First Campout of the Season

[JohnB]

Suffering from severe camping with drawl.... It has been since Thanksgiving weekend... The longest non camping stretch since 2003.... And here last year we camped every month it was so mild.

The weather Friday finally broke free.... 8" of snow on Tuesday and come Friday afternoon it was 45 and the sun a blazing... Guys were walking in the parking lot at work with no jacket on... OK you got to be kidding me...

I somehow managed to get out of work early and the ground was bare at work.... WOW I wonder if it dried up at home.... Maybe, maybe???

I was home by 5:00pm and the concrete that had 2" of mush when I left for work was bone dry....... Ohhhhh boyyy the itch is at an all time high... Called the wife Grand kid sitting at my daughters house and asked, Wanna go camping? OK, lets go..... YEH Ha.....

Cindy picked up Subs for dinner and I hitched up Sunny and started filling her with water. Cindy came home, we ate supper, loaded up and was on the road by 6:45PM.

There where 3 others in the State Park CG. The park had no snow left at all other then snow piles from plowing. The night was perfect. Saturday is was full sun and hit 55.

Saturday AM, fixing our camping treat! Ah this is the best part of camping. Making breakfast! Only a light frost on the ground.


Bacon a cooking. Only get this camping....


And the site and sun shine. We pick full sun this time of year


It was great.... Sunday it was 45 when we got up and it clouded over but it hit 68F.... Came home, unpacked the camper, blew out the water lines, anti-freezed the traps and parked Sunny back in her spot.

Then went and raked stones..... The fun of spring with a gravel driveway and snow plowing....

Hope you folks can sneak out soon. Today is was raining buckets.... Wednesday is back to a winter mix of sleet???? The weather has no idea what season it is in.

I feel better!!!

John

[Poppy & Nana]

I'm so jealous!

[JohnB]

Originally Posted by Poppy & Nana

I'm so jealous!

Well come on over! 12 hour drive and you can be here. Have Leo fire up that Ford and head west!

All though better call first as the weather changes like the wind.... We have no mountains like back home to hold anything. What blows in from IN lands about here...

[Janalee]

Does it count when you camp six nights coming home from Florida this past week? Now I have to wait till next month for our state park to open for the "real thing"!! Got some bigtime cleaning to do first though! Janalee

[JohnB]

Janalee, If you out camping in the Sunny, does not matter where you are. Even the back yard counts!

[EMD_Driver]

Must be nice John! I've had a camper hitched up and pulled three times, already this year.. Out of the three, none were to go camping!


On a brighter note... I got the airbags on Thursday and installed them Saturday! I also got the OEM in-bed 7-way plug and installed it too! Shoot... I even installed a wireless backup camera to the toolbox and have it aimed at the 5th wheel hitch.. The truck is now ready for towing.. Now to have a chance to get some much-needed Sunny time in!

[Sunline Fan]

This is AWESOME!

[Ham Radio Op]

Gee JohnB,

Our PA State Parks don't even open until April 12th this year! In our area it's always the Friday before the opening of trout season. But I'm glad you got out. Our turn is coming. Soon, I hope. I think May 13th for a few days.

I liked your other post about keeping your french toast nice and warm.

Good night everyone or is it good morning!

[jim44646]

what state park?

[Tweety]

Originally Posted by Ham Radio Op

Gee JohnB,

Our PA State Parks don't even open until April 12th this year!

There are a few PA state parks that are open year round for camping. French Creek, Ole Bull, Racoon Creek, Ryerson Station, & Rickettsia Glen.

[Ham Radio Op]

Thanks Pam. I didn't any PA state park campgrounds were open year round.

Paul

[Tweety]

John B - glad you got to scratch the hitch itch! I love the wide open sunny sites at your state parks. That makes for really nice cool weather camping. I don't think we have much of that in PA state parks. Codorus has some, and that's where we usually try to kick off the season once they open in April.

[JohnB]

Originally Posted by jim44646

what state park?

We where at Delaware State Park. They have one area open all year round with heated shower house and a dump station that is open.

Ohio State Parks - Delaware State Park

Alum Creek also near by, they too have one area open all year round with heated shower house and a dump station that is open.

Ohio State Parks - Alum Creek State Park

Some times we sneak over the Minster area to Lake Loramie. They are open all year, have porta potty and open dump station.

Ohio State Parks - Lake Loramie State Park

And we sometimes go to Indian Lake. They may be on Porta potty but the dump station generally does not open until April some times.
Ohio State Parks - Indian Lake State Park


Here are all the parks that are open, but some do not have potty or dump stations.
Ohio State Parks - Winter Camping

[JohnB]

Originally Posted by Tweety

John B - glad you got to scratch the hitch itch! I love the wide open sunny sites at your state parks. That makes for really nice cool weather camping. I don't think we have much of that in PA state parks. Codorus has some, and that's where we usually try to kick off the season once they open in April.

Hi Pam,

Yes, the itch was scratched....

We really like your state parks. "Most" we have been to are filled with tress which is our kind of warmer weather parks. Here in Ohio, central and I'm sure north too, we have lost thousands of trees in the camp areas to the Ash borer.

There were many of our favorite shade sites that are now full sun. The park service has been cutting like crazy the last 2 years trying to stay ahead of the dead trees in the campground. Some of these are 2 foot diameter trunks. Really sad. Thank goodness we have maple and oak still.

Hope everyone can get out soon. Today it was snowing for a bit at work....

[Trailblazer]

Glad to see you were able to get out for a camping trip. Like you we haven't been out camping since October last year and right now it doesn't look like we will get out until May this year. This is our longest stretch of not being able to camp since 2007 for us as well. Thanks for sharing the pictures. They look great and it looks like you had a great time and fantastic weather.

[Photokit]

I'm so glad to hear that I'm not the only one with the itch. I'm taking my Saturn out this weekend to Utah, where the weather will be sunny, 70 and low 40 at night. Can't wait to get this party started. Photos will follow.