Peaks of Otter National Campground - Peaks of Otter, Virginia (June 2019)

Our trip to the Peaks of Otter National Campground was delayed. The roads were slick from more than four inches of rain and there was a thick fog that we hoped would burn off so that we could enjoy the next leg of our journey.  

An Airstream trailer ahead of us as we traveled to Peaks of Otter National Campground

Rosie is still there!

It didn’t. Sure, there were a few pockets of light fog along the way, but the majority of our time was spent inching along in a “pea soup” fog. The Blue Ridge Parkway looked very different in that foggy atmosphere. Drivers had to be very cautious as they drove through the twists and turns of the Blue Ridge. It was a white-knuckle day from tightly gripping the steering wheel. 

The fog made it difficult to see the sights along the Blue Ridge Parkway

The Peaks of Otter Campground was operated by the National Park Service. Similar to most NPS campgrounds, your camping fees gets you a site without hookups for your RV. 

Someone could use the word “rough” to describe this campground. It appeared that maintenance was deferred for a long time at this park. It also appeared that individual sites were carved out of the hilly terrain without any thought of how level or, more appropriately, unlevel a trailer in that site might end up. Needless to say, we had to use more leveling tools than normal to correct a pronounced side-to-side lean.

Rosie in the campground

The front to rear level issue was another problem. Our site included a space for Rosie, our 25 foot Airstream trailer, and space for our truck on the side of Rosie. The RV space had an incline that was probably more than 15 degrees. We knew that we couldn’t raise the front end enough to make Rosie level, so we ended up putting the trailer in the truck parking space, which didn’t have as steep of an incline. 

The National D-Day Memorial was close to this campground. It was very sobering to hear our guide's description of that momentous day.

The National D-Day Memorial

General Eisenhower

The D-Day Landing

The D-Day Memorial in Bedford, Virginia

Here are some specifics about this campground:

• Our site was paved with asphalt and was very unlevel
• Our site did not have any electrical, water or sewer connections 
• There wasn’t a WiFi signal over our site 
• AT&T did not place any level of service over our site 
• There were several restrooms with running water in this campground. The one closest to Rosie was a long hike and it didn’t have lights to help at night

There was a huge deer population around this campground. We had to be very careful when driving in the area. 

Mother and child crossing the road

We knew that hooking up and leaving the campground was going to be a problem and it was. We had to wait until the trailer across from us left before we could start our process. Once that trailer left, we had to block the road to hitch Rosie to our truck. No other campers could leave until we actually pulled out from our site.

Rosie's hitch also added pressure to the hitch-up process. Our ProPride hitch uses a stinger instead of a ball and is less forgiving when the angles of the truck and trailer are off. Fortunately, one of the members of our WBCCI Taste of the Blue Ridge Caravan saw our problem and offered to help. That was just what we needed.

Whew!

At a restaurant in Bedford, VA

The lodge at the Peaks of Otter

Cool Breeze Campground - Galax, Virginia (June 2019)

It was easy to see that Cool Breeze Campground was friendly to Airstream trailers. There was a WBCCI (Wally Byam Caravan Club International, the Airstream owners association) sticker on the office door. Also, the Virginia WBCCI Unit was having its rally in the campground while we were camping there. Add the 21Airstream trailers on the Taste of the Blue Ridge Caravan and it is easy to see that Rosie wasn’t lonely there! (Rosie is our 25 foot Airstream trailer.)

Rosie in the Cool Breeze Campground

Airstream trailers in the Cool Breeze Campground

Our site backed up to a golf course. That was nostalgic because my family lived during my teenage years with a golf course in our backyard. Our family dog at that time loved running on the fairway and and snatching golf balls to add to her collection. 

I wanted to walk on the greens behind Rosie. Only the rain kept me from doing that. 

Rain? There was a weather station in the campground connected to the Weather Underground. I was able to find it using my iPhone. More than 4.5 inches fell during our two day stay. 

