Changes, Camping and More....

In the last four months we have been through lots of changes and we find ourselves in a bit of a new reality.  That's not always a bad thing and we are working to embrace our new day to day.  Life changes quickly and if there is anything we have learned it's to embrace each and every day, enjoy life, and don't waste time on things that just don't matter.  I'm posting this rare picture of us here because we want to come out from behind the camera and let everyone know that we are the face of senior life and the challenges it can include. 

We are in that now common position where our parents have been our responsibility and concern in day to day life.  In the last few months we have lost my Mother and Greg's Dad.  Now Greg's Mom is alone and that is a daily worry.  She is very independent and self sufficient but loosing a partner that you have spent more than 60 years of your life with can bring on all sorts of dilemmas.  The loss of Greg's Dad was quick and somewhat unexpected and has left a hole in our family.  My Mother was ill and in long term care for over a year and a half and while expected, it was much sooner than anticipated.

In the midst of all of this Greg has suffered a long chronic illness which resulted in his loosing a job that he loved.  This has been another death of sorts for him and has been a process to begin to move forward from that.  We have been stalled and having difficulty in moving in that direction but we are now on the road and hoping to keep plodding ahead.

Another event that has definitely effected our lives was the loss of our beloved 14 year old Beagle Jack, Beeger.  He was the most loyal and sweet boy and his favorite person in the world was Greg.  He never left his side when he was home and he was happiest in the yard helping out.  He had been declining for quite a while and also had dementia.  We had to make the very difficult decision to put him down four days before Greg's Dad died.  We could not allow him to suffer any longer.  He talked to us until he drew his last breath.  He was never able to camp with us due to his health but he was so happy to see us each time we returned.  Understandably this has been very hard on Lucy as well.  She knows that he is gone and she is alone with out a sibling for the first time in her life.  Hopefully at some point we will find another rescue the she loves like she did our sweet Beeger aka BJ!

What's the point of sharing all of this??  We hope that others out there who are suffering similar difficulties in life can see that it is possible to find joy even in the midst of pain and loss.  We have felt that we have been hit by a landslide of loss lately but as the clouds clear away we are left with a glimmer of bright light and hope for our future.  We are so excited to be welcoming our very first Grandchild this month and the joy and anticipation of his arrival gives us hope for brighter days ahead.  We are so very fortunate to have four beautiful grown sons and their wonderful spouses!!  And...we know that all of these events are part of life and endured by us all.

We are looking forward to a camping trip hopefully next week before Greg gets back to work in a new and different job.  A little time spent in Little Red always gives us perspective and brings us back to whats important in life.  Stay tuned to see where we travel to.  Spring is usually beautiful in South Caroling!

Huntington Beach State Park.....and COLD Weather!

We made a quick trip down to Myrtle Beach in January while we were having a little spurt of warmer weather.  We had reservations at Huntington Beach State Park. We have visited this park many times but never camped here.  It is a beautiful campground with lots of trees, wildlife, trails and more. Of course the beach is the main attraction here and it is absolutely beautiful.

Unfortunately the day we left home, it was rainy but that normally doesn't slow us down.  When we arrived at the campground it was so dark and we had a little trouble finding our site.  After rounding all of the loops about 10 times I talked Greg into talking to one of the campground hosts.  They were awesome and actually had an extra site map that we used and quickly found the spot.  The temperatures had dropped considerably and getting into our site in the cold rain with me on flashlight duty was not exactly fun.  However, it made our cozy little camper with some tasty homemade vegetable soup that much more appealing.  Those frozen meals sure do come in handy.  Miss Lucy was so happy to snuggle and get warm.  She did good on the ride down but as always it's not her favorite thing to do. I can't recommend the car seat and seat belt enough for those who have puppers who don't like riding in cars.  It keeps her from pacing and climbing all over the car.  The most important part of this is the seat belt clip.  We clip it to her harness and she is safe and sound. 

