Hoffmaster State Park, MI, Shenandoah National Park, Virginia & Paynes Creek Campground (Army Corp. of Engineers), GA

Well, August found us taking two weeks and driving (Yes - DRIVING) to Michigan!  We spent a week or so with family (grand-kids!) in Michigan and then drove thru Canada, reentering the US at Niagara Falls.  We then spent the next week with family (Don's brothers & sisters) in Rochester, NY,  before spending a couple days driving back to Florida.

Michigan was beautiful - almost picture-perfect weather! 

We spent a couple days with family and then moved to Hoffmaster State Park - right on the shore of Lake Michigan.  What a beautiful beach!  Nice campground - close to everything!  (Maybe too close!  We broke down and bought our Yeti cooler at Dick's Sporting Goods there!  OMG expensive but they worked with me and managed to knock off about $75.  They're supposed to hold ice for over 5 days and they DO!)

We even got to use our kayak!  Went for a 6 mile float on the Muskegon River with our son & his family (in their canoe).  And we manged to stay upright this time so - good time!  (Had to take pictures to prove it!)  That's Don & I in our Sea Eagle kayak.  What a nice day we had!!!


Of course we couldn't camp at Don's family in Rochester, NY but after a very nice visit there we headed out and spent the first night at Shenandoah National Park in Virginia.

At an overlook, we ran into a group of about 40+ Japanese who converged on our truck/trailer as they'd never seen anything like in in their country.  They took pictures with us and asked lots of questions.  It was fun to see them "exploring" our set up.  To say they were impressed would be an understatement!

Shenandoah National Park is on the Skyline Drive (a narrow mountain road with beautiful vistas).  The park was about 22 miles in - all windy, twisty roads but the views were beautiful.  Elevation 3700'!

We stayed at Matthews Arm Campground and the site was pretty basic.  No electric or water and the restrooms had no showers.  (We were glad we were only there for one night!  We've become spoiled with the State Parks & all their amenities!)

Site was quiet tho with only the deer passing through for excitement.  (Our neighbors saw a bear but we missed it!)

The next day it was on to Georgia. Again, we drew quite a lot of attention on the highway.  Even had a VW van (vintage and fully restored by the look) pull up alongside and video/photo us!  They followed us for about 20 minutes/miles - switching from one side to in front then the other side and then behind.  Seemed to be taking a lot of video of our set-up and then some still pictures, too.  Quite a set up they had - looked professional.  We'd love to know what they did with the pictures/footage they took!  Anyone know?  :)

Our campsite in Georgia was our first with an Army Corp of Engineer site - and it was beautiful!  (Paynes Creek Campground, Hartwell, GA.)  If you get the chance to try one - do it!  Extremely inexpensive and right on the water!  It was SO nice we were sorry we were only there for one night!  The sites are all on the water, terraced where the camper is at the top, then half a dozen nice steps to the picnic table/fire ring area, and then similar steps down to the water!  What a beautiful spot.  (We're already planning to go back when we can stay for a few days and break out the kayak again!)

All in all - great trip!  Only a couple days with any rain at all!  Temperatures were perfect everywhere!  We met lots of new friends and had a great time!

Can't wait for our next teardrop adventure!

Beech Bend Park, Bowling Green, KY

Well, back to Beech Bend Park, Bowling Green, KY over a long Father's Day weekend in June.  We went up on Wednesday this year - returning on Sunday.  (Last year we got the last official campsite, even though they have a huge over-flow area, but those sites don't have water or electricity).

This year's site was even better than last years - only a couple sites away but larger and more accommodating to our needs.  Had a great area this year for the screen room and we used it a lot!

We were there for the Cackle Fest (vintage dragsters) that runs Thurs-Sat. every year.  What a great location - to be able to camp right at the drag strip (AND they have a water park there, too).  Molly & I stayed at the campground or went shopping in Bowling Green while Don was able to walk back & forth, relax a bit, have something to eat, etc. - all right there.  We really enjoy this every year but this was only the second year we've camped.

First time here with the truck/camper combo and it was a big hit, too.  Met tons of people who stopped by to check us out.  Neighboring sites (both sides) had permanent residents to the park so they were able to give us a lot of tips/help so that's always nice too.  (We'll try for the same spot again next year only Don says we're going on Tuesday now!  A day earlier every year.  Pretty soon we'll be there for the week!)

Bowling Green is a really nice area.  I managed to pick up a very nice pair of vintage earrings & matching necklace at an antique store I hit every year just off the square in downtown Bowling Green.  The owner is just as sweet as she can be (quite a character) and I always look forward to visiting her shop & chatting with her for a bit.  And, they're animal friendly so Molly shops too!

