Stray Cat's (#539) First 100 Nights

LisaNKevin · Apr 5, 2021

We picked up the Stray Cat, #539, on October 1, 2012. This was the Monday after CICO, which we swung by to check out the day before as many were packing up. After our orientation we headed for our first stop and beyond.

There she is!

Cary orienting us

The way out of the Nest...

Trip 1 (Wisconsin to Florida)

Devils Lake SP, Baraboo WI: Great park! The first night was cold and we accidentally left the fan open and the windows open and didn't bring enough covers. And so the learning curve began. 2 nights, 2 total
Kickapoo SP, Danville, IL: Very nice park, had the whole grassy loop near the water to ourselves and one other couple. 1 night, 3 total
Nolin Lake, Mammoth Cave, KY: It was 'okay'. Pretty full and a bit noisy but okay for a stopover.Clean, gravel sites. We didn't have time to explore the area. Not our cup of tea, won't stay again. 1 night, 4 total
McKinney COE Campground, Acworth, GA: Very nice site on Lake Allatoona. We'd stay here again. 1 night, 5 total

Trip 2: Paynes Prairie SP, Micanopy, FL: This wonderful SP is near us and we stay here frequently. 1 night, 6T

Trip 3: Lake Griffin SP, Fruitland Park, FL: Not a favorite campground. Many sites are on top of each other. 2 nights, 8T

Trip 4: Rodman Dam Reservoir, Palatka, FL: 3 camping areas. 1) near the lake, not much vegetation, right on top of each other. 2) tents only...a teardrop could easily fit and it's the nicest area but they are adamant that no trailers, campers, etc come in, only tents. 3) this is the loop we stayed in, 2 parts. Part 1 is in a treed area, looks nice. Behind it is a large berm. On the other side of the berm is another camp area that looks over a manmade channel, remnants of the defunct Cross Florida Barge Canal. This is where we stayed. Not much to do here unless you fish or have your bike. 2 nights, 10T

Pictures taken from the berm.

Trip 5: Paynes Prairie SP, Micanopy, FL. 2 nights,12T
Trip 6: Tomoka SP, Ormond Beach, FL: nice park, watch for ticks in season. 2 nights, 14T

Trip 7: Oconee SP, Mountain Rest, SC: We went in March and there were hardly any other campers. Looks like a popular summertime park as there's a lake there. 3 nights, 17T

Trip 8: Paynes Prairie SP, Micanopy, FL. 1 night, 18T

Trip 9: McKinney COE Campground, Acworth, GA: 3 night, 21T

Trip 10: Arkansas Trip

Tombigbee SP, Tupelo, MS: Got in late, left early. Seemed nice enough for a stopover. 1 night, 22T
Buffalo National River NP, Yellville, AR: We didn't have nice weather, rain, wind. Nobody was there, again, seems to be a summer destination on the river. 5 nights, 27T
LeFleurs Bluff SP, Jackson, MS: Hidden gem in the middle of the city. Very clean showers, restrooms. 2 night, 28T

Trip 11: Rodman Recreation Area, Palatka, FL: See Trip 4. 1 night, 29T
Trip 12: Jonathan Dickinson SP, Hobe Sound, FL: It was nice then in 3/2014 but Hurricane Irma wiped out the canopy of trees in the campgrounds in 2017. 2 nights, 31T.
Trip 13: Oscar Scherer SP, Osprey, FL: It was hot and buggy. There are some nice sites and there are some not nice in any sense of the word sites. 1 night, 32T

Trip 14: Anastasia SP, St. Augustine, FL: One of the gems of FL SP's. Right at the beach, can be difficult to procure a site. 2 nights, 34T

Trip 15: Wekiwa Springs SP, Apopka, FL: Close to tons of shopping areas so you can hear some city noises but the park is quite nice. 2 nights, 36T

Trip 16: FL Panhandle Trip

Florida Caverns SP, Marianna, FL: Super cool SP but suffered extensive damage from Hurricane Michael in 2018, losing ~90% of its canopy. 2 nights, 38T
Stephen Foster SP, Okeefenokee, GA: Nice campground far from civilization. Don't forget anything. 1 night, 39T
Fort Clinch SP, Fernandina Beach, FL: There are 2 areas to camp. One is right at the dunes on the Atlantic, it can be cold and windy. The other is very nice, heavily wooded. The fort is worth exploring and the town is cute and worth walking around. 2 nights, 41T

