Ozark NSR- Alley Springs-17 July 2013

 We like the campground at Alley Springs but the only one draw back was there was NO shade in the electrical sites. Plenty of shade if you are tent camping, but all of the electrical sites are pretty much out in the open.

  The bathrooms and showers are not too far away from the camp but with the government laying off many workers the are a bit dirty, but still usable if you do not mind the trash. It seems the bathrooms and showers are getting cleaned once a week so it gets kind of dirty after awhile.

 But still the price is great $20 a night or $10 if you have an access card, which we do have. Near by is the Alley Springs Mill where you can enjoy a nice hike around the springs.  If you enjoy water sports near the entrance to the campsite is a local vendor who will pick you up at your camp, rent you the equipment, take you to a drop off point on the river, pick you up at the end of your trip and bring you back to camp.  I recall that the cost for a 5 hour trip down the river on a tube was $15 so that is not to bad for a day of fun.

                                                                Our camp site

Montauk State Park- MO 18-22 July 2013

  Left  Alley Springs campground this morning and took our time getting to Montauk State Park, Missouri. We made a stop at Round Springs in the Ozarks National Scenic River but like three out of the five visitor center in this park it was closed, more on this area in my National Parks blog.

  Once we arrived at Montauk we found out site, backed in and began to set up Tricera-Pod. We had all kinds of issues as the 30 and 50 amp electrical grid blew the GFCI switch on the camper and I had to replace this switch. Once that was accomplished we only had power to the A/C unit. Then we could not get the slide out to retract. When I was trouble shooting the previous electrical issues I had pulled all the fuses out to see if they might be bad, which they were not. I was hot, miserable and it was getting late so we went to the restaurant at the lodge in the park.

  For those who are not familiar with this park it is one of three Missouri state parks known for its trout fishing and the lodge restaurant serves a great trout dinner.  After dinner we went back to camp had a few adult beverages and called it a night around 10pm.

 The next morning Sandee and I took a 1.5 mile hike around the park, really nice hike. The hike took us right past a portion of the fish hatchery in the park. The Rangers were scooping up young trout to move them to a bigger pond. As the scooped them up they dipped them in a solution that is like giving a human a shot for anti-bodies. We stood there watching for awhile and moved on.

After the hike I checked the fuses in the camper again. OOOOOPPPPPPS, seems that when I checked the fuses last night I put one fuse back in the wrong place. Now the slide out works, still having issues with all the 110v outlets in the trailer though.

 I was so happy we had breakfast at the lodge, eggs, hash browns and a great biscuits and gravy. MMMMMMMMM good. Then it was off on a road trip to Salem and Rolla, MO to pick up the Trail of Tears national trail stamps. Along the way we found a nice little rock shop we could not pass up. Found a few nice items to bring back home with us.

  As far as the camp grounds I cannot say enough good things about this park. Everyone including those camped near us was very helpful and kind.  Great big sites, but if you are looking for seclusion you will not find it here. As I mentioned before, this park is known for its trout fishing and at the crack of dawn they blow a loud siren to let everyone know they can now fish and they blow it again to stop all fishing for the day. Seems like the stocked stream gives forth its bounty everyday as the hatchery does release hundreds of fish each day it is no wonder lots of folks flock to this park.

  Oh and if you are into collecting park stamps they have one here for you to collect.

                                                         Woodchuck out side lodge restaurant

                                          Folks fishing along Current River in spark

                                                            Fish transfer & inoculation

                                                                  Current River

 

Ozark National Scenic River (NSR)-Big Springs 16 July 2013

Big Springs camp ground in the Ozarks National Scenic  River is pretty big with 145 or so sites, but only about 40 of these sites have electrical hookup and water. Showers are also available but they are about a 1/4 mile from the campsite with no path to the site, so you must drive to and from your camp site if you want to take a shower.

  If you are looking to get out of the sun in July or August at this camp site you need to go someplace else. There are a few trees but they are not very big and provide little to no respite from the sun.

  About a mile from the camp site there is a river outfitter who will pick you up from your camp site, rent you a canoe, raft or tube to float the river.  We did check the price to tube and for a large tube it cost $30 and this includes pickup and drop off at the river and camp site. The tube ride is about 5 hours long. Not a bad price for a half day's fun in the water.

Cost for site cost $20 or $10 if you have a National Parks Access card. All things considered we would camp there again as the price is great.

                                                                   Big Springs Lodge

 

 

                                                                         Lodge insdie

                                        
                                                                Our camp site

      
                                                        Current River near camp

 

 

T.O. Fuller SP - TN 15 July 2013

T.O. Fuller State Park outside of Memphis, TN is one of those small state parks but it really packs a big punch. Located just seven miles from the famous Beale Street it is a great base camp to head down into the city to enjoy the great food and music the city has to offer.  The sites are spacious and paved, bathrooms and showers are clean.  The camp hosts were great folks and have been the camp hosts there for several years.

 The camp hosts have been there so long because the husband was an archeologist for the state of TN for 30 years. His job involved working for and preserving a little known site that occupies a corner of this state park, The Chicalissa (Chickasaw for abandoned place) Indian Mounds.