The next morning it was beautiful and sunny although very cold and brisk outside.  I'll take dry cold any day.  Miss Lucy stayed behind in the warm camper while we ventured out and about.  We rode down to an RV store and looked at a little larger camper made by Gulf Stream and checked out the Vintage again as well.  Sadly neither can match the quality of craftsmanship of the Retro so we will be working to figure out how we will order one when we are ready to move up to a bigger size.  The closest place to find one near us is Florida.  I surely don't mind venturing down that way to camper shop.  (Big smile!)  We are thinking 180 or in the 190 range but we are researching models before we make a decision.

Next we dropped off the deposit for a summer rental for the family vacation in July.  There are 10 of us and by then we will be 11 when our sweet little Grandson will have arrived.  We plan to take Little Red and we will use that space as necessary.

For dinner that night we rode down to Murrels Inlet where we found many of our favorite restaurants were closed until February or March.  We didn't think of that as we haven't been to this area in January before.  We finally found a great choice - Wahoo Fish House.  Oh my gosh - this restaurant was excellent.  It has a very cozy rustic atmosphere and we were able to sit on the side by the water and watch wildlife as we ate.  The food was excellent and we enjoyed every bite with the exception of the few morsels we saved for Lucy Loo.  I ordered the seared scallops over cheese grits and Greg had a stuffed fish special that they featured that night.  Although this restaurant was a little more expensive that we would normally try, it was well worth it.  We thoroughly enjoyed it and would highly recommend it.

We will definitely visit this campground again when it's warmer.  The only drawback we saw is that many of the sites don't have shade so you will need to choose wisely in the summer months.  There are shady spots available.  This is a great campground for all ages and is very senior friendly.  The bathhouses were clean and well kept.  WIFI is available and this state park is pet friendly. They have a very nice gift shop and store with a gigantic Adirondack chair out front which makes a great picture prop.  This park is also the home of a National Historic Landmark, Atalaya, the winter home of Archer and Anna Hyatt Huntington.  There is an arts festival held here each year in September.  If you like the Myrtle Beach area, I would put this one on your bucket list for sure.

Hickory Nut Campground ~ Lake Lure and More...

After a full year of traveling almost every month, we were forced to take a break at the end of 2017.  Greg experienced some unexpected health problems, my Mom died, his Dad fell and has been hospitalized or in rehab since and then just everyday life got in our way.  Things have been a little more crazy than usual ever since the week before Thanksgiving.  Oh well - that's just life.  We are going to try and get back out there at the end of this week for a short trip back to the beach.  Looking so forward to that!! Miss Lucy is ready to go again!!

Before the Apocalypse in October, we traveled up to North Carolina and visited the Lake Lure area and camped at Hickory Nut Campground just down from Chimney Rock.  This is such a beautiful area and so perfect for a Fall trip. There is so much to do there and great food and fun.  If you haven't been to this area, do put it on our list.  It's well worth the trip.  Part of the campground sits on a beautiful stream and our site was backed right up to it.  We could hear the rushing water and it was so relaxing!!  Lake Lure is also just down the road and it is absolutely gorgeous!!

The campground is nestled in a little part of the mountains and the sites are fit in between rocks and trees - its very natural and a great place to walk.  Of course Lucy loved it and all of the dog friends she made.  Lots of the sites are permanently set up and privately owned so it has a very homey atmosphere.  So many campers told us they had been visiting for years.  Our neighbors had been coming every year for 25 years.  We would love to return in the summer when it would be cooler than our very hot temps in West Columbia.

One of the main attractions here is Chimney Rock. We had been through that area but never stopped in.  We visited this beautiful state park and went as far as we could up the mountain - Greg made it almost to the very top and I made it up to Pulpit Rock.  It was such an extraordinary view and we ate lunch - awesome hots dogs made at a food truck at the base of the mountain -  sitting in rocking chairs with our legs dangling at the mountains edge.  We met so many awesome dogs who made the trek up and of course that was my favorite part.  We didn't take Miss Lucy up because she is a little chunky and we thought it might be too much for her.  She hung out at the campground and was perfectly happy to nap and watch the activity out of her favorite window. 

