Reflections on RV travel and everything related to it
Last Sunday, Johnnie and I took a side trip from our stay at Belleplain State Forest to the Wetlands Institute in Stone Harbor, only 20 minutes away. It was a balmy, fall day and monarch butterflies were in abundance. Click on monarch butterflies to see my Flickr photostream of them.
A monarch coming in for a landing!
In my last post, I mentioned Brendan Byrne State Forest as a place for a possible weekend getaway in NJ. Yesterday, the air was crisp in the morning , fall weather. Fall is nearly here. Pumpkins and mums were plentiful at the road stands I passed on my way to Brendan Byrne. Spiced wafers and apple cider were prominently displayed in the grocery store when I did some shopping earlier in the day. The only things missing to create the total fall experience were colorful leaves and CAMPING!
I couldn’t go camping. But, I love being outdoors in this type of weather. Autumn is my favorite season. So, I did the next best thing: a ride in the woods.
Brendan Byrne State Forest is only 40 minutes from my home, so I put my bike in the back of our pickup and took off. The sky had gone from nearly all blue to thickly overcast with moisture in the air and I considered not going. I’m glad I went. Brendan Byrne has lots of trails. Some are paved. Lengths vary from 1.5 miles to 10.8 miles. I rode a 3+ mile, undulating portion of the 10.8 mile Bike Trail for a total of nearly 7 miles through the pine and oak forest. I went late in the day, so there were only a few riders in the park. A few vehicles passed me on the road as they went back to the campground. The ride was pleasant. I can’t wait to ride once the leaves turn.
I share this post because bike riding is something that I do when I go camping. Johnnie and I nearly always take our bikes with us wherever we go. We have ridden on bikes on Cannon Beach, Oregon; on the roads in Devils Tower National Monument in Wyoming; Badlands National Park in South Dakota; Assateague National Park in Maryland; Pine Island and Sugarloaf Key in Florida; Brattleboro, Vermont; and Kouchiboguac National Park in New Brunswick, Canada. The bike rides let us get intimate with the landscape, to see it at a leisurely pace, and gives lots of time to stop and get some photos as well as stop for a snack or lunch that we’ve packed. (I neglected to mention that we have ridden at Belleplain and Cape May Point State Park, but I think I take those rides for granted or as much a part of me as breathing!)
For my friends new to RVing, towing a dinghy (vehicle) is great because you can take side trips while leaving your RV parked. But consider taking / buying bicycles for another experience in the outdoors.
Here are a few photos from the day. I know I will take many more when I return next month.
Brendan Byrne State ForestA view of the trail, open to hiking or bikingInfo board on the Pine Barrens
Hello, new friends! I know there are a few people from Johnnie’s job who are reading my blog. Thanks! I hope you are enjoying it just half as much as I enjoyed the actual experiences. When you read a post and you like it or have questions, please leave me a comment. It lets me know people are reading!
Johnnie has shared some of your questions and comments with me. Since you folks are here in NJ, I thought I would give you some of my favorite places for a weekend getaway. My requirements for a weekend are that the destination must be reached during the first day, usually no more than four hours away. This lets you get to the campground early enough that you can enjoy that day and it makes it feel like you have an extra day of stay. Also, my requirement is that I can do something nature related, whether it’s getting in a great bike ride, taking great pics, or being close to a botanical garden, wildlife preserve or something like that. And, of course, all of the places will comfortably fit a 40 foot Class A motorhome.
