New River Campground - Gauley Bridge, West Virginia

The second stop on our Region Three Caravan to the WBCCI International Rally in Lewisburg, West Virginia, was the New River Campground near Gauley Bridge, West Virginia. This is a nice little "mom and pop" campground along the New River.

Gauley Bridge, WV

We were able to get a prime site right on the river. Our view included a family of ducks who enjoyed swimming in the area behind Rosie, our 25 foot Airstream trailer. We also enjoyed watching some members of our caravan group kayak on the river.

Rosie's site along the New River in West Virginia

Some of our WBCCI Region Three Caravan group at New River
Campground as we head to the International Rally in Lewisburg, WV

There were several excursions planned while we were on this leg of the caravan. The first was a tour of the Blenco Glass Company in Milton, West Virginia. I quickly saw why everyone was excited about this tour.

Blenco states their products are handcrafted. They are! We watched craftsmen gather the hot glass then work it in the furnace. The glob of hot glass was given over to the glassblower, who created his beautiful glassware. That was then given to a finisher who cleaned up any imperfections and moved the product to a cooling conveyer. We were fascinated watching this process.

Blenco Glass Display

Glass creations start when a "glob" of glass is gathered in the furnace

Glass blower at work

Gathering glass from the furnace

Using a glass mold

Glass removed from the mold

Transferring the glass to the finisher

Finisher moving another product to the cooling belt

People watching glass creations being made

Day two was a free day allowing the caravan members to explore the area on their own. We elected to go to a grist mill that the West Virginia State Park system claims is one of the most photographed attractions in the state. While we are not sure how accurate that statement is, we thought the grist mill, the stream and the waterfalls were wonderful and we took many photos of each.

Grist Mill at Babcock State Park in West Virginia

The grist mill

Back at the campground before our third day started

Day three started with everyone gathering at a state park about 12 miles away through the mountains for tram and jet boat rides. Our group made it to the park in time, but nether the tram nor the jet boats were running because of the rains and lightening in the area. The revised plan was to travel into town for lunch then reconvene for the tour later that afternoon.

We received a text message saying the boat ride was cancelled, but we missed the more important message saying to return immediately to the campground. So, we went to the grocery to restock on a few items.

The mountain road back to the campground was the first sign that things were getting much worse. Fast flowing streams of water and debris were falling on the road from the wall of rocks lining the road. We also noticed that the gentle mountain streams we saw yesterday were now raging torrents of angry water. We also saw water starting to flow over some bridges on our road.

First signs of the flood

Water pouring over the mountain road

We took pictures of a lazy waterfall less than a quarter mile away from the campground earlier in the week. Things were much different today as it was a huge avalanche of fast-flowing water flying over the rocks. Very scary and very dangerous!

Waterfall near our campground the day before the flood

24 hours later!

That paled in comparison to our first glimpse of the campground. A chain was across the entrance because it was washed out from the rising waters. The river was rapidly rising and everyone was hooking up as quickly as possible to escape the flood. It appeared that someone gave the "abandon ship" order and the forced evacuation of the campground was in full swing.

The campground as it starts to flood

The park attendant told us how to find the back exit to the park. That was something we had not noticed until then and it was nothing more than a poorly maintained dirt path, but it was good enough. We were able to reach Rosie and completed the fastest hook-up in our history. As the rains continued to pour, we were mindful of the rising river and the increasing flow of water coming from the mountains.

Flood waters around Rosie

The fire pit behind Rosie is now part of the river

Once we hooked up Rosie and threw our power and water cords in the back of the truck, we were ready to leave. We were grateful our truck pulled Rosie out of our camping site as the river had risen to reach Rosie's tires. The condition of the rear exit was rapidly deteriorating from the rain and the other RV units evacuating the park, but we made it to the road and were out of the park.

The hastily created plan was that the caravan would move to Babcock State Park, which was about 18 miles away. We were one of the last six Airstream trailers to leave the park and that turned out to be a fortunate thing. More about that later.

We were traveling with one other Airstream trailer through a heavy downpour and hail. Becky noticed that Google Maps was showing the little mountain road ahead of us as red and at a complete standstill. We found an abandoned storefront and pulled over. A few minutes later, three more Airstream trailers pulled in behind us. One in our group was able to communicate with the Airstreamers ahead and confirmed that the road was underwater and they were having to back their trailers up about half a mile along mountain roads to reach a place they could turn around.

