2013 - Trip 6 - Assateague Island State Park, Maryland

So,.. Monday we drove back from Frontier Town Maryland, I crammed in 5 days of work into 3,.. and here we are loading the van and hitching the camper again to head to Assateague Island State Park on Friday!!  This is great!

One of the many Ponies we would encounter this weekend!

We arrived to the H-Loop, the only loop with electric hookup.  We were able to fill our on-board water tank so we could do dishes and have water in the camper by using our 12V water pump.  We were surrounded on this loop by larger travel trailers, 5th wheel campers, and motor homes, but everyone was very friendly and outgoing.  The girls quick made friends with the one girl across the drive and they were running around and riding their bikes / scooters all the time together.

The girls and their campground friends

This weekend was more about just relaxing and enjoying the beach.  Last weekend we had the hustle and bustle of going to Ocean City, doing activities at Frontier Town, and while that was all very fun, it is nice to just sit on the chair and relax.  So, this post will have a series of photos from the trip, and less chat.... at least till the exciting parts of the weekend!

Madie running on the open beach

Clean, Open, and Empty!

A spectacular sight!

The 'Busy' Beach on Saturday!

Girls being silly

One of my creations

This one was more useful!

Ally Cruising the Campground on her Scooter

Saturday evening was a nice, nearly perfect evening to be out relaxing in the chair watching the kids ride their scooters and bikes on the driveway.  There was a very light breeze and no bugs!  They rode around with their friends for a while as the sun set, and then we began to prepare to have a camp fire and smores.

Saturday Evening Sunset

Jeff and Maria came over to our site as well to enjoy the campfire and relax.  Jeff was playing the piano on his Ipad, keeping us entertained with his abilities.  All the girls were making smores by the fire and enjoying our last evening there.  In the photo below, you can see everyone having a good time, but take note of my empty chair, the smore sticks, and you can just see the corner of the Marshmallow bag sitting there.

Enjoying the campfire, Note Smore Sticks and Marshmallows next to Becky!

I was up taking photos, and then I went over to the left of the group to get something to drink out of the cooler.  Keep in mind, it is really dark our here at 10 pm, with just the glow of the fire lighting up the area and our small porch light giving a glow near the camper.  I was at the picnic table when I thought the light went out, so I looked to my right and Whoa!! A Horse!  This guy was right under our awnig and on our carpet,.... I think we kind of spooked one another as he turned and walked towards the group.  Becky, with Madie now sleeping in her arms, jumped out of her chair and ran around the other side of the fire, frightening Madie and sending her crying.  The horse didn't care, and he went right to the food and took our bag of Jet-Puffed Marshmallows!!!  The WHOLE BAG!!

That Horse took our Marshmallows!!!! (Click to view larger)

Within a few moments, he shredded the bag and ate everything!  Then he continued to walk over towards our chairs and the fire.  Becky and the kids were now inside the camper, while Jeff was clapping a folding chair together trying to shoosh the pony away.  Maria and I were just taking photos, as we couldn't believe it!  After a few minutes, he wandered away as we watched him till our flashlights couldn't see him anymore.

What Excitement!!  But he wasn't done.  About 2:30am, the camper started rocking!  Bella awoke and yelled 'HORSE!'.  We peeked out the screen to see that the horse was walking around our camper.  He must have had an itch and chose to scratch right on the end of the bunk end.  The sky was now clear, and the ground lit well by the bright moon,... so I was on Horse Patrol for about 30 minutes, keeping an eye on this character as he wondered about outside between our camper and the neighbors.

Horse Hair Evidence at the Bunk End

Sunday morning Sunrise over the beach

Sunday morning was a nice cool morning with the salty dew running off the camper and the van.  I packed up what I could while the girls walked the beach with Becky in their pajamas,.. yes, pajamas!  It was very early and we were able to enjoy the quiet surf rolling onto the sand.

It wasn't long till the Conga Line at the dump station was forming, so I gathered our porta-potti and gray-water tanks and headed off to do the dance.  Once back, it was now full on packing up while the kids rode their bikes.  By 10 am we were just about completed and ready to get on the road for the journey back home.