Mountain Laurel in bloom at Belleplain
My favorite place, as my multiple posts attest, is Belleplain State Forest in Woodbine, NJ (Cumberland and Cape May counties). It is dry camping which means no hookups. So we usually don’t visit during the summer. But you can run your generator until 10 pm. Belleplain is open year-round which is a novelty for campgrounds in NJ. My favorite time is through the week during the fall when the campground is nearly empty. You can ride the paved roads or on the trails. My favorite ride is the paved road through the group camping area then to the road outside of the park. It is a quiet, little traveled road that is used by locals. If you go to the right, it will connect with a road that leads out to 550 and makes a nice loop back to the park. If you ride the trails, you might be joined by horseback riders. That’s neat, too. I love the nature trail and identifying all of the trees common to the area, plus walking through the swamp area and our beloved cedar water. I usually have my camera with me. In the fall, I take pictures of red. Red leaves on the trees, red mushrooms, anything. The red is synonymous to fall for me. In the spring, it’s the mountain laurel in bloom. Bursts of pink and white all throughout the park. Beautiful. Stop in the office and get to know the rangers; they are wonderful, helpful people. Cape May is about 40 minutes away. Cape May Point State Park and the Lighthouse are a nice day trip, as well as the city of Cape May. Leaming’s Run Garden in North Cape May Court House is a nice trip. The next time we visit, I’m going to Tuckerton Seaport. Tuckerton is about an hour away. Wheaton Village and museums with all of its glass-blowing is another nice trip, only 45 minutes away. On the other hand, sitting at the camp site, around a camp fire is nice, too. During the summer, Lake Nummy has a life guard and is open to the public. Boats can be rented, too. Can you tell I’ve spent a lot of time in this park? It is my second home in NJ.
There are other state parks and forests that I tent-camped in my youth that you might want to explore. Johnnie and I have checked out these parks but our motorhome will not fit. One said it had sites that would fit us, but the roads getting to the sites were either too narrow, had low-hanging trees, or not enough room to maneuver a 40-foot Class A into the site. Those of you that have smaller units or trailers or 5th wheels might want to look at these parks. Our rule is that we visit the park first without the RV to get the lay of the land before bringing our baby into the park.
Brendan Byre State Forest off of Rte. 70 and Rte. 72. (An article I just read in South Jersey Magazine recommends the bike trails in this park. I am going to check them out in the next couple of weeks.)
Wharton State Forest off of Rte. 206 near Hammonton.
Bass River State Forest off of Rte. 9 in Tuckerton. (This was my favorite park in my youth. Nice bike trails.)
Parvin State Park off of Rte. 55. (Known for its fishing. I don’t fish.)
Worthington State Park off of I-80 at the Delaware Water Gap. (Roads are way too narrow but it’s beautiful!)
So, these are all NJ getaways. Next time, I’ll write about weekend getaways outside of the state!
Johnnie and I spent a few days at Delaware Water Gap / Pocono KOA in Stroudsburg, PA. Relaxing days with nothing at all planned, which was a good thing since it rained the first three days of our stay. Saturday was sunny and we were well-rested, so we ventured out to Dingmans Falls in the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area. I have seen the falls a number of times but thought they should be gushing with just the rainfall from the past three days.
If I’m not the poster child for Belleplain State Forest, I should be. I can’t write about it enough. Johnnie and I started our month with a weekend in our favorite site and ended our month the same way. My computer and camera seem to be giving me problems communicating, so I can’t share the pictures from my rear view window that I took yesterday. The mountain laurel, my favorite, was in bloom. And for a holiday weekend, the park was very nice. It was full, there were lots of families with children, and some nice people who were enjoying the weekend and sharing stories of travel. I admit that I used to avoid camping Memorial Day and Labor Day weekends, once the kids were gone. It always seemed to me that everyone who had never taken a camping trip or gone to the Jersey Shore needed to be out those particular weekends. I hated sitting in the traffic coming home on both weekends. It seemed as if we were in traffic for the same amount of time that we were away. What was the point? But now, I’m more relaxed about it. Perhaps it’s rving, perhaps it’s being 50+. Whatever the reason, I have more patience. More patience with the traffic, more patience with the people. I just want to relax and enjoy the park.
On our May 1 and 2 visit, I went out on my bike with my camera. Wildflowers were the subject of the day. I found wild strawberries in bloom and violets alongside the road and trails.
Wild strawberry flowers
Note: This is the second post in which I have tried to put multiple photos and the photos do not come through. I’ll have to investigate with Word Press. I would hate to change my blog but the photos are as important to me as the writing.