The backside of the campground was bordered by a cattle ranch. We enjoyed watching the cows graze during our walks between the rain storms. 

Galax is known for its bluegrass musical festivals. The rain didn’t stop the music makers or the crowd from enjoying the event.

The Blue Ridge Music Center on the Parkway

A little afternoon blue grass music

Mount Airy, North Carolina was close to Galax and an interesting side trip. That was the home of actor Andy Griffith and Mayberry was modeled after Mount Airy.

Going for a ride and a guided tour in Mayberry's squad car

Suzy serving as Mayberry's Justice of the Peace

The whole gang captured and in Mayberry's jail

Goober says "Hey"

It looks like the Darlins are in town

Time for a hair cut at Floyd's Barbershop

Here are some specifics about this campground:

• Our site was gravel and level 
• Our site had 20, 30 and 50 amp electrical service 
• Our site had a water connection 
• Our site had a sewer connection 
• We were unable to pick up any TV stations using Rosie’s antenna 
• The campground provided a connection for cable TV. We were told it didn’t work
• AT&T did not place a usable signal over our site
• The park's WiFi service was very slow and frustrating 

The campground didn’t have many trees and it is probably very hot during the summer. 

Our departure from Cool Breeze was delayed because of fog. We hoped it would burn off before we had to leave. It didn’t and that made our journey to the next campground very difficult.

The fog as we prepared to leave Cool Breeze Campground

Sign at overlook on the way to Galax about Tom Dula, better known as Tom Dooley

Boone KOA - Boone, North Carolina (June 2019)

Our visit to Boone KOA didn’t get off on the proper foot. Our assigned site looked similar to the crest of a hill. Since Rosie’s door is at the rear, the domed shape of the site meant that there wasn't a safe way to enter or exit Rosie. (Rosie is our 25 foot Airstream trailer.)

Sign at campground's entrance

It didn't take long for them to move us to another site. The new site worked much better for Rosie.

Rosie in the campground

This campground wasn't on a main road around Boone. You really had to trust your GPS as it urged you to to head down some small mountain roads. We found the campground exactly where our GPS said it would be.

This was a campground that proudly wore the label family-friendly. The happy sounds told us that the playground was a popular gathering place for families with children. 

We were impressed with the campground staff. A boy about five years-old ran into the restroom while it was being cleaned. I overheard the woman who appeared to head-up the cleaning crew say that he looked like he really needed to use the restroom. She told the cleaning crew to step outside for a moment. That left a positive impression on me.

There were other examples of the friendly and helpful staff that we observed during visit. 

We drove from Boone to Damascus to ride bicycles on the Virginia Creeper Trail. We rode downhill on what was once an old logging railroad path. We were able to talk to several Appalachian Trail hikers and ate lunch at a trail side restaurant that was featured in a well known magazine for its chocolate cake. It was good, but I’m still partial to my mother’s cake.

The bike shop in Damascus

Getting the bikes on the trailer for the ride to the start of the Virginia Creeper Trail

Rail to Trail sign

The restaurant along the Virginia Creeper Trail

Speaking of eating, we also ate dinner at the Dan'l Boone Inn and had breakfast at Shatley Springs. Both served family style meals and were very enjoyable.

Dan'l Boone Inn

Sign at Shatley Springs

Breakfast at Shatley Springs

Becky samples the spring water at Shatley Springs

Here are some specifics about this campground:

• Our site was gravel and required leveling tools to correct a right to left lean
• The gravel road to our site was steep enough to cause us some concern both when we arrived and left
• Our site was a pull-thru
• Our site had 20, 30 and 50 amp electrical service 
• Our site had a water connection 
• Our site had a sewer connection 
• The campground's sewer opening was uphill from our site. This is always annoying 
• AT&T placed only one bar of 4G voice and data service over our site 
• The park had WiFi, but it was mostly unusable 
• The park had clean restrooms and showers 
• Getting reliable TV service in the mountains is tricky. We mostly watched videos from our DVR

A fellow camper said that there was a cemetery just up the road from the campground that had an outhouse in the middle of it. We didn’t have an opportunity to check that out. We will add that to our “to do” list for next time. 