  For $5 you can tour the museum and the mounds. If however you are camping at the state park you get free tickets to the museum. We took full advantage whenever we get free stuff.  The site is maintained by the University of Memphis, TN and is very well preserved and maintained, with efforts to inform and educate the public. For being a very small and little known Native American Museum it packs allot about the story of the Chickasaw people.

 I highly recommend a visit to this museum.  We took about 2 hours out of our day and could have stayed longer but we had to get on the road to out next adventure, the Ozark National Scenic River in Missouri.

 

 

Cedars of Lebanon SP -TN 10 July 2013

One of our favorite restaurants, Demos, is located in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. We make it a point in our travels though TN to eat dinner at this place as they have really good food and a REALLY good price. It is an Italian & Steak place. On this trip I had a salad, baked potato and a 14 oz sirloin steak for $13.  I have had the steak before and they always cook it to perfection.

 Before dinner we parked Tricera-Pod at Cedars of Lebanon State Park. A very nice park with HUGE pull through spaces. OLD bathrooms and showers but as most state parks very clean.  The park is an old Civilian Conservation Corps park. There is a swimming pool, baseball fields and a conference room.  We did not get to look around much as there was a huge thunder, lighting and rain storm that came though and we had to hunker down for three hours as the rain soaked everything.

 The next morning after eating breakfast I had another adventure. Our camp site had an elevated picnic area and after I had finished eating I slipped on the wooded railroad ties that formed the perimeter of the camp site. I fell flat on my back and  cut my left elbow. The cut was not so bad, but after a week it is still sore.

  Before the big rain storm and dinner we took a ride over to Stone River National Battlefield.  Across the street from General Rosecrans headquarters on public land ( not the  battlefield) the there is a large tailing pile of rocks. In these piles of rocks you can find crinoids and brachiopods fossils. So if you are ever in that area and like to hunt for fossils this is a good place to find these small but ancient animals.

Claytor Lake SP- VA-9 July 2013

  On the road again for our annual trip to the NPTC convention.   All was well for the first couple of hours until I noticed that no one was letting me make lane changes on the highway.  So we pulled over at a rest stop about  12 miles east of Richmond, VA so I could check out  what might be wrong. Big trouble in paradise as the electrical cable from  Tricera-Pod ( our name for our little Forest River Model 177 R-Pod) that hooks up to our truck had been dragging the road for who knows how long. Bottom line all the individual wires had been stripped bare and severed. No wonder I was having trouble making lane changes, none of our turn signals, or lights were working.

 After calling an RV place to find out what it would cost, $100 and hour, to repair I went to work on my own.  A pair of wire cutters, a Swiss Army knife ( courtesy of my wife's who always carries her knife) and lots of electrical tape we were on the road again with all lights workings.

  We made camp at Claytor Lake State Park in Virginia near the TN/VA border. A really nice campground with a huge lake. Camp sites were nice and big with lots of room. Bathrooms and showers are a bit dated but they were clean. Met some really nice folks at this camps site. They were a retired couple from Texas. They taught school all over the world for over 30 years.

 Had a nice pizza for dinner at a local place, MK's Gourmet Pizza's. They severed allot more than pizza's so if anyone decides to stay at this state park check it out. You cannot miss the place as it is only a couple of miles from the entrance to the park. 

 

Chippokes Plantation SP-VA 25-27 Jun 2012

 Took our R-Pod out for a shake down, our first trip in the Pod. Three days at this Virginia state park was great.  While it rained two nights it did not spoil our experience and there was no leaks in the pod, we stayed nice and dry, unlike some of our other camping adventures.
  The park is an a working farm donated to the state in 1969. There are two campgrounds, A & B. We stayed in A which appears to be the older of the two camp sites. Camp A's showers and bathrooms are a bit dated, but very clean. The camp sites are HUGH, there is enough room to park small campers, pop-up and Class B style RV's and  one can put TWO tents on the provided pads. Water and electric (30 amps) is provided.
  Site B is a bit more updated, brick building for shower and bathroom and a laundry room. All the RV sites are paved ( Site A's are gravel) and 50 amp service  is provided.
  There is a  Huge pool, 2 ft to 12 1/2 feet deep and a small camp store located here as well. For sightseeing one can visit the working farm, museum, animals and the old plantation home. If you get bored with that you can go to the visitor center to look at the fossils found along the James River. By the way if you like to hunt for fossil's you can do so along the river, but you can ONLY keep the sharks teeth.
  This time of year ( June) you can leave the park and go pick Blueberries about a two miles down the road at College Run Farm. We have done this for a couple years now. Sandee makes jam from what we pick.
 All in all a great camping trip. OOOO yes, while I was in the Pod one night getting ready for bed around 8pm, Sandee was outside reading at the table when a raccoon decided he/she wanted to take a stroll though our camp. The raccoon came within arms length of Sandee and when she talked to him/her it just kept on walking. The next day I saw wild turkey and deer in the camp site. Plus all sorts of birds, woodpeckers, cardinals etc.
We had a nice time at this campground.

                                               R-Pod hooked up to the truck in camp

                                                             Park entrance
                                  

                                                         Park museum

                                               Donkey's near the museum

 

                                                 James River near visitor center