Recently, upon returning from another camping trip, a friend told me that I should start a blog and write about our adventures camping. As I mentioned in my profile, my husband, Buddy, and I camp with a group of RVers (is that a real word?) from our church. We also do solo excursions. Although I have camped most all of my life, we finally entered into the world of RV camping last November. We have planned and managed to go somewhere wonderful almost every month since purchasing our camper. We camp the beaches and in the woods. So we are now officially "experienced" RVers.
I have to admit that I was the resistant one in purchasing a camper. After all it is a huge investment. So, after having slept in tents as a child then gradually transitioning to various upgraded models of campers as my grandparents trekked around the country in their Airstream I wasn't sure if camping in my now older life would be as fun as it was as a child. Yep, it's still fun. I remember the day we pulled out of the RV dealership telling Buddy, I never thought the day would come when I would be an Rver. Now, don't misunderstand me. Camping is not for the faint of heart. It requires a positive and motivated mindset. You cannot sit down and cry every time there is a minor difficulty. It requires routine maintenance and proper planning in order to keep problems to a bare minimum when on the road. As a wise mentor once told me, "Proper planning prevents poor performance."
My goal with writing this blog is to provide a view into our camping adventures and along the way impart some wisdom from our camping experiences. You know...like the things that worked and things that did not. And maybe pass on some thoughts about life in general.
Since Buddy and I are both retired and have a flexible schedule, we provide the reconnaissance for future camping trips for our group. The key to good recon is to be observant, take notes, take pictures, and consider all issues. Murphy's Law states, "If it can go wrong it will." So it is best to be prepared for a host of emergencies and obstacles.
For example, back during the summer we were camping at a wonderful campground, Magnolia Branch Reserve on the Porch Creek Indian Reservation near Atmore, Alabama, when we conducted a recon north to visit 4 campgrounds. One was private and three were Corp of Engineer (COE) parks on the Alabama River. Anyway, the private campground was a bust so we travelled on north. We arrived at the first two COE campgrounds and found they were well maintained, possessed all the amenities we wanted with beautiful riverfront view sites along the Alabama River and Lake Clairborn (Isaac Creek and Miller's Ferry).
We then crossed the bridge over the river and visited Chilatchee Creek, another COE campground on the river across the lake from Miller's Ferry and south of Selma. While the campground had some scenic sites along the lake, the bumpy, dirt, 4 mile long two-rut road leading in was horrible and I would not pull our camper over such a road. Next, while I don't mind being off....way off the beaten path...even with limited or no cell service, the nearest town was 35 miles away and the closest one-gas-pump-country-road store (situated next to the local gun & knife club...aka bar) was about 12 miles away. Apparently this little hole in the wall was the center of commerce as well as social gatherings as about 20-25 folks in various patterns of camo hung around drinking beer near their pick-up trucks with about 30 hound dogs and two recently killed deer....in July. Can we say slightly out of season and apparently no game wardens venture into this area? When we stopped to get a drink, I was glad I was armed with my .45 as I know I heard banjos playing the entire time I was paying for my coke. So...proper recon is important if you want to have a great camping trip.
Well that's probably enough for now. I've been told all my life I have issues with brevity so I'll stop....for now. Got to get the camper loaded for our next trip this Thursday. Solo excursion this time to western Alabama: Miller's Creek, Foscue Creek, and Isaac Creek. Will post more later.
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