Belleplain State Forest, Again.

Johnnie and I spent two days and one night at Belleplain State Forest.  Just an overnight trip that was restorative and relaxing.  When we got home, it felt like we had been away for days!! 

Belleplain was quiet on Sunday and Monday.  Johnnie and I were the only campers on Monday in our section of the park.  Rangers stopped by to talk as they made their rounds.  The days were sunny and warm, though the forecast had called for rain both days, and the night was cool enough to need a quilt.  Perfect camping weather!  The trees are just beginning to turn.  In previous posts, I have shared photos of the red in Belleplain:  October in Belleplain State Forest and My Favorite Campground in New Jersey:  Belleplain State Forest. I don’t think I have been in Belleplain this late in September.  The leaves are just beginng to turn and they are a dull read. 

Dull Red

Partial Red

Even the mushrooms are a dull red!

 

Are the reds going to be dull this year or will they brighten as the fall season progresses?  I will have to visit in October or November and see. 

The only bright red I saw was a branch of maple leaves in the sun.

Johnnie and I took a long walk and on the walk (without my camera) and saw two red mushroomms growing in a crevice in the bottom of a tree trunk.  I had seen this type of mushroom in the past and hoped to see it around our campsite.  Site 104 has two wooded boundaries and I have found a variety of mushrooms or funhus (is there a difference?) growing there in the past.  Looking for mushrooms means walking with your eyes down and focusing on the dirt and brush because mushrooms push up through the underbrush and ground debris.  I found the mushrooms that look like coral first.  They are gray or off-white.

The name of this mushroom should be coral mushroom.

Another mushroom looked like plates that just lift up out of the dirt. Others looked like the ones that pop up in my yard after a rain.  My surprise find was a mushroom that looked like a flower. 

Star or flower mushroom?

 

Finally, I found one of the red mushrooms for which I had been looking.  It looked like something had tried to eat it.

The red mushroom

When I was looking for the mushrooms, I did not have my camera.  I was just walking through.  I went back to the RV for the camera and when I returned to the locations, I found I was almost tiptoeing through the area, hoping not to step on any undiscovered mushrooms.  I wanted a well-worn trail so I could be sure I wasn’t harming anything.  Looking for mushrooms and valuing them puts a different perspective on how I looked at the ground and my interaction with it.  My reward for looking down at the ground and being cautious was finding even more red mushrooms!

I.m now curious about the various kinds of mushroom that grow in the Pinelands.  I’ve been to Belleplain hundreds of times and I still am able to discover something new!

Getting Started Again!

Now that grad school is over and I’ve begun to relax, I am reviving this blog.  I’ve missed it! 

Today the latest issue of Woodall’s Camping Life arrived in the mail.  I subscribe to Camping Life, Motorhome Magazine, and Arizona Highways.  I would love to write for either of these magazines, but thus far, it seems to be a difficult field to break into.  In the meantime, I read their articles and I want more.  For example, Camping Life’s articles seem to be about 2 pages in length.  I want more.  There is an article on National Parks, with just a blurb about 10 of them.  I can create my own list of 10 and give as much, if not more, information.  I am going to write what I want to read, as well as write about particular trips.

National Parks to Visit

1. Grand Canyon, AZ 
2. Grand Teton, WY
3. Yellowstone, WY
4. Devils Tower, WY
5. Petrified Forest, AZ
6. Mt. Rushmore, SD
7. Saguaro, AZ
8. Assateague Island, MD & VA
9. Cape Hatteras, NC
10. Acadia, ME
11. Badlands, SD
12. Organ Pipe Cacus, AZ
13. Little Bighorn, MT
14. Wright Brothers, NC

These National Parks are in no particular order and Johnnie and I would gladly revisit each of them.  Some we already have!  I have written about most of these parks in previous posts.  In May, Johnnie and I visited Assateague again, so look for a post on it soon.  We have also stayed at some state parks in Maryland  — future posts.  As always, we have spent time at my favorite campground in New Jersey, Belleplain State Forest.  More to come on our recent visits.

It’s 26 days until we hit the road again and now I feel ready to travel!

A Reward

I am giving myself time to write today as a reward for having met some deadlines.  I am in the process of writing a thesis to culminate my latest graduate school experience.  The thesis is on travel, but I am writing with guidelines and deadlines rather than the free-flowing personal nature of my blog posts.  So, my treat to myself is to allow myself the time to blog.  Who knew that when I started on this blogging journey that it would become so important to me?  A year ago the thought of putting myself out here in cyberspace was unthinkable.  Graduate school has had its benefits!

It is too cold to go out in the RV.  This past week the Northeast has been gripped in bitter cold with the night lows in the single digits.  The upcoming week should be better but still hovering around freezing during the day and nights in the teens and twenties.  I long for warmth!