"Hey, I'm Mr. Ed,... Good Morning Mr Tent Camper!"

Our overall experience was fantastic!  And meeting new people that are friendly at these new campgrounds makes it all the more worth it.  The state is scheduled to shut down some of the campground loops this fall and into next spring in order to complete some renovations to the loops and renovate the bath houses.  We looked online and were able to reserve a site for next July, Sunday to Thursday!  We can still go to Ocean City, Frontier Town, and do many things, but most of all, we can be here on the clean and empty beaches of Assateague Island with friends!

2013 - Trip 5 - Frontier Town Campground, Maryland

Wahoo!  After some crazy days at work, we were off to Frontier Town, located just south of Ocean City Maryland.  We have heard a lot of fun and great things about this campground from various people at church and other campers that we have talked with through our trips the past few months.  We were able to book Thursday thru Monday, so this way we were hoping to avoid any traffic jams on Friday and Sunday.  This turned out to be a very good decision, as the traffic was light and we could just tow along at our own pace.

Shortly after lunch, we paired up with some other campers heading down Rt 113.  Seeing that the one was a Jayco, we thought it might be Jeff and Maria from the PopupPortal forums, as they were supposed to be in Assateague Island this weekend.  At a stop light, we found it wasn't them, but a kind man with his son and daughter, also heading to Frontier Town.  We then followed them the rest of the trip.

Obligatory Campsite Photo

Arrival and check in went great!  We did the Pony-Express service where we completed checkin over the phone the day before.  This allowed them to have a camper package for us as we arrived at the entry gate, we didn't even have to get out of our car.  They gave us a car pass, map, explained the route to the campsite, and sent us on our way!  Smooth.

Our site was nice and of decent size.  We did have a few trees, but as you can see in the photo above, they weren't much for providing shade.  Good thing we have the Popup Gizmo Solar covers.  Thursday was hot and humid, with little breeze.  We ended up running the AC on low thru the night as the temps outside were still in the 80s'.  Next to us was another family in their popup from Ephrata, PA, and a travel trailer pulled in behind us from Cape May, NJ.  Everyone was settling in for the weekend.

Friday morning came early and the weather was looking great to head up to the beach.  Gary and Mary were in town and told us of some cheap and easy to access parking at the Inlet, the south end of Ocean City.  We arrived about 8:15am there and there were only about 5 other cars in the parking lot.  Sweet!  The beach was empty and the cool breeze felt really nice coming in off the ocean.  It would be great at the camp if we could have that breeze..... but not today.  Temps up in the mid 90's again and humid at Frontier Town.

The girls played in the sand and went for walks on the beach with Becky and Mary, as Gary and I chatted about airplanes and flying while keeping our feet cool in the surf.  Madie had a good time playing in the sand and was doing well for her first time at the beach and near the waves.  After a while, she would go into the water only when the wave was going out and then quick run back as the next wave came towards the shore.  Cute!

Madie and Bella on the Beach

Getting Dumped on at the Lazy River Waterfall!!!

After a while, the beach became pretty crowded and it was also getting quite hot.  The girls were getting a little antsy and soon would be getting hungry, so we all packed up and headed up to Gary and Mary's camper just north of Ocean City.  They have a nice community park and their camper is quite nice too!  We all enjoyed playing with their new puppy, Ziva, who won't be a puppy much longer judging by the size of her paws!  After a little pizza, we decided to let them have their afternoon and we headed back to Frontier Town to let the kids relax a bit.  After dinner, we would make our way up to the Ocean City board walk to have a walk on the boards, funnel cake, and find some ice cream!

One thing about Frontier Town, it is HUGE.  Many people ride their bikes around and have golf carts.  We found out that you can rent the golf carts for a daily rate, but you have to book in advance or check daily.  With so many campers coming and going throughout the week, they often get one available.  So, with luck, we managed to book one for Friday Afternoon to Monday morning.  This made cruising around the campground, running to the camp store, bathhouse, pool, or activities so much easier and cool,.. not just cool, but temperature cool.  With the heat and humidity you could get a shower and sweat so much by the time you walked back to the camper it wasn't worth it, now it wasn't so bad.  The girls also liked cruising around too!