Trip 17: O'Leno SP, High Springs, FL: Very nice SP. 3 nights, 44T

Trip 18: Blue Springs SP, Orange City, FL: Nice park, 1 night, 45T

Trip 19: Paynes Prairie, Micanopy, FL: 1 night, 46T
Trip 20: Georgia, NC Trip

Little Ochmolgee SP, Helena, GA: overnighter, not a repeat. Golf course attached. 1 night, 47T
Black Rock Mountain SP, Clayton, GA: We LOVE this park! So much to do, beautiful! It's a steep climb to pull your teardrop but worth it. 2 nights, 49T
Cataloochee NP, Great Smokey Mtns: Beautiful, stunning. No hookups. Get a site on the river, sleep with the doors open. Elk come into the campground sometimes, there's a viewing area also you can see late afternoon. Closed last of 4/2021 due to Covid. 3 nights, 52T.
Hard Labor SP, Rutledge, GA: Nice enough for a stopover on the way home. Heavily utilized. 1N, 53T

Trip 21: Ft. DeSoto CP, Tierra Verde, FL: Beautiful sites. The site we stayed at was right on the water and no bugs. There is an area before that where you must stay if you have pets. It's less attractive and buggy. My sister stayed in that loop at the same time and they were driven inside by the no-see-ums. 2N, 55T

Trip 22: Home in the driveway. We had company and we gave them our bedroom. The amenities were first rate! :-D 1N, 56T

Trip 23:

Florida Caverns SP, Marianna, FL: 3 nights, 59T
3 Rivers SP, Sneads, FL: Small hidden gem. Not sure how they fared in Hurricane Michael. 2N, 61T

Trip 24: Silver Springs SP, Silver Springs, FL: This is our home campground, we both volunteer there. So much to do! Biking, kayaking, (no swimming!), hiking (a lot of trails), ride the Glass Bottom Boats. This is where Johnny Weissmuller was filmed for Tarzan movies, where Sea Hunt filmed, Creature from the Black Lagoon, etc etc etc. It has a rich history. 2 nights, 63T

Trip 25: Juniper Springs, NP, Ocala, FL: No hookups. Very nice park. Some sites are better than others. Look on the map and maybe avoid the area that is next to Hwy 40. 2 nights, 65T

Trip 26: Moss Park CP, Orlando, FL: Hidden gem south of the city of Orlando. 2 nights, 67T

Trip 27: Fore Lake National Forest Recreation Area, Ocala, FL: It's very wooded and nice. There's a lake if you want to swim or fish. Closed as of 4/02/2021 due to COVID. 2 nights, 69T

Trip 28: Paynes Prairie SP, Micanopy, FL: 3N, 72T

Trip 29 NC & GA

Davidson River NP, Asheville, NC: Very nice, no hookups, 3N, 75T
Black Rock Mtn, Clayton, GA: 4 nights, 79T

Trip 30: Fore Lake Recreation Area, Ocala, FL: 2N, 81T
Trip 31: Gold Head Branch SP, Keystone Heights, FL: New Years 2016-17. 3N, 84T

Trip 32: Tomoka SP, Ormond Beach, FL: Tearjerkers Rally 2017. 3N, 87T

Trip 33: Paynes Prairie SP, Micanopy, FL: 2N, 89T
Trip 34: Panhandle Trip 2

T.H.Stone St. Joseph Peninsula SP, Port St. Joe, FL: Very lovely park. Not sure of damage impact from Hurricane Michael. 2N 91T
St. George Island SP: On a slip of land by the beach between the Gulf and Apalachicola Bay. 2N, 93T

Trip 35: TN trip

Petersburg ACE, Appling, GA: A quick overnight stop. I'd stay again. 1N, 94D
Cosby Campground, Great Smokey Mtns., Cosby, TN: Beautiful CG! 3N, 97T
Black Rock Mtn SP, Clayton GA: 2N, 99Total

Trip 36: Hillsborough SP, Tampa, FL: There are some good sites and some not-good sites. 82 is not. 2N, 101 total!

We are now up to 166 nights!
That's All, Folks!

Van_and_Terri · Apr 5, 2021

Living in Flagler Beach, we have visited most of the sites you listed in FL with Silver Springs one of our many favorites. Loved your post as it brought back many memories.

LisaNKevin · Apr 6, 2021

Van_and_Terri said:
Living in Flagler Beach, we have visited most of the sites you listed in FL with Silver Springs one of our many favorites. Loved your post as it brought back many memories.

One day our paths may cross!

Sweeney · Apr 7, 2021

Looks like you’ve got your money’s worth....great photo journey.

silver springs SP is an amazing park.....

Warren Mary Ellen · Apr 8, 2021

Great write up of your 1st 100 nights.