Johnnie and I plan to retire in southern Arizona in a few years.  To begin our transformation into Arizonans, we subscribe to Arizona Highways.  This month’s edition arrived on the coldest day this past week.  After taking off my coat and getting a cup of hot tea, I read the issue from cover to cover in one sitting.  I had to transport myself to that warmth, even if only in my imagination.

Today, we will watch the Eagles play the Cardinals in Arizona, wishing we were in the stands, or at least in the state.  This morning’s Philadelphia Inquirer had an article on Quarterback Donovan McNabb who resides in Arizona.  Other transplants from this area were interviewed in the article and in other articles about people going to the game.   Oh to be warm again . . . .

This time of year I am usually counting the days until our Spring RV trip, but grad school will prevent my usual two weeks off to travel.  I know that I cannot get my work done and travel across the country.  I know that I need to be near home so that I can focus on my writing which given the dates of Spring Break this year (April 10 – 20) is too close to the final due date of the thesis:  April 28th.  I know all of this in my head, but my heart wants to be elsewhere.  I will get over this, but I doubt that I will do it graciously.

So, I read the travel section of the Sunday papers and dream of warmer places — San Diego, this week.  I haven’t been to San Diego but it is now on my list of future destinations.

Johnnie and I have discovered two places that we want to return to — Assateague Island National Seashore and Elk Neck State Park, both in Maryland.  If it ever warms up, both of these are close to home, Assateague 3 hours, Elk Neck under 2 hours.  It takes us nearly an hour and a half to get to our beloved Belleplain State Park and almost two to get to Cape May.   Delaware is inbetween NJ and MD, so we probably need to investigate areas in Delaware to add to our local list.

Then there is still much of NJ to explore from the standpoint of side trips.  Perhaps by my next post, I will have visited something new.

October in Belleplain State Forest

I love October in Belleplain State Forest (NJ).  The maples, elms, oaks, sassafrases and hickories (among other trees) change colors.  There is always some reds, last year there were amazing shades of red.  This year the maples turned red, but orange seems to be the dominant color.  the temperature must not have dropped to the necessary degree to signal the production of red in the leaves (see my post, My Favorite Campground in New Jersey:  Belleplain State Forest). 

I visited Belleplain at the beginning of the month.  Many of the leaves had not turned yet, except one maple near the lake.  I went out early in the day and took pictures of the reflection on the lake from different locations. 

 

 

Red at the park

Another view of the red

On this particular trip, I camped for most of it by myself.  I have never camped by myself.  Yes, I was in my wonderful motorhome with most of the conveniences of home, but I was dry camping, meaning I had no hook ups to water, electricity or sewer.  With Johnnie, my husband, usually with me, I don’t have to pay attention to water usage, the charging of the inverter so that there is ample power to run the furnace if needed, or running the generator to charge the inverter or to use the microwave or the coffeemaker.  This was the first time that I cooked in our motorhome.  And I did cook using the stove, not just heat or cook meals in the microwave.  It was an exhilarating experience.

What I loved most was that I found my rhythm.  I am in graduate school and needed to write while I was away.  I knew that I wanted photograph the leaves and walk on the nature trail.  Since I had our dinghy with me, I also wanted to take trips to Moores Beach and Reeds Beach which are both on the Delaware Bay and, if time and weather allowed, a trip to Cape May Point State Park.  I found that I was up each morning shortly after sunrise which was a treat since my work week 5:30 am is in the dark.  I started the generator then made coffee, followed by cooking oatmeal for breakfast.  I worked for a few hours and then dressed.  After getting dressed, I snacked on fruit and then went outside.  After an hour or two, I came back to the RV to make lunch.  Cleaning up after lunch, I went on my trip.  Moores Beach was a bit too isolated for me and I did not feel safe by myself amidst the six-foot tall marsh grass surrounding me.  If I had visited the place previously, I might have felt safer, but this was all new territory for me.  I’ll visit again with Johnnie.  When I walked the nature trails and was within the Lake Nummy Recreation area, I felt safe because I know this area like the back of my hand and I know the rangers patrol on a regular basis.  I always wave to the rangers and make eye contact so that they are aware of my presence.  Most of the week there were only two other sites in my camping area that were occupied, so I really was alone. 

I discovered that one of my favorite times of the day was the hour before sunset.  I made a cup of tea and drank it at the picnic table on my site.  Woodpeckers and blue jays were out at this time and I was able to learn a lot about them.  The blue jays were trying to get the woodpeckers to move by flying close by the woodpeckers so that they would fly to another tree.  The woodpeckers would sit on the branches and call.  I had never identified the call as the woodpecker.  When they make the call, their body feathers ruffle and the body trembles.  Unfortunately in the receding light, I could not get a clear picture of the woodpeckers.  They blended into the light and the pine trees. 