Linville Falls National Campground - Linville Falls, North Carolina (May 2019)

When you think of camping in a National Park, you think of boon-docking or camping without utilities. Most National Parks simply give you space to park your camper but no electricity, water or sewer connections.

Linville Falls National Campground was along the Blue Ridge Parkway and was under the administrative control of the National Park Service. We knew going in that this was going to be camping without hookups, which can be scary during June. No hook-ups translates to no air conditioning.

Linville Falls

The good news was that the temperatures were pleasantly comfortable. In fact, it was chilly at night. 

We did run the generator to make sure Rosie's batteries were charged, but we probably didn’t need to do so. (Rosie is our 25 foot Airstream trailer.)

Charging Rosie's batteries

The campground itself was nice. It had paved roads and a big grassy meadow area in the middle of it.

Rosie's site at Linville Falls National Campground

You cannot camp there without hiking to Linville Falls. This proved to be a popular hike with many people on it.

Linville Falls

Grandfather Mountain State Park was a surprise to us. We enjoyed the mile-high swinging bridge and the “Forest Gump” curve that was easily recognizable from the movie.

Grandfather Mountain State Park

He just felt like running!

Suzy waits for her "Daddy" to return from the mile high swinging bridge

Here are some specifics about this campground:

• Our site was paved with asphalt
• We had to use our leveling tools to correct a side-to-side lean
• This was a “dry” campground. That means there were no electrical, water or sewer connections 
• The campground had restrooms with flush toilets and running water in the sinks 
• The campground did not have showers 
• We could not pick up any TV stations using Rosie’s antenna 
• The park did not provide WiFi service 
• AT&T placed one bar of 4G service over our site. This wasn’t reliable for voice or data service 

There were several bear boxes located around the campground. This was a reminder that we were in bear country and that we needed to be safe while there.

We were excited to see that our nighttime critter visitors to the campground included lightning bugs. After our Blue Ghost experience in Asheville, we welcomed our little visitors and enjoyed their show.

Bear Creek RV Park - Asheville, North Carolina (May 2019)

This was probably a nice little family campground when it first opened. It appeared to me that additional loops were added over the years without considering the overall flow of the park. That's one possible explanation for a campground with multiple loops that are difficult to get from one to another.

View from Rosie to the camping loop down the hill

That’s not entirely true. I did find a road connecting our loop to another. It was steep enough to astrike fear in the heart of a four-wheel drive Jeep. I wouldn’t want to navigate that hill while pulling an RV. 

One of the biggest problems to me was finding the park's entrance. The first sign we saw on the road leading to the campground said the entrance was 500 yards down the road. There were several other signs that tempted you to pull in before you reached the actual entrance. This created some anxious moments while pulling Rosie, our 25 foot Airstream trailer.

The entrance is down the road!

The reviews for this park on AllStays, RV Parky and Campendium weren’t that great, but they were probably accurate. There were some nice sites tucked in around the cramped ones. 

Another layout problem was that the pull-thrus were right up against a busy road. I imagine those campers constantly heard road noise. 

On the positive side, the campground was close to many of Asheville's sights. What were some of the sights?

The premier draw for the area was George Vanderbilt’s 250 room Biltmore Estate. I am always amazed at the size of the crowd every time we make the trek to Biltmore.

Biltmore Estate

The Biltmore tour changed since our last visit. More rooms were open to the public and we had virtual tour guides through our audio devices.

On the Biltmore's roof tour

The gardens at Biltmore Estate

A “can’t miss” in Asheville was the Sunday Brunch at Grove Park Inn. The food was amazing and their service was world-class.