We actually just got back from Oconee State Park after 4 nights there. It was us and another Camp Inn owner from the area. Probably, the campground we have spent the most nights in. It is a little over an hour from the house and I spent a lot of time there as a kid. We mainly go there in the spring and fall. I ride my bicycle in that area a lot and normally I would be gearing up to host a bike ride in that area next week.

Been looking at Black Rock Mountain over in GA to try this summer to escape the heat here in the SC Piedmont.

Cataloochee we've camped at but that was in our tent days. That rain soaked trip helped lead us to our Camp Inn and nearly cost me my life. We hiked the Boogerman Trail that starts right by the campground and we got caught in a torrential thunderstorm. The storm was not what nearly killed me, it was Mary Ellen who was ready to kill me. Our last 2 tent outings were rain filled adventures, but that is what summer in the NC mountains can be like. Until they started letting you reserve those sites in Cataloochee, you couldn't get in there. Local families would keep someone on the site at all times and just trade off.

Sounds like you like the Great Smokies, you ought to try Balsam Mountain campground. Really quiet and you are 20-25 miles from any town. The elevation is over 5K feet and there is a spot as you drive down there where you will see some of the elk. By trail it is not far from Cataloochee and some of the elk cows go up there to give birth at Black Camp Gap.

LisaNKevin · Apr 10, 2021

Warren Mary Ellen said:
Great write up of your 1st 100 nights.

We actually just got back from Oconee State Park after 4 nights there. It was us and another Camp Inn owner from the area. Probably, the campground we have spent the most nights in. It is a little over an hour from the house and I spent a lot of time there as a kid. We mainly go there in the spring and fall. I ride my bicycle in that area a lot and normally I would be gearing up to host a bike ride in that area next week.

Been looking at Black Rock Mountain over in GA to try this summer to escape the heat here in the SC Piedmont.

Cataloochee we've camped at but that was in our tent days. That rain soaked trip helped lead us to our Camp Inn and nearly cost me my life. We hiked the Boogerman Trail that starts right by the campground and we got caught in a torrential thunderstorm. The storm was not what nearly killed me, it was Mary Ellen who was ready to kill me. Our last 2 tent outings were rain filled adventures, but that is what summer in the NC mountains can be like. Until they started letting you reserve those sites in Cataloochee, you couldn't get in there. Local families would keep someone on the site at all times and just trade off.

Sounds like you like the Great Smokies, you ought to try Balsam Mountain campground. Really quiet and you are 20-25 miles from any town. The elevation is over 5K feet and there is a spot as you drive down there where you will see some of the elk. By trail it is not far from Cataloochee and some of the elk cows go up there to give birth at Black Camp Gap.

Thank you for looking at my 100 days post and thanks so much for the tips! Much appreciated. I'm going to look into Balsam Mtn, definitely!

Rainy tent camping is what stopped us from camping altogether and eventually getting our 550. It's been one of the best buys of our life together.

Re: Cataloochee...it was a wonderful campground. We stayed 3 nights, and 3 is the max limit for my boondocking adventures. We had a perfect site on the river. I had a bike accident, not major, on some trail at Cataloochee. Skinned my knees, nothing to write home about but apparently Cataloochee demands a toll of some sore. >

Take care & Happy Camping!
Lisa

Sweeney · Apr 10, 2021

W

LisaNKevin said:
We picked up the Stray Cat, #539, on October 1, 2012. This was the Monday after CICO, which we swung by to check out the day before as many were packing up. After our orientation we headed for our first stop and beyond.

There she is!

Cary orienting us

The way out of the Nest...

Trip 1 (Wisconsin to Florida)

Devils Lake SP, Baraboo WI: Great park! The first night was cold and we accidentally left the fan open and the windows open and didn't bring enough covers. And so the learning curve began. 2 nights, 2 total

Kickapoo SP, Danville, IL: Very nice park, had the whole grassy loop near the water to ourselves and one other couple. 1 night, 3 total

Nolin Lake, Mammoth Cave, KY: It was 'okay'. Pretty full and a bit noisy but okay for a stopover.Clean, gravel sites. We didn't have time to explore the area. Not our cup of tea, won't stay again. 1 night, 4 total

McKinney COE Campground, Acworth, GA: Very nice site on Lake Allatoona. We'd stay here again. 1 night, 5 total

Trip 2: Paynes Prairie SP, Micanopy, FL: This wonderful SP is near us and we stay here frequently. 1 night, 6T

Trip 3: Lake Griffin SP, Fruitland Park, FL: Not a favorite campground. Many sites are on top of each other. 2 nights, 8T

Trip 4: Rodman Dam Reservoir, Palatka, FL: 3 camping areas. 1) near the lake, not much vegetation, right on top of each other. 2) tents only...a teardrop could easily fit and it's the nicest area but they are adamant that no trailers, campers, etc come in, only tents. 3) this is the loop we stayed in, 2 parts. Part 1 is in a treed area, looks nice. Behind it is a large berm. On the other side of the berm is another camp area that looks over a manmade channel, remnants of the defunct Cross Florida Barge Canal. This is where we stayed. Not much to do here unless you fish or have your bike. 2 nights, 10T

Pictures taken from the berm.