In Frontier Town's Wild West!

Saturday was a day full of activities at the campground.  In the morning we had a good breakfast and then prepared to spend time at the water park.  It fills up quickly, so we wanted to be up there by 10am when they opened.  Once ready, we hopped on the golf cart and made our way to the front of the park.  Ally and Bella were tall enough to go on the slides.  They had the mat slides (shown below) and one that you could take the inner tubes on and enter the Lazy River that way.  At first, Bella was her timid self, but after the first run she was having a good time and I think this will help open her up to going on more adventurous slides at Knoebels later this August.

In the middle of the water park was a large pool area for the younger kids.  This had a stage coach they could climb into and slide out of into the water, and the water itself was all only 1'-6" deep.  We are pretty sure that the entire park was a salt-water setup which made it even nicer.

Madie really enjoyed the smaller slides and playing with the water fountains that shot up out of the ground.  The temps were hot, but being in and around the water made everything nice and comfortable.  By the time it was getting crowded again at the water park, the kids were getting tired and hungry.  Since the water park is included in our nightly fee, we could come and go as we pleased and decided to head back to rest for the afternoon as the girls had craft time and the Cinderella Ball later this evening!

Making Magic Wands at Craft time

All my Princesses getting ready to go to the Ball!

I was the Chou-fer for the trip, with our luxurious golf cart!

The events on Saturday were catered to being a Disney Prince & Princess weekend.  The girls borrowed costume dresses for the Cinderella Ball and brought them along on our trip.  Overall, they had a good turnout of kids, both Prince and Princesses, all there for the Ball.  The DJ could have played some more appropriate Disney Music rather than the latest Pop you would hear on the radio, but the kids didn't seem to mind and they had a good time.  The DJ was a rather enthusiastic character himself, dancing to the beat.  Many of the parents had a good laugh watching him through out the evening.

My little Princess,... Bring this photo back in 25 yrs at her wedding......

By the time 9pm rolled around at the Dance Party, all my princesses were getting tired.  They had a long day and in the morning we were planning to go out to the beach for some more fun.  So, before the Golf Cart Carriage needed a charge, we rode back to the camp to go to bed.

Sunday felt cooler, and it seemed that the heat and humidity finally broke.  This morning we were off to Assateague Island for the morning to see the beach and visit some PopupPortal Forum members there.  Our neighbors had bought a weekly pass for the National Park, and they were departing this morning so they passed it on to us so we could enjoy the National Park side end of the island.  As we arrived to the State park, we checked in and then found the campsite where Maria and Jeff, known as Jayco1997, were camping.  Unfortunately they had to pack up this morning and get ready to head home, but they were kind enough to let us stop in and see their restored 1997 Jayco camper that they have been working on.  It definitely shows the amount of hard work they have put into it, as it looks very nice.  Bear Creek Canvas, refinished cabinetry and counters, and lots of little modifications to make it their own.  They were very nice, and while there Maria, Becky and the girls walked over to the beach to check it out.  They saw 7 or 8 horses on the beach not far away and were amazed at how empty and private the beach was to the campground.  As everyone was talking, Maria and Jeff mentioned how they both booked for the following weekend and offered to us to take one of the sites they had..... didn't take long, and we said Sure!

We left them to continue packing and we went off to the National Seashore parking lot to go out on the beach there.  Nice cool breeze blowing, and a nice clean and less crowded beach scene, made it very enjoyable for a while.  Madie was a little crabby, probably still tired from all the events so far this weekend.  But, we managed to get some time on the beach and check out the campground.

Princes Cowgirl cooling off with some Ice Cream!

Da Dum, Da Dum,.... JAWS!!!  AHHH!!!

Remember those campers we followed to Frontier Town I mentioned?  Well, we go to talking with them and the dad, Melvin, let us go out on the kayaks he had.  This was a lot of fun and Bella took to it pretty well and quick.  Sometime we hope to go kayaking again, maybe at Peace Valley Park some afternoon.

Rob (Left) and Melvin (Right), Kayaking away from the Marina

Monday morning came quickly, and we began the packing up routine.  Everything was packed and cleaned up smoothly, and we were getting on our way by about 10:30am in hopes to stay ahead of the traffic as we got on the major highways above Dover and around Philadelphia.

