Yep, we’re still here. The weather though… ugh. Awoke to light rain that was not forecast. Result: the walk was wet today.
Because of the lack of rain in the forecast we decided to leave our chairs and outdoor rug outside overnight. They are wet and full of sow bugs and beetles. Yuck.
Breakfast was leftover pancakes and bacon with maple syrup. Mmm.
After lunch we accompanied our friends, the Milddogs, on a walk to a few of the interesting sites within the park. We started by walking to the upper falls and then to ‘Old Baldy’ a large and very old Bald Cypress tree. Then onto a cave in the riverbank that was a prehistoric home. By this time the rain intensity had increased to that of being uncomfortable and so we returned to our campsite to dry off.
Upper McKinney Falls
After drying off we returned to Camp Milddogs for some late afternoon banter and drinks before returning to the van for dinner.
After dinner we hosted the Milddogs for a final evening of cards before they and us each head in our own directions tomorrow to conclude our camping trips. It’s been fun catching up with good friends and being able to swap ideas and tips that we can use while traveling. Bon Voyage mon amis.
Our evening was concluded by getting a jump on preparing for departure tomorrow by loading the bikes and putting away a few items. It is supposed to be a warm 17C overnight, so no heaters or heavy blankets will be required. Tomorrow the heat is supposed to arrive. Stay tuned.
Another chilly start to the day with the temperature being only 6C outside the inside of the van was only 11C. So, turned on the heater before getting up for the day.
After a cup of coffee it was time for my morning walk which took me 4.5km around the campground on a mixed-use trail. It was fairly easy walking with a few hills and one steep descent. The area has mixed hardwoods as well as some cactus and lots of wildflowers. It looks like it does in May at home yet I’m constantly reminding myself that it’s only March. I came across an entire meadow of Texas Bluebonnets (state flower).
Texas Bluebonnets
Back at camp, we cooked pancakes and bacon for brunch and enjoyed it outside at the picnic table.
After brunch we got our bikes out and rode them about the park exploring other sights, including both the lower and upper falls which we concluded are probably very popular in the hotter months as places to come and cool off.
McKinney Falls (lower & upper)
Flora about the park
Our friends, Mr & Mrs Milddogs arrived later in the afternoon and we caught up on what we had seen and found.
For dinner I tackled grilling steak, onions & peppers. The steak was sliced and chopped and the mixture applied to buns and smothered in provolone cheese which was then toasted. Mmmmm, cheesesteak sandwiches.
The day was finished up playing cards with the Milddogs in their van. Tomorrow looks to be rainy, so we’ll have to see what we’ll chose to do.
Another chilly and windy morning awaited us today. Overcast conditions persisted; however, we were heading inland today, away from the coast so maybe it will warm up and be a little nicer.
Goose Island State Park, Day 2
The morning walk was shorter than usual, but as I met and walked with Mr. Milddogs it was faster than my usual pace. That was enough for the morning as I felt I would do a little more after arriving at our new destination later in the afternoon.
Packing up of the van went well and we were on our way just before the noon checkout time. We started by retracing our drive North for about half an hour before heading NorthWest towards Cuero, TX where we stopping at the municipal park and ate lunch next to the lake where we were joined by some ducks and geese.
Heading North towards Tivoli, TXCuero, TX
From Cuero we headed to Luling where we found the water tower painted as a huge watermelon. Next, and most importantly, can Lockhart, TX. which is evidently the BBQ capital of Texas. This can be proven by the number of BBQ restaurants/takeout places in the town. We got gas, groceries and finally BBQ brisket dinners before continuing.
Luling, TXTexas BBQ from Lockhart, TX
About 30minutes further along the road we arrived at our destination for the next 3 nights, McKinney Falls State Park, Austin, TX.
The sign at park entrance stated “Campground Full” so we were glad to have reservations. Our campsite is a drive through designed for large fifth wheel trailers or motor homes, our campervan had plenty of options as to where and how to park.
McKinney Falls State Park, Site 9, Austin, TX
As the evening drew to a close the “Campground Full” sign came back to mind and I wondered where everyone was. The sites here seem huge and thus the title of this post ‘…there doesn’t seem to be anyone around.”
Another chilly (not chilli) morning. A coffee and a muffin to start the day and then off for a walk about the park. It was cold and drizzly so I opted for sweatpants, sweatshirt, rain jacket, hat & light gloves. It really is that cold (or so I thought).
The walk was nice and it wasn’t long before I realized I had over dressed. It was intermittently raining so the jacket was required but I could have done without the sweatshirt and gloves.
We are staying at Goose Island State Park for another night but have to move a few sites to the right as the current site is reserved for someone else.
Mr. & Mrs. Milddogs are joining us at the park tonight and will be on the site next to us. While I was walking the park this morning, I received a text from Mr. Milddogs offering to pickup Texas BBQ lunch for us. We quickly accepted the offer.
We did a quick pack-the-van and backed off of our site by 11:45am. Stopping at the camp office they gave us a new site tag for tonight. We then headed off to look at the parks main attraction ‘The Big Tree’.
It is what the package describes, a big tree. In fairness, it is a ‘Live Oak’ that is estimated to be more than 1000 years old. When compared to many trees like it in the area, it is clearly much larger. The tree has a split rail fence surrounding it to protect its roots and to discourage people from climbing.
Returning to the campground, we setup on our new site and then added a few decorations in celebration of Mrs Milddogs birthday. Yay!