This was an eventful trip as we made our first trip to the local ER and that was way too much fun.  While making Reuben's for dinner, Greg dropped a chef's knife and as he reached for it, it sliced through his finger.  That was quite a drive through the mountains to the closest hospital 30 minutes away.  Five hours and several stitches later we returned to a worried Lucy sitting watch on the dinning table.  This made for a little bit tricky pack up but we made it through just fine.  Thanks goodness we had a full hook-up so not much to do in the way of black tank stuff.

This was our first trip to mountains of this type with the camper.  We learned a few things that we will remember for next time.  We may need to look into 4 wheel drive - our tow vehicle is a Ford Edge - 6 cylinder and for the most part if does fine with our Retro 166.  We did experience a little trouble on one of the roads inside the campground that was gravel and Greg had to back down the road because the car just could not make it up.  Slow and steady is definitely the rule with mountain driving with a camper.  If you're camping in front of a fast and furious stream, back into the site very slowly so you don't go in the drink.  I think I lost some hair with that set-up....seriously.  All is well though and we were still speaking after it all.

Hopefully we will get back on somewhat of a regular schedule with our adventures soon.  We still love our Little Red Retro so much but I have to admit that we are dreaming of a little bit bigger camper....not a lot...maybe a 177 or something similar.  That will mean also getting a new tow vehicle.  We will keep you posted.  Until next time....see you on the road.

Well We Did It Again....September Trip

Sadly we had to cancel our last two trips that we had planned due to weather and Greg's work responsibilities.  I so hate we didn't make it to Hunting Island before it was hit again by another hurricane.  It's so sad that it will be closed indefinitely.  We'll keep checking on how they're doing down there.

Finally Greg was able to break free last week and we traveled back

down to Myrtle Beach State Park.  Yes - we must really love that park.  I believe it has to be our favorite now.  We have visited there 3 times in the last year.  Its just a very relaxing beach with beautiful wildlife and woodsy surroundings.  You don't even know that you are in the middle of a busy bustling city like Myrtle Beach.  The staff is very nice and if you visit be sure to speak to Ms. Angel - she works the gate 3 days a week in the evenings.

We hope to get back to our goal of visiting different parks every month soon.  Unfortunately weather in South Carolina and surrounding states can be very volatile during hurricane season - June through November.

This is also a great beach for dogs.  Miss Lucy loves it there.  During peak months she can go on the beach after 5 PM and after Labor Day, dogs are allowed all access. She would run along side of the waves and then zoom all over the place.  There were so many awesome dogs for her to visit with and enjoy.  She loves all dogs but she doesn't quite understand that all dogs don't love her. 

For us this was a great time of the year to visit.  It wasn't quite as hot and we snagged an awesome site across from the store (20B) which enabled us to grab WIFI.  We love that area of the park and it's a short walk to the beach.  This one also included a full hook-up which is always nice and makes for an easy time when we pack up to leave.

If you like the beach and the south, this park is a must see.  Lots of wild life, shade and things to do with trails, fishing, an awesome pier and so much more.  If we could live full time at any one park this one would be on the top of our list.

Little Red Returns to Myrtle Beach State Park

We traveled back to Myrtle Beach State Park last week and we thoroughly enjoyed our trip!  This time we stayed on site #19.  It was right across the street from the bathhouse and a short distance from the campground store.  This time of year the park is very busy and bustling with campers.  I loved that, and from our little dinette we could watch campers heading out and see all the different sorts of rigs - one of my favorite things.  You can check out our last visit here.

 The weather was good for the most part with a few evening storms but that didn't slow us down. We were able to enjoy sitting on the beach two days and it was so relaxing.  Greg was able to swim a good bit while I relaxed and enjoyed the view.  Dogs can visit the beach after 5:00 PM so we took Lucy down and let her watch the waves and sit with us.  She was a little nervous but she enjoyed it too.

We set the screened room up on this trip and it was so nice to sit out there and eat and enjoy the breeze.  We always take a big outdoor fan and it made it just perfect.  We had very few bugs and no need to bring out the deet.  That's always a good thing.

