Looking for suggestions for a campsite for July 4.
Would like it be within a 2-3 hour travel radius of the Albany NY area. Dry camp or hook up -- either or is fine.
I need to decide soon, as the few CG s I ve checked are filling up fast.
Thanks in advance for your input.
Gia, etc, etc.
GuestI was just thinking the same thing. Saw July 4th is a Friday so thought this is a definite long weekend and I should take advantage (my DH is getting much vacation this yr since he just started a new job).
I was thinking of heading to Amish Country (PA) this time though. Just called Spring Gulch and they still have some sites available. Anyone interested in doing a private " resort type" cg for a change? Sites/areas to recommend? I read somewhere 502 was ok and I was planning to book that (but I d be willing to switch to a different area if someone has a better suggestion). There are other sites available in the 500s. I ve never been there so was just going with 502 (semi close to a bathroom and a stream).
Di
GuestSpring Gulch would be over 4 hours for Gina, it is about 45 minutes for me.
But I am game for Spring Gulch for the 4th.
GuestPaula, you re right about the 4 hrs, but I just decided today that I m going to take the following Monday off as well so I may be able to stretch my parameters.
I think I ll check Maquest and see where the radius would bring me; I" m figuring 2 hrs for the 92 mile trek to N-S Lake, so I could maybe go 130 miles within approx 3 hrs.
I will look on-line for Spring Gulch to check it out as well.
I sat down today and figured out my vacation schedule to have mostly 3 day weekends.
I m taking off June 27, July 4 & 7, July 18, Aug 1, Aug 15, Aug 29 w/Sept 1 for Labor Day. If anyone has any specific trips planned for those dates, keep me posted as well. I may be able to toss an extra Monday in too.
Thanks.
Gia, etc, etc
GuestGina, it is 3 hours to Newburgh not towing from my house and that is all expressway.
Spring Gulch, the quickest and easiest way for you is probably to get to the PA turn Pike. I am coming up from the east and south I have all back roads.
Always allow more time for towing. The trip to Indiana normally takes me between 11 and 12 hour, towing it is more like 14.
Eagles Peak takes me about 2 hours by car. 2 1/2 towing.
So is this a plan??
GuestI think we will probably stay at Greenwood Furnace State Park for the 4th. It s not easy to get to, but it s a little gem!
GuestPaula
I checked Mapquest, 334 miles to Spring Gulch with an estimated " DRIVE" time of 5 hrs 43 minutes, so longer towing I m sure.
I have booked into my home camp for the 4th (Sacandaga State Park, Wells NY site 142) -- I will try new sites on off-holiday weekends I think. I am researching, via RA, some of the campsites on the border of NY and PA -- I may make a foray sometime in late July, early August.
What is Eagles Peak?
I am further hampered by the fact my Trailblazer is a company lease vehicle with a mileage cap. I have to try to juggle trips with the Trailblazer with swapping it out with my father s Blazer to offset the miles I rack up....it s a pain, but otherwise I d never be able to have a decent tow vehicle so I have to deal with it.
So this summer, everytime I tow with the Trailblazer, when I get back I have to give the Trailblazer to my Dad (who drives like 6 miles a week, LOL) and use his 99 Blazer for my 70 mile daily round trip to work.
Sigh...I really need to hit the lotto or marry a rich guy; but since the odds for both are about even, this is the way I have go......
[:(]
GuestAll these NY outings are a good five or six hours for me! Maybe July 4th should be held near Yorktown Va (remember, that place where the Brittish surrendered to George Washington...) Newport News Park is five miles from the Yorktown National Battlefield....
Gone-Camping
QuoteORIGINAL: Gone-Camping
All these NY outings are a good five or six hours for me! Maybe July 4th should be held near Yorktown Va (remember, that place where the Brittish surrendered to George Washington...) Newport News Park is five miles from the Yorktown National Battlefield....
It hasn t been posted yet, but I am camping with another family at Assateague Island for Easter. Could you join us?
GuestLOL schitzo that I am; I ve booked Sacandaga SP (Wells NY) AND White River Junction, VT for the 4-7th........waiting to hear if my " preferred" site is available at White River, if not, I ll keep the Sacandaga site.
Nice thing about the White River site, no cancellation charge !!!!
