Road Trip 2014

Start: Alabama

States traveled: Tennessee, Kentucky, Illinois, Missouri, Iowa, South Dakota, Wyoming, Minnesota, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia.

Landmarks, Parks, etc: St. Louis Gateway Arch, Corn Palace, The Badlands National Park, Wall Drugs, Black Hills National Forest, Mount Rushmore National Memorial, The Needles Highway, Custer State Park, Crazy Horse Memorial, Wind Cave National Park, Devils Tower National Monument, Spearfish, Spearfish Canyon, Lead, Deadwood, US Capitol 4th of July concert, Arlington National Cemetery, Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial, World War I Memorial, World War II Memorial, Korean War Memorial, Vietnam War Memorial.

4626+ miles start to finish.

Whittington Woods Campground at Benton
AOK Campground
Mitchell SD KOA
Cedar Pass Campground
Mount Rushmore KOA
Albert Lea KOA Campground
Indianapolis KOA
Charlotte Speedway Campground

Campground Notes

Lake Guntersville State Park, AL

Campsites don't have paved pads.
Campsite pads weren't very level.
Tables were in poor shape.
Not all sites had fire rings.
Shower was relatively clean and maintained.
Campground is relatively clean.
Campground does have wifi.
Campground lakefront is nice.
Campground was loud, lots of pickup trucks running around constantly.

Forest Service, Coleman Lake Recreation Area, AL 

Campground laid out in loops.
Very nice paved, level pads.
30/50 amp service and water.
One stall shower in bath house on our loop.
Dump site on road out of campground
Did have problems with water pressure being too high.
No wifi.
No cell signal.
Heard whip-poor-wills for the first time in many years.
Geese in lake were noisy in the early mornings.

Gulf State Park, AL 

Stayed in site 386 for the week of 7/27-8/3/2014.
Back in site with full hookups.
Site is level and paved, very spacious.
Side pad for picnic table.
Sites are not shaded due to hurricanes and forest fire.
No shade however maked it warm in the popup during the day even with the ac going.
The campground has a new(ish) pool but the water was very warm.
The shower building is fairly clean but needs some repair and attention, like many I've seen this summer.
The water hookup is very warm, need to shield the waterhose, summer in Alabama!
We had a couple of quail and a rabbit that visited our campsite regularly.
Still, just over $200/week isn't bad for a week at the beach.

Wind Creek State Park, AL 

Stayed at site B186 in our popup, across the road from waterfront.
Very shaded site.
Level paved pad with water and 30 amp service.
We setup the popup with no trouble at all.
Site didn't have much area for sitting at camper door front.
Table was downhill and behind the camper.
We were able to put our awning over table and use our chairs under awning.
Large campground but mostly quiet during quiet times.
Shower house nearby was clean and in good repair.
Several other campers in the campground, several football fans camping.

We stayed at site B183 and B184 in our 31' Class C, Waterfront sites.
View is great, plenty of airflow off the water.
Almost all sites are well shaded.
Had plenty of room to park our 31' Class C and park the crv in front.
Put out the porch awning.
The picnic table was on the pad behind the mh. Didn't bother with the awning for it since weather was nice.
There was no fire ring at the site so I "borrowed" the one from the site next to us since no one was staying there.
Park was very quiet since this was in fall and bit many campers. Good time to be here. Very enjoyable campground.
This is one of our favorite campgrounds within 1 1/2 hours or so from home.