Pulled over during the hail storm

We were able to plot a new course to a Lowes store where the manager allowed our group of refugees to camp in the parking lot that night. We were high and dry, but that is the subject for another posting.
Here are some specifics about this campground:

• Our site had 20, 30 and 50 amp electrical service.
• Our site also had water and sewer connections.
• Our site was backed up to the New River.
• The campground had very nice showers and restrooms.
• AT&T placed a strong 4G signal over the campground for both voice and data.
• Some people in our group said they could receive one TV station. We couldn't see anything.
• The campground offered a military and veterans discount, which was appreciated.

Sadly, this review is how the park was before the flood. The state opened the floodgates on the upstream dam about 30 minutes after we left and the park quickly filled with six to 10 feet of water. Chances are that it may take some time to bring the park back to life.

Original watercolor painting by Becky of the New River
behind Rosie

Original watercolor painting by Becky of the grist mill

Pipestem Resort State Park - West Virginia

We met up with the Region Three Caravan to the WBCCI International Rally at the Pipestem Resort State Park in West Virginia. Our first impression of this park was that it was a top tier state park with many amenities for the family.

Pipestem Resort State Park

For example, this park had a golf course, horseback riding, a frisbee golf course, hiking trails, waterfalls, a nature center and lots of activities for families.

Waterfalls

The great mountain views come at a cost. Mountainous terrain means that it is hard to find any level land to park your camper. We had to use every leveling tool we owned to get Rosie, our 25 foot Airstream trailer, within a "bubble" of being level. In other words, we had a definite lean to the starboard side. There would be repercussions at bed time because of this tilt.

Most parks have some form of a camp store. Pipestem "upped the ante" with a very nice store featuring local crafts.

We rode an aerial tram down 1,800 feet to a restaurant in the valley. That was one of the more unique and fun ways to travel to a restaurant. While on the tram, we "FaceTimed" with our youngest son until we lost cell service on our iPhone. Unfortunately, we found that the tram ride was better than the restaurant's fare.

The trams

Headed up the mountain

Horse rides are available in this park

While camping in Pipestem, our group went on the coal mine tour in Beckley, West Virginia, and we went to Tamarack. This is a center that features the works of many artists and craftsmen from a West Virginia.

Coal mine tour

Here are some specifics about this park:

• Our site site had 50, 30 and 20 amp service.The power connection was behind our trailer and it appeared that it had been hit a time or two. The 30 amp connection must have been a victim of a recent crash because we could not use it and had to use our 50-to-30 amp converter cord to connect Rosie to the power.
• Our site had water and sewer connections
• Water pressure was very strong. You will need to use a pressure regulator in this park.
• There were several camping loops but it appeared that only one bathhouse served the entire campground
• There was a surprising number of tent campers in this park and the single bathhouse seemed inadequate to serve them and the rv'ers
• Speaking of the bathhouse, the heavy traffic there was probably one of the reasons it was perpetually dirty
• AT&T placed a weak 4G signal over the park. It worked better for voice than data communications
• We were able to watch TV signals from ABC, ME-TV and CW using Rosie's antenna

This was a nice park to visit and the staff there was very friendly. We hope that all parks in West Virginia will be this good.

Veterans Memorial Park - Mount Airy, North Carolina

Becky pointed out as we were driving into Mount Airy, North Carolina that "Mount Airy" and "Mayberry" have a similar sound and rhythm when you say the names aloud. I never noticed that, but I am sure TV star Andy Griffith did. His classic TV show, the Andy Griffith Show, was in the fictional town of Mayberry, which was based on his home town of Mount Airy.

Replicas of some of the memorable landmarks from the show are in Mount Airy. These include Floyd's Barbershop, the Mayberry Courthouse and Wally's Fillin' Station. Needless to say, these were fun to visit and you cannot help but notice that these places are exactly as they are in your mind's eye.

We planned to park Rosie, our 25 foot Airstream trailer in Mount Airy's Veterans Memorial Park, located next to their VFW Post. We called for reservations the day before we planned to arrive and the park attendant said there was plenty of room and that we could simply register once we arrived.