First let me say that I am very proud of myself. It is April and I am still keeping a New Year’s Resolution: Write a blog post at least once a month. It may be the last day of April, but it is still April.
April has also seen me achieving a goal: Camp in a National Park during National Parks Week. This year National Parks Week coincided with my Spring Break and Johnnie and I were able to camp. Also, we have always wanted to stay in Assateague Island National Seashore but either it has been full or it’s been too hot to camp without electricity to comfortable run the air when needed (Assateague Island State Park has some sites with electricity). This year, the weather cooperated and the Park had sites available that would accommodate our motorhome.
C-47, Home for the next five daysJohnnie relaxingCampfire
What a great five days! A few wild horses wandered through the campground daily.
Horse outside of our doorHorses on the site across from us, C-46
And I was able to photograph a few birds from the side window — no clear views from the rear window!
brown thrasherbrown thrasheranother viewsavannah sparrowanother viewsavannah sparrow -- a third view
We were able to ride our bikes to the new Visitor Center and back, a 10-mile roundtrip ride that included the Verrazano Bridge – a personal first!
View from the top of the Verrazano BridgeView facing the Sinepuxent BayMe at the top of the bridgeJohnnie at the top of the bridge
We drove to Chincoteague and drove the Wildlife Loop in the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge. Birds were abundant; mosquitoes and other flying annoyances were at a minimum.
Sanderlings feedingA pair of mallards, notice the male's eye is closedGlossy ibisglossy ibis -- another viewCanadian Geese with goslingsGreat Blue HeronTree Swallow on nesting boxTree swallow on nesting box
The final treat was a horse that decided to roll on the grass, presumably getting rid of insects or an itch, and stayed long enough for us to get some great shots.
Close up of horse rolling on the groundAnother view of the rolling horse
Hopefully, we can visit later this year, perhaps in October or early November. Last night a friend who has a home in Chincoteague suggested two things: first, we stay on Chincoteague for a different experience, and second, we come to see the Chincoteague Pony Swim but see the return swim to the island when it is less crowded. I’ll add these to my list. Another goal to achieve one day.
The weather is still cool to cold at night and cool to warm during the day, but the calendar says spring and that can only mean one thing: camping. Last weekend, Johnnie and I started our 2011 camping season with a visit to Belleplain State Forest (NJ). We were the only ones in the CCC Camping section. In fact, we were the only ones on our side of Lake Nummy.
Home
Our home
Johnnie spent a lot of time outside, putzing around the coach and gathering wood for his nightly campfire.
I went looking for signs of spring. Usually, I find the green of early leaf growth or the green of new growth of branches. But it was only the 8th day of spring and it hadn’t warmed up enough for the growing season to reach that point. So, I had to look smaller and lower. And I found signs.
budding trees
I usually look for red in the fall, a sign of the ending of the cycle of growth; here, the res is a sign of the beginning of the cycle of growth.
More red
another budding tree
islands of moss amid the leaf litter
green plant pushing through the leaf litter
I usually come to Belleplain for the flowering of the mountain laurels in late May or early June. I found new growth on them at this time.
more mountain laurel
Then I discovered one cedar that was getting ready to flower (I’m not sure that is the right term).
Getting ready for new branch growth? new cones?
another view
So, I have something to research — the cedar trees. Again, I am reminded that the more I come to Belleplain, the more I find out about it. I know it like an old friend or a husband and find its familiarity comforting. But just when you think you’ve run out of things to say, or to learn about Belleplain, I find something new. Sometimes I think I can write a book on the place; this weekend I was reminded that I could still use a book on Belleplain. It’s what I love about it!
Conversing with a friend today via Facebook about what we look for in a campground got me to thinking about the upcoming camping season. For Johnnie and me, the season starts as soon as the nights are in the 40’s; for NJ, that’s usually March. We’ll start earlier if we are going south, but if it’s the ability to take weekend jaunts, then it’s mid to late March. The season usually ends in November or if going to Florida for Winter break, December or early January. That’s 9+ months of weekends and vacation time to camp. So where might we go? How will we decide?