Probably no more long trips until August when we go to Michigan & New York State!  Hopefully I'll be a little more timely with my post!

Manatee Springs State Park, Chiefland, FL

Well, I've been remiss in blogging!  We were at Manatee Springs State Park, Chiefland, FL on 4/19-21/13 and I'm only now posting!!!  Bad, bad, bad!

This was a great trip and a nice, large drive thru site (#5).  Lots of deer (came in and wandered around our screen room/picnic table while we were sitting right there - with the dog!)  No fear.  Even saw a pair of adults with a PAIR of twin fawn!  Very cool!

Funny thing - we've never had a problem with animals getting into our cooler - until now!  (In the Smokey Mountains they had signs posted everywhere to keep all food inside your vehicle/camper.  Never gave it a thought here until Saturday morning when we got up and our breakfast (eggs/sausage) were scattered around the campsite.  Assume raccoons had a feast while we had to go out for breakfast!)  Needless to say we kept the cooler secured after that!

This campground is on the Suwannee River with a boat ramp, etc.  Lots of rain this trip but still didn't dampen our trip.  Campground also had live music one day - something they do a couple times a year, I guess, so check with them before you go so you can plan accordingly!  It was nice!  Good times!

Highlands Hammock State Park, Sebring FL

Well, we went for the Florida Flywheeler's annual show in the Ft. Meade/Avon Park, FL area (we go every year) but this year we brought the teardrop and camped nearby at Highlands Hammock State Park in Sebring.  Perfect weather this weekend (February) with 60s at night and 80s during the day!

And it was the first time out with the 1951 Chevy pickup towing the teardrop!  Oh my!  What a crowd we had at the site AND along the highway!  We even had people taking our picture driving down I-4.  (Here's an idea of what we looked like!)

We met SO many lovely campers - especially Friedrich & Lisbeth from Ontario.  They were in the next site and just couldn't get over how many people stopped by!  (They're pretty experienced campers and were able to give us some great camping tips.  We plan to take the truck & teardrop out west next year and appreciated the pointers!)

The park was quite nice, well located.  We had dinner one night at Cody's nearby and it was yummy!  (Recommend!)

The tractor show had a huge crowd and it was hot, hot, hot!  (Molly (dog) & I were wilting before the day was over.)

Then, Saturday night the Park had a live concert - group called "Toe Jam" and they were quite good!  What a nice (unexpected) treat!  I guess they do these concerts there a couple times a year so check their website and book well in advance.

Oh!  One of the tips our "neighbors" gave us was about their Sea Eagle inflatable kayak/canoe and ... I ordered one today!  We were looking into a canoe but really didn't want the hassle of loading & unloading for an occasional float so the Sea Eagle looks perfect for our use.  Can't wait to try it out!

More next time!



 

Florida Caverns State Park

What a great place!  We spent Thanksgiving there - no turkey!  Located near Marianna, FL it has lovely sites AND actual caves in the park!  I knew the caves were there but didn't realize they were RIGHT THERE.  And what a great tour!  We've been to Mammoth Caves several times (and others) and this ranked right up there.
  
The sites themselves were very nice with paved pads.  This campground isn't far from Alabama and we spent a day driving around into Alabama & back.  All in all a great stay!  

 The teardrop again was a big draw with lots of other campers coming by for a "tour".

Smokey Mt. Nat'l. Park Oct 2012

Smokemont Campground - Great Smokey Mt. National Park (Oct. 2012)

What a great long weekend (4 days)!  First time we've stayed at a park with no water or electric at the sites.  Wasn't too sure about no showers but ... it was fine.  Weather was cool to quite cool (40s-70s).

The first day we went to the other side of the park to do Cades Cove Loop, then took an 8 mile (off-road) trail thru the woods - over areas where the water was running across the track - to connect with Tail of the Dragon.  What a great ride!  We'd done the Tail of the Dragon before and just wanted to do it again.  The track out of Cades Cove was a little scary in my non-4 wheel drive jeep but we made it!

Second day we went to Clingman's Dome - 6643' elevation.  Phew!  I had a hard time breathing that last 1/2 mile climb to the top.  Unfortunately it was all socked in -

Clingman's Dome (in the clouds)

The elk were incredible!  We saw them twice - a herd of at least 12!  The "bull" was pretty impressive!  And he came out of the woods - after all the females - walking like a king.  Not hard to tell he was in charge.

The fall colors were about peak, I'd say.  Higher elevations a lot of the leaves were half gone.  This picture is at an old mill in the park - about 1200-1500' elevation. (Molly was afraid (initially) of the leaves blowing around on the ground!)

