Sebastian Inlet State Park

Well, it's been awhile and this is my first trip out, since moving to Florida.  My father came along with me on this little getaway.  We decided not to venture off to far, so we picked an overnight stay at Sebastian Inlet State Park.  The park is surrounded by water and is quite beautiful.  There is one thing to be said about this place, and that is.......the mosquitoes are HUGE!  We started a fire immediately to keep them at bay.  After dinner we had to retreat to indoors for fear of getting eaten alive!  All in all, we had a nice time and it was a welcoming break.

Just Around The Corner

After what seemed like a very long week, I decided to head out to one of the campgrounds just around the corner from my house.  Before doing so, I had to make sure the RV was spotless, which required washing and detailing every inch.  This took me the better part of the day to get everything ready, but was worth every minute to see it shine!  The night before I started the refrigerator on electric so it would be nice and cold for the next morning.  Well, the next morning, the refrigerator was warm and appeared to not be working.  No problem, I'll just bring a cooler since it is only a overnight.  I'll check into that problem when I return home.

We decided to camp at North Landing Beach
Campground which is located on the NC/VA line. There so happens to be two ways to get there.  One, is to drive fifty miles through country roads, which is a nice leisurely way, and the other is to take a ferry over to Knotts Island and come in on the North Carolina side to the campground.  My son decided to bring a friend along, and so asking them which way they would like to go, it was hands down, we were taking the ferry!  We arrived early with anticipation to be first in line for the ferry ride.  The morning was breezy with a slight crispness in the air which was a pleasant relief from the humid summer heat we had been having.  We board with the crew giving us a thumbs up and with plenty of looks of envy.  With the wheel chocks in place we take the 45 minute ride to the island.  Along the way we have the option to enjoy the ride from the upper deck or to sit in our vehicle.  I was the first to exit the RV, since my stomach took on an abrupt queazy feeling.  Now mind you, there were no waves, no rocking of the boat.  Seeing only the forward movement of the boat while the RV was stationary, was enough for me to exit immediately.


We arrive at the campground and I find my site at 22 Birch Lane.  Hmmm, sounds like a nice address, and it was.   It was wide, shaded and level.  And it came with a bonus.  It was conveniently located across from the bathhouse which came in handy for the boys.  I  believe the RV had not even come to a stop when off the rack, the bikes came, as my two anxious riders hit the dirt, riding to see their newly wide open playground.

Being left behind, I set up camp to start my relaxation.  The afternoon feels like a fall day with the sound of rustling leaves being blown around as the cool breeze sweeps them into little piles.  The sun feels good against my goose bumped skin as I make my way to the beach area of the campground.  The boys have already donned their trunks & are wading in the cool but inviting water.  I watch from afar, as to not let them know I am there. I snap away a few pictures as they were playing and make my way back.

Returning to camp, I noticed a wedding had taken place and the reception was a stones throw away in a pavilion decorated with streamers and balloons.  The DJ was setting up and the party was just getting started.  This was not what I had expected at a campground!   If memory serves me, consuming alcohol over a long period of time, can lead to things getting ugly.  With nightfall only a few hours away, I prayed that it would not get out of hand, only to remember I am near the bath house!

Shaking those unwanted thoughts from my head, it was time to start dinner and my favorite campfire meal of hotdogs were quickly consumed.  There was no need for the boys to hang around so off they go again, onto their next adventure.

I cleaned up with the sound of the wedding music playing so softly into the campground air.  Actually, the music was soothing and felt as though I was at an outdoor concert.

I discovered that my well-kept classic motorhome drew more attention than most of the lastest, half- million dollar rigs with dishwashers & triple slide outs.  RV enthusiasts loved to come by to talk about the joys of keeping a piece of history rolling down the road.  The fact that few of them had ever seen an Toyota Sunrader 4X4 made it even more of a conversation piece.  I was tickled to hear the many comments about the shininess of my little rig.  My hard work earlier, had indeed payed off.