Upon arrival, the Milddogs quickly established their site and brought the BBQ brisket over to our site and we all enjoyed lunch and catching up. It was great to see them and the afternoon passed quickly as we swapped stories ‘from the road’.
Mr. Milddogs noticed another van further along the park as also being from our home area and checked with his cottage neighbor who confirmed that it was his son. So they popped over to say hello for a few minutes before joining us again in our van for an evening of cards. Much laughter & chatter later, we called it evening.
We restored our van interior to our sleeping setup and settled down for the night.
We were awakened at about 4:00am by the rain and wind. The van was being buffeted about and the rain was intense. This kept going for the next 3 hours as we lightly drifted in and out of sleep. At 7:30 I ventured outside during a quieter period of rain to disconnect the van from the pedestals, heavier rain would return and I didn’t want to get completely soaked ahead of our planned 4 hour drive.
We took our time getting going and having breakfast and waiting for the rain to subside enough so as not to be a hazard when driving. We finally were away shortly before 10:00am. The rain was still falling but really now just as showers although there was lots of water laying about along the sides of the roads.
Texas, USA
We stopped in Lake Jackson where we shopped for groceries at the H-E-B store (fabulous). We then drove to Matagorda beach where we had lunch in the van as the temperature was only 9C and the wind was quite strong.
Salt marsh between mainland and Matagorda Island
After stopping at another Buc-ee’s for gas, we continued on to our destination, Goose Island State Park just outside of Rockport, TX. This will be our most Southerly destination on this trip. Our site is right at the waters edge, the sun has returned and has warmed us up, the wind is mostly blocked from our site. The skies are clear and we’re hoping to starwatch tonight.
A sunny but windy start to our relaxing day on Galveston Island, TX. I decide to walk about the RV park and walk on every road and trail within the park. 6.8km – not bad. Barb goes to the beach and is almost blown back to the park by the onshore winds from the gulf. She sees a few Man-O-War jellyfish on the sand and watches seabirds dance in the wind.
Typical beach houses
Galveston Island beach
The day has been set aside for housekeeping type activities and one will be laundry. Quarters acquired for the machines from the office and laundry is done while showers are taken. No excitement here folks.
Our van amongst trailers
Early after lunch Barb decided to go and float in the lazy river pool they have here. She arrived to find nobody else in the river and so stepped into the water. Minutes later she was back at the van exclaiming that the pools are not heated !
The clouds have now taken over the sky as a harbinger of the weather that will arrive overnight. The wind prevents using the griddle and so we cook in the van on the induction cooktop. We enjoyed chicken fajitas for dinner along with margaritas. After dinner a little reading and then we settled in for a movie, tonight the Swedish version of “The girl with the dragon tattoo”. Dark, sinister and so well filmed.
Tonight we are expecting a cold front to come through with wind and rain. The temperature should be cooler tomorrow. Stay tuned.
Early rise (6:30am), cool temperature (6C), the shower will likely take a while to warm up….. Do I have to get up?
We’re off again today, further Westward. We had to make a small repair to the bike cover last evening as one of the cords that keep the cover snug to the bikes broke. With that done it left only the normal electrical and water disconnects to be done before heading out. After a shower and breakfast.
Showers here get a 3/10 for lack of privacy, security and the ‘eww’ factor. The shower buildings are great, and kept very clean but the showers only have curtains (lack of security for belongings), are open to each other top and bottom (privacy concerns) and because they’re open at the bottom water and filth from your neighbour can spray your way. Thus we showered early when everyone else was asleep. Unfortunately that meant that we warmed the water for all who followed. Brrrr again.
Breakfast was light (coffee, banana & yoghurt) and before we knew it we were pulling out of the site. Farewell Palmetto Island State Park! If back this way we will probably stay here again.
Our route zig-zagged us across country towards I-10. We saw thousands of acres of flooded fields and couldn’t figure them out. The water levels were at times higher than the roads we were driving. Google solved the mystery, they are rice fields from which the farmers harvest crawfish (crayfish). Evidently commercial crawfish farming began in the 1980s when a farmer could make a good living on several hundred acres, now at least 1000 acres is needed to make a go of it. The farmers bag the crawfish in 40lb bags which is the most commonly purchased size.
Crawfish farming
Texas!
Our first stop of the day was at Space Center Houston (SCH) located adjacent to the Johnson Space Center where all NASA astronauts train and all space flights are managed and monitored.
Problem: we retirees forgot that it is March break and the place was crawling with kiddies and their families.
As we had previously visited the Kennedy Space Center in Florida some years ago, many of the exhibits described the same events. There is of course new items and stories from the ISS, JWST, Artemis and the future Mars program so it was easily still worth visiting. We also got to see a Space-X Falcon 9 booster up close which was cool as was the tour of the 747 that ferried Space Shuttles across the country after they landed in California.
Space Center Houston, Houston, TX
We were scheduled to take a tour of the astronaut training facility but the stupid mobile/online registration system unexpectedly cancelled our reservation and it was too late in the day to book another.
From SCH we headed South, wait, which way? Yep, South to a Buc-ee’s in Texas City. Buc-ee’s is a chain of truck stops in and around Texas known for their cleanliness and size, Texas-sized.
