Camping Season '19 Begins

[Warren Mary Ellen]

A little over two weeks away from kicking off camping season for 2019. This will be a long weekend at Keowee-Toxaway State Park at foot of the mountains here in SC. Last year we kicked off our season there as well. About an hour from the house. Hopefully, the rain we have had since the beginning of November will let up. Normally, in the first 2 months we would have gotten 3 inches or so and right now we are at 13+. And when it rains in SC, it is either 35 and rainy or it is a thunderstorm. Hopefully, we get some hiking in and some cycling in for me while we are up there. And hopefully watch Wofford College(my alma mater) in the NCAA Basketball tournament that weekend too. Luckily, there is a microbrewery about 5 miles down the road.

We have reservations at several other state parks in the spring and fall. Our summer plans are still up in the air. Our daughter is a Junior at Clemson and in July she begins a 6 month Co-op with Burt's Bees in Durham, NC. She does not know the exact start date and we won't make plans for summer camping until we know more concrete details for her. The Midwest, New England, or Quebec are possibilities along with a few other destinations.

 

[Ben]

Sounds like a fun agenda between Midwest, New England and Quebec. If you head up to Maine, I'd recommend Mount Desert Campground. My wife and I went up last summer and camped for a week. It is a private campground on the water but seemed much nicer than the ones in the national park. We were going to go again but got pulled into a trip to Telluride, CO for a bluegrass festival instead (sans teardrop sadly).

Although I've drawn the line on not towing when the roads are salted or significant rain is forecast, I don't really have a beginning and end of camping season. In the winter when there is a break in the weather it's easy to grab a spot last minute at most campgrounds that remain open. Unfortunately it has been extremely wet in the mid-Atlantic for over a year now. 2018 was by far the wettest year on record for this area and it hasn't let up in 2019. We've only had 3 weekends without rain or snow since the beginning of December and I got out twice in that window.

Keep us posted on your travel plans!

 

[hiadventurer]

Us also...but not till May 1st. Several short excursions, then on road from Aug. 30 thru Sept 22nd. Jasper, Banff and Galcier N.P. Exploring between home and there and back again...

 

[Warren Mary Ellen]

Sounds like a fun agenda between Midwest, New England and Quebec. If you head up to Maine, I'd recommend Mount Desert Campground. My wife and I went up last summer and camped for a week. It is a private campground on the water but seemed much nicer than the ones in the national park. We were going to go again but got pulled into a trip to Telluride, CO for a bluegrass festival instead (sans teardrop sadly).

Although I've drawn the line on not towing when the roads are salted or significant rain is forecast, I don't really have a beginning and end of camping season. In the winter when there is a break in the weather it's easy to grab a spot last minute at most campgrounds that remain open. Unfortunately it has been extremely wet in the mid-Atlantic for over a year now. 2018 was by far the wettest year on record for this area and it hasn't let up in 2019. We've only had 3 weekends without rain or snow since the beginning of December and I got out twice in that window.

Keep us posted on your travel plans!

Yes, it has been wet down here too. Not quite as much as you in the mid-Atlantic, but we are sick of it. We camped near Richmond and then at Trap Pond State Park in Delaware last summer. So we got a taste of your rain last July. There have been few weekends here this winter that have not involved rain. The only frozen stuff was some sleet in December which unusual to get down here. Hopefully, we are done with any chance because at this late date for us, it would be freezing rain.

 

[Warren Mary Ellen]

Us also...but not till May 1st. Several short excursions, then on road from Aug. 30 thru Sept 22nd. Jasper, Banff and Galcier N.P. Exploring between home and there and back again...

We did Glacier in 2015, our first year with our 560 Ultra. One night at St. Mary's campground and than 4 at Many Glacier which we liked a lot. Sounds like a fun trip. Looking forward to retirement in a few years so I can travel more in a time other than summer. I am eligible to retire at the end of the school year, but being able to afford to retire is another story especially with one in college.