Grove Park Inn

Making an omelet at Grove Park Inn

Our next adventure was zip lining in the mountains surrounding Asheville. This was amazing and fun.

Coming in for a landing after a mile-long ZipLine

The stand-out event in Asheville was the Blue Ghost tour at the Cradle of Forestry. The Blue Ghost is a tiny lightning bug that glows blue while searching for a mate. The Blue Ghost bugs only glow for about two weeks in May. We were thrilled to be there during this special time and were able to watch the Blue Ghosts as they searched for true love.

The Cradle of Forestry near Ashville

Here are some specifics about this park:

• Our site was asphalt 
• We had to use leveling tools to correct a left to right lean
• Our site had 20, 30 and 50 amp electrical service 
• Our site had a water connection with adequate pressure 
• Our site had a sewer connection 
• The park provided cable TV connection with a healthy number of analog signals 
• We were able to see ABC and FOX using Rosie’s TV antenna. 
• We were able to watch digital channels MY-TV, Bounce, Antenna, COZI and Escape 
• AT&T provided three bars of service over our site. This was good for voice and iffy data 
• The park provided WiFi service that was adequate for reading email 
• The park’s restrooms were very dated and difficult to find
• There was a coin laundry with two washers and dryers 
• There was a swimming pool at the campground. It was empty and in disrepair 

Most of the problems we saw at this campground could be fixed. I hope the owners try to bring this one back to a camper’s favorite.

Touring Asheville

Grumpy Bear RV Park and Campground- Bryson City, North Carolina (May 2019)

The drive from Blue Ridge, Georgia to Bryson City was very nostalgic to me. We traveled on two-lane mountain roads with swift moving streams following along the sides of the highway. I could not help but think of the many times during my childhood my parents traveled similar roads while on our family vacations. 

The warm memories of happy times from my childhood had me in a great mood to start the WBCCI (Wally Byam Caravan Club International) Taste of the Blue Ridge Caravan. This caravan will travel the entire length of the Blue Ridge Parkway for the next four weeks. 

The sign at Grumpy Bear

Our first campground was Grumpy Bear Campground and RV Park in Bryson City, North Carolina. This campground was about 15 miles from the southern entrance to the Blue Ridge Parkway. 

To answer a potential question, we didn’t see any bears while camping at Grumpy Bear. I doubt that a bear would be grumpy here because this campground was along the shore of the Tuckasegee River. The sound of rushing water flowing behind Rosie, our 25 foot Airstream trailer, was very pleasant. So how could a bear be grumpy here?

Rosie and a few Airstream Friends

There was a strawberry festival going on over the weekend across the street from the park. We ate more than our fair share of strawberries while at this campground. 

Barn at the strawberry farm across from Grumpy Bear Campground 

Strawberries!

Becky came down with a cold so she skipped the whitewater rafting trip down the Nantahala. Breaking a long family tradition, Steve didn’t fall out of the boat and into the water while going through the rapids. 

Steve survives the whitewater raft trip

Here are some specifics about this park:

• Our site was gravel 
• We needed to use leveling tools on our site
• Our site had 20, 30 and 50 amp power service
• Our site had water service 
• Our site had sewer service 
• The park's restrooms and showers were clean and up-to-date
• The park had two washers and dryers in the laundry area
• We were able to watch NBC and PBS using Rosie’s TV antenna. We were also able to receive Antenna and ME-TV digital channels 
• AT&T placed two bars of 4G service over our site good for both voice and data 
• This was a pet friendly park

By the way, the campground owners were very friendly and helpful during our stay. They went above the call of duty to make sure everything was good while we were there. 

Becky bought this beaded belt created by the Cherokee Indian shown in this photo 

A Cherokee Indian creates pottery

Original stketchbook watercolor art created by Becky of the barn at the strawberry farm

Original stketchbook watercolor art created by Becky of the view behind Rosie