Buc-ee’s, Texas City, TX
We started at the gas pumps where we got fuel for a good price from one of what appeared to be 100 or so gas pumps. Never went to see how many truck pumps they had on the other side of the building. The ‘store’ looks more like a Walmart super center when you walk in. HUGE. They appear to sell anything and everything. Lots of food from snacks to hot sandwiches, fresh baked goods, soda pop fountains, coffee (lots of coffee), housewares, camping goods, art, clothing, alcohol, tobacco, bags of ice (ice machines surrounded the building). It was reported to me that the bathrooms are also immaculate and spacious. You can also have a shower here should you need one.
Anyway, we got a few snacks and a couple of hot brisket sandwiches for dinner and headed out towards Galveston island, our stop for the next couple of nights. Barb had snagged a site at the Jamaica Beach RV Resort that became available when someone cancelled. Barb would finally get some beach time.
A cool morning awaited us, it was almost 8:00am and neither of us really wanted to get up because it was just 14C in the van. First up would power on the ceramic heater but the floor would be cold, as would the toilet. Oh well, let’s get at it. Brrrr.
We’d spent the night at Palmetto Island State Park in Louisiana. It really feels like the middle of nowhere, the park is essentially in a bayou on land just a few feet higher than the water. It has the promise of being a place of solitude and peacefulness, that would be if the Texan neighbors with the 4 dogs tied to a post directly across the road would have trained them NOT to bark at anything that moved. Instead they seem hyper-sensitive to movement and bark incessantly.
Palmetto Island State Park, Abbeville, LA
The morning moved slowly and little was done about the van. Breakfast was had, brunch was cooked and enjoyed outside in the cool air but warm sunshine. Bookings were made for the next several nights, and then it happened! The Texan neighbors started packing up! Checkout was 1:00pm and they seemed intent on using every minute they were entitled to before heading back to Houston.
Shortly after lunch the world changed. The Texans pulled out and the park came through in spades with the solitude and peacefulness a place like this promises. Although there are many other sites occupied here today, we could now hear none of them. I think everyone was enjoying that same sound of silence we were experiencing. Bliss!
We untracked our eeee-bikes and decided to ride them about the park, exploring canoe and boat launches, and the cabins that are also available for rent. In all we rode about 12km and relished the beauty and silence of the park. It has to be one of the most peaceful places I have ever experienced.
In the bayou looking for alligators
No. of alligators spotted, zero. Disappointing really as I would have thought we’d see at least one.
No. of black bears spotted, also zero. Also disappointing given the number of warning signs dotted about the park warning people that bears frequent the area.
Light rain moved into the area later in the afternoon just as I was out for my daily walk (7km today), I got wet. We grilled burgers for supper and reloaded the bikes onto the rack ready for the journey tomorrow. The rain returned and we retreated to the warm interior for the evening. Much reading was done today.
Join us again tomorrow when you’ll hear us exclaim …..
Well, the RV gathering at the brewery did not turn into ‘The Burning Man festival’ but there was a fire-pit and much communal gathering amongst some in attendance. We even had a couple of late arrivals filling more of the lot. All in all though, a good nights sleep.
On the road by 9:15am heading West through New Orleans heading deeper into Louisiana. The first stop would be Berwick, LA to look at an old lighthouse. It had been built in the mid-1800s and stood in the Gulf at the entrance to Atchafalaya Bay warding ships away from the many sandbars. Built of steel and boiler plate, the square shaped lighthouse is evidently one of only a few of that style built. A nice unique find for the day.
Berwick, LA
From Berwick we continued West on SR-90 towards New Iberia where stopped to reprovision a few grocery items. The area is quite agricultural with the Winter crop being onions, thousands of acres of onions are almost ready for harvest this month.
From New Iberia we headed a few miles westward to Avery Island. The island is really the top of a huge salt dome pushing up through the marshland of the area and is one of several. Avery Island was purchased in the early 1800s by the McIlhenney family where they established a company that produces a product for which they are known worldwide, Tabasco pepper sauce. The family stills owns the company today and all Tabasco sauces are made here in Avery Island, LA. The property houses a museum which is open to the public and a self guided tour allows you to see the entire production process. A second unique stop for today and one we highly recommend for those visiting this area.
McIlhenny Co., Avery Island, LA
Our final hour of driving took us just South of Abbeville, LA to Palmetto Island State Park where we will camp for the next two nights. Come back again for an update on how we like the park.
DST kicked in this morning so it feels early, earlier than normal early. We’re leaving Pensacola today so I’ve got some time for a short walk and quick breakfast before we strike camp. The short walk turned into a medium walk and suddenly we were a little later leaving than maybe we wanted. All good though and still on the road before 10:00.
We started the day heading across country on some State roads towards Fairhope, AL. Missed a few turns along the way which only adds to the adventure. The GPS knew where we wanted to be so simply corrected my mistakes.
Fairhope is a very pretty town, with lots of old oak trees lining the streets in front of orderly clapboard houses. Picket fences, trimmed hedges, all very orderly. Clearly the town had not suffered the wrath of a hurricane head-on.
Located on the East side of Mobile Bay the town has long sand and pebble beaches and a 1400’ long pier, this we walked out and back as you do on a pier. Local fishermen had taken up their favorite spots and locals out for a run also joined us on the pier. A popular spot.
Fairhope, AL pier
From Fairhope we traveled North where we joined I-10 West. This would take us into Mississippi and onto Louisiana where we would be staying a night at the Faubourg Brewing Co. in N’awlins (New Orleans), LA. The brewery is a member of Harvest Hosts, establishments that allow RVs to stay the night on their property. Cost? Visit their business and buy something. A brewery….. easily done.