Once the sun set, I made dinner and settled in for the evening.  Park rules stipulate that generators can be run between 6 am and 10 pm.  Sometime after 8 pm I would run the generator for an hour so that I charged the inverter.  The furnace was set at a comfortable 69 degrees.  Each night the furnace would come on in the pre-dawn hours when the temperature dropped the lowest.  One night the furnace came on a few times during the night.  I was grateful for my comforter and for the furnace.

I loved my time alone and I enjoyed my reunion with Johnnie when he came for final few days.  One day had been rainy so I had not had a chance to get to Reeds Beach or Cape May Point State Park before his visit.  We did visit both places.  Reeds Beach is a tiny little waterfron community with beach houses.  One road goes through the community.  On the Saturday that we visited, the weather was warm and sunny, so people were visiting for the weekend.  We went to the pier and watched boats come up the Delaware Bay.  We had packed a picnic lunch that we ate at Cape May Point State Park before returning to Belleplain.

Birds on the pilings at Reeds Beach

 

View from the pier

 

The road into Reeds Beach

Our camping season is coming to an end.  The weather will get too cold for dry camping and almost all of the campgrounds in our area close from November to April.  I look forward to the first warm weekend in spring when we return to Belleplain.

For the non-RVer (or if you are having guests) at Belleplain

Sunday’s Washington Post featured a story on yurts at Belleplain State Forest.  I’m not the only one who loves this state forest in New Jersey!

Read my previous posts on Belleplain:

New Growth

My Favorite Campground in New Jersey:  Belleplain State Forest

New Growth

Still homebound, but the days are longer and the weather warmer, so day- and overnight trips are always a possibility.  After a week of not being able to smell or taste because of a sinus infection, it has been heavenly to ride my bike through Belleplain State Forest with the sweet scent of blooming mountain laurel on the breeze.  The fire danger is low and campfires abound, so the taste of burning wood is also on the breeze.  I love this time of year at Belleplain.  The camping busy season started last weekend which was Memorial Day and I’m sure this park was packed.  But, school is still in session for at least another two weeks, so the vacationing for weeks at a time has not begun.  This weekend, the park is still 75% empty and people are just strting to use the day facilities at Lake Nummy.

On my ride through the park with my beloved Johnnie, I took along the Bushnell binoculars to photograph new growth.  I would have also used our digital camera, but we aren’t back into full travel mode so the camera was a thought but did not turn into the actual action of putting it into the RV.  On our next outing, the camera goes in before the food!

 New growth in the oaks and other trees.

 

 

 Pines and blue sky.

Below: Mountain Laurel in bloom.

New ferns amidst old growth.

My Favorite Campground in New Jersey: Belleplain State Forest

My favorite place to camp in New Jersey is Belleplain State Forest in Woodbine, NJ.  Belleplain is in both Cumberland and Cape May Counties, off of Rte. 347 on the way to the southern NJ shore — Cape May, Wildwood, Avalon, Stone Harbor, etc.  (Look at my friend Kathy’s blog post about a day trip that she took with her son in some of this same area.)

There are a number of roomy sites for our 40-ft. motorhome.  We have to boondock, or dry camp, because there are no hook-ups at the sites, but there is a dump and water is also available. 

 

For us, Belleplain is only an hour and a half from home.  We usually stay for no longer than three days, just a nice get-away, especially when homebound.  (Like now.  I can feel a trip to Belleplain coming on!) 

We have seen Belleplain in every season.  My least favorite season is summer and that is only because the campgrounds are full.  There are people everywhere and that is very good for the park.  (See my posts on my other blog, At One With The World, about possible park closures in the proposed state budget.)  The park has a recreation area — Lake Nummy which is open from Memorial Day to Labor Day and people from the local area come to swim, boat, and picnic.  An interpretive nature center, with activities for the children during the summer, is across from the lake.

But, I enjoy Belleplain best when there are few people around and the park seems like my own private haven.

My favorite season is fall.  Fall is my favorite season in general, but at Belleplain, I can walk among the fallen leaves in some areas and among the fallen pine needles in others.  In the early morning, the air is damp and redolent with pine.  I enjoy rides on my bicycle on the various trails when I don’t have to dodge people or horses.  The Pine Barrens are one of my favorite parts of the state and Belleplain is at the very southern edge of the Pine Barrens.

During the fall of 2006, the conditions were right for a lot of red in the colors of the changing leaves.  Johnnie and I always travel with our camera, so we were able to spend an afternoon photographing the red in the leaves and even found a red mushroom.  Below are some of the pictures from that trip.