Sign at entrance to the park

We arrived a little after 5 p.m., but were relieved to see there was an "honor system" registration box. The envelope used to put your payment in required your campsite number, so we drove in to find our site, complete the required information on the envelope, insert our payment then place our registration and payment in their secured slot. Well, that was the plan.

When we drove back to the camping area, it was easy to see that "something big, really big," to use one of Deputy Barney Fife's phrases, was going on. Vendor tents were going up in the middle of the camping area and people there all seemed to be setting up for an event.

Before selecting our site, we asked someone what was happening there. The response was a terse, "It's a Native American Pow-Wow. We rented the entire park and you have to leave." We turned Rosie around and were about to leave when Becky saw someone who appeared to be a leader of the event and appealed our case to him. Since we were staying only one night and most of the participants were arriving the next day, he said we could stay if we made a donation to the charity the event was supporting that weekend. We quickly agreed and they directed us to a site off to the side and out of their way.

Rosie parked off to the side at the park

Sometimes you simply luck into things while traveling the roads. The Native American Pow-Wow turned out to be interesting and we felt honored to be allowed to observe it.

At the Native American Pow-Wow in Mount Airy

We didn't disconnect Rosie from our truck and rode the mile from the park to "Mayberry" on our bikes. While Mount Airy isn't setup for bike traffic, we enjoyed exploring the town using that mode of transportation.

Some of the places we enjoyed in Mount Airy included Floyd's City Barbershop, the "Going Fishing" statue of Andy and Opie, the Mayberry Courthouse and Wally's Fillin' Station.

Becky starting a new career at Floyd's Barber Shop

The squad car

Going fishing with Andy and Opie

The Mayberry Courthouse

Becky trying to get Sarah on the phone

Steve working as the deputy in Mayberry

And I didn't get the cell Otis uses!

Deputy Fife keeping everyone safe

When we returned to Rosie, we spent some time shopping the Native American crafts at the Pow-Wow. We enjoyed both our trip back to Mayberry and observing the Pow-Wow.

Here are some specifics about this park:

• The park was an open field with campsites marked close together.
• Our site had 50, 30 and 20 amp electrical connections.
• Our site also had water and sewer connections.
• AT&T placed a strong 4G signal over this park.
• We could only pick up one TV signal using Rosie's antenna. It was a PBS station.
• There was a wonderful walking and bicycle path behind this park that went into town. It winded along a cool creek and helped make our ride into town more pleasant.

Bike path in Mount Airy

Lake Hartwell State Park - South Carolina

We attended our first Wally Byam Caravan Club International Rally last year. We were able to join the WBCCI Region Three caravan to the Rally and that helped make that long journey more fun. 

When we decided to attend the WBCCI International Rally this year, our first thoughts were to travel again with the Region Three caravan. One of the big differences this time was that we didn't have to travel 1,500 miles, as we did to get to Farmington, New Mexico. Instead, Lewisburg, West Virginia, was a mere 640 miles. While the Region Three caravan wasn't going to cover as many miles as last year, it had several fun excursions planned along the way, so, once again, we said we wanted to join the group. 

The plan was to take our time in joining with the group. Instead of putting in one long and tiring day, we decided to travel two half days. High on our wish list was to get through Atlanta when it wasn't rush hour. We also wanted to start our second travel day with Atlanta in our rear view mirror. 

Between the directions on our GPS and the tips on avoiding traffic delays from the WAZE iPhone app, we managed to make it through Atlanta without slow downs or incidents. 

There was a Corp of Engineers park that we wanted to camp in for the night. The reviews on All Stays were positive and it appeared that many sites were along a lake. About 45 minutes away, we noticed that this campground was about 20 miles off the Interstate. We were tired and the idea of adding more travel time to our day was rapidly loosing appeal. 

Once again, the All Stays app found a state park just a few miles off I-85 and we were there in a few minutes. 

Lake Hartwell State Park is just over the Georgia border as you travel into South Carolina. We were pleased to see that it was very wooded and most sites had shade. Arriving midweek without reservations, we were fortunate to get a nice site along the lake. 