The drive out of AL and across MS was uneventful and easy. The interstate was fairly busy but was flat for the most part as it crosses the marshy southern lands of this part of the continent. There were a couple of impressively long bridges that seemingly suspended the interstate above the bayous and river deltas that we passed through.
Arriving at Faubourg Brewery we were not alone. First, this ‘craft’ brewery is huge, easily as large as any commercial brewery I’ve seen. Second, because of this size, the parking lot can accommodate large numbers of RVs. Until tonight we had only visited Harvest Host establishments that could accommodate no more than 4 or 5 visitors, here we were among 20 or so rigs of all sizes and styles.
Faubourg Brewing Co., New Orleans, LA
However, getting past the number of people joining us tonight, the brewery is amazing. They have lots of styles of beers to try as well as a very good kitchen from which we purchased lunch that we enjoyed while sitting outdoors on the large patio in the sun. It was 29C and breezy, a far cry from the cold of the North.
We took an Uber ride from the brewery into the French Quarter of the city to be like tourists for the remainder of the day. Having not been here before we really weren’t sure what to expect beyond what we’d seen in videos. Sensory overload would probably be a good place to start.
Anyone for hot sauce?
So, very busy, lots of tourists with cameras and lots of street vendors. There’s an amazing vibe and I can easily see getting caught up in that vibrancy and partying the night away. We made our way through the streets dodging the drunken hen parties and sidewalk bucket drummers looking for a place to get supper. Bourbon Street is the heart of the French Quarter, a jostling street party that appears to be going all the time. The noise is quite unbelievable, the aforementioned bucket drummers (5gal plastic pails) competing with bicycle/tricycle equipped rolling beatboxes turned to 11, all trying to outdo the street bands for your attention and donations. Ah, but not to be outdone, the eating/drinking establishments also were vying for your auditory attention by outdoing all of the street noise with noise of their own from massive sound systems clearly aimed out at the street. It was all bit numbing to be perfectly honest.
We chose not to try an eat downtown, places wheee there were lineups for tables (probably the better establishments) were incredibly noisy, dark and we suspecting not very clean given the state of the clientele. Food? I think not. Drinks? Again, hard pass.
French Quarter
We did find a place for an ice cream and then we picked up an order of Beignets and took them with us in an Uber back to the brewery, they’d be tomorrows breakfast.
We caught up on some YouTube viewing in the van before heading to bed. Our neighbors seemed intent on partying into the early hours, we were done. It had been quite a day. Good night.
We told ourselves that we would sleep in today as we are staying put at Big Lagoon State Park in Pensacola, FL… So, why am I awake at 6:30am? Most probable cause would be that we fell asleep before 9:00pm last evening. Sigh.
Previous evening upon arrival
I thought I’d start the day by walking the longest trail in the park, a 3.5 mile loop that should allow me to really see what the park is about. The walk started well along the trail is pure white sand so it was similar to walking in several inches of fresh snow (something I am quite familiar with). Two steps forward and half-step back. At about 2km into the walk after passing several examples of alligator crossings on the trail I came upon a drainage channel that I could not cross(without getting wet), the bridge had apparently washed away (hurricane Sally in 2021?). This caused me to reverse my route and improvise the remainder of my walk. I ended up at the boat launch as the remainder of the park (day use area) was still closed as a result of the afore mentioned hurricane. After sitting and taking a few photos I returned to our campsite with stories of my adventure. Yay, 4.92km.
About the park from the walking trails
Eggs & bacon for breakfast cooked on our 18” Blackstone griddle (not too heavy or bulky Mr. Milddogs.com) 😆. There’s something about breakfast cooked outdoors… it always tastes so much better.
Views about our campsite
Most of the day was reserved for relaxing and reading. Of which we both did quite a lot. We both also tried the park showers which we rated a solid 7 out of 10. Room for improvement but satisfying nonetheless.
I also checked and adjusted tyre pressures of the van as I had inflated correctly for -9C which proved a little too much when checked at an air temperature of 21C. All tyres needed some air to be removed. I feel a little better about our upcoming drives now.
Before long the day had slipped us by and dinner needed preparing. Tonight the menu was steak, along with fried vegetables and potatoes all prepared on the Blackstone. A glass or two of Cabernet Sauvignon was also enjoyed. Followed by Little Debbie snacking cakes. Mmmmm.
Campsite selfie (usie?)
As the evening sky turned that hazy bluish yellow color, Barb and I walked back to the boat launch at sunset. The remainder of the evening saw us prepare a few items ahead of tomorrows departure and then more reading ahead of sleep.
Sunset from the boat launch.
Tomorrow we head to NOLA. Be sure to check back to see what we get up to!
Oh, and if your interested be sure to check out our ‘merch’ store for our latest wearables and accessories… Oh right, we don’t have any merchandise to sell. Maybe we should?
Having listened to several train horns at various times in the night, 6:30 arrived and I was up for my morning walk. Lightly showering but 11C so lighter clothing under the rain jacket.
Collegedale is a very car-centric community, or at least the area we stayed in is. Walking was a challenge as sidewalks were far and few between, the inclusion of them clearly being left to the developers should they have felt like it, most didn’t. This meant that I walked in the narrow shoulder facing traffic that was going well over the posted limit in damp conditions. Needless to say, I didn’t last long & hope to put in the remaining distance when we arrive at the state park this afternoon.
