Latest list of campgrounds as of July, 2022

Where we have camped since fall 2018, in addition to our own Northern Outpost:

Campground State Year
Rickwood Carverns State Park Alabama 2021
Gulf State Park Alabama 2021
Heaton Bay Campground (White River Nat’l Forest) Colorado 2021
Redstone Campground  (White River Nat’l Forest) Colorado 2021
James M. Robb – Colorado River State Park, Fruita Colorado 2021
Matterhorn Campground (USFS) Colorado 2021
Ouray Riverside Resort Colorado 2021
Lightner Creek Campground Colorado 2021
Bruce Spruce Ranch Colorado 2021
Antlers Rio Grande Lodge/ Campground Colorado 2021
Cheyenne Mountain State Park Colorado 2021
Big Lagoon State Park Florida 2021
Fort Pickens Area – Gulf Islands National Seashore Florida 2021
Henderson Beach State Park Florida 2021
Dr Julian G. Bruce State Park Florida 2021
Anastasia State Park Florida 2021
Gamble Rogers Memorial State Recreation Area Florida 2021, 2022 (x2)
Favor-Dykes State Park Florida 2022
Sebastian Inlet State Park Florida 2022
Fort Clinch State Park Florida 2022
Rodman Campground, Rodman Recreation Area Florida 2022
Rivers End Campground & RV Park, Tybee Island Georgia 2021
Forsyth KOA Journey Georgia 2022
Eagles Roost RV Resort Georgia 2022
Skidaway Island State Park Georgia 2022
Geneseo Campground Illinois 2021
Fisherman’s Corner Illinois 2021
Starved Rock State Park Illinois 2021
Walnut Woods Campground Iowa 2021
Sanilac County Forester Park Michigan 2018
Stafford County Park (we do not recommend) Michigan 2019
Holland State Park Michigan 2019
Young State Park Michigan 2019
Fayette State Park Michigan 2019
Marquette City Park Michigan 2019 (x2), 2020
Porcupine Mountains State Park Michigan 2019
McLain State Park Michigan 2019, 2020
Wilderness State Park Michigan 2019, 2020
Brimley State Park Michigan 2020
Cheboygan State Park Michigan 2020
Orchard Beach State Park Michigan 2020
Hartwick Pines State Park Michigan 2020
Lake Michigan Rustic Campground, Hiawatha Nat’l Forest Michigan 2020
Wells State Park Michigan 2020
Fort Wilkins State Park Michigan 2020
Tahquamenon Falls State Park Michigan 2020
Straits State Park Michigan 2019, 2020
Wild Cherry Resort, Leelanau Michigan 2021
Warren Dunes State Park Michigan 2021
Grand Haven State Park Michigan 2021
Ludington State Park Michigan 2021
Myre-Big Island State Park Minnesota 2020
Blue Mounds State Park Minnesota 2020
Cloquet/Duluth KOA Journey Minnesota 2020
Oregon Inlet, Cape Hatteras National Seashore N. Carolina 2021
Island’s Choice RV Park N. Carolina 2022
Ocracoke Campground, Cape Hatteras Nat’l Seashore N. Carolina 2022
Frisco Campground, Cape Hatteras Nat’l Seashore N. Carolina 2022
Eugene Mahoney State Park Nebraska 2021
Ogallala KOA Nebraska 2021
Hunter Cove Park Nebraska 2021
East Harbor State Park Ohio 2022
Fox Den Acres Campground Pennsylvania 2021, 2022
James Island County Park S. Carolina 2021
Huntington Beach State Park S. Carolina 2021, 2022
Badlands National Park, Cedar Pass CG S. Dakota 2020
*Buffalo Gap National Grassland (USFS) S. Dakota 2020
Whistler Gulch Campground S. Dakota 2020
Custer State Park S. Dakota 2020
Tower Campground, Sioux Falls S. Dakota 2020
Clinton/Knoxville North KOA Tennessee 2022
Fredericksburg / Washington DC South KOA Holiday Virginia 2021
Newport News Park Campground Virginia 2022
Misty Mountains Campground Virginia 2022
Goose Island County Park Wisconsin 2020

17 states, 74 campgrounds and 1 BLM location

*Techically, Buffalo Gap National Grassland is BLM land and not a campground

Camping off grid at our own Northern Outpost. The quietest and most private campsite of all.