We made a real effort to eat all of our meals at the campsite this trip except for fast food on the way down and on the way home.  It worked out great.  With the grill we were able to cook some delicious steaks one night and we brought along our rice cooker and made Zataran's Jambalaya one night with kielbasa.  Our oldest son and his wife gave us the cooker and it is just perfect for camping.  It's lightweight and makes an entire meal. Here is the one we have.  I would definitely recommend it!! You can saute meats and veggies right in the pot and it gives you options for different kinds of rice.  The handle makes it easily portable.

If you decide to visit this campground be sure to make reservations well ahead of time.  During in season it is really full and hard to find a spot.  We only saw a handful of empty sites.  We also visited Huntington Beach State Park which is not far and it was completely full.  These beaches are very popular.

If  you like the busy side of Myrtle Beach, this is a very inexpensive way to visit.  There are excellent restaurants, water slides, great shopping and so much more in this area.  We also love Murrell's Inlet which is close by and a must see when you come to the beach.  We have to put this campground at the top of our list for summer camping and we also loved it last year when we were there in December.  That was an awesome way to do our Christmas shopping.  This area really does Christmas big!

Again we loved camping in Little Red and have no complaints so far.  He is a trooper with a little over 3,000 miles traveled and still working like a champ.  Our only desire would possibly a walk around bed just because we are getting old and making up this one is a little bit of a challenge.  Even so we still love it!!  In September of this year we will have been on this journey for one year and it has flown by.  What a wonderful difference this sweet little red camper has made in our lives!

For our August trip we have reservations at Hunting Island State Park.  This will be our first visit since it reopened in June of this year.  We were there just before Hurricane Matthew hit so we are anxious to see how it's coming along.  Stay tuned for an update on this beautiful campground. 

Simplified Camping Trip...James Island

We just took a three day trip to James Island County Park and we really loved it!! It was our first time visiting a county park. This time we made an effort to take as little as possible and since it was a short trip it was much easier. We have a bad habit of bring way too much food and then buying more along the way.  There is just not enough room for this ridiculousness!  Also we were having too much waste and just plain clutter.

We also were bringing too many clothes and we just don't wear them.  We are definitely old tent campers when it comes to changing clothes.  As long as they are clean, we will wear shorts several times and just change shirts.  We dress simple and comfortable and bring some nice things which we leave in the car on a hanger.  A while back we found one of those big suction sturdy hooks (see it here) and we keep it in the bathroom and hang things there that we don't want to wrinkle.  So far that is working well.

Okay - now back to the actual trip. 😊 We really loved this campground.  It is one of the only campgrounds in the vicinity of Charleston and it's beautiful.  There were swings like this scattered all around the campground, lots of trails and things to do.  They have a splash zone water park, dog park, challenge course and so much more.  There are full hook-ups and wireless which worked fairly good outside and in scattered areas.

One of my favorite things are always clean restrooms and these were awesome with ample shower areas which were private.  The lighting was also really good.  So many times we find campgrounds to be very dark at night and that is great unless you have to make late night bathroom trips.  This one very easy to manipulate at night.

We loved the onsite store and the staff was very friendly and helpful.  We spent one day in downtown Charleston and loved walking all around one of our favorite places.  We also ate at a local restaurant and had the freshest seafood which was absolutely delicious.  If you are ever in the area it's a must try.  The name is Roadside Seafood.  Its a tiny little dinner style restaurant, family owned, and everything is fresh and hot.

An also must see for us every time we visit Charleston/Mt. Pleasant area is the Kitchen & Company!  We found this place a couple of years ago and they have everything you could dream of for your kitchen including beers and wines.  We also get more forks or spoons since we are always loosing some - tell me we are not the only ones.  This is a must see and their prices are excellent!

As always, Lucy did not enjoy the ride but loved camping.  She walked, walked and walked some more and truly enjoyed it.  We did add the seatbelt clip to her car seat this time and it made a huge difference.  Since she couldn't climb all over the car trying to hide she would sit quietly in her seat and look out the window a bit.  She didn't pant furiously or seem sick so this was a win win for us!! She can still move and lay or sit anytime she wants.  She always has a stuffed animal and her blanket close by. 