After breakfast in the van, we headed out at about 8:30 and travelled through Chattanooga on I-75 before picking up the I-59 towards the Georgia border, a few minutes later we crossed into Alabama where we entered the Central timezone, so it was 8:30 again. But we didn’t get too excited as we’ll lose that hour this coming weekend when the clocks change to daylight savings time.
Eastern Redbud in bloom
Onto Birmingham, AL where we followed the I-465 around the city before heading South on the I-65 towards Montgomery, AL and then towards Pensacola, FL.
The driving today has been easy, lots of construction zones with reduced speeds and few to no workers to warrant the slowdowns, but stress free driving is always nice. The landscape changed a lot, from the mountains of Tennessee to the rolling hills of Northern Alabama to the mostly flat sandy pine tree covered dunes of Florida. Most of the hardwood trees were replaced with softwood varieties and the wild wisteria that hung blooming in many trees in Northern Alabama is not suited to the heat and humidity of the gulf coast.
Wild Wisteria
As I write this it is overcast and showering in Pensacola but warm at 24C. We’re booked in to spend two nights at the Big Lagoon State Park here in Pensacola, FL and so will provide a review of our site, the park and what we get up to in the next couple of posts.
Sneak peek at our destination
Stay tuned, be happy! Spring really is on the way.
Yep, all camping trips begin with provisioning, except this one. It’s day 2 and we’re yet to gather supplies. That changes today!
Had a great sleep parked at the Cracker Barrel in Winchester, VA. Highly recommended. Awake just before 7:00 and out for a 5.5km walk along mostly overly busy roads. Chilly at -1C but it should soon warm.
A restful parkup
Back at the van, Barb has reorganized some things and is feeling much better about where and how our stuff is stored.
After a smallish breakfast at our hosts, we were back on I-81 South at 9:00am. I’m hoping for a shorter day (a little foreshadowing here).
Cherry blossoms
Virginia is a beautiful state. The mountains, farms, forests and valleys all tell a tale of over two-hundred years of settlement. It really is easy to see why it became a popular settling destination.
Although it won’t feel like it to those of you that live north of the US/Canada border, Spring arrived early for us today. The grass here is greening up and in some-places could already be mowed (still on the lookout for that first operating mower). Many trees are budding and the flowering trees are in full bloom. We saw Cherry blossoms, flowering dogwoods (State flower of Virginia) and Eastern Redbud that actually flowers with a purple flower. Daffodils are also in bloom. Yep, Spring is here.
Forsythia in bloom along the roadside
Arriving in Roanoke, VA we decided to visit Camping World and pick up a few bits and pieces for the van and get Propane. Bits and pieces were acquired but their propane system was out of order. They suggested the TSC store next door. Hmmm, I’m hoping they will know how to fill an RV tank.
We drive to the TSC and immediately prune one of their lovely trees with the roof of the van. Argh! Phew, no harm to the van thankfully, but the poor tree had a few branches less after greeting us. As for the Propane, all went well & the dude was quite skilled in filling RV tanks. Yay, provisioning has begun.
Next we acquired water for our tank, we can now flush and wash!!! This is a good thing. We do not drink the water from our tank and instead buy bottled water for safety reasons.
Leaving Virginia and entering Tennessee, I-81 turns Westward towards Knoxville. We arrived during afternoon rush hour… yay! This slowed our progress and resulted in our arriving in Chattanooga at 7:00pm. Not a shorter driving day.
Dinner courtesy of Arby’s, parkup courtesy of Walmart on Little Debbie Lane, Collegedale, TN. the home of the Little Debbie factory.
After the Propane and Water acquisitions of earlier, food provisions have been acquired from Walmart that should last us for a few days.
All for today. Tomorrow we cross into the Central timezone and should arrive in Florida!
Welcome back to our travel blog! The long and snowy winters end approaches; however, not quickly enough for these intrepid explorers. And so this post finds us heading out in search of sunnier and warmer climes in the Southern US. Todays drive took us from the US/Canadian border, across the Blue Ridge mountains and into the state of Virginia.
It’s 6:00am and half of the house is awake for the day, it should be a busy one. No snow overnight so at least there’s none to brush off of the van before we can drive. Now, time to go for a walk and then the final loading to complete. 9:00am target departure. Wish us luck!
About to hit the road
Ok, so 9:30am and we’re rolling out of town after dropping a package off at the post office. The roads are dry and it’s sunny, a good omen we believe.
The St. Lawrence river is open water signaling that Spring is near. The border crossing is very smooth with just a few cursory questions concluding with the agent saying a rather abrupt “Goodbye”. Several hundred yards later at the bridge toll booth we were held up slightly as a trucker maneuvered his/her 11’6” wide load through a series of bollards signed at being 11’6” clear. Some of the item wrapping brushed against the bollards but otherwise no damage done. Nice driving.
The drive across US37 towards Watertown, NY was easy and a nice way to ease into what would be a long day.
We picked up I-81 and headed South towards Syracuse and onto Whitney Point where we stopped at the visitor center and had a ham & cheese wrap for lunch.
Frost capped trees near Whitney Point, NY
Binghamton, Scranton and Wilkes Barre soon followed as the interstate took us further South with each passing mile. By this point in the journey almost all of the snow on the ground was gone and the temperature was steadily above zero Celsius. By the time we cross out of Pennsylvania and into Maryland the temperature is a steady 8C, that’s 15C above this mornings temperature at home!
