Thomas Point Beach - Maine Highland Games

We attended the 31st Annual Maine Highland Games on August 15. Since it was a last minute decision (day before), our only option was to camp in the overflow lot without electricity or water. We set up the Add-a-Room for family to camp on a spare mattress. The weather was perfect, so we didn't need the usual campground amenities for this brief 2-night weekend adventure. Our quiet Honda generator came in handy only to charge camera, phone and lights.

This weekend was full of Scottish flavor with Bag Pipe Bands, Highland and Scottish Dancing, Arts and Crafts, Scottish Fiddlers, games including: Tossing of the Caber, Wheat Sheaf Toss and Putting of the Stone. Border Collie Herding Demonstrations, Highland Cattle, Piping Contests. "The Only Scottish Event of its kind in the State of Maine!"

The distant sound of bagpipers could be heard till about midnight from our woodsy overflow campsite. The sky was clear and stars twinkled all over. Our neighbors were tent campers and we weren't over crowded. The only drawback was that bonfires were not permitted at overflow areas.

No dogs were allowed at this campground so we left ours behind this time. We decided to let the cat tag along. On our first morning at Thomas Point Beach, my significant other gave in to the cat's begging and let him slip out the door, thinking he might just hang around. Sylvester the 10 yr. old cat on his 9th life darted out into the nearby dewy woods. We ventured out into the woods in hopes of scooping him up before the bagpipers woke up and scared him deeper into the thick of it. He was nowhere to be found. Decided that the cat's Scottish safari wasn't going to come between us and the games. Called him throughout the day when we came back to our campsite but he didn't return and none of his food was missing. Finally at around midnight there was a cry at the trailer door and Sly returned just in time for us to pack up and sneak in a kayak excursion off Thomas Point Beach.

Up North Music and Art Festival - August 8-10, 2008

This was a quaint camping festival with 3-4,000 people in attendance with a bit of good music. It was nice that it was not over-crowded.

RV sites included electrical and water hookups. Tent campers were set up beside the dump station unknowingly.

Vagabond dred-heads with Siberian huskies, strollers, sundresses, barefoot with bangles, glittery, tired tie-dyed, tattooed, harmless hula-hoopin hobos noodled by our campsite with a list of offerings. One rainy day did not deter the experience as we had great TV & cell phone reception and cooked a big pot of gumbo & corn maque choux for our friends in the cozy sticks of the Ossippee Valley.

Camping World, Pumpkin Center, Hammond, LA

This was our 4th year parking our travel trailer out at the New Orleans Voodoo Music Experience. We work for the fest, so it's very convenient to have our own office space here with all the comforts of home - so we don't have to go home often at all. Once this was over, it was time to put the trailer away till our next trip.

Yesterday Tom and I took our travel trailer up to Pumpkin Center, Hammond, LA - Camping World/Dixie RV. It's in the sticks on the side of I-12. This is the closest mega RV store-service combo to NOLA. We are "President's Club" members, so we get discounts as well. Tom dropped me off in front of the mega store to begin inquiring about the annual 'diagnostic & tune-up' packages.

Since it's like the Wal-Mart of RV stores plus a service center, there's a row of 3 cashier aisles and one long service counter with many packages described at length on the wall above the counter.

I smiled at the older grumpy-looking man behind the counter who silently cradled a phone on his neck. He glanced at me but said nothing. Sure he's just busy ordering a part or something. There are about 2 other customers in the store. A minute later, a nice woman approached me from behind the counter. Told her what I was looking for. She filled out a form, wrote in $229 and explained in detail that this is the fee for my trailer to be examined -- then I would be told what type of work may need to be done, if any. Told her I'd discuss it with my partner, but we also just returned from a camping trip and I asked if there is a dump station on site and if so, what is the fee. Said she just began working here and would have to check with someone else. She looks over at the tight-lipped old man still quietly holding on to the phone. He looks down at my blue-gray Obama '08 T shirt, skips looking at my face, looks back at the woman and standing only 5' away from me he said "Tell her she might have to check across the street at Punkin' Center Berryland Campers, see if they have a dump station. She might have to check campgrounds around here, I don't know if we have one she can use."

Smiling the whole time, trying to convince myself not to ask "HOW can you work at Camping World and NOT know if you have a dump station for RVs?" I am also wondering 'what in the world is taking Tom so long to get in here?'