Forkland COE Campground, AL

We stayed at Forkland COE Campground the weekend of December 5th-7th. After arriving after dark we met the campground hosts at their camper to check in. They were very nice and helpful.
We got set up at site 14.
The site was level and very spacious.
I did have to back up to allow the leveling jacks in the rear to be behind the stop log on the pad in order for our patio awning to miss a big oak tree.
A graveled pad next to the paved parking pad was large and flat with the picnic table, fire ring, and Bbq grill.
From our site the creek off of the Tombigbee River was just behind us downhill from the site.
We were about 100 yards from the shower house that also had laundry facilities and one of the two playgrounds in the campground.
We were able to pick up 10 or so TV channels OTA with our digital antenna, which was good since there was some severe weather coming into the state.
Unfortunately there is no wifi at the campground and cellular signal went in and out.
There is plenty of shade from the large oak trees but that also limits satellite TV signal. Still, if you want to be at a large, very well kept campsite, this is the place for you.
Sunday found us taking it easy in the MH.
Since checkout wasn't until 3pm we watched White Christmas and took our time getting ready to go.
With a stop by the dump station on the way out we concluded our stay at Forkland COE Campground.
We will be going back when we have time to sit around the campsite and enjoy the campground more. It is very well maintained and very spacious.

Cherokee / Great Smokies KOA, Cherokee, NC

Weekend stay. The campground is located in a valley that is very scenic and causes campfire smoke to hang above the campground.
Check in was quick and easy.
Campsite was a pull through, spacious, and  level.
Hooks up were easy.
WiFi and cable were available.
Showerhouse we used needed work. Very small stalls, no seat, no place to put clean clothes, very bad showerhead/water flow.

February 5th-8th, 2015

Pavilion RV Park, West Monroe, LA

Amenities: 
Full Hook-ups at All Sites / 30 or 50 Amp Electric / Big-Rig Friendly / Cabins
Wi-Fi Service / Propane / Bath House, Laundry Room, Club Room
Playground / Pavilion / Pet-Friendly / Pond Fishing

Nightly rates: RV sites are $40/night. Several discounts available. 
Monthly Rates: 30 Amp Electric: $425.00 / 50 Amp Electric: $450.00

I elected to stay here even though a couple of reviews I read weren't good. We arrived after closing time and the office had left us a map to our site so we could set up and check in the next morning. The main road in the park is graveled. We found our site (#29) a pull through site. The pad is graveled but hard packed and level with room for our CRV behind the MH. The hook ups (30 amp, water, and sewer) were well located for our 31' Class C and had plenty of room for our slide out. The was a concrete pad next to the site but no table or fire ring.

I'd like to say we got a good night sleep but we didn't. That was mostly due to us leaving all our medication at home :- (  but partly also due to proximity to the interstate, railroad, and a few businesses. One of the businesses sounds like a veterinarian or dog boarding business which had dogs that started barking fairly early in the morning. Our own dogs, 2 poms, got accustomed to hearing the dogs barking but paid attention to the vehicles and people passing by.

There is a playground in the park and a game room with a few arcade games and a pool table. Also housed in this building was a laundry and the showers. The showers were old but clean enough. There was a timer for the light in the shower stall but the light was pretty dim in the shower. The entire building is old and could use some serious remodeling.

The reviews I read mentioned an old pool that was nasty. I saw that it had been filled in with sand. It looked like it would make a good horseshoe pit. There is also a pond on the property for fishing, according to the website. The one thing that really bothered me was the fact that we needed a propane refill and after a few attempts to catch someone to do it, I gave up. I unhooked the mh and drove to Goldson's LP Gas a couple of miles away where they filled the tank for me. The lady in the park office told me where to find the propane. Just my opinion that if you have a service like propane refilling there should be someone there to do it during business hours.

There is wifi available, for a cost. I used the hotspot on my phone instead. There are 15+ digital channels you can pick up OTA but the park is clear overhead in most sites so satellite should be no problem to pick up. The digital channels include CBS, NBC, ABC, a few pbs channels, and a few that I didn't recognize any shows on.

I think most of the people in the park are here monthly for the winter or live here and work nearby. Overall, it is an ok campground for a one or two day stop over but there are state parks just a bit farther off the interstate that would be quieter and less expensive.

December 5th-7th, 2014

We stayed at Forkland COE Campground this weekend. After arriving after dark we meet the campground hosts at their camper to check in. They were very nice and helpful.

We got set up at site 14. The site was level and very spacious. I did have to back up to allow the leveling Jacks in the rear to be behind the stop log on the pad in order for our patio awning to miss a big oak tree. A graveled pad next to the paved parking pad was large and flat with the picnic table, fire ring, and Bbq grill.