We are working on a slide show of the pictures Greg took in Charleston around the Battery and I will get them linked up as soon as I can. 

As always we are loving our Little Red Retro and get away as much as we can with Greg still working.  Our next trip is a return visit to Myrtle Beach State Park - one of our favorites!!

Little Red Traveled Back to Devil's Fork...

We actually spent a whole week in one spot - first time for us and we loved it.  I didn't want to leave but of course it's always nice to get home.  Lake Jocassee is a beautiful back drop and it was just steps away from our site.  We camped on #1 this trip and we had made reservations back in October of last year for this visit.  This campground is very busy during peak times so make your plans early.  Even the tent sites fill up.

Lucy loved the lake and actually went swimming this time.  Her favorite thing to do was sit out in the screened room in front of the fan and chill.  As usual she didn't love the drive but the car seat did help.  She spent about half of the trip in her seat and slept and looked out the window..  That is a huge improvement and made us very happy.  Thanks so much to the camp host at Table Rock State Park for that idea!!

Our set up this time was awesome.  We had the screened room and our site was right beside the path to a little beach area on the lake.  That kept us from having to walk down to the main swimming area, although we did just about every day for ice and ice cream....of course.  😀  There are so many trails
and areas to walk in this park and plenty to do.  On this trip the campground was fairly packed and bustling.  We met so many people and dogs of course.  Lucy made all kinds of friends.  We have to shout out to Charles and Ashley and their dog Katie - they left us their awning on the lake and it was awesome and we left it for some kids who were there when we left.  We also met the most awesome little dog named Bud...Lucy was in love with him and he tolerated her.  He was quite the Man! 

This was the most moderate weather we have experienced so far and we cooked outside every day.  The bugs were minimal and the sun was beautiful through out our visit.  We could not have ordered a better week.  It was also our 32nd wedding anniversary mid-week so we celebrated by going into Seneca and having dinner at the local Fatz restaurant.  It was excellent and so much fun.

Our youngest and his girlfriend came down and spent the last few days with us in a tent and we all had a blast.  They canoed some and we all went to an awesome local Mexican restaurant for lunch on Friday.  We found the neatest little general store and picked up some goodies there.  It is stocked with unique canning jars, Lodge products, handmade goodies and so much more.  If you are in the area do stop by The Burgess General Store and visit with Mark and Krystal.

We love this area and will definitely visit again.  From here out until Fall this campground is super packed and hard to get reservations.  Be sure to plan ahead if you want to camp here.

So far we are still loving Little Red and he has been very reliable and very little issues - always caused by our lack of knowledge or human error.  The only thing on our list down the road would be a little larger camper - possibly a 177 or a little bigger.  A walk around bed would so nice but we still love our little 166 and we can easily tow it with our Ford Edge.

As far as gadgets on this trip we used our Coleman grill every day and it actually works better than our big gas grill that we use at home.  We would highly recommend it to anyone who camps or tailgates ....or just needs to be mobile.  The other real life saver on this trip was the "Pooper" - this was our first use of it because we were staying put for the week.  We were so happy to have it.  Being in one place and having relatively small tanks on the 166 it really made our stay so much easier.  This is something we would also highly recommend if you camp a lot where there are no full hook-ups available or you just don't want to pay extra for them.  It was quick
and easy to attach to the back of the car and drive down to empty.  It also made it easier when we left and dumped the tanks.  

We have more pics of the lake on Greg's DSLR camera and we will put those up as soon as we get them transferred.  Not sure where our next trip will take us but we'll keep you posted.  See you on the road....

Update on Life with Little Red

We have owned Little Red for about 8 months and we have been on seven trips and visited 10 campgrounds.  We feel a little more seasoned now but still learning with every outing.  Usually we learn by mistakes but at least none have been too serious so far.  Crossing fingers and holding breath.....😌  So after having a little experience under our belts we still love camping in Little Red and we are still so enjoying the journey.  Our only regret is that we can't go more often.  We have been able to go every 4 to 6 weeks so that's not too bad.  We skipped the month of April this year because we have a week long trip planned back to Devils Fork in May.  The kids will be coming in and out during the week so we are very excited!