Gia, etc, etc.
GuestCliff, I am sure that it is further/longer, you are 5 to 6 hours from me. I am 3 hours from Newburgh NY about 4 from Albany, so if you came up US 13 to the NJ Turn Pike to the Garden State to the NY Throughway, that would be a days drive, especially pulling a camper.
Spring Gulch is around Lancaster PA, actually between Gap (PA 41 and US 30) and Blue Bell PA (US 322) on PA 897. This is horse and buggy country.
Gina, Eagles Peak is west of Reading PA, it is a commercial campground that I went to the first year in the Jayco with MAPCE, then last year with a small group from MAPCE and the PUT Rally. Dave had catered dinner Saturday night and a catered breakfast the next AM. I went, what I thought was a bad case of allergys was actually the flu, and it broke on Sunday when I was ready to pack up. that hill to the restroom seemed so much steeper than when I was there the month before.
Raymond brought Jeffrey up after school that Friday and left before dawn on Saturday AM, leaving Jeffrey and I to camp by ourselves. I took a friend with the outting with the MAPCE people, Raymond stayed home and Anna decided camping was not for her, too much like being a gypsy (putting out all the gadets, then packing them back up to move on/home).
GuestCliff,
We can t go that far (VA) for the July 4th weekend as we have just 3 days. Last April we spent spring break at Newport News and then went up to Westmoreland for the VA get together... Maybe some members south of me will take you up on your suggestion. NN is a great cg and we d be happy to return when we have more time. Maybe throw you suggestion out in the general section to make more people aware.
Gia already booked closer to her home (NY) and I think others will want to stay locally as well. Holiday weekends are a bear, with trafffic and all. Even going to Spring Gulch for us may be trouble but I D like to try it. Just found out my girls dance teacher is hosting a dance competition that weekend in CT so I need to check if we can miss it. We re not on the best terms at the moment since Courtney has missed class since Nov (she plays on her HS bball team and has practice/games 6 days a week). To make matters worse, Courtney just broke her foot so that definitely rules out dance for awhile. I hoping we can work this out. Thought maybe I could meet up with some PUT members that want to get together but don t do state parks.
Di
GuestI keep hearing Newburgh, you folks wanna go to Newburgh/New York City North KOA?, let me know- Beer Belly :{)
GuestWe never drive far on holidays. The traffic is just too much and the crowds can be worse.
We are also looking into White River Jct., in Gaysville VT. It was nice in the fall and the kids would like to do some tubing. So Gia and I will end up there or at Wells, NY.
DH is talking Maine in August sometime. I m on the fence about that. We re definitely at Letchworth before the end of the season.
Most trips this year will be closer to home. We re still dealing with the house renovation and we are going to need vacation time to get things done. Long weekend closer to home will be the norm for a good portion of the summer.
GuestBeerbelly, I keep mentioning Newburgh because that is my only frame of reference in that general area.
We flew to Hawaii a few years ago with the Reserves out of Dover DE (Raymond is retired from the Army and that is one of the few perks we have left), the plane broke our 4 day vacation turned into 9 days stranded in paradise. We got a ride back with NY National Guard doing a quick turn at the Guard Base at Newburgh, then they went onto Niagra, their home base.
I have no love for Newburgh, I almost got arrested because I took the rental car almost, in a restricted area, I was turning around at the gate and the MPs blocked me yet yelled at me to move the car. Where I got in trouble was when I informed him if he would move his vehicle that I could move mine.
The rental agency did not give us a break, we had to have the car back the next day and they charged us excess mileage. That was cheaper than the alternative, $1.00 a mile each way for them to come get the car and take it back, even though one of the guys admited he went to VA Beach a couple times a month.
People on the base were also nasty. We had just come from Hawaii in early April, (April 4th to be exact) one of the women with small children still had their shorts on them and the guard had the bags put somewhere. heat was on very very low in the building, it was cold out side. One of the guys traveling Space-A with us was a retired general in the guard, he called his buddy, active general in the local guard and within minutes, that lady had her bags and there was not enough they could do for us while we waited for our transportation.
thanks anyway, but if it takes a general to get locals moving and a soldier/MP does not undestand someone getting confused and trying to turn around, then I would rather not. Also I was trying to get directions from a toll taker on the NY throughway and I got a rude response to move on I was blocking traffic (no maps provided by the car rental company (they were the only ones that would come to the base and get me) and they were in a hurry because they closed at noon and it was noon when they picked me up and got me to the joint) I would rather not attempt to camp around there. First impressions are important, and virtually everyone we met gave a lousy first impression. But Newburgh is still my frame of reference since I made a one way trip one day and a round trip the next to get the car back.