Trip 5: Paynes Prairie SP, Micanopy, FL. 2 nights,12T
Trip 6: Tomoka SP, Ormond Beach, FL: nice park, watch for ticks in season. 2 nights, 14T

Trip 7: Oconee SP, Mountain Rest, SC: We went in March and there were hardly any other campers. Looks like a popular summertime park as there's a lake there. 3 nights, 17T

Trip 8: Paynes Prairie SP, Micanopy, FL. 1 night, 18T

Trip 9: McKinney COE Campground, Acworth, GA: 3 night, 21T

Trip 10: Arkansas Trip

Tombigbee SP, Tupelo, MS: Got in late, left early. Seemed nice enough for a stopover. 1 night, 22T

Buffalo National River NP, Yellville, AR: We didn't have nice weather, rain, wind. Nobody was there, again, seems to be a summer destination on the river. 5 nights, 27T

LeFleurs Bluff SP, Jackson, MS: Hidden gem in the middle of the city. Very clean showers, restrooms. 2 night, 28T

Trip 11: Rodman Recreation Area, Palatka, FL: See Trip 4. 1 night, 29T
Trip 12: Jonathan Dickinson SP, Hobe Sound, FL: It was nice then in 3/2014 but Hurricane Irma wiped out the canopy of trees in the campgrounds in 2017. 2 nights, 31T.
Trip 13: Oscar Scherer SP, Osprey, FL: It was hot and buggy. There are some nice sites and there are some not nice in any sense of the word sites. 1 night, 32T

Trip 14: Anastasia SP, St. Augustine, FL: One of the gems of FL SP's. Right at the beach, can be difficult to procure a site. 2 nights, 34T

Trip 15: Wekiwa Springs SP, Apopka, FL: Close to tons of shopping areas so you can hear some city noises but the park is quite nice. 2 nights, 36T

Trip 16: FL Panhandle Trip

Florida Caverns SP, Marianna, FL: Super cool SP but suffered extensive damage from Hurricane Michael in 2018, losing ~90% of its canopy. 2 nights, 38T

Stephen Foster SP, Okeefenokee, GA: Nice campground far from civilization. Don't forget anything. 1 night, 39T

Fort Clinch SP, Fernandina Beach, FL: There are 2 areas to camp. One is right at the dunes on the Atlantic, it can be cold and windy. The other is very nice, heavily wooded. The fort is worth exploring and the town is cute and worth walking around. 2 nights, 41T

Trip 17: O'Leno SP, High Springs, FL: Very nice SP. 3 nights, 44T

Trip 18: Blue Springs SP, Orange City, FL: Nice park, 1 night, 45T

Trip 19: Paynes Prairie, Micanopy, FL: 1 night, 46T
Trip 20: Georgia, NC Trip

Little Ochmolgee SP, Helena, GA: overnighter, not a repeat. Golf course attached. 1 night, 47T

Black Rock Mountain SP, Clayton, GA: We LOVE this park! So much to do, beautiful! It's a steep climb to pull your teardrop but worth it. 2 nights, 49T

Cataloochee NP, Great Smokey Mtns: Beautiful, stunning. No hookups. Get a site on the river, sleep with the doors open. Elk come into the campground sometimes, there's a viewing area also you can see late afternoon. Closed last of 4/2021 due to Covid. 3 nights, 52T.

