Over a year in the making.....

Well,... the big event is down to 2 weeks away from today.  I can hardly believe that we are this close to our biggest camping trip ever..... where you say....

M I C... 

K E Y....

 M O U S E.... 

That's right!  The kids think we are going to Yogi Bear Campground for another last trip of the camping season outing.  In fact, originally we weren't necessarily lying to them when we said that, as we were planning to go to the Yogi Bear Campground in Emporia VA on the way home from Disney, however, this past year it was getting some pretty good negative reviews and since we are off season anyway there wasn't a lot of themed activities for them.  So, that's been cancelled and replaced with a trip to Williamsburg Virgina on the way home.  Hopefully they won't mind. 

2 WEEKS LEFT  -- NO BODY BETTER SAY OR HINT AT ANYTHING !!!

For those of you that know me personally, you'll appreciate my one Google Drive snapshot here of a folder.  Brochures, Planning Maps, and of course lists.  One for our itinerary of travel to and from, with the contact info and drive times (including snack and rest breaks), a budget sheet to keep track of the insanity, a list of RV service centers every 100 miles from here to there, and our Character Meal reservations and activities.

For the route down, we are hoping to make it one long day to middle of North Carolina,... "Getting Lost" trying to get to Yogi Bear.  I figure the kids expect it is 6 hrs in the car,.. what is a few more.  We will take a break for the night at a Hotel to figure out where we are and I'll be pacing around making phone calls, trying to keep putting on the ruse that we are Lost.  Goal being, that they don't know and may be disappointed, but we are making the best of it.  Becky and I both hope we can hold it off till then.  

At our first rest area that we come to that day on 95, we will get out to check the maps again and have a snack.  That's when we have something special for snack to give it away and let the excitement begin!  Still, it's a long day, so back on the road with excitement I better take some Excedrin, with the goal of getting south of Jacksonville Florida by dinner time.  Should be an easy drive, as we don't have any major cities to beltway around on this day.  Also, while I could go all the way to the Campground, it will already be dark due to the change in daylight savings.

On day 3, we will make a final little run, do some grocery shopping, and pass under the Walt Disney World entrance arch,... finally!  Time to setup camp and begin our Magical week.

 After staying a few days and having 3 days at the parks and 2 days in the area / campground, we will have to begin our journey home.  This time, we will camp along the way.  Note the difference in maps, this one is more evenly planned out between stops.  Luckily, our first stop didn't get flooded out in South Carolina and we will have some time there to catch our breath and reflect on the week.

Following South Carolina, we will head to Richmond VA and then turn East to Williamsburg VA.  This will be a nice break and hopefully get some history involved with the kids with the colonial village and southern charm.  Finally, we have to make the last run home, around DC, Baltimore, Wilmington, and Philadelphia. 

Oh,... to cap it off.... check out this new footwear Becky has!  While I didn't dive into writing about it much on our last trip, Becky took a trip of her own down the back steps when loading the camper for Knoebels.  At first it was thought to be a bad sprain, but it is worse.  2 X-rays later and nothing is broken, but the thought is that one of the tendons that goes thru the ankle to the outer part of your foot may have a tear.  Waiting to get an MRI appointment, hopefully before we leave to at least get an answer, but she will be dealing with this and riding a motorized scooter around while we are down in FL.  8-10 miles a day in this walking boot wouldn't be good or any of us,... so scooter rental it is. 

More to come as we do our final preparations and an update on the surprise if it all goes well.  So for now, readers, keep your traps shut!  HAHA

October 2015 - Knoebels Craft Fair Weekend

Fall camping is some of the best camping there is.  Temps are comfortable, air is crisp, and taking naps in the hammock are restful.  Now that I have you thinking,.... combine that with over 350 craft and food vendors at a nearby amazing amusement park, and you are one step closer to heaven!,... or being broke,... whichever way you want to look at it.  HaHa

For the second year in a row we are embarking on our trip to the Columbia County Covered Bridge Festival which Knoebels hosts a very large craft fair on its grounds.  It is a transition point between summer activities and the Spooky Halloween weekends ahead, and just about at the beginning of the leaves changing on the trees.  This is a great way to finish out those ticket books that you have pieces of from the earlier trips to the park.