If I were forced to pick a favorite campground so far, I would have to say that River's End in Tybee Island would have to be my absolute favorite.  Sadly it's not a state park he so it's a little more expensive but the cost it worth it to me.  I love the close sites, the cute family style bathrooms, the cable and wireless....um yes please!!  The gravel on the sites help keep things clean and it's a really a family atmosphere.  The beach is within walking distance and I absolutely love the swings on the beach...really!!  The lighthouse is right beside the campground and Tybee Island is so much fun!  Good food and entertainment.

Greg likes the state parks better and we both love Hunting Island State Park here in SC.  We camped there on our Honeymoon and went back there last September right before Hurricane Matthew came through and ravaged it.  We just found out that it has opened back up and we have reservations for August of this year.  Hopefully it won't be too sad to see how much has changed.

Here is our list  so far and we keep track of this on the left side of the blog.  We will add on as we go.  Let us know if you have questions about any of the campgrounds we have visited.  We love sharing our experiences and love hearing about others.  See you on the road....

Campgrounds Little Red Retro Visited

• Table Rock State Campground
• Fort Clinch State Park - Florida
• Blue Springs State Park - Florida
• Tamoka State Park - Florida
• River's End Campground
• Cheraw State Park - SC
• Myrtle Beach State Park -SC
• Devils Fork State Park - SC
• Hunting Island State Park - SC
• Calhoun Falls State Park - SC

Mac and Cheese...Oh Yeah....

I have been searching and researching mac and cheese recipes for the longest time.  I have tried so many and could never get that creamy cheese gooey goodness I was looking for.  They always ended up dry and lacking taste or having a weird yucky taste.  Ugh!!!

On Easter I had several recipes pulled up on Pinterest that looked so yummy but I knew my chances weren't good at pulling one off.  Well this time my experiment worked and I did my best to get it all down so that I am able to recreate it.  There was one ingredient that I would never have thought of or tried but a customer of Greg's had recommended it.  It turned out to be the key ingredient!  One small can of Campbell's Cheddar Cheese soup.  Yep...that's it.  In this pic its still very creamy but if you like it a little more solid you can continue to simmer on the stove top or place it in the oven with butter, shredded cheese and bread crumbs.  So awesome!!

So here's my recipe and how I do it but there are lots of ways to accomplish good mac and cheese and Pinterest is full of them.  😋  As always this recipe freezes really well and is perfect for a take along camping.  If your fridge works on propane while driving you can put your frozen mac in the there while traveling and it will help the chill in your fridge on the road.  Frozen dinners can also keep things cold in your cooler.  When you arrive you can finish thawing and warm.  You are ready to eat.


Creamy Cheesy Mac and Cheese

2 pound box of macaroni
4 cups shredded cheese - I used sharp cheddar but you can change or mix it up
2 sticks of Velveeta Mini Blocks
2 cups milk
1/4 cup half and half
1 stick butter
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 small can cheddar cheese soup
3 heaping teaspoons corn starch
1/2 cup water 

To start I boil all of the macaroni until it's firm but not too soft.  I drain but don't rinse and put aside

in a large heavy dutch oven. I use my lodge porcelen coated cast iron one.  Cut the butter and mix with the macaroni.  This will keep it from getting too stiff.  Put the pot on low heat and season to taste.  I truly believe this pot makes a huge difference and if I decide to bake it off, it is all ready to go.  It also keeps it from sticking or burning on the bottom.

While the mac is boiling, I start the sauce in a large pot.. First add the cheese soup and place on medium heat.  Add one cup of the milk and mix well.  Add the Velveeta and simmer until completely mixed.  Place corn starch in a lidded jar and add water.  Close the jar and shake until it's all dissolved.  Pour the mixture into the sauce and continue to simmer.  As the sauce thickens add the other cup of milk.  This should be getting very creamy and not too thick.