Great trip all together!  Long drive from Central Florida though!  Spent around 11 hours in the car - each way.  Probably do it again next year!

Mike Roess Gold Head Branch State Park, Keystone Heights, FL

Well, just home from a Labor Day weekend spent at Mike Roess Gold Head Branch State Park in Keystone Heights, FL.  About an hour and a half from home & just right when you only have a couple days to lounge around.

Once again the Teardrop was a smash hit!  Lots of other campers - all raving about what a great job Don did in building the camper.  This time they seemed particularly taken with the "wrapped" fenders.  (We bought regular metal fenders (for durability) and then Don wrapped them with the same wood as the camper.)

We met lots of nice people - especially a couple with an old 1984 fiberglass Shasta (13' I think they said).  They were the original owners and had done lots & lots of traveling in it.  Quite impressive for being so small.  (They said they were usually the smallest camper at any campground but they had to give us that claim for this weekend!)  Unfortunately it was short lived as a father & son came roaring in on a Gold Wing motorcycle - pulling a trailer that unfolded up and out to sleep two.  They took the "smallest camper" award away from us!

The campground was pretty large but extremely quiet - especially at night.  We had a full moon every night and I tried to capture it but ... you can't really get it from my picture.

As you can see, Molly came along - as usual.  It was a pretty warm weekend but she loves it hot.  Found her laying in the sand most of the time - right out in the sun.  We hit the flea market in Waldo on Saturday, along with a pretty nice antique mall.  (We all cooled off there!)  Fortunately there was no rain (thanks to Issac having just passed) and the nights cooled down nicely.  (We did use the A/C tho!)

Guess that's about it for this trip.  Next one ... probably to the mountains to catch the changing of the leaves in October.

Stephen Foster Folk Culture Center State Park -

Well, just getting back to updating this diary!  Almost forgot to log our latest trip to Stephen Foster Folk Culture Center State Park in White Springs, FL.  (Almost on the Fl/Ga border.)  We were there 7/13-15/12.  What a beautiful park!  Only about 45 sites but also has cabins, canoe launch, craft square, museum, carillon tower (bells) and a nice gift shop.  Unfortunately we were there just after the area had been flooded by a tropical storm (Debbie?); not the park but surrounding towns, and the river was way up - too high for canoes.

The bells from the tower rang out the hour (and quarter/half) and also did a series of Stephen Foster songs periodically.  Lovely to just sit back and listen.

The site was very large & more private than most.  Again, lots of friendly campers & volunteers.  (First tour Saturday morning was at 7 am - I wasn't even out of bed yet and Don was outside explaining to someone how he built the teardrop!

Molly, as usual, was a star.  She's go good camping.  Almost never barks and just loves laying in the dirt - or on the picnic table like here.

The only negative to the whole visit was local restaurants - or I should say restaurant.  Usually we fall into really good local places to eat out at least one night (the others we cook at the site) but the little restaurant nearby (Fat Belly's - or something like that) was really pretty poor.

Well, guess that's it for a little while.  Too many other things happening over the next month or two to get back out here but we're already looking for out next trip!

Beech Bend Park Campground, Bowling Green, KY

Longest trip yet!  Great long weekend (Thurs.-Sun.) in Bowling Green.  Went for the "Cackle Fest" (vintage dragsters - car show & swap meet) and stayed at the campground at the track.  (Park has an amusement park, water park, circle track/drag strip, AND campground.  Great with Don going to the event every day.  Was able to walk back and forth to the camp site.)  500 campsites in all!

(Did you notice the little lights on the screen room?  For Christmas I found strings of teardrop camper lights and bought them for Don.  Fun!)

It was nice to be able to take Molly, too.  (She's sitting just outside the screen room.)  She LOVES camping!  Can't wait to get in the teardrop - usually begs outside the door long before we're ready for bed.

Long ride (13 hours each way) but makes for an inexpensive 4 days!  Teardrop towed perfectly - almost forgot it was there most of the time (except for the reaction from others on the road).  Everyone has to come over and ask questions.  Lots & lots of compliments for Don, again!  Don joked that it was nice this time that he didn't have to do the "tours" as he was at the track most of the time.  I think that's the best part!  We get to meet so many people we never would've met otherwise. 

As always, each trip I think of little things I need to pick up for "next time".  We've decided to add stabilizing jacks to replace the "screw jacks" we now use.  (Very inexpensive upgrade.)  Might eventually upgrade the screen room, too.  (The walls are on an angle.  Think it might be even nicer if the sides were straight and we could add solid panels in bad weather.)  We'll see!