GuestGia and my family will be in Wells, NY for the 4th. I just got done booking a site at Sacandaga Park (we re going to be there for Memorial Day too, only in a different loop). It s a 45 minute drive from home and DH is working that whole week except Friday and has to be back on Monday, so we have to make it short and sweet.
My sis, Gia, is really giving me motivation. 4 trips already booked (I usually wait until DH gets the vacation book), so we should have a fairly full season.
We ll probably get a trip in to Gardnier, NY later in the summer. We like to bike Minnewaska. We stayed at a Jellystone last time, but I wasn t impressed. We may look for an alternative.
GuestSheBantam - sorry you had such a bad time at Stewart AFB. I live about 15 minutes from there. I hope at least I made a good first impression... [;)] What BeerBelly meant is the Newburgh / NYC North KOA. It s a beautiful place and not really in Newburgh - it s actually a few towns north of Stewart. You would not believe how the scenery / people / atmosphere changes just a few minutes away from where you had all your problems...
We will have BOTH the PU and TT set up in the driveway for the July 4th weekend... My little sister is getting married July 11th and I have 15 relatives flying in from CA, UT, NV, and AZ (to Stewart no less) on June 30th and staying for 2 WEEKS! So no camping in that time, unless the driveway counts... [:)]
GuestSo far nothing is scheduled for July 4th, but my vacation is scheduled for the week before.
I have reservations at Frontier Town on a shaded site. If this is not the PUT Rally week. Tracy is going to be at Assateague. She is talking about coming over for a day at the water park and I will go to Assateague for a beachside dinner/lunch. Sound like a plan to me!!
If no one wants Spring gulch, I may go to the Navy Rec area at Solomans Island MD so Raymond can spend the long weekend with his grandkids. I absolutely hate the traffic coming back from Dover on a holiday weekend. Not sure how the Annapolis Bay Bridge will be.
GuestHow about a trip to Otter Lake in PA outside of Stroudsburg ?[:)] It is within the 3-4 hours you have been talking about.
Guestwhitestar505,
We stayed at Otter Lake last May and had a great time. We were in the H group camping loop and found that section a little less crowded than others. Nice having a bathroom just for that small loop. Otter Lake is only an hour from our house so we d be up for a return trip but summer bookings are usually hard to get and also require a 5 day minimum (not sure what the rules are for holidays). Do you know if they have openings for July 4th weekend?
Diane
GuestDiW:
Hi Di
Do you remember any good sites at Otter Lake?
Just looked at the map and the H loop looks a little off the beaten path,which I like.
We have reservations there for next weekend and are on site C8 ,which is a Pull thru site.I stopped there a couple of weeks ago while it was snowing,just to check out the site,but didn t do much exploring since everything was snow covered.
Andy
andym86Hi Andy,
Don t have a site map around but let s see what I can remember. In the H loop, there aren t too many sites, maybe 15. The lowest numbers (I think) are in the middle of the loop, near the bathroom. I wouldn t recommend them because they re strictly field sites. There s no shade or privacy. Then there are some sites directly in front of the tennis courts (maybe 4-8). Depends on how you feel about tennis. My son and his friend played a few games while we were there. Other than that, it wasn t too busy. That was Mother s Day weekend. I imagine it may be more crowded in the summer. Not sure if they have fences all around the courts so you could see stray balls. I would avoid the first of these sites coz it s next to a road and there s a large trash bin next to it. Sites 9 & 10 (I think) sat way back and had trailers there. Looked like they were there all year, judging from the size of their firewood pile. I think these 2 sites shared a driveway. Could be kind of cool for 2 friends, camping side by side. But seem to remember seeing/hearing people from the sites behind them. Sites 11-15 have a stream behind the sites and we saw ducks occasionally. We were on site 12(w/e) and we had woods behind us and around us(?). Sorry I can t remember clearly. Do remember thinking that looking across the stream at the woods reminded me of my childhood summer home in the Poconos. No other sites behind us. We had room for our popup and the EZUP canopy and 2 vehicles. Seem to remember thinking 11 & 13 were ok. Didn t check them out coz people were camping on them. I think sites 14 & 15 were w/e/s. 14 seemed ok, maybe a little narrow entering (can t remember). 15 is closest to the lake and I think on the low side and next to the main road so less privacy. 15 is also closest to the boat ramp.