The sun was beginning to vanish from the crystal blue sky, so I grabbed my camera as I remembered the beach would be the ideal place to watch the sunset.  Within minutes, there was a gathering of all makes and models of cameras, snapping away to get the last glimpse of what had turned out to be one of the most beautiful sunsets I have seen in a very long time.  A picture perfect ending to a glorious day.

The campfire is now up and roaring as I retrieve the marshmallows for their dip into the flames.  Easing back in my chair with my dog in my lap is exactly where I want to be, relaxing!

The next morning I rise early with coffee in hand.  The boys are conked out and I suppose will be for quite some time since those monkeys did not get to sleep until the wee hours of the morning.  I too, am a little sleep deprived from all the whispers I heard throughout the night.  Not from the wedding party goers, but instead from my own little party inside that was created by 11 yr. olds.

Once again, I find pleasure in my old camp chair with my dog on my lap.  I kick back to take in the morning fresh air and ponder which route to take back.  Do we wait till 2pm for the next ferry and try to find something to do in the mean time?  Or do we take the back roads (out of the way) to get home?  It's early yet, we have time.

The boys finally rise from there upper bunk coffin and gobble their breakfast.  They make the decision for me....we're taking the ferry.  I leisurely sit back down and go through some of the questionnaires that the campground had given me.  I leaf through to the second page and low and behold there is a ferry schedule.  What ?  The next ferry is at noon!  It can't be?  I look at my watch, 11:25 am.  Noooo!  I rush around like my head is cut off, packing, no wait...Throwing things in the camper!  I call the boys on their cell phone....please answer...please answer!  Hello?  Guys!  Get back to camp NOW!  We're leaving!

I threw the bikes on the back and were off, creating a trail of dust..... down the narrow, windy road leading to the ferry.  I drove a little faster than I am used to, but trying to be careful around the hairpin turns.  Shoot, did this road have this many turns in it?   Swaying to the left and swaying to the right, I look at the clock....11:59 am.  I have a couple more miles to go.  Hey guys?  Were not gonna make it!  I hear their awww's in the back as I keep the pedal to the metal.  Rounding the next bend I see the Ferry!  It's still there, but the gate is down!  Shucks, we missed it!!!   But wait......who's that walking towards us? Hip hip hooray, it's the Ferry Guy!  Boy am I glad to see you!   He lifted the gate and we puttered on in. Believe it or not, we were (of course) the last one's on, but get this.  We also took the LAST spot.  The people next to us holler over....the last one on....makes lunch!   Yea, I had to chuckle about that one.

                                 Once again, I immediately exit the RV to enjoy our ride home.

                                                    Good Bye for now, Knotts Island -                

                                                                     ~The End ~

Hurricane Earl

With the threat of high winds and Earl making it's way closer, I decided to take my son and the RV to a safer place which turned out to be Lynchburg, Va where his grandparents live.  With such a short notice, and it being a Labor Day weekend, all the campgrounds were obviously booked.   So, I parked the RV in their driveway and stayed a couple of days, enjoying their company.  I returned solo with anticipation in seeing if we had incurred any damage, leaving behind my son to enjoy the rest of his visit.  This was the first time I had driven alone for this many miles.  It was nice, but lonely in the sense of not being able to share what I have seen with each passing mile.  Thankfully, there was no damage to report and it had seemed that Earl had turned into a girl and went out to sea.  

Will We Make it?

Ahhh, another beautiful day.  My father checked out the clutch and made the mechanics decision that it must be the clutch slave cylinder that is going bad. We leave out early, with our fingers crossed and praying that we will make it home without having to come to a stop.  On this day, my Dad will be driving since I would be a nervous wreck if I could not shift into gear.  We take off and the
clutch has a little bit of grab.....a wee little bit!  Okay, we only have about 100 miles till home.  We agree on taking the highway in which it would get us there the fastest and with the least amount of shifting.  We arrive into Newport News and we have to stop for the tunnel so they can check our propane bottles to be sure they are turned off.  Oh no!  We have to shift, several gears!  Please lord, have them wave us by, please, please, please!  My prayers are answered.....they wave us by!  I could not believe it!  We make it through all the traffic lights and did not have to stop until we got to the North Carolina border where we see an Advance Auto Parts store.  With confidence in my fathers shifting capabilities, we stop.   Right off the shelf they had the clutch slave cylinder in stock for a whopping $12.36!  Happy as a lark, I prance towards the Toyota holding my shiny new prize.   With no fear in making it the rest of the way, we decide to head home to replace the newly bought part.  My father, king of shifting, and majesty of auto repair, had us home safe and sound.  He had the Toyota repaired in less than 20 minutes.  I will say, I learned a lot from my father on this trip and am very proud to be his daughter.  I love you Dad and Thanks!