 

Almost home: Fox Den Acres (PA) and East Harbor State Park (OH) – May 12 – 13, 2022

Keeping with our general rule of five-hour maximum drives, we stopped at Fox Den Acres in New Stanton, PA, just a short drive off of I-70. We discovered it last year, on our return trip. It’s nothing special but it’s in a pretty setting and has nice pull-through campsites with full hook-ups. While we weren’t discovering something new, it was nice to know we could expect an easy, quick stop for a night.

Our final camping spot was at East Harbor State Park. It’s located in Lakeside Marblehead, Ohio, about 17 miles from the Cedar Point amusement park in nearby Sandusky, Ohio.

We arrived around 1:30pm. For only the second time, after camping at 75 different campgrounds over the past few years, we were at a park that enforced a 3pm check-in time. The first time was in Taquamennon Falls State Park, which was 100% booked and otherwise overrun with tourists during the height of the pandemic. That day at East Harbor, the park was mostly empty and we walked through to see our site was ready, but were not allowed to drive in until 3pm. We have heard this is a growing trend, at least at Michigan State Parks.

The park has 573 campsites, including electric, full-hook-up and non-electric, group sites, yurts and cabins. It also has a 1,500-foot sand beach on Lake Erie and 10 miles of multi-use trails. The campground seemed especially beautiful because it was still spring. The trees still had new leaves and spring blossoms. We realized that in Virginia, Pennsylvania and Ohio, we were experiencing our first spring camping since we bought the RV. I was really appreciating that.

We were there for less than 24 hours, so didn’t get to explore a lot of the park or the nearby lighthouse. We drove to the local marina area, about a mile outside of the campground and had a beer at Crabby Joe’s. We enjoyed a fantastic dinner at the Crow’s Nest. We did our usual walking around the campground and talked with some other campers. On Saturday morning, May 14, we headed home.

I definitely had mixed feelings about returning home. I really love exploring new places, seeing new scenery and meeting people along the way. It’s been a great way for me to deal with the change of no longer working at a high pressure, demanding job for 34 years. It is always nice to return to our home, which feels like a mansion after months in the RV. It’s nice to take long, hot showers, sleep in a king size bed, and use the dishwasher and full-size refrigerator. Our routine shifts to working in the yard, walking, running and riding bikes around home, enjoying our patio and planning our Michigan camping adventures for summer. Best of all, we can spend time off-grid camping at our own Northern Outpost, in Frankfort, MI.

Our 2022 Spring tour was a great mix of exploring new places and returning to some old favorites. It included 18 campgrounds (19 counting 2 times at Gamble Rogers) in 8 states, 4670 Miles, and 69 nights. Since we purchased the RV in fall of 2018, our all-time total campground total is 75, with 378 total nights in the RV (as of May 14).

Decompressing with Slushie at Fox Den Acres Campground, New Stanton, PA. This photo is from last year. We forgot to take one of our campsite this year, but it was basically the same.
Fox Den Acres Campground, New Stanton, PA. We met the owner of a 1974 Opel Manta, one of very few Opel models sold in the US.
View of the marina at Crabby Joe’s, Lakeside Marblehead, OH
View of spring blossoms from the patio at Crow’s Nest, Lakeside Marblehead, OH. Dave still dreams about his smoked meatloaf dinner. My salmon wrap was also amazing.
Our nice pull-thru campsite at East Harbor State Park, Lakeside Marblehead, OH

 

Shenandoah National Park & Afton, VA – May 9 – 11, 2022

Stopping in Virginia, near Shenandoah National Park, was a perfect way to check out a beautiful area, while also avoiding a route through Washington DC.  We drove through there once before, on our way to the Outer Banks and have avoided it ever since.

