Cascade Lake Recreation Area; Brevard NC

July 3-9, 2009
Cascade Lake CG Site #B7
Pisgah Forest, NC
$135 for 6 nights

615 miles round trip, 8.2 mpg, $2.58 per gallon gas
Passport America discount during the week :)
Like Sites B8,B9,C7,C32,D19,P4, and P9.5 (sat tv should work on these too)

Friday-Travel day. We came to this CG last October to celebrate our 25 years together and knew we had to return. The traffic wasn't too bad. We stopped at the RV Super Store in Mocksville NC and test drove a Newmar Dutchstar MH. Very impressive (drool). As we arrived in the CG, we noticed our brakes smelled hot. We're in the mountains near Brevard. Transylvania County is known as the "Land of the Waterfalls". It's comfortably cool (79) here but crowded. Most of the people will leave on Sunday or Monday but the families are certainly enjoying themselves.
Saturday-Happy Independence Day!! We were tired so we just relaxed at the CG all day. It's very nice weather so we sat outside a lot. In the afternoon, we walked down to the kayak/canoe launch stopping to watch the kids 3-legged races. It was a lot of family fun time at the swim lake. After supper, we decided to take our bag chairs down to watch the kids sing karaoke and more family fun. We enjoyed watching but we certainly didn't sing. They held several prize drawings at the end of the evening and we won the Grand Prize!! It's a free 7 night vacation here next year. We are checking my schedule for June. When I call to make the reservation, I just need to remember to mention it. We like site B8 beside us. On the other side of us is a volunteer host who is a retired deputy from the area. His son is a trooper with NCSHP and has his family here this week also. We always meet fellow LEOs when we camp. They must crave positive interaction with people as much as I do.
Sunday-Boy did this place clear out in a hurry. It rained some in the early morning so it was humid all day. We went in to Brevard to get a few things and relaxed at the CG the rest of the day. We tried ladderball. It's not as easy as it looks.
Monday- We launched the kayaks in Cascade Lake and paddled upstream to Hooker Falls. While Gin fished a cove, I looked into the trees and saw a big owl silently float from one tree to another! The banks are steep and thick with green. There is mountain laurel, rhododendron with blooms all along the way, hemlock, mature white pine, scrub pine, and dozens of other kinds of plants. There are spent blossoms floating on the clear, cool, still water. We got out of our kayaks at Hooker Falls and floated in the cold water. Gin caught a bass on the paddle back. She released it of course. It started raining pretty hard so we paddled to some overhanging hemlock to stay dry. It was a wonderful day in Sylville. This is a pic of Hooker Falls in the fall of 2008.



Tuesday-We rode around the area and picked up a nice geocache at Connestee Falls. Highway 64 west of Brevard is way curvy. The MH is not going there! The Blue Ridge Parkway is nice. It's cooler (65) at 4500 feet elevation. We were planning to hike to Moore's Cove Falls and do some geocacheing but it was too crowded. Looking Glass Falls which is right beside the road, was too crowded also. We found a nice little turnout not far from Davidson River CG. You could easily walk to the river. Gin bought a winning scratch off ticket ($100) on the way home. Our luck continues. Here's us at Looking Glass Falls in the fall of 2008.



Wednesday-We enjoyed our last day here by kayaking the lake. We took the GPS and I crawled up the steep bank to look for "Get Hooked". My legs were too weak. The irony of it is that on Monday when it rained while we were paddling, this is the exact spot that we took shelter under the overhanging hemlock branches. We got back about 4:30 to pack up the outside stuff and finished just as it started raining. We got the most out of the day.
Thursday-Travel day. It drizzled during the first half of the drive. It's funny how the tension of traffic returns when we get closer to Durham. We love the Brevard area and this CG because there is so much to do. It is a Passport America CG that honors the discount several days during the week instead of just one day. The camp volunteers are nice and friendly. It is operated by the Cradle of Forestry in America. We will return next year.

Croatan National Forest; Cedar Point NC

June 7-21, 2009
Croatan National Forest, NC
Cedar Point CG Site #13
14 nights for $119
270 miles round trip; 8.0 mpg; $2.64 per gallon gas

Sunday-Travel day. It was overcast which is good for traveling. We towed Suki with the bicycles and the kayaks on top. We also had firewood in the back. We got our usual spot. I don't think there's any bad spot here. It was hot but we set up the screen tent in front of the tv outside. Gin's National Parks Access Pass is honored here so it is quite a deal to be only 3 or 4 miles from the beach at Emerald Isle where there is free public parking at the shore.
Monday-We rode the bikes in the CG some. Gin's brother Butch lives nearby so we visited him on our way to Lowes. We drove over to Emerald Isle and picked up shrimp burger plates for lunch. Gin played Guitar Hero outside while I relaxed and enjoyed the squirrels. We rode our bikes again in the evening.
Tuesday-We kayaked to an island geocache near Swansboro. From the Wildlife landing to the island and back was about 2.5 miles. The climb up the sand dune to get to the cache was tough but the view was beautiful! We would have stayed and savored it longer but the terns let us know that this was their nesting grounds. You could see the ocean waves splashing into the inlet. We looked for little shells on the shore of the island. We went home, showered, and napped. Later we went out for supper at Pelican Island. A storm came in and it rained into the night. Here's a pic of me with the cache log and one of the inlet meeting the ocean.