Guess that's it for this trip.  Talked on the way home about where we want to go next.  Probably only locally until the Fall but that's ok.  More soon! 

Lake Griffin State Park

Home from a Memorial Day weekend at Lake Griffin State Park (over near Leesburg, FL).  Can't believe it's been 3 months since we've been out but life just seems to get in the way!

Lake Griffin is a fairly small park but what a great bunch of campers we met!  Everyone was so friendly - and curious about the Teardrop.  (One even asked if we just used it to haul our gear!)  :)  Boy, was he surprised when we gave him the tour.

Molly was a perfect camper, too!  (Here she is riding to Leesburg - in her car seat, of course.)

And we're already looking forward to our next trip - Kentucky!  More soon!

Jonathan Dickinson State Park, Hobe Sound, FL - Feb. 2012

Great weekend in south Florida.  Perfect weather - balmy - not a tree in sight!  Met some nice people - all loved the Teardrop!  Everything worked great - still love the new "kitchen" (see earlier post).  People are always amazed when we fix a full breakfast - bacon, eggs, etc. on the camp stove.  YUM!  Screen room came in handy this trip due to the sun - we don't always set it up.  Also hooked up the TV this time - for the race Saturday night.  (Molly & I went to bed early!)  Wished we could stay longer but ... maybe soon!

Little Talbot Island State Park (FL)

Well, another long weekend of camping in the Teardrop - yup! again!  Three nights this time.  First two mornings were pretty chilly but, thanks to the little ceramic heater we picked up recently, we were pretty snug.  (Great investment - small, cheap & works great in our small space.)  Another new purchase - check out our "camp kitchen" in the picture above!  How sweet is this?  Folds up like a small card table and has a sink, storage racks, lamp pole, etc. etc.  (Saw one last time we camped at another site and couldn't wait to get one!) 

Once again this trip we were besieged with "visitors" who couldn't wait to see the Teardrop.  Didn't even get out of our town (stopped for coffee at the local coffee shop) and someone pulled right over to see it.  Had to get the "tour" and ask Don a ton of questions about how he did it.  People are amazed when we tell them it only took him 5 weeks - start to finish!

The park we went to is just above Jacksonville - on an island.  We spent one full day just a little north of the park in Fernandina Beach on Amelia Island.  Lots of restaurants and neat little shops.  Spent another day doing historical "stuff" - plantation tour and the like.  Had some of the best shrimp we've ever had at a little restaurant called Nicole's.  (They were "Mayport shrimp" - caught right there!)  If you ever get up that way, plan to eat at Nicole's - just south of Little Talbot - and try the shrimp.  Inexpensive, lots of food, and really yummy!

 And look what happens when I walk away for a minute ...  On the table no less!  Oh my - who's spoiled now?  (And you'll notice who is allowing it!)  Molly still loves to camp.  About 7:30 pm she'll go to the camper door and whimper.  Took us a little to realize she just wants in - ready to go to bed!

Oh - stopped at the lighthouse in St. Augustine on the way home Sunday!  (Couldn't resist a picture.)

Well - guess that's it 'til after Christmas - too much to do now!  Happy Holidays all!

O'Leno State Park, High Springs, FL

Well, another long weekend fairly close to home - about an hour and a half away.  Drove up on Friday and had great weather all weekend.  Nice park.  Friendly people.  Lots of people had to stop by to see the Teardrop!  Everyone is amazed that Don actually built it. 

Every time we take it out we think of something else we'd like (this time another site had this great "camp kitchen" - folding table with two fold out shelves, a built in sink, a shelf for your camp stove, and even a zippered pantry!)  Can't wait to get one - probably before we go out again!  (Sold by Bass Pro Shop - we asked!)

I've decided that the very best thing about the Teardrop is its simplicity.  Someone at this Park told me that "if you have to bring a vacuum, it's not camping" and I think that says it all!  You get to enjoy ALL your time - there's no cleaning up, laundry to do, etc.  You can just take walks, hang out with your new "friends", or just read & relax.  Perfect camping if you ask me! 

TH Stone Memorial St. Joseph Peninsula State Park (FL)

What a great park!  White sandy beaches on both sides of the park (Gulf on one side & the bay on the other)!  Beautiful weather in October.  Can't wait to go back!  We saw a bunch of deer & a wolf/coyote!  Had some great seafood at a local restaurant while we were there.  Neat little towns all around for antiquing, etc.