After the sauce is creamy and all ingredients are dissolved start adding the shredded cheese one cup at a time.  I use a rubber coated whisk to keep the mixture smooth.  As soon as it is completely melted and smooth, poor over the warm macaroni and mix well.  Add half and half and continue to stir on low heat.  Let this mixture simmer until it is the desired consistence and the macaroni is soft.  If you feel it's too thick or stiff you can add more butter and milk in small amounts until it is the way you like it.

At this point if you want to bake it, add another cup of shredded cheese and melted butter to the top and sprinkle with bread crumbs.  Bake uncovered until bubbly at 375.  We like ours creamy without the bake but it is delicious either way.  Enjoy...it's really good scooped into a bowl over a campfire. 

Little Red Travels to Table Rock State Park...SC

We had heard many things about Table Rock State Park for years but never made it there. Its approximately 3 hours from where we live so it's not a bad trip at all.  We left late on a Thursday so that we could be set up and ready to enjoy the day on Friday.  This was another set up in the dark and not without it's unique set of issues.  But....what's a camping trip without some fun troubles....Right???

So we left around 6:30 PM and with a few potty stops for Miss Lucy and a quick run through Bojangles we arrived at about 9:45.  This park is in the mountains but not too bad if you come in through the correct entrance.  😏  I should mention here that I am horribly afraid of heights.  I can enjoy the view somewhat but can't look down..ever!!!  This campground had two ways to come in and one is not for those towing or driving RV's.  That's because the road gets very narrow and sharp..I mean extremely sharp curves.  But luckily Greg was familiar with this after talking to the office before we left home and we made it in on the right side on our first try.

During set up on the pull through site we had, we got really close to the box that provides power but couldn't really see that when we set up.  Anyway after getting level and working inside to set up I got the shock of my life when somebody (Greg) forgot to take the chains off before pulling forward.  I thought Lucy and I were taking the short way home via the mountain.  But it was all good - we just lurched forward off of the lego block he had used to level up.  No harm done....except that Miss Lucy was significantly shaken up.  She just glared at us for the rest of the night.  She hates the ride in the car and thought she had snugged up in her bed to relax so this was particularly upsetting to her little system.  Poor baby...we have to work on her issues with riding in the car.  I have ordered her a car seat for dogs so we will see how that works.  More on that later.

The next morning we had an awesome view of the side of the mountain - our site was sort of down in a little valley.  We were on 43 and it was fairly level with the usual amenities of a fire ring, water and power.  This campground was fairly large with sites down at the bottom for larger rigs and camp hosts and the area we were in was mainly for travel trailers, etc.  This is a very busy state park and we really loved that.  There are so many trails and of course you can hike up to the top of the mountain.  We made it to the the second level and would love to be able to go to the top but I'm just not sure the ole knees could make it.  😆 It's a wonderful meandering path with different trails that are different difficulty levels.

The weather was nice for the whole weekend with the exception of Saturday night when the rain came in - it was very late though.  We prepped for this by putting away everything outside that night so that we wouldn't be putting away soggy wet chairs, etc.

While there we met the campground hosts which were some of the nicest we have met so far and they have a real community there.  Lucy met lots of dogs and especially loved Big Otis who was one of the hosts...he was a pit bull mix and just so sweet!!  We met some snow birds from Canada and all sorts of kiddos.  We also spotted something I have been looking at but had not see other than pictures.  It was the new Vintage travel trailer and its made very much like the Retro but bigger.  It would be too heavy for towing with our car but it was so nice.  We will have to watch those and see how they do.

All in all we loved this campground and would definitely return.  Because it's located in the mountains, we did have issues with our cell phones but awesome television reception.  Go figure.  Some of it was caused by the fact that our site was lower down.  If we walked outside we could get a little better reception.  I have a Samsung and was just able to send text messages and receive them but Greg has an IPhone and he got much better results.  Not sure why.

We are still loving our Little Red and would recommend the brand to anyone.  We still get lots of questions and comments and we are normally the only retro in the parks that we visit.  We have been told so many times that seniors with huge big rigs want to downsize because it just so much to haul and handle.  We will be doing an update on things we have learned after 6 months of use and our travels to 10 campgrounds.  More gadgets to come also.