Plan ahead

Saturday night was great.  Although smitten with the new Visa 19RBS, we spent time as we always do by the campfire. The first campfire of the season is special – in that sometimes we have a difficult time getting it started.  Here is my camping tip of the day: use presoaked charcoal.  Get those puppies hot and anything will burn.  Even wet firewood from the state park.  Slept like a rock that night.

Sunday was a bit of a wash out.  It rained on and off most of the day, and it was cloudy and not as warm.  We did get to test the Visa for leaks though – good news that there are none.  Although we did find that if you leave the roof vent open and move the hitch, water will flow from the roof into the bathroom. Oops.  Went shopping for a few things that we now find we need.  One was a ratcheting wrench for the weight distribution hitch.  Yeah, that makes things go a little quicker when hitching up.

Also spent some time getting stuff organized.  We’re both apparently a little OCD about everything having a place in the trailer so there’s not stuff everywhere.  And since we brought the old trailer down with us and basically swapped everything out as quickly as we could at the dealer, there was stuff all about.  We found that there is ample storage space in the new trailer, and we even have a few cabinets that are empty!  We were also able to remove a tote worth of stuff that we never use – it’s always nice to simplify where possible.

I think the worst part of the day was when we brought the camper home and tried to get it into its parking spot.  We apparently underestimated how much rain we got, and the yard was a bit like the tough mudder.  We turfed a few spots, and I think our blood pressure spiked for the day.  But all’s well – it’s in a temporary spot until we can move around in the yard again. Second tip of the day: plan ahead.

Review: Alum Creek State Park

I think this is the first time we stayed at Alum Creek State Park (in Ohio) so I thought I would just add my two cents for anyone who might be planning on visiting.

First is that it's in a great location.  It's just north of Polaris (which is a big retail area) so things you might need and stuff to do is close by.  Downtown Columbus is just a short drive down I71.  However, when you're at Alum Creek you certainly don't feel like you're in an urban area.  In fact, the park isn't really in an urban area.  It's nicely out of the way.

Keep in mind we stayed there in the very early camping season so the place was pretty quiet.  Although there was a camper nearby who seemed to think that everything said needed to be shouted, especially with their music turned up.  We seem to remember coming down here back in the tent camping days and were turned away because the park was full, so I think this one gets pretty busy during peak months. Facilities were functional and decent.  I would give them 2.5 stars out of 5 if I rated things like that.  Sites were nice sized and in the trees - didn't feel like I would be staring right at a neighbor.  It's a big campground with lots of trails right through it, and the lake is easily accessible.  Took a nice walk around one evening and watched the sun set at the lake.

Only downside I saw was when it rained and some of the campsites seemed to have some water issues.  Some were just muddy.  Others had standing water around the power post which I would find troublesome and/or shocking. Overall, I would recommend the park.  Great location, nice park and campsites.  Just be aware when it's raining to not play with electricity.

Gulf Stream Visa 19 RBS

Yesterday we started our 2013 camping season. We're excited because of course it's the first trip out, but we also picked up our new travel trailer yesterday. It's a Gulf Stream Visa 19RBS. We really liked our old TT because it was lightweight and only 14 feet long. The new one is about 800lbs heavier and 19ft long. But it also has a permanent bed and a dry bath. Goodbye shoilet... It towed great for the 12 mile drive from the dealer to Alum Creek State Park. And I slept like a rock last night even with the power going out in the campground.

We're still getting settled in so I'll post more observations later. But suffice it to say we're pretty thrilled with it. And now time has lost some hold over us. We woke up... Whenever. I haven't really paid much attention to what time it is up until this point - and that's because my iPad displays it for me and WordPress likes to post it. It's nice for life to slow down a little every so often. Next time I will bring my blood pressure monitor so I will have concrete proof of my reduced stress level. :)

Camping - the magical moment

Tomorrow starts the camping season - for me anyway.  I've been eagerly awaiting it since we starting planning the trip about 2 weeks ago.  Not venturing too far away this time - just down to Columbus for the weekend. I had to close the store tonight though so we're going Saturday and Sunday nights. Sunday night is a special day at the campground if you are staying the night.  It's the day when most folks pack up and head home from their camping weekend.  The campground empties out and is very quiet that night.  Although campgrounds generally aren't overly noisy, Sunday night is especially quiet.  It also makes it seem like you're getting an extra day off.  You watch everyone pack up knowing you have another 24 hours of serenity.

There's one moment though that I'm looking forward to.  It's the moment when you know you're there - when life slows down for awhile and you can start to catch your breath.  It's when the camper is all set up, the awning is out, and you put the camp chair under it and plop down.  There's nothing more to do, no schedule, and no demands.  I think that moment also includes a significant drop in my blood pressure.  It's one of those slightly magical moments. One should never take magical moments for granted.