RE: Heading out...

[Giffster]

 Just wanted to let everyone know that I m heading out for my 2nd camping trip this year.  []  Only a 2 nighter, but that s better than nothing.  Bad part is, it s going to be in the upper 60 s and low 40 s.  My coldest trip yet.  Might even get to use my furnance! []
 
 Talk to ya ll on Sunday,
 
 Cheers

[AustinBoston]

 Giffster

ORIGINAL:  Giffster
 ...Bad part is, it s going to be in the upper 60 s and low 40 s.

 Oh, you re talking ABOVE zero.  I forgot there were temps that warm!
 
 Enjoy!
 
 Austin

[Gamecock Camper]

 Giffster
Have a great time and remind us all (when you get back) what it s like out there.  The weather should be excellent this weekend.  Too bad we already have plans or we might be heading out too.

[tlhdoc]

 Giffster
Have a good time.[]  Even if we are looking at several months until camping again.[:@]

[topcat7736]

 Giffster
Furnace? Are you kidding?? After the past two weeks, I d be wearing a tee shirt and shorts if the temperature reached 40!
 
 And what s this SECOND trip of the 31 day old year junk? I m still wondering if our popup is ok under the glacier that s sitting on top of it. [][]
 
 Well, have a good time Doug. Think of us sitting around our radiators just before you pass out from all the brewski s. [][][]

[Giffster]

 Giffster
I m back from my 2 nighter trip.  Met Henry (Hybrd1) and his family.  They are on the way to Disney.  I think that makes 9 PUT people I ve met in the short time I ve been on this site.  
 
 Anyway.....to the trip and my SPUT s.  (just when ya thought you were good at " setting up" ).  I left work at my usual time and headed home to pack up the truck.  I figured I d have plenty of time to get to the cg before they locked the gate.......WRONG!  I got delayed for over 30 mins in a traffic jam due to some road construction.  After getting to the house, it only took 15 min or so to load up and hitch the PU up.  A one hour drive ahead of me, I figured, since the park closed at dark, I d make it just in time.  I arrived to a very locked gate, and guess what.....I didn t have the phone # for the ranger for after hours entry.  I grabbed my cell phone and slipped under the very locked gate (no, I wasn t trespassing!  I had reservations) to try and find a phone number.  Zero luck on the phone numbers.  So, here I am, ready to camp, sitting infront of a locked gate, trying to figure out what to do.  I could have headed home or go find a rest stop on the interstate to hang out, but decided to wait it out.  Maybe, just maybe someone had to run to the Wally World and would show up at any moment.  After 30 min or so, no luck.  Just about the time I was ready to leave, a car drove up on a side road, stopped, then backed up to the gate where I was.  A young lady got out and asked if I needed to get in the park.  I told her, " Nah, I ll just wait here till the morning"  (joking of course, I didn t say that). Lucky for me it was the rangers wife!  She got the combo for the lock and let me in.  Now it s camping time!
 
 I get to the site and noticed a very empty campground.  Only 2 other campers in the place.  Time to set up.  My first time I ve had to set the PU in the dark, and for some reason, I didn t have a flashlight handy.  Not good.  I used my lighter to check the level of the PU.  Well, it s dark, but I got the PU up on 1 piece of board to level it, then unhitched the truck.  I go to pull out the front bunk and now is when the work " chock"  comes into play.  I pulled the entire PU off the board I had just leveled it with.  I r not a happy camper!  Bunk pushed back in......truck rehitched, then releveled and chocked.  After an hour or so, I had everything unpacked, site setup and took me a well deserved break (beer).  The rest of the weekend went great and had a great time.  The heat strip worked very well as usual.  Temps were in the upper 40 s at night, but inside the PU it was a toasty 68 degrees (had the temp level set 1/2 way on the heat strip).  
 
 Can t wait to go camping again, but learned 2 important lessons.  Two less SPUTs that will never happen to me again........1) get phone # s of the cg before leaving and 2)chock the PU.
 
 Cheers all

[tlhdoc]

 Giffster
Giffster glad you had a good trip.  []

[Papaso]

 Giffster
Hey Giffster, where ja go.

[fivegonefishing]

 Giffster
That was a great story...maybe you should also keep a lantern or flashlight handy as well?[]

[Giffster]

 Papaso
Falling Waters State Park (Florida s highest waterfall), near Chipley, FL.

[Giffster]

 fivegonefishing
Doh, I had my coleman lantern in the back of my truck.  Didn t even think about using it.  Guess I had " flashlight"  on my mind.  Lessons learned.

[Papaso]

 Giffster
Wow that s way up there. We re hoping to get up to St. Andrews in late July, early August on our way back from the Smokies. I ve been thinking about a day trip to Falling Waters. What do you think or should we spend a couple of nights at both places. Thanks for any info.

[Giffster]

 Papaso
If you have a reservation at St. Andrews, Falling Waters is about 1 1/2 hr drive north.  The sink holes are pretty cool, plus it s Florida s highest waterfall.  (not a Niagera for sure, but....)
 
 When time gets closer, give me an email or whatever.  I can help you out with this part of Florida.
 
 Cheers
 

[Papaso]

 Giffster
Hey thanks, same goes for this neck of the woods. We re headed to Oscar Scherer on the 21st. and Anatasia on March 29th. We haven t made reservations for  St Andrews still not sure of the dates I can break free. I ll let you know as time draws near.
  Happy Camping

[AustinBoston]

 Giffster

ORIGINAL:  Giffster
 Two less SPUTs that will never happen to me again........

 I have learned (mostly from others, but there is some personal experience here) that as soon as I think " I did that once, and I ll never let it happen again"  that I m sure to do it at least one more time, especially if I am relying on actually learning from my experience![]
 
 Austin (there s them that have, and them that will...and them that will again)