Williamsburg, Va - American Heritage RV Park

With two days of on again, off again showers, we decided to head to Williamsburg, Va where there was no threat of rain.  The first part of the excursion was stress free until we got to Rt. 95.  The traffic was heavy like it tends to always be, so we decided to get off the Rt. 95 parking lot and take Rt. 30.  That was the best decision we made since only a few miles down the road, I started to have a real hard time shifting.  It was very hard to get into any gear.  I crested this knoll and went to downshift and it would not go.  With my heart beating a little faster than normal I crept off to the side of the road and low and behold 100 yards ahead was a automotive garage that was open!  Coasting in, my father (thank goodness he was with me) popped the hood and noticed it was completely out of fluid for the clutch.  Okeedokee, we just meander over to the handy dandy garage that so happened to be open on a Saturday and get the brake fluid we need.  Simple right?  We fill the resevoir and away we go.  With only about another hours drive to our next campground, the clutch acts a little funny but my Dad reassures me it will bleed itself, to a point, as we drive along.  Alrighty then, there is a little bit of a smile coming from the corner of my mouth by now.  Then all of a sudden the same problem occurs.  I cannot get it to downshift, upshift, any shift!  Once again as luck would have it our exit was just ahead and we made it to our destination to Williamsburg, Va.

We found our lovely site that with a concrete pad, that was brand new and and totally level.  Now this is a first that I don't have to put out any levelers!   We unload & set up and I decided to head to the camp store to get hotdogs for this evenings dinner.   With the earlier fiasco we forgot to stop for food.  As I enter the store I notice they do not have any perishables, whatsoever!  What!  You mean you don't even have hotdogs?  Ugh!  Tired and hungry, I crawl back to the campground and announce that I am off on my bicycle to search for hot dogs.  Pedaling the highways and praying I don't get run over I finally find a 7 eleven.  Oh Thank Heaven!

Back at the camp my father starts a fire and it burns just long enough to cook our hot diggity dogs.  Whew!  It was quiet warm so the fire did not bring us any comfort as a source of heat other than cooking.

I will have to say this campground is one of the cleanest I have seen.  The bath houses were new and decorated in a way that you would have not known you were in a campground bath house but rather in some upscale hotel.  The pool was a delight for my son who once again made friends instantly.  In fact he was only at our campsite to grab a quick bite to eat and  to sleep.  I will definitely come back here again for a longer stay.

To Pennsylvania

We left out bright and early for our next destination of Hershey Highmeadow Campground in Hershey, Pa.  Yes, this time I did make reservations!  The trip took us the better part of the day since we traveled all the back roads to get there.  We drove along my father's old truck routes which he had taken so many times before and it was warming to me, to hear him reminisce about those days as we traveled through the winding hilly roads which overlooked the Amish farms and fields.  The history that abounds on every turn is beautiful for the eye to see.  I cannot wait to take this same route next summer, hopefully once again, with my father.

We had arrived later in the day only to find the rain had moved in.  Soggy & dampness surrounded the campground as people were running quickly to set up camp.  Although having the misfortune of the rain, my fellow campers still smiled and waved.  There was no fire that night but I did get an invite, to a warm and blazing fire that was roaring near our site.  My son & his new friend watched a movie that was playing on the side of a barn.  And when they returned they were greeted with smores.  I have camped at this park before and I have to say it is one of my favorites.  With the free shuttle bus to Hershey Park & Chocolate World  it is a bonus for on those days it does rain.  We ended up staying two days and had combined a visit with my Mom since she lives in Hershey.  And yes, you can smell the Chocolate that floats through the air, in amazing Hershey, PA.