March is definitelyfor overnights because Johnnie’s weekend is Sunday and Monday and I don’t have any Mondays off from work. Overnights = Belleplain State Forest.
April is Spring Break. But I teach nights at a local university so I can’t take the whole week because the university’s spring break is in March. We should be able to get a four or five day trip. Weather will be the greatest factor in this trip. Then travel time will be the next consideration. If the nights are warm enough, we can go north — Maine or New York state. If not, we will go south. In both cases, we will look at travel time. Because our vacation is short in duration, we don’t want to spend more than a day getting to our destination. Eight hours or less travel time is probably what we are looking for. So Assateague or Cape Hatteras might be good choices. Activity wise, I’ll be looking for bike trails and/or nature trails, near wildlife refuge or something of that type, and perhaps a historical place or two to visit. Then again, Johnnie and I may just want to veg out for those days and as long as we can get some bike riding in, we’ll be happy.
May will be back to overnights, except for Memorial Day weekend. In NJ,everyone who can possible do it goes camping or to the shore Memorial Day weekend, so the traffic coming home on Monday is horrendous! If we decide to go to Belleplain that weekend, we’ll come home on Tuesday.
June and July are months of overnights.
August is our big trip. We usually spend about eighteen days on the road. While traveling to Texas, we stay at three or four KOAs if we stop early enough. We are looking for 50 amp availability and cable tv. We’ve stayed in Ohio, Indiana, Missouri, and Oklahoma. We stay at the Amarillo KOA when we visit our sons and their families. We stay at the Albuquerque Central KOA when we visit the relatives in Albuquerque. Both of these have 50 amp service and cable tv. Even though we spend multiple days at these campgrounds, our purpose is to visit our families so we don’t require a lot. I’m not saying that I don’t like these KOAs; I love them both. But if our families weren’t in those cities, we would not stay at either because we don’t stay in cities. After visiting the family, then our purpose dictates our requirements. If our purpose is to visit some national parks, then we choose KOAs thatare near the national parks. If heading to the Tucson area then we stay at Cactus Country RV Resort, which is on the eastern edge of Tucson, definitely not in the middle of the city. Space and quiet are our requirements.
September is Labor Day weekend, the unofficial end of summer, and overnights. Belleplain.
October and November both have long weekends so a last chance to get a three or four day jaunt. October has been Assateague. November could be an extended stay at Belleplain or finding somewhere close by that is still open. Many campgrounds in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic region close for the season by November 15th.
December is Florida every third year or so. The requirement is warm weather, but travel time is two to two and a half days. Florida.
It’s January and there is about 6 inches of snow on my lawn. I am dreaming of all of the places I might go when the weather warms. A pleasant way to spend the day.
I wish I were writing this post from the road but Johnnie and I are home this year. Instead, I am making a resolution to blog about RV travel at least once a month. So here is my January post.
Did you know a group of waterfowl in flight is called a skein? So geese are a gaggle on the ground but a skein in the air. Who knows how I found this interesting fact? I was in the dictionary looking for something else. Some teachers were bemoaning the lack of students’ ability to use a dictionary in book form. I asked why because students do use the dictionary but on the computer or cell phone as they need it, which is totally acceptable to me. I use it myself in that form when reading online or away from home or my office. But there is something to be said for being distracted by the surrounding words. I’m sure this is how I found the definition of skein.
So here’s a photo of some waterfowl in Virginia at Assateague National Park before they are a skein and then when they are a skein.
In August when Johnnie and I left Albuquerque for Arizona, we headed west on I-40, but instead of turning left onto I-25, we continued west to Flagstaff. Because of the time we left Albuquerque, Flagstaff was our stopping point for the night. I’ve been to the Grand Canyon twice but Flagstaff is the turning point to get to the Grand Canyon and even if only for a few hours, I needed to see the Grand Canyon. I could feel it calling me. So, we took a side trip the next day. RV note: We took our dingy, a Jeep Wrangler, instead of our 40-foot Class A. Easier maneuverability when it’s high tourist time and we would be heading back to Flagstaff to continue our journey to southern Arizona.