Rosie's campsite in Lake Hartwell State Park

It doesn't take long to setup when you are simply spending the night. We didn't uncouple Rosie, our 25 foot Airstream Trailer, from the truck.

Suzy, our seven month old Yorkie puppy made it clear that she needed to burn off some energy and convinced us to take her out for a walk around the park. It was easy to see that this is a park that families love to visit. There is a lot to like at this state park.

Suzy seems to be uneasy with the "wolf: display

Family Selfie

The condition of the bathhouse is one of the things that needs improvement in this park. You expect rustic accommodations at state parks, but you expect them to be clean. They weren't. You could tell that the "essentials" we're glossed over on a somewhat regular schedule, but there were dead bugs inches away from the sink moments after the cleaning crew left. Add the growing crop of spider webs where you would not expect to see them to the dead bug collection and you end up concluding that keeping the park clean is a low priority.

Here are a few specifics about this park:

• The park is located along a beautiful lake.
• Our site had 30 and 20 amp electrical service. (We had to be careful both connecting and disconnecting electrical power because of an active wasp nest inside the power box.)
• Our site had water connection, but no sewer connection.
• There was a dump station in the park.
• We could only find one TV signal while in the park and this was a PBS station.
• AT&T placed a strong 4G signal over the park.
• This is a pet friendly park. 

The lake

Rosie with the lake in the background

Another view of the lake

View of the lake

Our campsite

Original watercolor painting by Becky of our campsite

Wind Creek State Park (Alabama) - 2016

Sometimes you simply forget about the campgrounds in your backyard. We used to camp in Wind Creek State Park once or twice a year. Of course, that was before we retired and I could easily commute to work from the park.

Wind Creek State Park in Alabama

Commuting distance is no longer a priority when selecting campsites. Of course, our still-too-busy schedules and appointments are the things we need to work around now and it seemed that our calendar was crowded with other things for too long. We started itching to go out in Rosie, our 25 foot Airstream trailer, but our calendar was limiting this trip to a single week.

Instead of commute distance being the deciding factor, we were looking for a place close to home to maximize our time in the woods. There are two campgrounds we frequented back when the distance to work was high on our agenda. It had been several years since we camped at Wind Creek State Park, so we decided to load up Rosie and head there.

We were pleasantly surprised by the changes in the park since our last visit. The State of Alabama invested some money in improving the park by creating some "premium" sites.

Our campsite in Wind Creek State Park

Wind Creek State Park is on a huge lake, not along a tiny creek as the name suggests. Many of the campsites are along the shore and overlook the water. The premium sites were created by removing some sites along a popular section of the park and using that space to make the remaining sites larger. Full hook-ups were also added to the premium sites along with a premium camping fee.

While the premium sites are very nice, we elected to camp in one of the more basic "water and electric" sites along another finger of the shoreline. We found a good site that had easy access to the lake, an important feature since we brought along our kayak.

Rosie at Wind Creek State Park

Another view of Rosie at Wind Creek State Park

Our camping loop was about 30 percent full. That meant our loop was quiet. That was a good thing since this was Suzy's, our five month-old Yorkie, second time camping. Less distractions were seen as a positive thing.

Suzy with her stuffed toy

Suzy in the park

Suzy out for a walk

The "star of the show" turned out to be our inflatable kayak. We were able to explore the park from the perspective of the shoreline. We found several interesting natural features from the vantage point of our kayak. It was also fun to paddle around the various camping loops in the park.

The view from our kayak

On the lake in our kayak

We did have a big storm while at Wind Creek State Park and lightning destroyed my 30 foot vertical amateur radio antenna and its tuner. I'm thankful it didn't break anything else.

Antenna knocked out by storm

Here are some specifics about this park:

• There are multiple camping loops in this park. Some, but not all, are along the lake's shore.
• Some sites have full connections and others have water and electric.
• Our site had 30 and 20 amp service.
• One bathhouse served our loop. The bathhouse was clean and well stocked.
• We could not receive any TV signals using Rosie's antenna.
• AT&T placed a good 4G signal over the park.

In all, we enjoyed our adventure at Wind Creek State Park and will return again when we are looking for a quick getaway.

Looking at the lake

Selfie at our campsite

Silo in the park