And after all that,... we will be back next weekend to go down to Assateague State Park, the northern end of Assateague Island to camp along the beach!  Thanks to the kindness of Jeff and Maria!

Oh,.. and a lot of GoPro video and images to process for a future post!

2013 - Trip 4 - Ringing Rocks Campground

 Weather threatened the area all week with scattered heavy thunderstorms popping up each afternoon due to the high humidity and temperatures.  On Wednesday, we debated about the trip or not and decided later that evening to still give it a go, as Thursday rain and Friday rain in the forecast gave a little hope that we might see better weather for the weekend.  Ringing Rocks Family Campground is owned by the brother of the Colonial Woods owners, so we were pleased to find out it has many similar rules and features for our camping with the kids.

Friday arrived with good weather in the morning with the afternoon threat of a shower or local thunderstorm.  Doylestown Airport weather indicated "KDYL 281402Z AUTO 24006KT 10SM FEW015 SCT023 24/20 A2954"  So, some low clouds, light winds, about 75* this morning.

Setup went well and we ended up getting a bigger site than we originally booked.  The rain and weather caused a group of people to cancel as they had planned on tubing down the Delaware river on Saturday.  So, the campground offered to space people out a little and we made out rather well.  If we were on site 7, while on the edge of the playground area, we would have had neighbors tight on each side of us.  Instead, we ended up with a larger site and no direct neighbors!  That gave the kids a little more space to play and some more 'buffer' space from any noise.

All setup on our Site, ready for the chance of rain.

Evening came quickly and we went for a walk around the campground before coming back for some light dinner.  The kids played a bit and then they were getting tired and wanting to go to bed.  It is easier to get them to bed in the camper than it is at home!  The whole evening we made it thru with out rain,... Then around 10pm we could hear some rumbles in the distance.  We had a steady rain and mild thunder for about 45 minutes and the kids slept thru it!  Must have been the fact that rain hitting the roof of the camper is loud! But, it does drown out the rumbles of thunder which they don't care for.

Saturday morning promised better weather and it looked like the entire day should be rain free.  The humidity was down and the sky was clear, perfect day to fly, or go hiking!  We made omelets with the kids and then got everyone ready with shoes and hammers to head over to Ringing Rocks Park.

Ringing Rocks Park is located right around the corner from the campground and features a small parking area with some picnic tables, hiking trails, waterfalls, and the more famous boulder field where you can strike rocks with a hammer or other hard object and get some of them to ring.  They have different tones, but many sound like a bell when struck.  A good wooden handle hammer is recommended, so we had a mix of three composite and two wooden hammers with us.  I didn't particularly take note of any sound difference, but the kids were ecstatic when they struck one with a "BBBOOONNNGGG" sound rather than a Bink, or Tink Tink.

One interesting insect we saw crawling over a rock!

Down at the waterfall

 The kids at Ringing Rocks....... ok,... I'm a kid too.

Caught in the act!

Madie rockin with her "Whammer Hammer"

While at Ringing Rocks, there were some warbirds that flew over and some other planes in formation,... possibly the warbirds, as I only caught the edge of them passing over the treeline.  I found out later, that Sky Manor was having a fly in and these were some of the planes flying nearby.

After lunch at the camper we decided to go to the pool and relax for a while.  The pool is very nice and was redone completely in the past year.  The girls had a lot of fun jumping in and out of the water and swimming all around.  I took some good GoPro video and photos that I still have to download and edit.

Becky and our Tadpole Madie

Bella jumping in

Madie in the air!

Ally Jumping in

The kids were having a good time playing around the campsite and then it came time for the afternoon hayride.  There were so many kids that flocked to the pavilion next to the tractor that we had to wait and get on the second trip!  I don't know where they all came from!

