Let Camping Season begin!

[kcp1377]

It feels like this wait for winter to leave NY has been the longest ever! But we picked up our RV from the service center this weekend (had a recall on the front cap, which was fixed) so that means that we're ready to go whenever we want! Yippee! We still have a bit of time left before our FW trip, but I'm just happy to be looking forward to a summer full of camping!

And of course even though we're 5 months out from our trip, I'm already planning for it. One of the last times we used the camper last year was at Disney, so it was fun opening it up this year and finding all our hats, pin lanyards, mugs, etc... (we left them in there in the closet so they didn't get lost inside the house!)

YAY! It's camping season!!

 

[North of Mouse]

YES!!!!! I agree! Hopefully, we will see the Fort one week from tomorrow

 

[Southern Bell]

I am so ready for spring and camping! Won't see Disney untill July!

 

[storyteller]

Ready to go.. In my head we are already driving down, first to my parents then to the Fort for the 14th... it's getting crazy around here... kids are very happy to go to school away from me... LOL

 

[kcp1377]

So jealous that everyone is going before us! I know Sept will be here soon enough and don't want to wish the summer away! If it weren't such a long drive (so expensive to drive with the current gas prices) we could go more often. DH is already mentally preparing for the drive. We go straight through and I can't help drive, so it's 27 hours for him. Poor guy!

 

[TOGA]

Yes, so ready!

 

[motherof4]

I can't wait either! Our trip to the Fort is the end of August! But I have booked our first weekend trip for June 8th unless the weather is really nice before then! We always go to the same park every year for our first weekend trip, Killbear Provincial Park in Parry Sound, Ontario! Can't wait for the season to start!

 

[JanL]

"...so it's 27 hours for him. Poor guy!"

that sounds dangerous...tell me he at least naps a few hours along the way? If not, let me know when the 27 hours starts so I can get off the road then!!!

 

[kcp1377]

"...so it's 27 hours for him. Poor guy!"

that sounds dangerous...tell me he at least naps a few hours along the way? If not, let me know when the 27 hours starts so I can get off the road then!!!

Of course! That's the best part of having the RV - we pull over, let the kids run around and he naps. We take lots of breaks too (that's kind of a no brainer with kids since they have to stop so often!) And honestly, that's kind of a snotty way to say it - to let you know so you can get off the road. Not really called for. Hoping it's one of those times when you can't tell tone from just reading and that you didn't mean it that way.

 

[kcp1377]

Spoke too soon about nice weather... it's snowing out. Blech!

 

[WDWCP96]

We just came back from our first camping trip of the season and our longest in our travel trailer. Very excited for our 12 days at the Fort in June/July which will then be our longest camping trip ever!

 

[North of Mouse]

So jealous that everyone is going before us! I know Sept will be here soon enough and don't want to wish the summer away! If it weren't such a long drive (so expensive to drive with the current gas prices) we could go more often. DH is already mentally preparing for the drive. We go straight through and I can't help drive, so it's 27 hours for him. Poor guy!

"...so it's 27 hours for him. Poor guy!"

that sounds dangerous...tell me he at least naps a few hours along the way? If not, let me know when the 27 hours starts so I can get off the road then!!!

And honestly, that's kind of a snotty way to say it - to let you know so you can get off the road. Not really called for. Hoping it's one of those times when you can't tell tone from just reading and that you didn't mean it that way.

Wow, I was thinking sort of along the lines of JanL about it being dangerous. What she said, sort of tongue in cheek, would have been my sentiments exactly from what you posted in that one post. Even with a few naps thrown in, 27 hours straight with 'one driver' is a gruelingly long drive. If you could spend one night on the road sure would make for a safer drive.

 

[kcp1377]

We just came back from our first camping trip of the season and our longest in our travel trailer. Very excited for our 12 days at the Fort in June/July which will then be our longest camping trip ever!

Exciting!! I hope your first camping trip was great!

 

[kcp1377]

Edited to say that rest assured DH is used to it and we do it perfectly safely. If he's tired we stop for the night, but most of the time it's fine because we get plenty of sleep during the trip and before we leave (we time it correctly). I don't want to create drama, I just think it could have been said without the unnecessary dig based on assumptions.