Crossing the Potomac
Driving through West Virginia the sun sets and the nighttime truck traffic is taking over the interstate, time to find a park up. Like Mr & Mrs Milddogs last year, we decided to stop at the Cracker Barrel in Winchester, VA. where we enjoyed a chicken dinner before settling down for the night. I was even carded when requesting a beer with my dinner! 59 and still looking under 25! I’ll take it.
Sunset
It was a very long day of driving which saw us arrive at 7:15pm, almost 10 hours after leaving home. Tomorrow should be shorter and will see us head towards Chattanooga, TN. Stay tuned for how we make out.
Before signing off for the night, let’s address a few questions you, our readers, might have. 1. How are you handling the colder temperatures? Are you not afraid of the piping freezing while driving through states with temperatures below freezing point? – We left home with the van still ‘winterized’ with plumbing antifreeze in the piping and plan on leaving it that way until the ambient temperatures support ‘dewinterizing’. 2. Have you made any changes or improvements to the van over the winter? – We were generally very happy with the van when we last used it in 2022. We have added a small shelving system under the sink to better organize baskets that we keep there containing various items used in the galley. 3. Was any specific maintenance performed before travelling this year? – As the van currently has only 15000kms on it, only an oil change and service was performed by the Ford dealer last Fall. Other than this, only the typical pre-trip checks of fluids, tyre pressures, etc. were performed. We are expecting to have to perform a little more maintenance upon our return.
It’s Friday, September 23rd and we’re on the road again. This time we’re heading out on a tour that will take us around the Southern Ontario peninsula allowing us to visit family and some places that we’ve not visited before. Our first stop would be Woodstock for a couple of days where we ‘mooch docked’ in my brother’s laneway. The last time we visited was at the start of our Cross-continent trip in May of this year, it was nice to spend some time catching up on what’s new in our lives and those around us.
We left Woodstock on Sunday morning with the goal to head South to Long Point on Lake Erie; however, a quick detour took us past a house near Burgessville (below) familiar to the Fisher family.
Vittoria, ON
Our drive continued South through Norwich and Delhi. This area was the heart of Ontario’s ‘tobacco belt’ growing thousands of acres of the crop throughout the 20th century. As tobacco sales plummeted farmers in this area have had to shift to new crops such as Ginseng, asparagus and root vegetables, the sandy soil proving to be perfect for such crops. During our drive we passed several large distribution facilities setup to collect and take crops to larger metropolitan centers. However, if you looked closely there were still old tobacco drying kilns on many of the farms, left out of denial that they no longer had a purpose.
We stopped in the village of Vittoria, a small community south of Simcoe as I had discovered while researching Barb’s ancestry that a branch of her family had initially settled in Ontario in this area was an integral part of the community and contributed to the building of the local Baptist church.
“Located about three miles from Lake Erie, the little village had become, in the early 1800’s, the most active and important commercial centre between Niagara Falls and Detroit. It was not only the hub of the Long Point Settlement, but also, from 1815 to 1825 the judicial capital of the London District of Upper Canada, hosting the district courts and the Registry offices.” (Website: Welcome to Vittoria, Ontario, Canada)
We discovered that the church building still stands but now houses a bakery with the main floor being a space available for renting by the community. We purchased a few goodies from the bakery and were directed toward a local pizzeria whose specialty is ‘Dill Pickle Pizza’, Barb couldn’t resist and so lunch was to be a couple of personal sized pizzas that we enjoyed while parked alongside the beach in the village of Turkey Point.
Vittoria, ON – Old Baptist churchVittoria, ON – Interior of Old Baptist churchVittoria, ON – Window in Old Baptist church
Long Point Provincial Park, Port Rowan, ON
Our Sunday drive ended with us leaving Turkey Point and driving to Long Point Provincial Park. Located on the Long Point sandbar that projects into Lake Erie and home to many waterfowl and a stopover for many migratory birds, the area is a destination for many bird watchers.
Below you can see we had a sheltered site surrounded by trees and close to the camp showers. The day had been sunny for the most part, but the winds had been increasing throughout the day with rain forecast in the days ahead. We ventured to the beach and as you can in the photograph below, the winds were quite gusty, yet protected by sand dunes, the campground was sheltered from the wind. We spent two quiet nights camping here.
Long Point, ON – CampsiteLong Point, ON – Windy afternoon!Long Point, ONLong Point, ONLong Point, ONLong Point, ON – Bird Sanctuary
Fanshawe Conservation Area, London, ON
Tuesday September 27th and time to leave Long Point and head North but not before touring a little further West along the lakeshore to Port Stanley. A popular spot for Londoners to get away from the city during the warmer summer months, late September sees the beach empty and nearby businesses closed for the season.
Our drive from here turned North towards St. Thomas and onto London where we stopped for a quick lunch before heading around the city to the Fanshawe Conservation Area where we planned to stay for a couple of nights but ended up staying just one. The campground was quiet with the sites being grassy and treed. Like Long Point, here we also found ourselves outside of any cellular service which hindered our ability to plan our upcoming days.
Fanshawe Conservation Area, London, ON – CampsiteFanshawe Lake, London, ONThames River, London, ON
On Wednesday we headed North into Huron county where we stopped in Exeter and “mooch docked” at Barb’s parents. It was nice to visit for a few days as we had not seen them since May and so we spent time filling them in on our travels this year.