From our site the creek off of the Tombigbee River was just behind us downhill from the site. We were about 100 yards from the shower house that also had laundry facilities and one of the two playgrounds in the campground. 

We were able to pick up 10 or so TV channels OTA with our digital antenna, which was good since there was some severe weather coming into the state. Unfortunately there is no wifi at the campground and cellular signal went in and out. There is plenty of shade from the large oak trees but that also limits satellite TV signal. Still, if you want to be at a large, very well kept campsite, this is the place for you.

Since we were at the campground to go to the Christmas On The River and other activities in Demopolis we didn't sit around the Campground very much. We were up and out to Demopolis the next morning to go to the Christmas parade and the arts and crafts show in the town square. It was so enjoyable to be in a small town and see people of all ages, races, etc out and supporting the vendors, town activities, and CHRISTMAS. Of course the food was great with all kinds of fair type stalls.

After the morning's activities we headed back to the MH for a quick rest and to get ready for the COTR nautical parade. The wind picked up and the temperature dropped before we got back to Demopolis and found a place to sit on the river bank. In just a few minutes we were feeling the cold creeping up on us. We enjoyed the parade of lighted floats although there was a lot of dead time between floats. Asking some of the other people sitting near us we found out that the parade usually moved along much smoother and with less time between floats. I assume that the weather conditions played a part in some of the delays. Since we weren't dressed for the wind and cold, at least some of us, we called it a night before the fireworks display.

Sunday found us taking it easy in the MH. Since checkout wasn't until 3pm we watched White Christmas and took our time getting ready to go. With a stop by the dump station on the way out we concluded our stay at Forkland COE Campground. We will be going back when we have time to sit around the campsite and enjoy the campground more.

April 11th-13th, 2014 Coleman Lake Recreation Area, AL

US Forest Service, Coleman Lake Recreation Area, AL
Campground laid out in loops.
Very nice paved, level pads.
30/50 amp service and water.
One stall shower in bath house on our loop.
Dump site on road out of campground
Did have problems with water pressure being too high.
No wifi.
No cell signal.
Heard whip-poor-wills for the first time in many years.
Geese in lake were noisy in the early mornings.

This was our first trip with our 2010 Viking Epic 1906. We arrived after dark but setting up the popup was easily accomplished. There was water and 30/50 amp service. There was no sewer connection but there is a dump station on the way out of the campground. Being middle April the night was cool. I think we turned on the funext morning rnace in the middle of the night. 

The next morning we were awakened by the sounds of wild geese in the lake about 100 yards through the woods from us. Soon we could hear dogs of fellow campers and people starting their day. We cooked sausage for breakfast and went over to join my in-laws at their campsite just across from us. We ate and sat in the sun and had coffee. After we cleaned up breakfast we put up our awning over the picnic table and got our lawn chairs out. The day warmed up nicely. 

We took it easy and lounged around until lunch. The in-laws came over and we had pimento cheese or chicken salad sandwiches, chips, and sweet tea for lunch. While Patti and her mother sat and talked I decided I would lay down for a short nap. The temperature during the day was perfect for camping. After a short nap and some reading I got out steaks to marinate for supper. While the steaks were sitting, I set up the Coleman RoadTrip Grill. 

Patti and her mother cooked baked potatoes and fixed salad, I put the steaks on the grill. Great supper. The sun went down as we finished supper and cleaned up. Still warm enough to sit out, we listened to whip-poor-wills calling at dusk. It's a fantastic sound that I haven't heard in many years. When the whip-poor-wills had finished their calls we pulled the outside TV out of the in-laws motorhome and pulled our chairs around to watch. Yeah, I know... camping. 

The next morning the geese were back at it, honking and waking us up too close to daybreak. We did manage to snooze a little more before we got up to fix breakfast. Pancakes, bacon, and coffee went well with the sunny morning. It was another nice spring morning so after breakfast we took a walk around the campground loop. Since checkout wasn't until 2:00 we took it easy all day and made the most of our time in the woods. After lunch we packed up, dropped the popup, and got ready to hit the road home.