I look at them like they are a little nuts, walk out of the store & find Tom in the middle of the parking lot at their dump station, emptying and cleaning our tanks.

Didn't realize that Tom had googled the place before we left and already knew there was a dump station.

Later when we were checking out of Camping World with our $80+ of winterizing products, the man was speaking to a customer next to me saying "Never know who you're going to offend these days. I asked my boss if he was Catholic just the other day..."

It is a shame when level of service is affected by a simple shirt, though perhaps he just had something against gingers.

Thomaston & Rockport, Maine

July 26, 2008

Our final destination at least for a couple of weeks is Thomaston, ME. Since we are staying with family, we needed a place to empty our tanks prior to parking. 

Stopped at Saltwater Farm Campground and was told that the dump fee is $35, same as the lodging fee. "Does that include two stops, since we are neighbors?"- "No, that would be $70." Figured we could check out the neighborhood campground and pass on a good recommendation but that was not the case.

Traveled up Route 1 to Rockport, ME to the lovely oceanside Megunticook Campground by the Sea where the caretaker was absolutely friendly and charged only $10 for us to utilize her station.

Forest Lake Campground, Winchester, NH

July 21, 2008

Most people here are long-term campers or their park-model is the family summer destination. Clean campground - found it in Woodall's Directory. The lady in the office was not exactly friendly "Can I help you with something?" (no smile). Perhaps we needed to call ahead in order to get a friendly greeting.
Cable is an extra $3, yet ALL you get is the couple of local channels, QVC, CNBC and a Spanish channel! That's it. We weren’t given campsites from which to choose, we were told we’d park at one particular pull through beside a yipping Pomeranian puppy on a tie-out. Doubt we will stay at Forest Lake again, but it could be a perfect stopover for some campers.

Frances Slocum State Park, Wyoming, PA

July 20, 2008

Most of the state and national state parks we've found are not very close to the interstate so it helps when decent signage is provided from the interstate. Our first attempt this day was to find Locust Lake State Park which is said to be 2 miles south of Mahanoy City, PA. Since there were no signs directing us to this park, we stopped at a gas station where they told us to turn left at the cemetery and right at the golf course but we found nothing. Like some comedian recently explained - "I can't afford to get this lost!" After 15 frustrating miles off our track, we back-tracked and decided to try Frances Slocum State Park.

This state park provides excellent signage from I-81. It offers several trails, well-paved roads and a small lake. Campsites were various sizes, wooded and either electric or not, but no water available at sites. The camp office is not within convenient walking distance from the campsites but it's a nice bike ride. A bunch of wild rabbits crossed our path.

Stony Fork State Park, Jefferson National Forest, Wytheville, VA

July 19, 2008

The Stony Fork volunteer caretaker greeted us at the gate in his golf cart. Told us to find a site and it was fine if we paid for the site the following day. $22/night for water and electric. Paved roads to gravel sites.

The campground was chockfull of Warren Jeffs runaways. Gaggles of young girls with hair down past their waists, secured neatly by 1 barrette. Long dresses and sensational smiles that could easily connote obliviousness towards modern luxuries like HBO and WIFI.

The park also had a nice spattering of wildlife. Wedged between the double metal $2 fee signs beside the dump station we discovered 2 squealing tiny baby bats, big as my thumb.

Nanabe Creek Campground, Meridian, MS

July 18, 2008

The guy who greeted us was very jovial. His 'baby-daughter' has a Bounder RV parked out here with baby kittens. It’s quiet and woodsy. Under 5 miles from Interstate 59, the campground is just far enough away to enjoy the first night without the sound of traffic.
$23 flat with tax and Good Sam discount.
Cable and WIFI included, though the signal is not very strong - laptops won’t connect from inside the trailer.
Gravel roads, level and paved sites with tidy areas and a pool.
“It is what it is,” said the weary driver. It is only 220 miles from NOLA, but we got a late start due to a comedy of errors.

Escape the Heat, Version 4.0 - 2008

In preparation to depart New Orleans for Maine, we discovered that our 3+ year old RV's refrigerator was not working. It showed an "N" fault code which we looked up and found a website that described the repair, but at the time it would not show the photo of the electrical innards of the fridge.
Next morning, brought the trailer to our only local RV service location: Bent's Rendezvous RV on Airline Highway in Kenner, LA.

