Where was your best camping trip in 2005?

vjm1639 · Jan 10, 2006, 08:02 AM

It's hard to pick one trip over the others. Most of the camping trips are wonderful. :> I suppose I'd have to say the trip I felt the most relaxed on was a Labor Day trip to Loft Mountain in the Shenandoah's. Normally early September in this area is miserably hot however, we had a cool spell in between that miserable weather and it hit the long weekend we went camping! High's every day were in the low 70s, nights were crisp and clear in the high 50s - low 60s. Every day was clear and gorgeous. Absolutely perfect for dry camping! And, although it was a holiday weekend and the campground was full the campground was amazingly quiet as soon as it got dark. We had wonderful neighbors on each side of us also. It was a very relaxing enjoyable long weekend!

Another really fun trip was our Halloween trip with two of our grown kids and one grandson. It was a totally different kind of camping but so much fun watching the grandson have such a blast.

Rwethereyet · Jan 11, 2006, 12:55 PM

Our best trip was to Johnson Shut Ins State Park. Kids had a great time and it really turned my wife (previously uninthused tagalong) into a real camper. We planned to make it a yearly trip but now with the destruction of the park the resulted from the Tom Sauk resevior failure I don't know when we will be able to go back. The park is closed indefinetely and it will take 30 years for nature to bring the campground back to its original state.

HersheyGirl · Jan 14, 2006, 08:37 AM

Our best trip was also to Acadia NP, for many of the same reasons that tlhdoc stated. It was our first time there and we were all so impressed with the area. It is such a beautiful place to go. We also went on a whale watching tour and got to see whales!!! My kids were so excited as was I. We also saw puffins, sharks and a bunch of other birds and sea creatures, but we saw several whales and they were close by. It was just so cool. We enjoyed the propane powered buses that we used to see the island and were sponsered by LL Bean. It is a really great place and I would love to go back and do it all again. I, however, did not get my fill of lobster, so I need to go back and eat more lobster. The first night there, my DH was trying to back into the campsite and was having a very hard time with it....I went off and checked out the night sky. It was so bright with stars and I ended up counting that I saw 8 metetors streak across the sky....it was fantastic! I have not see a sky like that since I was in the desert 20 years ago.

springer02 · Jan 14, 2006, 08:35 PM

DD and I talked about this tonight while walking the dogs and we agreed that it was a June weekend at Loft Mountain in the Shenandoah National Park. We went with another family and had a wonderful time although DD had a awful bike "wreck" and really tore up her knees and was sore for a while afterwards. The weather was perfect and we got to know our friends much better!

Tena

Can't wait to camp!

brainpause · Jan 15, 2006, 04:57 AM

Hmmmm....2005 wasn't the best year for camping, although we made several trips. We had a great first experience (despite the rain) at Clabough's Campground in Pigeon Forge.

I haven't discussed it with Holly, but probably my two favorites were with Tim and Felica at Cloudland Canyon (3 day weekend, beautiful weather), and another trip I went on by myself while Holly was in Ohio. Camped with some TPUC'ers at Montgomery Bell. They felt sorry for The Bachelor (me), and fed me well! Holly soon came home to me (from school in Ohio), and we went on trips together.

Larry

Milt · Jan 16, 2006, 04:36 PM

Our best camping trip of 2005 was Glacier National Park in August fro two weeks. Left Appleton, Wisc, across Minnisota and North Dakota, then to Teddy Roosevelt National Monument, from there into Glacier. From Glacier we went to Little Bighorn National Monument, then on to Cody, WY and on to Custer S.P., SD. A beautiful trip with lots of nice scenery. 3,400 miles round trip.

tlhdoc · Jan 16, 2006, 04:52 PM

Welcome to PUT. Milt sounds like a great trip. We are going to the Custer SP area this coming summer (unless gas makes the trip too expensive for us). Anything we shouldn't miss in that area?

mlslocks · Jan 16, 2006, 06:50 PM

My best trip was to Lake Glory cg. We borrowed a popup and camped with about 10 family friends. The next week I bought my first popup. The trial run is what sold my wife.

Lee

tlhdoc · Jan 16, 2006, 07:25 PM

Quote from: mlslocksMy best trip was to Lake Glory cg. We borrowed a popup and camped with about 10 family friends. The next week I bought my first popup. The trial run is what sold my wife.

Lee

Is that the same Lake Glory that is owned by Knoebles Grove?

jakelaw · Jan 16, 2006, 07:50 PM

Our favorite trip this year was not our usual, anual trip to Grand Teton NP, (that ended early with my son in the hospital.) Our favorite trip was in October to Capitol Reef. We didn't really do anything, just relaxed and played with the kids and the dog. The campground at Fruita is great and very nice. No hookups, but there are flush toilets and a dump station. We fed apples to the deer in the orchard, and took a driving tour of the sites. Overall, one of the best trips in a long time.

mlslocks · Jan 16, 2006, 08:34 PM

Quote from: tlhdocIs that the same Lake Glory that is owned by Knoebles Grove?

That's the one. Our friends have been going there for 4 years. This past July was our first.

tlhdoc · Jan 17, 2006, 05:12 AM

Quote from: mlslocksThat's the one. Our friends have been going there for 4 years. This past July was our first.

I have never even seen the campgound, but a guy I work with manages the CG. I live about 40 minutes from the park.

SkipP · Jan 17, 2006, 04:58 PM

Quote from: jakelawOur favorite trip this year was not our usual, anual trip to Grand Teton NP, (that ended early with my son in the hospital.) Our favorite trip was in October to Capitol Reef. We didn't really do anything, just relaxed and played with the kids and the dog. The campground at Fruita is great and very nice. No hookups, but there are flush toilets and a dump station. We fed apples to the deer in the orchard, and took a driving tour of the sites. Overall, one of the best trips in a long time.

Jake, is Capital Reef a cool place or what? The petriglyphs (sp?..ancient graffiti) are just the tip of the iceberg. After a visit there, it's easy to see why settlers made that their home.

jakelaw · Jan 17, 2006, 07:58 PM

Skip, it is great! We also really like Goblin Valley SP which is just to the east. One of the things we like there is that we can take the pooches with, even on trails.

veryolddog · Jan 18, 2006, 06:05 PM

Our favorite trip last year was to the Elkmont Campgroung in Great Smokey Mountain National Park. The campground is fairly primitive since there are no hookups whatsoever. You get a very lovely wooded camp site with a fire pit and picnic table. Water is supplied from a common faucet. There are also common rest rooms strategically placed around the campground. We enjoyed the ambiance very much. Excellent hiking trails, fishing in the Little River, cooking in the Dutch Oven and a nice campfire at night. Very quiet, relaxing and a very pleasant place to stay.

News:

Where was your best camping trip in 2005?

vjm1639

HersheyGirl

springer02

SkipP