Ally, Madie, and Bella

Ally with the Tractor

Becky and I

Sunday morning we managed to get up early and Becky went out for a run.  Soon the kids were up and getting their breakfast while I packed up things around the outside of the camper.  The plan was to pack up everything and close up the camper, then go hit the pool!  Since we didn't have to be off the site till noon, we thought we could all cool off in the pool after packing everything up.  About 10am or so, we were ready to lower down the camper and pack the van.  Bella needed some time to "chill out", so she stayed with me to pack the van while Becky and the other two girls went to the pool.  By 10:45, the puzzle of stuff was packed in the car and  we all were relaxing in the nice temp of the pool.

So, all in all, the trip was a great trip and we are glad that we didn't cancel due to the threat of weather.  From now on, if it's booked, we are going!

We have a few busy weeks ahead but then we will be off to Frontier Town in Maryland!

Stay tuned!

2013 - Trip 3 - Little Red Barn Campground - Father's Day Weekend

Friday:

After a long week of traveling and meetings at the office, it was nice to pack up the van and head out to the campground for a relaxing weekend away for Father's Day Weekend.  This year we decided to head out to Little Red Barn Campground which is only about a 25 minute ride from where we park the camper.  Luckily, traffic was also light and we got there smoothly.

Our site was new to us, and reported to have some damp spots from all the heavy rain we have had earlier in the week and we were told of some other sites we could use if we wanted.  Once we scoped out the site, we decided to keep it and I was able to get the camper all the way in the back along the tree line, leaving a lot of space out front for us to use.

Checking the shore power for voltage and polarity,... Good to Go.

All set up for the weekend of R&R.

Madie and Ally around the campfire on Friday night

Nothing special tonight, just get everything setup and organized.  Before long, Bella was wanting to go to bed and soon Madie and Ally followed.  We didn't have anyone in the sites immediately to our sides or across the driveway from us, so that made it pretty nice too.

Saturday:

The morning started off with me getting up early and relaxing outside for a bit while the rest of the gang rested a little longer.  Soon, coffee was being made for Becky and the kids were stirring.  Today was the campgrounds Father's Day Breakfast and crafts for the kids, followed in the evening by a hayride around the grounds.

Kids giving me some home-made Father's Day Gifts

Group Hug!

My Dad was able to stop on over for breakfast and some time at the campground as well, which made the weekend even more special.  After the nickle tour of the camper, we headed over to the pavilion for breakfast.  Pancakes, French Toast, Sausage, Pork Roll, Eggs, Fruit, etc,... the campground put on quite a spread.  Following, Dad and Nana visited for a while and relaxed a bit till the kids went off to do crafts.  Dad beat Bella in Checkers,... so I rematched him and the game was getting close to a point where something was going to break,... and it did, Dad made a move and I jumped him for the last few times.

About to take my Dad in Checkers

Two of a Kind..... My Dad and I.

Our Redneck Clothesline,... needed that broom for support!  Ha!

In the afternoon, we headed up to the swimming pool.  I decided to just go for it, and jump off the diving board,.... WOW! IT WAS COLD!  Everyone went in for a few minutes, but soon Ally was out and laying in the sun, Becky was sitting in a chair, and Madie was shivering.  Bella and I stayed in the water the longest, but there was no prize for that.  So, to warm up we spent some time on the playground and the swings, which was all in the sun.  The weather was great this weekend and the sunny day temps were in the upper 70s.

Trying to keep all three going on the swings!

We decided to push back dinner till after the hayride, so we could have a nice relaxing evening at the site.  The kids had a good time on the hayride as we slowly cruised through the campground and around the outer loop of the tenting area.  Following the hayride, we had a nice meal and then a nice long evening around the fire, roasting marshmallows and making smores.

Ally with some hay

Madie on the Hayride

Bella having a good time too!

 Sunday:

We awoke to some morning overcast and the threat of rain.  Normally we like to hang out for a bit, but today we just packed up slowly and got things in order, taking inventory of some items for the next few trips.  It was warm enough this weekend that we didn't run the furnace, so I weighed the propane tank and found I was down about 9 lbs.  So, while we had the chance, I took it upfront and had it topped off.  This should hold us over now till the end of the year as we'll just be cooking on the grill and cook top with it.

Madie blowing bubbles

So, that concludes another trip.  We'll be back in October to Little Red Barn to defend our Halloween Title for our costumes.... Next up, Ringing Rocks Campground.