The bathrooms were clean and there is a covered pavillon attached to the bathhouse that is for the group s use. Down side is those dreaded push button showers. This loop is a walk to the office & activity building (ceramics, bingo) but not too far from the indoor pool. The section behind H (behind the tennis courts) wasn t bad (lots of trees) but the hike to the bathroom was farther than in H. Some of the lake sites near the pool looked nice but don t remember which ones. Someone told me in summer they can be swampy though. Don t remember C but think that section is wooded. Some of the drive thru sites near the lake were paved and had the feel of a parking lot, instead of the country.
Have fun.
Di
andym86Thanks Diane
Andy
PS Dont you just love the snow?
DiWLast time I called them, December, they did....
andym86Looks like I probably won t be camping in July. My mom, who lives in FL, rented a house in the Poconos, a little northeast of Otter Lake (in Hemlock Farms - Lords Valley). My parents owned a vacation home there for 20 years so she hopes to have my brother and I come spend some time there (and relive our childhood I guess). Sounds good to me and I won t have to set up the camper. Like Otter lake, there s tons of stuff to do so I think my kids will love it.
Di
andym86tlhdoc... Assateague on Easter Weekend just may be something I could work in. I can t commit to it right now, but will see if it s something I can work into the schedule, it does have strong possibilities.
Paula, you re right, places like Newburgh are a good 5-6 hours or so from here. Without the trailer, and sprouting wings on the car, I can make the Mass border at Sturbridge in 8 hours providing I time things right and hit NO traffic. Willmington Del is right at 4 hours away, add 2 for NYC area.
(I do drive a little fast)[;)]
andym86Hi Cliff,
I hope you can make it. There are 3 families camping there so far. If you can go we have our reservations for the ocean side drive in campground in the National Park.[:)]
GuestHello fellow COTOC-ians... I am sitting here bored and reading old posts. What did everyone decide they re doing for July 4th?? We are getting one last-last-last minute trip in to Newburgh / NYC North KOA June 30th - July 2nd. As soon as that s over we have to pop up in the driveway to make room for incoming relatives for my sisters wedding July 11th. The new Carmel is on " guest house" duty! [8D] The TT has been set up in the driveway since Friday. After the wedding is over, DiW and I are heading back up to North Lake July 18th - 20th. Hope everyone has a safe & happy July 4th!!
andym86We re staying home too. We have things going on every weekend for the next month. Family things,class reunions, testimonial for my nephew and his soon to be wife. We were thinking of the 2nd week in July but have to be back on Sat. For my DH class reunion. Don t know where we want to go yet. Was thinking either Umbagog cg in NH if they have openings or maybe back to Naples Maine. The Four Seasons was a pretty nice CG. We ll have to wait and see if we can really take that week.
andym86I was told a " shortcut home from the Hillsville Rally, they did not tell me that I would be going through Harper s Ferry WV. it was gorgeous! I tried to book there for the 4th this morning, but all they have is tent sites at the KOA.
I am now trying to book for the weekend of the 11th. it will be a girl s weekend out. I will pick up my friend from Baltimore, who lives close to I 83 on the " right" side of Baltimore for I 70. Just a little detour and I will have her in the truck and headed towards I 70 and the US 340.
Probably will stay home this weekend and do house work...[:o][:(]
andym86We re going to be at Turkey Swamp CG in Freehold NJ. We invited my 2 non-camping brothers to visit us for a day. I told them to come see how the better [;)] half lives. They are the cruise ship kind so I know I m going to take a lot of abuse but it s all in fun. They may actually wind up liking it, at least for a day visit. My mom came to Lake George with us almost 2 years ago and enjoyed the peaceful, laid back lifestyle. Luckily it was Sept so no crowds and the bathrooms at Lake George Resort were immaculate[:D].
Di