The first time I saw the Grand Canyon, I was overwhelmed by its vastness, its depths, its grandeur. I stood in awe of God’s handiwork. I was enthralled. I cried.
The second time I saw the Grand Canyon, I was still overwhelmed, but I felt a part of the place. Johnnie and I hiked along the South Rim during that visit. We took loads of pictures. I interacted with the park.
I wondered how I would feel with this third visit. Would I be immune to the beauty and majesty or would it still awe me? Would I well up with tears or was I beyond it? How would I react to my thin place, a place where the distance between me and God was the shortest?
I welled up at the approach to the Grand Canyon, in anticipation of the experience. The park was full, but the line at the South entrance moved quickly. It’d been six years since our last visit and changes had been made in the park. Parking was easier. The directions to the various view points were clearer. Even though there was construction at Desert View and Mather Point, we went to this area since it was the closest and we weren’t staying long.
On this August day, in full sun, the colors of the Canyon seemed a bit duller. Also, there had been rain during the summer so it was greener than I had ever seen it. It was still beautiful, though. I took lots of photos of the greenness, especially since I was playing with my new camera lens. I’m not in the habit yet of carrying my tripod, so I didn’t take all of the shots that I envisioned, but the fact that I could envision the shots shows growth in me as a photographer.
View from Mather Point area From Mather Point area
In our area, there was a group of foreign tourists who were taking their picture on a log. I estimate 20 mostly young people. They arranged and rearranged themselves for the photo. Johnnie and I walked around them to get to a good spot to take photos of the Canyon. When we came back by the log, I was disgusted by the pile of empty cups, food wrappers, and the like that the group had left. This was no accidental throwing away of their trash. It was neatlystackedat the end of the log.
As we walked back to the Jeep, we passed a crowd being entertained by a tourist feeding a squirrel out of her hand. There are signs posted everywhere, telling visitors not to feed the animals. Somehow this tourist missed the signs, or chose to ignore them. The surrounding crowd was only encouraging the tourist’s feeding of the squirrel by their attention and the “oohs” and “aahs”. Again, I was disgusted. In my daybook that night, I wrote that I could have done a photo essay on the (mis)uses of the park. So, the feeling that I experienced this time was protectiveness. This was my Grand Canyon and tourists were mistreating it. I also now find it interesting that I can identify those people as tourists and clearly did not include myself in that category. I feel a sense of belonging to the Grand Canyon, a connection, or even a relationship with it. I look forward to return visits, such as a photo class on taking pictures in the Grand Canyon, a future visit to the North Rim, and eventually a visit to the West Rim and a venture out onto the Skywalk. When we eventually relocate to Arizona, the Grand Canyon will be a place we take visiting friends and family. All Americans should try to see the Grand Canyon at least once. It belongs to all of us, part of our backyard.
So, I left the Grand Canyon, disgusted with the tourists, feeling protective, but happy that I had had the chance to spend some time there again. On our drive out, we stopped because cars were stopping on the side of the road in both directions. From past experience at Yellowstone and Assateague, whenever cars are pulled over, wildlife is in the road or along the side. Elk were emerging from the Kaibab National Forest. We pulled over and I got my camera out. I was taking pictures of the elk across the road when Johnnie told me to turn to my right. A mother elk and youngster were coming out of the forest about 20 feet away from me. I took lots of pics, but was so still the young one started to walk right up to me. I moved, loudly, so he would not continue to me. The pair walked across the road and joined the herd.
The youngster
Momma and youngster
Joining the herd
The last thing I discovered, which is probably only interesting to me, but I’m sharing anyway, is that when I have the camera on the sports setting I can take pictures, clear pictures, of the the landscape even when traveling at 75 mph. Incredible!
Landscape at 75 mph
Landscape at 75 mph
Landscape at 75 mph
Views from the Rear Window 