Final adjustments made the camper ride more level

On our last trip I noticed that while the truck was riding level, our camper was still nose down when we parked at Hickory Run Rest area, which has a very flat parking lot.  So we enlisted the help of my Dad to get the large sockets and wrenches out to unbolt the 1 1/8 inch diameter bolts on the Weight Distribution hitch and raise it up from 18 1/4 inches, to just about 20 inches.  This flipped the coupler assembly to make this adjustment, but it really made a difference and the camper is almost nearly level now during tow.  This means a much better weight distribution on the axles and less wear on the front wheels of the camper than if I left it the way it was.  The photo above shows the final setup parked again at Hickory Run Rest area on this trip. 

Wednesday I get a call from Becky,... she broke the crock pot.  She was more concerned about the crock pot than she was about the bad sprain she got when she missed the step which caused her to drop and break the crock pot!  So on my way home she calls again and said she is going to Urgent Care.  Ok,... this isn't good.  After a bit, she comes home with crutches and an air cast on her ankle, and while not swollen or black and blue, it is a bad mid-foot sprain.  Luckily, living with my Mother In Law, she has lots of accessories Becky would be able to use for the next few days to keep pressure off her foot.

The site we have at Lake Glory this weekend is not really setup well for a travel trailer.  It is a camping site with power and water, but not sewer.  To access the site, we have to back down the driveway off the loop road, and then try to make a 90* turn inward on the driver side around a pine tree and  between a bunch of other trees.  That was my plan anyway till I arrived.  There wasn't anyone on the site across from us so I figured I could pull down the driveway and swing wide, then pull the truck into their site.  This allowed me a much better angle to back up into our site and made it quite easy as a matter of fact.  It took a few tries to get the bed and slideout situation on the power side to be aligned, but then the awning on the door side to clear the trees, but we got it.  After some unfolding of the beds and setting up the site, we hung the hammock and had to test it out.

Madie and I testing out the hammock before Becky rested in it for a while

AAHHH!.... Sad Spooky Kids, and a hay bale.

Now that's better,... Looks like a Pumpkin,.. oh,.. and smiling kids.

Oh My,... did I really bring these guys?

Thursday evening was mostly hanging around the campground and getting setup, some R&R, and greeting our fellow camper friends as they arrived.  We had two sites together in this cluster of trees that made it like our own corral.

Friday was craft fair day.  Things get very crowded on the weekend so we try to make the best of it early on Friday.  There are also things to do for the kids on Friday but not on Saturday at the craft fair like Pony Rides and some games.  The parking lot was already half full when we arrived and the pavilions and tents where moderately crowded.  The vendors were great and the variety abounded as we walked thru them.  Some of our favorites from last year were visited again and we found some new cool things that we have to keep in mind.  One woman said it is a 3 year waiting list to get into the craft fair as a vendor, and because of this weekends popularity I could see why.

At first, I seemed to be the one spending the money, not the girls.  I think they had it planned that way.  They would find something and I would hold it while they looked, and then Becky would move out of the booth on the wheelie scooter she had and I'd be there to pay..... hmm,... planned?  HaHa.

We got some good deals, Christmas gifts, and a cool metal scarecrow that we can use for our garden next year.  Of course, with the food vendors there, you can't leave on an empty stomach!  We had some ice cream and then decided it would be best to get back to the camper before the line of rain showers hit, and we timed it pretty well.

Homework Time!

Saturday was a day at the park.  The kids wanted to go on the rides and they had a good amount of them open for the day.  Everyone was able to use up the tickets we had left from our August trip, so that saved one expense.  Madie is growing so fast and it is hard to believe that she doesn't ride the Kiddy Rides much anymore.  Some of her old favs she isn't able to do anymore,.... Sad.  But, she loves the Italian Trapeeze swings now and must have gone on them 3 or 4 times between Saturday and Sunday.

Bella shopped for some homemade outfits for her dolls.  Here is the baking outfit.

I was teaching Madie how to fly on the Italian Trapeeze Swings, She loved them!

But, before  you know it, the weekend is nearly over.  Wait,... Monday the kids have off school because it is Columbus Day,... Hmm,....

A few phone calls later, and a walk to the front desk, and we were staying the extra night and heading home Monday.  The campground had about 1/3rd of the spots filled overnight, so it was a nice and restful evening with some food on the fire burning the last of our wood.  Cleanup on Monday was simple, and there was no line at the dump station so we had some extra time to add water to the tanks and get a good flush or two before the trip home.

Morning at the Lake behind our spot

Fall is all around

But,.. while it is nearing the end of the PA Camping season with November first rapidly approaching,... we aren't done yet!  Stay tuned for a BIG adventure coming up!  Here's a hint,... it is over 1000 miles away, Sunny most of the time, and there seems to be a lot of Magic happening there.