A Short Trip

 

We left Ocean City, MD and decided to take Rt.1 North along the coast to Big Oaks Campground in Rehoboth Beach, DE.  It was a slow going drive due to all the traffic lights on the strip but it gave us a chance to take in the sites without having them blur on by us.   Big Oaks is a Mom & Pop Campground that is located about 2.5 miles from the beach.  Once again, without reservations we were blessed to have had the tiny little spot they had given us. We backed into our little space and was  immediately welcomed by our new neighbors. One neighbor was nice enough to give us some vegetables from her garden she had brought from her home.  With the campground being too small to even ride a bike, my son and I ventured off to take a dip in their pool.  Once again, the people & atmosphere, was very friendly & calming.  There was no disappointment this time on my son's face when I told him we were only staying for a night.

The Maiden Voyage

The time has finally come.....to camp!  After 15 months of restorations, I am off to enjoy the company of fellow Rver's who I have been so envious of.  Along for the ride is my son, father & our small dog.  I load the bikes for the big adventure & unbeknownst to me I would have to use a bicycle for transportation later on in the trip.

We leave on a beautiful but very,very hot morning.   The heat does not faze us, as the camper had just come out of the shop for air conditioning repair and was blowing ice cold air.   Low and behold we did not get 15 miles from home and the A/C had stopped blowing cold.  It seems the compressor had failed.  After saying a few choice words and some under the breath grunts, we reluctantly head back into the cab to continue our journey.  Once again, that does not faze us, since we have the old fashioned wing windows that will cool us just enough to keep us alive!

Driving North to our destination to Frontier Town Family Campground, the beautiful drive takes up and along Rt. 13 through Virginia into Maryland.  With it's straight, flat & pot hole free road we arrive in just a few hours to enjoy the afternoon of relaxing, unwinding and wasting no time to turn on the Rooftop A/C to MAX.  Whew! One day of driving down and many more to go.

The campground itself is huge in comparison to many, with plenty of activities for children.  It is heavily wooded and tucked away overlooking the Sinepuxent Bay which is located across from Assateague Island.  With not making reservations ahead of time (which I highly suggest for future outings), we were only able to stay one evening in which my son's face was turned from happiness to utter disappointment.  In leaving behind his newly found friends, we promised to return soon for a longer stay.

Backup Camera

One of the safest things to have on any RV is a back up camera.  I was not going to go without, since there are too many blind spots and too many idiot drivers out there.  So, it was a pleasure making this purchase.  I took the liberty of installing it myself and opted to do an inside installation rather than to drill another hole in the fiberglass to hang it outside.  I placed the camera behind the back window and it captures everything perfectly.

I decided to purchase mine from RV Cams which is a small company that puts together their own.  The price was reasonable and the staff very helpful.   This I would have to say gives me peace of mind of being able to see what is around me at all times.

Into The Shop

Now mind you I feel that I can be quite the handy person but there are some things this old gal will not do, nor should try to.  Brakes, air conditioning & electrical problems are to name a few.  I'll leave those to my friendly neighborhood garage.

While driving my little rig to the garage, I noticed that I had to really push hard on the brake pedal in order to come to a slow roll/stop.  I know this thing is old and weighs a lot, but it can't weigh that much to affect the stopping distance like it does.  So I had the mechanic take a gander for me.  His response:  You drove this here?  Ahhh, yup I sure did, Why?  Your back brakes weren't working at all and your fronts were only grabbing about 50%.  Ya know Ma'am,  I don't know if I would have driven this!  Well, Mr. Mechanic don't ya think it's a little late.  I'm here aren't I?  (p.s. downshifting works wonders).  So with the brakes repaired along with the tail light wiring and air conditioner I am on my way to possibly camp this year....safely.  Woohoo!