Oct. 2011 - Off to Mississippi

What a great trip!  After two "dry runs" (to local parks within 50 miles of home) we loaded up and took our show on the road - to Mississippi for the weekend!  This thing is really great.  Drove all day on Friday to get there, set up in Shepard State Park (only something like 28 sites and right on a bayou) in Gautier (sp?).  Site could've been better.  Ours was kind of two levels but it was ok.  Spent Saturday there visiting our son (Justin) who's in the Coast Guard, complete with a campfire that night, and then drove back to Central Florida on Sunday.  Phew!  Everything worked great - trailer tows like a champ!  Don't even know it's there - even on the interstate which was most of the ride.  Looks like it's a winner!  People still stop us when we pull off for a break - lots of compliments for Don!  Now planning our next excursion.  Hmmmm.  Let's see ...

Our Teardrop Experience (2011)

Hi Teardroppers ... or future Teardroppers!  I'm here today looking for others - especially in the Central Florida area - to chat with or to share our story with!  It all started innocently enough ...

A few weeks ago, while at a Sanford, Florida antique car show, we saw a Teardrop trailer ("Woody") and fell in love.  By the next weekend my husband had started ours - from the frame up!  (Most are built on utility trailer, bolt-together frames but my (very particular) husband insisted on building the frame from square tubing - for added strength.)  And, he added 15" wheels rather than the standard utility trailer wheels.  (Better for towing, I'm told.)

Well, by the very next weekend, the frame was ready to roll! And - 5 weeks later - it was completely done!  Yes, 5 weeks - start to finish!

 Now, if you've never heard of Teardrops, they started in the 1940's and were initially mostly made of aluminum.  (We just liked the Woody-look and it really is quite the conversation starter.)  It probably cost us a little more to build it all in wood but I think it was worth it!

Here's the disclaimer - I think it only fair to tell you - this shouldn't be something you start unless you've got some pretty good skills.  (My husband welds, does mechanical work, and is a retired carpenter.)  He's the bomb!

 But, it didn't look like much - in the beginning!  (This was the beginning of the trailer body.)

The trailer body is basically 5x8.  (The originals were 4x8 but we added an extra 12" in width to allow for a queen-size air mattress.  That's ALL that's inside you know!)

(We researched online and found lots of plans and information, making slight adjustments as we went along to fit what we thought we wanted.)

I think this is what appealed to me in the beginning - the sheer simplicity of the thing.  I rationalized that the more basic you kept it, the less work would be involved to use it - and so far that seems to be true!

We did add one more "upgrade" - a second door.  That way you don't have to crawl over someone to get out.  My husband even added screened windows that raise and lower - just like home!  It also has a roof vent to help with air flow.

By the time we were done, it was pretty cozy.  (We travel with a Yorkie - so it sleeps "3"!)  And, surprisingly enough, we had plenty of room.

It also has a "kitchenette" when you open the back hatch.  This is where you keep groceries, dishes, camp stove, etc.  (In this picture you can see the electrical outlet and the light in the hatch.  Again - basic.)  The whole camper is wired for electric & TV - with a remote antenna (not shown here).  The TV is set up to be used inside or outside the camper.  (You should've seen our neighbors the first time we took it out!  Our TV was playing on the table in our screen room.  Everyone had to come by to see how we did it - in their big campers they couldn't get any reception!)

So far we've taken it on 2 "dry runs" - learning a little more each time we're out!

Salt Springs Campground (near Palatka, FL)

The first time out we went to Salt Springs Campground (in the Ocala (FL) National Forest).  We knew we were off to a good start when the registration people had to come out and take a picture of our camper!

We were very glad we'd invested in a screen room, too, as it rained all weekend but the camper was very snug and we didn't let the rain "dampen" our spirits! 

We met a lot of very nice campers - everyone had to come over to see the camper - and Molly (our 1-year old Yorkie).  She was a hit too!

The second time out, we went to Silver River State Park in Ocala, FL.  This time we had much better weather and, again, met lots of nice people!

Silver River State Park, Ocala, FL

We were surprised when we registered at the campground and the people asked if we had "others" coming.  Apparently a group of Teardroppers had been there recently and they thought maybe we'd all come back!  I think they were disappointed when we said we'd be alone. 

One funny comment: a little girl was in the site across from ours.  While walking Molly she came up and asked to pet her.  During the process she asked if "that" was "Molly's camper".  (Guess it was about the right size - at least in her eyes!)  I told her Molly let us sleep in there with her!  Too cute!

In the picture above, you can see the remote antenna (mentioned previously) for the TV.  It's mounted on the right rear - behind the fender and comes off for travel and slips right back in place when you set up.

You can also see the snazzy wooden fenders we added.  (My husband took regular fenders and "wrapped" them with the wood and trimmed them to match the camper.)  We got lots of compliments on those, too!

Now, we're looking forward to really hitting the road!