Showed up bright and early at 7:55 a.m. hoping to get someone to help us with a quick fix. The gentleman who was there asked if I had an appointment. I was thinking – ‘Sorry, I didn’t plan on my refrigerator not working the day of our departure.’ I said “No,” and asked if someone could take a look at it and I was informed that the service manager would have to make that decision and he would be arriving at any moment. At 8:20, the service manager had not arrived. As the other service technicians rolled in, they informed me that they would not have time because I did not have an appointment. No one seemed to be in any hurry to get to work but they certainly didn’t have time for me.

Next we decided to call a service station on our route. Contacted Paw Paw’s Camper City in Picayune, MS. I described the problem and the solution. The guy said “Yea, we got a guy who does that. Come on by.” They fixed our fridge promptly, showed us how to take care of the problem in the future – all within an hour of our arrival, for a reasonable fee. The technician was informative and entertaining.

P.S. Don't leave your refrigerator on while it is covered for storage...

Langerado Music Festival, Big Cypress Seminole Reservation, Florida

Thursday, 5 p.m., ten miles from the site and traffic was at a crawl. Arrive early!! 2-lane highway, only way in.

We intended to experience the fest as V.I.P. patrons. The first night was disappointing, so ultimately we camped with friends in the staff area.
Langerado does not offer water or electric hookups for RVs. Pets are NOT allowed & for good reason. Alligators were plentiful. The Everglades is a great camping destination in early March. During the 4 day trip, we had lows in the 40's, highs up to 80's --warm humid rain, then windy & clear skies.

Excellent natural drainage- wonderful how everything dried up right after a hard rain.
The Fest provided a plethora of entertainment - from R.E.M to Ani Difranco, Keller Williams, The Root & The Meters. Free morning yoga, biodiesel workshop and Guitar Hero station. Cozy lounge for VIPs with white leather sofas, free sunscreen/red bull, tall palm plants for oasis atmosphere and free massage.

Clean Vibes crew did a good job of keeping the Everglades event site impeccably clean.

Sunset King Lake Resort, De Funiak Springs, FL

A guy from Michigan walked up to us and said he needed to pinch us to make sure we were real. Says he never sees youngsters at RV parks. He and his wife began camping more than 40 years ago and started in a tent. Got a popup. Advanced to a travel trailer and back to a popup... Got to love those evening strolls. It's when we get to take in the sights and check out our dream rigs. "Check out the slide out on that one," he drooled.
Nice level site, clean bath houses, cable & sewer at every site. 5 acre lake. Very quiet in March. Looks like they play bingo or bridge at night.
Not too far from I-10. Good for overnight campers who are en route & don't want to sleep beside the noisy interstate.

Asheville, NC - RV Campgrounds

Bear Creek Campground, Asheville, North Carolina
November 2006
This destination is an excellent home base for exploring the city of Asheville and the higher elevations of the Blue Ridge Parkway. Nestled near the intersection of two highways, this RV park offers level, paved sites with scenic views of the mountains. There are also pull through sites, but they are along Bear Creek Road. The staff was helpful and the grounds were immaculate. Laundry room was average for a campground of this size, with only a few machines available. Late season camping gives you diverse, kid-free neighbors.

Taps RV Park, Asheville, NC – include under Bear Creek posting
December 2006
Rules, rules, rules.
We were not allowed to park more than one vehicle at our site even during the late season. Pets were not allowed to be tied-out unless the owner was outside as well. Nothing was allowed to cover the grass (door mats, patio mats, etc.) Gravel sites were level but not scenic. It is the closest RV park to Asheville that we found.