Wednesday-A day to relax but my bike had a flat tire so we went to WalMart in Morehead City. We stopped at Lowes Foods on the way home to get sushi for lunch. It was nap time and then Gin fixed my tire. She is tech support and life support to me. :) We walked Smudge (our devil of a dog) through the CG. There are about 45 sites and only 2 are vacant on a Wednesday. We finished the day with a game of Rummy before going to bed.
Thursday-We went to the NC Aquarium in Pine Knoll Shoals. It was remodeled a couple of years ago and is very nice. We had Dairy Queen moo lattes for lunch and Gin fixed her spinach souffle and okra, tomato, rice dishes for supper. We'll have left overs that way.
Friday and Saturday-I had to work Friday and Saturday so we drove Suki back to Clayton. We left Wanda (MH) and all the stuff in the CG. We'll be back Sunday!
Sunday-We got to the CG at 2:30Am to sleep a little. We got shrimp and scallops at the fish market and also got squash and watermelon at the produce stand. It rained all afternoon. Butch joined us for supper.
Monday-We started the day with blue tank duties. We rode our bikes on the trail to get the clues for the geocache "Marsha Marsha Marsha". We may go find it in the Fall when we come back here. We rested a bit and then rode the bikes on the longer trail to get "a bridge too far" geocache. We walked Smudge together in the evening.
Tuesday-Another rainy day. The camp host Julie dropped by for a chat while I cut up the watermelon in the morning. She and her husband Steve are very friendly and make great camp hosts. They don't put up with mess. We went to Lowes Foods for a grocery run. Our friend Marie visited in the afternoon. We met her and Nicole while camping in Luray, Va in 2008. They are from Philadelphia and are in Emerald Isle for a few days. Smudge enjoyed another family stroll at twilight.
Wednesday-We started the day by filling the fresh water tank. We put on our 45 sunblock, loaded up the kayaks, snacks and packs, and headed over to Hammocks Beach State Park to paddle out to Bear Island. It was too windy to go out but it is a pretty place. We decided to go to Long Point and paddle up to Haywood's Landing on the White Oak River. We ate lunch in the Suki while it rained. We paddled about 4 hours total. There wasn't much wildlife except for the alligator about 200 yards from the end of our paddle. It was a nice but long day. Our arms are sore.
Thursday-I took a good look at the map. We paddled more than 6 miles total yesterday so today is for resting. We took down the screen and lights from the outside room. Gin played Guitar Hero while I watched birds. We ended the day with peanut butter cup smores by the campfire.
Friday-We spent the day at the shore. The beach umbrella blew down so we got a little too much sun. Marie and Nicole joined us as we bobbed in the waves. The four of us went out for supper at Portofino's. Marie's daughters and nieces are with them but they are a generation younger so they went their own way.
Saturday-It was very hot but we packed up our outdoor stuff. We went over to Julie and Steve's (camp host) for a cookout. We were joined by Roger (co-camp host) and his girlfriend Frankie, and full-timers Dorothy and Chris. We met them here last year when they were using a tent and a car. They now have a good Allegro MH from the 1980's. She is from Canada and he is from Hawaii. Interesting couple. Gin enjoyed a healthy debate with Steve on every subject.
Sunday-Travel day. We rode the bikes one last time on the long trail. It was a windy ride back to Clayton. We like this CG because it is close to the beach and there is so much to do in the area.

Jordan Lake State Park; Apex NC

May 8-14, 2009
Jordan Lake State Park; Apex NC
Poplar Point CG Site #E99
$120 for 6 nights
83 miles round trip, 7.4 mpg, $2.25 per gallon gas
Like sites in Loop E: 93, 94, 95, 98(sunny pull thru), 99, 100, 122, 124, and 121(off water)

Friday-Travel day. I towed the waverunners with the MH while Gin drove Suki with the kayaks on top. She had people smiling and pointing as they drove by. It was a very smooth and relaxingly easy set up day. The waverunners launched great and started right up with their new batteries. We took a short ride on the waverunners in the afternoon. The water was a bit cool when it splashed on us.
Saturday-It was windy and hot(91). Since there were whitecaps on the lake, we didn't take the waverunners out. We kayaked a few coves over to a quiet sandy beach. We sat there on our blue folding stools and swam a bit to cool off. If you caught the waves just right while in the kayak, it was like body surfing. A storm came up at supper so we quickly rolled in the awning and put away the outside stuff.

Sunday-Happy Mother's Day! The overcast cool morning was great for paddling the coves. Gin took her fishing gear but didn't have any luck. It was a sunny afternoon so we took the waverunners for a ride. We found an island geocache. Another is on a bird nesting island. We just drove around it some and looked at all the blue herons and loons. It smelled fishy.
Monday-Rainy and cool. A good day to nap. We had a Panera bagel and coffee. I drove Suki to Parker's Creek CG across the lake and saw 3 or 4 deer bounding through the woods. After July, Poplar Point and Crosswinds are reservation only CGs. Parker's Creek will remain first come but it isn't as nice. While it does have new pavement, there is no electricity on the waterfront sites and big trees are growing in the patio area of many sites. We just spent the day relaxing in the MH. It was cool enough that we needed the space heater.
Tuesday-What a beautiful day!! We rode the waverunners to the dam and did some geocaching. We found one on an island but the log was way to wet to sign in. Gin is better at finding the caches than I am but we enjoy the hunt together. We came back and took a relaxing paddle. The water was so smooth. The crows cawed, the herons screeched their hoarse scream, and the buzzards "woofed" like a protective dog. We ate chicken rollups by the campfire and watched tv outside. This was a great day in Sylville.
Wednesday-It was too cool to enjoy the waverunners so we took them out at the boat ramp. We spent a little time on the kayaks in the afternoon. We enjoyed smores by the evening campfire. Our dog Smudge isn't doing too good. Her hips are hurting and I think I cracked a tooth.
Thursday-Travel day. It drizzled early but stopped long enough for us to pack up. It rained while driving around Raleigh. It was a very peaceful week of relaxation.