Goderich, ON
Saturday October 1st saw us leave Exeter and head towards Goderich where we would spend the night with Barb’s sister. It also gave Barb the opportunity to go to a beach on Lake Huron, something that she tries to ensure she does at least once a year. You can take a girl away from the lake, but you can’t take the lake away from the girl.
Bluewater Beach, Goderich, ONBluewater Beach, Goderich, ON
MacGregor Point Provincial Park, Port Elgin, ON
Sunday would see us driving North along the lake towards Port Elgin. the rain from the previous week had moved out and we were now blessed with sunny skies and very nice autumn weather. Near Port Elgin is MacGregor Point Provincial Park, a large park with several campgrounds and a lot of sites some of which are available for camping year-round. Our site was surrounded by trees and only one other site was visible from our site. As you can see in the photos below, we finally had a campfire and enjoyed an epic sunset over the lake. The beach was empty because of the time of year and so afforded us a quiet walk along the edge of the water. This is a beautiful park and we will definitely return for a longer stay in the future.
MacGregor Point Provincial Park, Port Elgin, ON – CampsiteMacGregor Point Provincial Park, Port Elgin, ON – CampsiteMacGregor Point Provincial Park, Port Elgin, ON – CampfireMacGregor Point Provincial Park, Port Elgin, ON – BeachMacGregor Point Provincial Park, Port Elgin, ONMacGregor Point Provincial Park, Port Elgin, ON – Sunset
Port Elgin, ON
After a couple of nights at MacGregor Point, we continued our trip on Tuesday October 4th by first heading into Port Elgin and exploring the harbour area. Clearly another lakeside town that becomes very quiet outside of the warm summer months.
Port Elgin, ONPort Elgin, ON
Our last camping stop of this trip would require us to drive some distance back across the province eastward. Our route took us around the southern edge of Georgian Bay through Owen Sound, Meaford and onto Collingwood where we would then head away from the lake towards Orillia and south to Lindsay and Peterborough before arriving in Campbellford.
Ferris Provincial Park, Campbellford, ON
We arrived at Ferris Provincial Park without a reservation and after the gatehouse had closed for the day. There were instructions to simply drive in and locate a site completing the registration the following day. We chose a treed site in the upper campground and settled in for the next couple of days. A smaller park on the edge of the river just on the outskirts of the town, there are lots of walking trails with some leading into town for easy access to supplies. The suspension bridge across the river afforded some great views along the gorge.
Ferris Provincial Park, Campbellford, ON – CampsiteFerris Provincial Park, Campbellford, ONFerris Provincial Park, Campbellford, ONFerris Provincial Park, Campbellford, ONFerris Provincial Park, Campbellford, ONFerris Provincial Park, Campbellford, ONFerris Provincial Park, Campbellford, ONFerris Provincial Park, Campbellford, ONFerris Provincial Park, Campbellford, ONFerris Provincial Park, Campbellford, ONFerris Provincial Park, Campbellford, ONFerris Provincial Park, Campbellford, ONHappy Campers!
And that’s a wrap for 2022 camping!
As you can see in the picture above, we both enjoyed this trip very much. The Autumn is a favourite time of the year when the weather can still be warm and the fall colours are beautiful. We drove home along Highway 7 towards Perth and then onto Smiths Falls, this drive allowing us to see some stunning displays of fall foliage.
This is our last camping trip in our van of 2022, its been a fun year in which we’ve been fortunate enough to see many beautiful places across the continent. Where will we venture in 2023? For that you will have to ‘stay tuned’ as our planning is now just beginning.
For our second trip to Prince Edward County this year, we teamed up with our friends Dean & Cathy to spend a week relaxing at Sandbanks River Country Campground. We chose to take the week immediately after the Labour Day weekend in the hopes that it would be quiet, we chose wisely!
The drive to PEC was uneventful with the exception of having to detour around the town of Picton due to water mains construction in the downtown. Dean & Cathy have a 33’ class-A motor home and so we were hoping that none of the detour roads would be impassable in a rig of that size. Luckily, no problems were had and we enjoyed the country drive to the campground.
As we were together and our van is small and maneuverable, we parked on our site ‘backwards’ by driving in. This allows our sliding door and awning to extend towards their site and thus makes it a friendlier camping experience. This meant that in order to dump our tanks we needed to partially pack-up in order to turn the van around to reach the drainage point and then turn back again to continue camping. This turned out to be easier than it sounds and was only performed once mid-week and then again just before we left.
Below you see our 2 campsites shortly after arriving. Setup only took about 45min after which we relaxed for the remainder of the day catching up with each other.
Early on the Tuesday morning, Tony headed out for his daily walk and went off to explore the access footpath into Sandbanks Provincial Park. The campground in which we are staying is directly across a road from the Provincial park and there is an agreement in place that grants campers in the campground walking access to the Provincial Park beach. The walk to the beach turned out to be only about 10mins. We will likely use this a lot during the week.
This morning the beach is empty with the exception of a few dog walkers and joggers. The picture below shows how big the beach is when it’s empty. We’re in for a couple of cloudy days and so do not expect it to be busy until the weekend.