Ojo Caliente, New Mexico - Mineral Springs Resort & Spa with RV Park

September 2006
Not listed in the Woodall's Campground Directory, this gem was recommended to us by a good friend in Buena Vista, Colorado. Located less than one hour south of Alamosa, CO and north of Santa Fe, NM it is conveniently located right off U.S. Highway 285.
Ojo Caliente is a micro economy that needs a boost. The one fuel opion located approximately one mile south of the resort is not recommended for an RV. If a trip to this sloped store/gas stop/gathering spot is absolutely unavoidable, beware you are not able to swipe your credit card outside. You might even run into an interesting variety of indigineous gangsta, the rarely seen Caucasia de Pink Bandana. Fully accessorized with a white '89 Monte Carlo low rider, this was quite the event for the whole parking lot because his flock had arrived as well.
Anyway, back to the review of this desert oasis called "Ojo Caliente Mineral Springs Resort and Spa": Water and electric rv sites are available for $30/night - plan on spending a minimum of two nights. There is a $15 per person fee for a day pass to the mineral springs. A menu of pools with their natural temperatures awaits you. A quote from the website: "Ojo Caliente is the only hot springs in the world with a remarkable combination of four different types of mineral water: lithium, iron, soda and arsenic." There's even a mud bath but we did not get a chance to try it.
In September, the place was not too crowded. There were only a few people in each pool.
Most of the RV sites are wooded and along the Rio Ojo Caliente River creating a secluded, relaxing retreat for young and old RVers, especially RV DINKS = dual income, no kids. (http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=D.I.N.K.)

Saint John, N.B., Canada - Rockwood Park Campground

August 2007
*This was truly a 'stop-drop-n-roll' visit - so the review will be brief. Our destination was Moncton. When we rolled into St. John at dusk, the fog was so thick we weren't even sure there was a city out there at all.
While waiting to check in, there was a 60+ year old man puffing on a pipe, rolling back and forth in his bright purple and yellow LSU crocs. Had to ask if he was indeed from Baton Rouge - he was from Prairieville, Louisiana. When I got to the front desk, the lady behind the counter said that the man claimed to be from New Orleans. Funny how when we are a million miles from home, a fellow camper from a suburb of Baton Rouge is *POOF* from New Orleans.
Brochures tell us there's actually lots to do in St. John. We moved on.
Wireless internet access was available close to the bath house, though we were not. Our site was on a gravel lot which lacked landscaping. DirectTV is prohibited in Canada. Argh.

Moncton, N. B., Canada - Camper's City

Last weekend in August 2007
As the closest full service campground to the Magnetic Hill concert site, it was a fine choice. Seemed to be a launching point for families heading to Parlee Beach in Shediac. The two campgrounds we saw in Shediac were packed and had very narrow sites.
Camper's City has ample, level field sites with full hookups. DVDs (mostly G & PG) and fire rings were available for rent. Firewood was expensive at $6.50 per bundle. Very convenient to grocery shopping, Home Depot, Wal-Mart, etc. Laundry room was nice and clean with a sofa. Though we didn't try them, there was a pool on site as well as entertainment in the evening in the common hall. Friendly staff.
Drawbacks: Wireless internet service was spotty - but campers who need brief access can bring their laptop to the main office to hookup via ethernet cable. Trail was overgrown with tall weeds and hanging branches.

Bar Harbor Campground - Maine

Closest campground to the town of Bar Harbor. Wooded sites as well as ocean view sites are available. Advance reservations are not accepted. When you arrive, you must drive around and choose your site. As people leave in the early mornings, there is a rush to scoop up primo sites by current campers by placing markers (ex. a chair).
We got a site with an ocean view and were able to hook up the satellite without a problem. Site was spacious and level.
Hikers beware - just because you can see the ocean does not mean you can get there from here. There's a cliff with a 40' drop to a road before you can get to the water. We never made it.
Although there are ample washers and dryers in the laundry room, doing laundry in August is cut-throat!! Ladies sneered at us because we were occupying half of the machines with all of our laundry at 8 a.m. Hey, you snooze, you lose.
Overall, it is a great launching point to explore all of Mount Desert Island.

Portland, Maine - Wassamki Springs

Technically in Scarborough, ME this is the closest RV park to Portland. When we first visited this campground in August, the place was packed and there were organized games for children everywhere you turned. A popular destination for all ages-- teens were hollering at each other about their plans for the evening and it was quite funny. "Meet you down by the Tree at 7!"
Now it's September and we are here again. It's very quiet - not a child in sight. (Ah...school is back in session) Wireless internet signal is at 2 bars. Not enough for a lot of activity, but consistent and free. Got excited when I first checked in because although cable is not offered, movie rentals are advertised. Went down to the camp's shop to review the selection and all Wassamki offers is VHS tapes! It would be so great if more campgrounds offered DVD rentals for the satellite-challenged. Due to the trees blocking our view of the sky, we are not able to pick up our Direct TV service. Laundry room was spacious with seating area and an interesting selection of novels including a few from the early 70’s. Bath house was well-maintained and shower water pressure was awesome.

