2015 - Getting Started Right

A New Dawn,... the sun begins to shine and melt away the snow here in March.  Lots of rain lately which is good, getting the snow and ice melted away and also some temps above freezing.  I'm tired of cleaning the snow and ice off the campers.

Bob's Starcraft (Left) and Our Flagstaff (Right)

Periodic checks on the campers this year proved that we haven't had any rodent issues,... so far anyway.  Can't let the guard down at any time.  But, having the winter come to an end means that we have to prepare to start the camping season off right.

1) Checklist of the fuses, bulbs, etc for the camper.  I found that I've been pretty lucky with not having light bulbs go out on the camper marker lights, but it will eventually happen, so last time I was checking the camper I pulled the caps and got the bulb numbers.  Now we have some spares for when on the road.  All our inside lights are LED, so we shouldn't have any issues with those.

2) Time to check the battery.  A little battery care each season helps keep the battery in tip top shape.  Since we use it to power up our camper when at Assateague, as well as to lift / lower the roof, we need to keep it healthy.  A little distilled water and a few minutes to check the cells and we are ready for a trickle charge and battery tender cycle.

3)  Soon it will be time to get outside and open the camper and go thru the Spring opening checklists.  Soon I'll gather the needed items to do the servicing, but for now you can go back to last spring 2014 posts and see the tips and photos I posted then for getting the camper ready.

4) The TV is getting ready too,... oh,.. the Tow Vehicle for you non-camping forum readers.  Today the coolant was changed, oil and filter, and serpentine belt was needed as the one we had was sliced up a bit.  Good catch by the mechanic today.  It's been 3 years since I had the transmission fluid changed, so that will be upcoming in a month or so in preparation for our longer tow trips to Assateague Island and the hilly trip to Knoebel's.  A little preventative maintenance goes a long way.

Stay tuned this year,... we have a lot of exciting trips being talked about and some in the works.  Definitely going to have some new experiences.

2014 - Knoebels Trips,... yes, Two of them!

Knoebels August Trip and a Surprise October return Trip!

A change of events this year allowed us to invite some new campers with us to Knoebel's, The Ciotti Family.  Back in the day in a land not so far away, Bob and I shared an airplane and flew General Aviation for a few years together.  Our daughters would help shovel out the plane in the winter and then we also had a few good flights together to various airports in the Mid-Atlantic area.  They were able to come up for the weekend and have a good time at Knoebel's with us all.

FUN FUN FUN

The ROCKET SLIDE!  A tradition every year!

WEEEE!!!!

AAAAHHHHH!!!

Yup,... always Flyin,...

More SPINNING!

RRRROOOOAAAARRRR!!!!

They are trying to fly.  The swings are a lot like paramotoring,... just not has high and awesome.

Crushed Penny Scavenger Hunt on the Rainy Day!  Lots of Fun!

We almost filled our Book!  2015 We will have to finish it!

Sunday already?.... Booo.

And, what happens when the two wives see a sign for the Columbia County Covered Bridge festival and CRAFT Fair?  Note,... CRAFT Fair,... well,... what happens is we (the guys) were told what sites were left and available for that weekend and that we would be coming back up.

So, after a great weekend with friends, we both left on our ways and headed home to get the kids ready for school the next day!  But, we would be back....

In October, with the leaves changing and the cool fall air, it is great camping.  We left early in the morning to get to the campsite before lunch in order to setup and have some time in the afternoon at the Craft Fair as a family before the hustle and bustle of the weekend began.  Oh MY,... so many vendors and crafts available from not only the middle of PA, but also from back home in our area.  Becky found a candle maker that was in our town and had some pretty good prices and wacky names for the candles.

Saturday was followed by more shopping by the ladies in the morning and Bob and I taking the kids to the park to ride the rides that were open and empty,... the kids could ride a lot this weekend until the later afternoon when things were picking up a bit.  After a long day of shopping, the ladies were wearing out and had a good amount of items and nick-nacks in the van ready to go back to the campground.  Back at the campground, we had another good night of fun and fellowship around the camp fire and then turned in for the night, knowing it was already going to be Sunday in the morning and we would be packing up.

This was such a nice vacation with them that we both ended up booking for the following August and October again together.  But,.,.. that about ends the season for 2014.

2014 - Assateague Island

Assateague Island State Park, Maryland

Since we have been focused on renovating the new place and transitioning our life to a new location, we haven't been able to get out camping much.  When July came around, we were all in need of a get away and we were looking forward to Assateague's great beaches and relaxation.  Here are a few highlights of the trip:

Tie Dye Tuesday - We happened to see some people folding and banding white shirts while on the beach in the morning and got to talking to them.  They told us of the ranger station activity on Tuesday nights for Tie Dye Shirts!  So, we took a break for lunch and then off to the Walmart in Ocean City to find some shirts for the kids and rubber bands.  This would save us time later in the evening so we could learn to dye the shirts.  When the time came, we peddled our way up to the ranger station and watched how it was done.  Everyone had a great time and we are going to do this each year to create a new family photo at the beach!

Youth Program - Also this year we learned that a local youth group program runs the Surf and Sand club during the mornings for 2 hrs.  This allows us to drop off the kids and have some time to ourselves, or, gave us a great way to keep them busy while we packed up on the last day!  What was really nice was that the kids had a great time with the activities and it was a clean language / family friendly environment.

Camping - As always, camping is really nice on the island.  This year we had the solar panel out keeping our battery charged for the fan, water pump, LED lights, and even charging our cell phones so I could check in with work and forward on those important emails that came thru.  The system worked very well, and we will be using it more this year (2015) at home and back at the beach again.


Beach Life - Surf, Sun, and Sand,.... lots of time was spent on the beach or relaxing in the shade reading a book while the kids played.  It is really nice to get away during the middle of the summer.  Looking forward to our return in 2015!!

Kayaking - One morning Bella and I went to Ayers Creek Adventures to rent two kayaks and spend some time on the water.  The water was smooth and a great morning to go paddling.  Bella did really well and had a lot of fun,.... she even splashed me!  Before leaving, we decided to enter the Pink Kayak Raffle with two $5 tickets.  Wouldn't you know it,... Bella would end up winning the kayak in September, and we returned to Ayers Creek Adventures in October to pick it up!  Photos below!