Hard Labor SP, Rutledge, GA: Nice enough for a stopover on the way home. Heavily utilized. 1N, 53T

Trip 21: Ft. DeSoto CP, Tierra Verde, FL: Beautiful sites. The site we stayed at was right on the water and no bugs. There is an area before that where you must stay if you have pets. It's less attractive and buggy. My sister stayed in that loop at the same time and they were driven inside by the no-see-ums. 2N, 55T

Trip 22: Home in the driveway. We had company and we gave them our bedroom. The amenities were first rate! :-D 1N, 56T

Trip 23:

Florida Caverns SP, Marianna, FL: 3 nights, 59T

3 Rivers SP, Sneads, FL: Small hidden gem. Not sure how they fared in Hurricane Michael. 2N, 61T

Trip 24: Silver Springs SP, Silver Springs, FL: This is our home campground, we both volunteer there. So much to do! Biking, kayaking, (no swimming!), hiking (a lot of trails), ride the Glass Bottom Boats. This is where Johnny Weissmuller was filmed for Tarzan movies, where Sea Hunt filmed, Creature from the Black Lagoon, etc etc etc. It has a rich history. 2 nights, 63T

Trip 25: Juniper Springs, NP, Ocala, FL: No hookups. Very nice park. Some sites are better than others. Look on the map and maybe avoid the area that is next to Hwy 40. 2 nights, 65T

Trip 26: Moss Park CP, Orlando, FL: Hidden gem south of the city of Orlando. 2 nights, 67T

Trip 27: Fore Lake National Forest Recreation Area, Ocala, FL: It's very wooded and nice. There's a lake if you want to swim or fish. Closed as of 4/02/2021 due to COVID. 2 nights, 69T

Trip 28: Paynes Prairie SP, Micanopy, FL: 3N, 72T

Trip 29 NC & GA

Davidson River NP, Asheville, NC: Very nice, no hookups, 3N, 75T

Black Rock Mtn, Clayton, GA: 4 nights, 79T

Trip 30: Fore Lake Recreation Area, Ocala, FL: 2N, 81T
Trip 31: Gold Head Branch SP, Keystone Heights, FL: New Years 2016-17. 3N, 84T

Trip 32: Tomoka SP, Ormond Beach, FL: Tearjerkers Rally 2017. 3N, 87T

Trip 33: Paynes Prairie SP, Micanopy, FL: 2N, 89T
Trip 34: Panhandle Trip 2

T.H.Stone St. Joseph Peninsula SP, Port St. Joe, FL: Very lovely park. Not sure of damage impact from Hurricane Michael. 2N 91T

St. George Island SP: On a slip of land by the beach between the Gulf and Apalachicola Bay. 2N, 93T

Trip 35: TN trip

Petersburg ACE, Appling, GA: A quick overnight stop. I'd stay again. 1N, 94D

Cosby Campground, Great Smokey Mtns., Cosby, TN: Beautiful CG! 3N, 97T

Black Rock Mtn SP, Clayton GA: 2N, 99Total

Trip 36: Hillsborough SP, Tampa, FL: There are some good sites and some not-good sites. 82 is not. 2N, 101 total!

We are now up to 166 nights!
That's All, Folks!

Who cut that vinyl? I've go an image I want to put on mine...and our little cricut wont do it

Actually, we probably could do that size...and the multi-color -- I'm just not sure we could do those at the same time

LisaNKevin · Apr 12, 2021

Sweeney said:
W

Who cut that vinyl? I've go an image I want to put on mine...and our little cricut wont do it

Actually, we probably could do that size...and the multi-color -- I'm just not sure we could do those at the same time

I took the graphic to a local sign shop and they made it and applied it. Cost ~$100.

KathyBob · Apr 12, 2021

Lisa, i need your address to send your pin. Please see personal message link. Kathy Piggott

Sweeney · Apr 13, 2021

LisaNKevin said:
I took the graphic to a local sign shop and they made it and applied it. Cost ~$100.

very cool...

my wife is a cat rescue person....last year we had around 50 cats go through out house to go to their forever homes....except Teddy, Zazu, and Marvin. They somehow got stuck here. So the cat theme is awesome....and in some way fits us, I feel a bit of a kindred spirit.

however, in this culture war....we are Browncoats. Serenity is the name of our boat. We may have been on the losing side. Still not convinced it was the wrong one.

View attachment upload_2021-4-13_20-54-32.png

LisaNKevin · May 9, 2021

KathyBob said:
Lisa, i need your address to send your pin. Please see personal message link. Kathy Piggott

I received my pin this past week. Thank you!!

KathyBob · May 9, 2021

Great! Thanks for letting me know. Kathy

Stray Cat's (#539) First 100 Nights

LisaNKevin

Junior Ranger

Van_and_Terri

Ranger

LisaNKevin

Junior Ranger

Sweeney

Administrator

Warren Mary Ellen

Ranger

LisaNKevin

Junior Ranger

Sweeney

Administrator

LisaNKevin

Junior Ranger

KathyBob

Junior Ranger

Sweeney

Administrator

LisaNKevin

Junior Ranger

KathyBob

Junior Ranger