We found Misty Mountain Camp resort online and had no problem getting a reservation midweek before the summer camping season. We had a nice creekside site with water and electricity. It was about a 10-minute drive to the park entrance, to several breweries and wineries, and to a very nice Harris Teeter grocery store.

Dave realized that he had passed through the area, during his cross-country bike tour on the Transamerica Trail, back in 1986. Read his journal here: http://tuz.net

We were able to find the location of the house where he stayed. It wasn’t difficult to find because “The Cookie Lady” was well-known by cyclists around the world and there are many articles about her in newspapers, magazines and on the internet. The exterior of the house looks mostly the same, but the area has changed significantly. What Dave describes was poor, rural Appalachia, is now mix of old rural houses  and wineries, vinyards, and microbrewries. There is also a mix of vehicles on the roads older vehicles and jacked-up trucks with over-sized wheels and tires and Toyota Prius’ (Prii..??) everywhere.

It was still spring in the park. Many trees still had new, young leaves and there were flowers everywhere. It mad me realize that I had not experienced spring in a couple of years. Last year we were in the southern states until Memorial Day and spring in Michigan had passed by then.

We did some beautiful hikes and went to a local microbrewery and winery, both with beautiful views of the Blue Ridge Mountains. It was a perfect finale to our winter tour. Over three days, we only saw a small fraction of the park, so we plan to return sometime soon.

Only two more quick stops before arriving at home.

Our creekside campsite at Misty Mountains Camp Resort, Greenwood, VA

Slushie made friends with some ducks at Misty Mountains Camp Resort, Greenwood, VA
Our favorite brewery in the area is Blue Mountain Brewery, Afton, VA
View from the patio at Blue Mountain Brewery, Afton, VA
Blue Mountain Brewery, Afton, VA
Humpback Rocks Trail, Shenandoah National Park. This trail is part of the Appalachian Trail.
Humpback Rocks Trail, Shenandoah National Park
Farm Museum near the trailhead for Humpback Rocks Trail, Shenandoah National Park
Humpback Rocks Trail, Shenandoah National Park
Spring flowers on the Humpback Rocks Trail, Shenandoah National Park
Transamerica Bicycle trail sign in Afton, VA. It was established in 1976, for the Bikecentennial ’76 bicycle tour. Dave rode that route from Virginia to Oregon in 1986.
My first time on the Blue Ridge Parkway, Shenandoah National Park
Dave, riding the TransAmerica Trail in 1986. On the Blue Ridge Parkway, Shenandoah National Park
At “The Cookie Lady’s house”, Afton, VA
At “The Cookie Lady’s house” in 1986
At “The Cookie Lady’s house”, a plaque memorializing June Curry, aka “The Cookie Lady”.
June Curry, aka “The Cookie Lady”, who hosted countless bicycle tourers and fed them cookies for many years. Photo taken by Dave in 1986
View from the Blue ridge Parkway, Virginia
View from the Blue Ridge Parkway and Dave’s bike. 1986. Today, he still rides the same bike with the same perfectly broken-in Brooks leather saddle.
View of the vinyards and mountains from the patio at Hazy Mountain Vineyards & Brewery, Afton, VA
Hazy Mountain Vineyards & Brewery, Afton, VA
Hazy Mountain Vineyards & Brewery, Afton, VA
One of the patios at Hazy Mountain Vineyards & Brewery, Afton, VA
We hiked a small stretch of the Appalachian Trail again on Calvary and Chimney Rocks Trail, Shenandoah National Park
Calvary and Chimney Rocks Trail, Shenandoah National Park
Calvary and Chimney Rocks Trail, Shenandoah National Park
Spring flowers on Calvary and Chimney Rocks Trail, Shenandoah National Park
Calvary and Chimney Rocks Trail, Shenandoah National Park
View from Skyline Drive, Shenandoah National Park