Throughout the week we all had plenty of time to relax and enjoy our surroundings. Many a book page was read and many a drink was enjoyed. Once the weather improved later in the week for sitting out in the evenings, we enjoyed several campfires including the one below. At one many marshmallows were toasted or burnt and eaten in S’mores. At another pie irons were used to bake various campfire treats. We even explored making a ‘breakfast’ sandwich in a pie iron that included an egg and ham. Yummy!
On Thursday we were driven to a distillery, 2 wineries and a craft brewery as part of a tour we had booked. The following pictures are from that tour. A great time was had by all of us.
Our last full day was Saturday and the campground and Park beach had become much busier now that Summer-like weather had returned. We spent most of the day at the campsite relaxing and playing games before heading the the beach for one last visit.
We have already booked the same campsites for the same week next year in the hopes that the weather will be as good.
Great times were had by all. Friends for over 30 years and we’re still making fantastic memories together. Until next year, happy camping!
Our grand-daughter, Elena, is staying with us for the week and so we thought a quick two day camping get away would be a nice break. However, Mother Nature decided to make the start of our journey a little challenging by delivering a deluge of rain just before we were to head out. In the picture below you can see the Summer shower ‘inviting’ us to enjoy the great outdoors.
Camping anyone?“Are we there yet?”44.49702° N, 76.04363° W
Luckily the weather delayed our departure by only an hour and the drive from our home to Charleston Lake Provincial park is only an hour so even with the small delay we still arrived at our campsite well ahead of dinner time.
Setting up the van took a little longer than usual as we had to prepare a 3rd bed for Elena. This is comprised of a board and blankets placed on the swiveled front seats. Really quite a nice space.
Elena’s bed
After dinner we took a short walk to the beach and then to the playground where Elena had to slide, swing, bounce and teeter-totter before she would allow us to leave and return the campsite. The evening ended with a small campfire.
A walk in the woods
The campground is quiet and the sites quite large and level as well as shady amongst maple and pine trees. Ours had lots of space for Elena to run around.
Campsite setup completed
On Day 2 we decided to spend some time at the beautiful beach that they have in this park. It is really quite suited to younger children as it’s roped off and quite shallow. The water was warm and clear, and frogs and fishes were spotted.
Beach time!
After lunch it we enjoyed some quiet time at the campsite.
Quiet time with Grandma
In the evening we had a campfire where marshmallows were roasted and s’mores were made. Sleep came fairly early as we had all really enjoyed the outdoor air.
Magic flames
Day3 started with Grandpa cooking breakfast on the griddle before we all pitched in to pack up our campsite. Time for one last picture before heading out.
Happy campers about to head home
Although the camping trip had been fun, we all slept really well in our own beds at home that night. Until the next camping trip, here’s hoping everyone enjoyed seeing and reading about our quick get away to Charleston Lake.
Three weeks, yes it’s been that long since we arrived home after our 42 day cross-continent tour. A few friends have asked for some specifics about the trip and so we provide the following for your consideration.
The first question tends to be about where we stayed each night. Did we find suitable camping locations? So, here are the stats for that.
13 nights moochdocking (family laneways). Thank you all.
3 nights at Indianapolis Motor Speedway camping field (no services).
Family laneway: Yeah, we’re not picking a favorite as we love you all.
The next obvious question is about where exactly did we go? Here’s a map that shows you the route West from Ontario, across the US Midwest, up to British Columbia and the back across the Canadian prairies.
Map of the journey
Lastly, given the current price of fuel, folks have asked how much fuel we used and what it cost. So, here it is all laid out in a table for you to review.
Fuel statistics
So there you have it, a few statistics about the trip. Hoping you find them interesting.
Slept in today as it will be a short drive home from Driftwood Provincial Park. Had time to cook eggs, bacon & hash-browns and enjoy them outside…. Yes, the weather has finally cooperated to allow us to do this.
Last breakfast on the road for this trip
This being the day before Canada Day traffic between the park and Ottawa was much heavier than we had seen in recent days. However, we enjoyed an uneventful drive and before long we found ourselves driving into our laneway. We are home.
We were greeted by Kyra and an overly exuberant Dublin (Kyra’s dog) both of whom had missed us these past 42 days.
The remainder of the day will be spent unloading the van and settling back into the house.
If you’ve followed our journey from the beginning, thank you. I hope that my writing and our travels have been engaging for you. I plan on posting one or two follow on posts in the next few days that provide some statistics and thoughts after the fact. So, stay tuned!
Today we shall complete our Hwy-11 journey and join Hwy-17 at North Bay for the journey down the Ottawa Valley.
We pass through Earlton and wave at ‘Earl’ the bison on the way past. We stop for lunch at a quiet rest area a little North of North Bay and find an amazingly tranquil lake.
North Bay seems overly congested after the past few days of driving. The return to civilization is a little jarring. We leave the Toronto-bound traffic and continue Eastward on Hwy-17 towards Mattawa.
At Mattawa we spot Big Joe Mufferaw and turn towards Ottawa. Our destination for the night is Driftwood Provincial Park near Deep River as it will leave a short drive for tomorrow, our last day.
We snag an amazing waterfront site and settle in for a relaxing afternoon in the sun. The view is incredible across the Ottawa River and the sun is warming but not hot.
‘Earl’ the bison in Earlton, ONLunchtime view a little North of North Bay, ONLunchtime view a little North of North Bay, ONHwy-11 bridgeHwy-11 sceneryHwy-17 sceneryDriftwood Provincial Park, near Deep River, ONView from our campsiteLast night campfireSunsetGood night