We lengthened our stay at Wassamki Springs by one more night on account of our nightwatchman’s failure to return after a night in the field. Posted a couple of missing cat signs, searched the surrounding woods and talked to fellow RVers to no avail. Other than the pair of old coots that suggested he probably wandered into the road, other campers and staff offered to keep an eye out for our 20 lb. 7 yr. old cat. We suspect someone took him in and let him sleep all day. He must have been kicked out at midnight after hours of persistent mewing at the door because he showed up at our door ready to refuel, rock and roll.

The entire Wassamki Springs Campground staff was very helpful and understanding. They even offered to watch for him for the next few months.

Outings: Got the best fresh bagels at Scratch Bakery in Willard Square, South Portland. Visited friends at Ri Ra Irish Pub on the harbor in the Old Port - great traditional atmosphere with good appetizers.
Next day - took the dog to play frisbee at Fort Williams State Park which is beside the ocean and Portland Head Light. Also visited Kittery Trading Post and the Crate and Barrel Outlet.

Hawkshaw, New Brunswick, Canada - Sunset View Campground & Cottages

This park is across the street from the Saint John River and it was our last stop before crossing the border back to Maine. Friendly staff. We had our pick of any site and there were only 2 other RVs parked. Trees on two sides of the campground gave it a quaint, natural setting. Set up Sylvester the cat with his tie out. While we were eating dinner, he managed to sneak out of his harness to explore the woods. Spent a good half hour searching for him with a flash light till he decided to show up and ask what the fuss was about.
One drawback to this campground: The laundry room only has two washers and two dryers and they ONLY accept Canadian tunies! Argh!!

Belfast, Maine - Moorings RV Resort

Absolutely gorgeous. September is the perfect time to meander along the coast of Maine. Rolled into this place one afternoon without making a reservation and got the best site there. Corner pull-through site overlooking the ocean, right beside the steps that lead down to the ocean. The owner gave us a 10% discount card to use at the neighboring lobster bar which we decided not to visit since we were visiting friends in Belfast. The only drawback is that the brochure boasts 'complimentary internet access'. I was told that I did not need any special access code to get online but when I tried, I was asked for a credit card and a $4/day charge to use the internet. In past experience, RV owners tell you this upfront and offer to include this fee with your site rate. However, the refreshing ocean view, lovely landscaping + the absence of kids on bicycles racing by our site made up for it!

Conway, New Hampshire - Saco River Camping Area

Sites are close together and in August it was packed with families, children and dogs. Highlights: Wireless internet signal was decent and the Saco River was a short walk from our site. Drawback: $10 deposit for an entrance gate that is LOCKED at 11 p.m. What if we wanted to check out a show or felt like staying out a bit later than usual? Doubt we will stay here again. Perfect for families.

Cobscook Bay State Park Campground

Primitive, large woodsy sites. Great if you want some space and don't mind doing without electricity and water hookups. Fill up your fresh water tank, charge the battery (or bring your solar panel) and get a great taste of wilderness. Some RV sites overlook the bay with nearby trail access to the rocky beach. Kayakers beware of drastic tides! We watched a guy trying to get ashore during low tide.

Cavendish K.O.A., Prince Edward Island

September 3, 2007
We were told by friends in Moncton that visiting New Brunswick and not going all the way to Prince Edward Island would be like going to Cairo and not seeing the pyramids. After working the Tim McGraw/Faith Hill gig on Magnetic Hill, we headed up to check out P.E.I. Arrived right after dusk and was able to get a decent site promptly. The gentleman behind the desk who was fully clad in his bright yellow K.O.A. attire asked, "How did you find us? I'm thinking... desperation?"
Our site, though narrow and not level, was grassy with a fire pit. Amazingly sophisticated garbage receptacles at this K.O.A.: separate trash cans for recyclables, compost and regular garbage with huge descriptive signage in both English and French. Cavendish reminded me of a touristy section of Destin or PCB, FL with mini golf, mini amusement parks and a cluster of tee shirt/post card shops. Charlottetown, P.E.I. also has these garbage stations on its street corners. If only the U.S. could figure this out! Internet access at this site was free, though an access code was not given to us and by the time we realized we needed one, the main office was closed for the evening. Nice playgrounds at this campground -- 10 kids were bouncing on a massive trampoline ball. Also, the place was packed with families. Seems this is a mega-destination for Labor Day weekend in P.E.I.