 

[bama_ed]

I know what you guys mean. I always look forward to another season of taking my popup places.

Down south our spring starts sooner and I just got back last week from spring break in New Orleans, LA (first trip of the year). We camped at Bayou Segnette SP which was a winner. Spent 3 days in the city (ate well, heard some jazz, tried to avoid Bourbon Street with the DW and DD well i kinda tried). Want to go back to the WW2 Museum. Spent 3 hours there and it deserves more.

Also saw some plantations, toured the Tabasco factory, and visited Grand Isle at the end of the earth (so to speak).

The camper performed well but I need to fix a few things. Happily, I'll do it to get it ready for whenever the next trip rolls around.

Bama ED

 

[North of Mouse]

Sorry, here!

Ahhhh! NOLA, just a short hop from Hammond (home). My dh & brother went to the WW2 museum and stayed all day (mostly, leaving good ole NOLA by 3:30 to beat the rush). They still didn't have enough time. Not my cup of tea! Sis & I spent the time on the River Walk and Mall. A great place to visit (to me, but a terrible place to live). Glad you had a great camping trip!

 

[kcp1377]

You've just added New Orleans to our must visit list, Bama Ed! I never thought of it as a camping destination, but it sounds awesome! DH would love the tabasco factory too!

 

[bama_ed]

You've just added New Orleans to our must visit list, Bama Ed! I never thought of it as a camping destination, but it sounds awesome! DH would love the tabasco factory too!

Well, I don't want to overpromise and underdeliver.

It's not much of a tour. A 5-minute intro from a guide person, a five-minute video, then walk past a long glass window that overlooks the bottling machines. They were bottling the classic red pepper sauce for Japan (japanese labels). The Avery Island plant is the only Tabasco bottling plant in the world.

The gift shop next door is a death trap though. Lots of beautiful logo'ed souvenirs that are all generously priced to produce a profit. I had an armful of stuff then as I stood in line to check out and mentally added it up, I had to step out of line and put most of it back.

They had free samples of tabasco chili, tabasco soda, raspberry tabasco, but sadly, the tabasco ice cream machine was broken...

But they also hand out some little miniatures on the tour. Tiny bottles of hot sauce less than an inch tall. Those are cute.

Bama ED

PS - it was a 2hr 15min drive each way from our NOLA state park.

 

[North of Mouse]

The Tabasco tour seems to have shrunk in length since we were there many years ago. Did you know that the owner just died (only 68). He was the fourth generation to run the Tabasco plant. Did you drive through the Jungle Gardens also? It also sits atop the same salt domes. Lots of scary gators around! Lots of gorgeous gardens and plantation homes down there when you have more time! Sorry, I'm sounding like a tour guide now!

 

[bama_ed]

The Tabasco tour seems to have shrunk in length since we were there many years ago. Did you know that the owner just died (only 68). He was the fourth generation to run the Tabasco plant. Did you drive through the Jungle Gardens also? It also sits atop the same salt domes. Lots of scary gators around! Lots of gorgeous gardens and plantation homes down there when you have more time! Sorry, I'm sounding like a tour guide now!

Sorry, no I didn't drive through the Gardens.

I made the same mistake with the Tabasco tour that I did with the WW2 Museum. I went in the morning before lunch. That leaves not as much time to sight see before we get hungry. In the Tabasco case, we got to the Tabasco plant just after 1130 am (after driving the 2-15 hours) and had to wait till 1215 pm for the next tour. By the time we finished the tour and the gift shop it was 115 pm and the kids were in near riot mode from hunger.

We had to go into New Iberia in search of lunch. I had a fine mess of chicken livers and fries (personally, I don't find chicken livers too often when eating out so I get them whenever I see them).

We did tour Oak Alley Plantation which was beautiful but windy that day.

It's amazing to think the guy built the house in the 1830s. But the 28 oaks had been planted by an earlier settler in the 1760s. They were already mature by the time the house was built.....

Bama ED