't like high maintenance stuff--like the current style of jackets with the long front tails. They look fine but I would have them caught in a car door or a blender or something. But when we started making plans to join the Sisters on the Fly at their Country Living Fair event in Georgia at the end of this month, I took a critical look at our trailer. The Sisters, like the Glampers, often restore vintage trailers, name them, carry out a theme and color scheme, and mega-accessorize. I love looking at them and I admire their creativity.

But frankly, I'm too lazy to get all of that stuff out every camping trip and arrange it. That doesn't mean I have no interest in adding my own stamp. RV and camper designers seem to have no imagination and they all have the same color scheme and look. I'm enough of a rebel to want to change that. We have owned our trailer for nine years and I think for that entire time I have thought it would be a good idea to slipcover the cushions in denim. They could be washed and would be less scratchy (and ugly) than the original upholstery. But I had never done it.

A couple of weeks ago, I needed to use an online credit so I purchased a rug runner to cover the spots in the light beige carpet. It is shades of denim and leather. Just the motivation I needed to make covers for the dinette seats. Then I found a cover in the same color of blue that would work for the jack-knife sofa. Now the table. It is blah grey laminate. Some people paint them and cover that with epoxy. I was tempted, but there's the question for later trade in. So, with help of some Glampers on Facebook and a staple gun, I covered it with a leather-look vinyl remnant. Much warmer-looking than that laminate.

So we have kind of a woodsy-cabin- western thing going. Most of the items are either left-over from changes in our home or picked up very cheap.

Two other modifications in recent years were for convenience rather than glamour. Shoes were always a problem and this trailer happens to have a cabinet right by the door under the entertainment center. I took the door off and it became our shoe caddy. Also a hanging caddy out of fabric has about 10 pockets and holds all of our chargers and electronic accessories.

So now we are ready to head to Georgia. Well, as soon as we load the food, clothes, books, raincoats, etc.

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