After visiting the dunes in Cavendish, we found Charlottetown to be more to our liking with restaurants, shops and a decent irish pub (Olde Dublin Pub). An eclectic gift shop worth mentioning is Moonsnail Soapworks - recommended by the bartender at the pub.

Carlisle, Pennsylvania

July 2007

Western Village RV Park* Only 2 miles from I-81
*"Stop, Drop & Roll Review" = stayed at this park en route to a specific destination. It was chosen out of convenience to the highway or interstate to sleep, refuel and get back on the road.

This was my first journey towing the trailer without Tom so I was fortunate that a pull-through site was available. My friend Ariana was with me and it was her very first RV park experience! Our site was level and close to woods and their were fireflies everywhere. For a little lagniappe, a live band was playing Fleetwood Mac and Pat Benatar covers. As for system checks, all I did was check the pressure of all 8 tires, put the chock blocks behind the trailer's tires and went to bed.

2006 bonnaroo - manchester, tennessee

v.i.p. passes with an rv pass. our friends rented a 40 foot behemoth for the four adults and we met them at the vip check in (a hotel just outside of the rv and employee entrance to the event grounds) and breezed through the ticket, pass, t-shirt dance. leaping out onto the main drag we crawled to the entrance which was a left off the road. should we go straight and u turn these beasts in the local car dealer down the road? o. k. saved us an easy half hour. had we thought about it a half hour sooner, i might not be so hesitant to scream GENIUS. the road in was narrow and through a few farms with folk out front waving us in. the line moved slow because of the bottle check every third or so vehicle. no glass allowed at all. an effectiveness of 33%. the behemoth gets stopped so we pull ahead and wait for the 1/2 gallon of capt. morgan to fly out the window into a pile of other glass containers, we do not want to lose them. the capt survives by being transferred into a more suitable container. as we cross the field, we notice that most campers have huddled near the hospitality tent and showers. we go long, closer to the main entrance but still close to straight out from the main stage.
the v.i.p. pass included free meals in a fan-cooled hospitality tent. (*BRING YOUR GENERATOR air conditioning is key to feeling truly VIP)
though the nash manual does not recommend it, there was a great view of the main stage from the roof of the rv. we watched stevie nicks with all of her flowing dresses sing duets with tom petty. and later, radiohead. very nice. by going long, we had room for Frisbee, horse shoes and the space to create a friendly compound between the two rvs. it's all about creating shade as there are no trees in bonnaroo's v.i.p. rv area. water and sewer-sucker-trucks roamed around to assist at a charge.
the masses camp in fields that turn to dust bowls or mud pits depending on the weather.

Vacation/Evacuation?

Our first stay at an RV park was during our trip to get home to New Orleans. Since we were already out of town, we did not have the luxury of evacuating. This first review is brief.
September 10, 2005 - Shallow Creek RV park and golf course, Kilgore, TX
Clean and well-lit. Didn't notice anyone near our age group.

Safety first! On September 11th, were were getting vaccinations at West Jefferson Hospital: Hepatitus A & B, Tetanus and Diptheria to prepare to enter our neighborhood where there was still standing muck-water. This is the end of our trailer travels for 2005.
For the next few months we parked the RV in: Luling, LA, Metairie, LA, Audubon Park for the Voodoo Music Experience, Fern St. - Uptown and Palmyra St. - Mid City, New Orleans, LA.
The house was without electricity for five months in New Orleans. Running on a Honda eu3000is generator ( did not fail once) for air conditioning and a 205 watt solar panel with two interstate rv /marine batteries for low use days. 2 adults, 2 dogs, 1 cat = No couch-surfing.
After a long season of rebuilding, we took the travel trailer out across country for what it was intended! Our initial trip of 2006, we attended Bonnaroo in Manchester, TN. Traveled from New Orleans to Maine to Colorado and back to New Orleans via Austin City Limits Music Festival.