Tag Archives: T@b

#RV Journal: North Sandusky Campground, Rend Lake, IL

Location / Name: North Sandusky Campground, Rend Lake, IL

Date: 08/23/2016 (1 night)

North Sandusky Campground is one of at least two Core of Engineers campgrounds on Rend Lake in mid-Illinois. Rend Lake itself is a Corp of Engineers project. It is a huge lake with I-57 running next to part of it. Since it’s a little more than 350 miles from my starting point for our first long trip in our T@b – target Boise, ID, in about 10 days, it was a bit longer than my 300-mile daily target, but since we’d be fresh, I figured we could take the extra time on the road.

North Sandusky Campground Campsite #1

T@b North Sandusky Campground Campsite #1

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#RV Journal: Grayson Highlands State Park Hickory Ridge Campground

Location / Name: Grayson Highlands State Park Hickory Ridge Campground,  Mouth of Wilson, VA (Near Mt. Rogers)

Date: 08/01//2016 thru 08/05 (4 nights)

Grayson Highlands State Park came to my attention when I started rock climbing. I had heard it mentioned quite favorably several times in conversations in relation to bouldering, one form of rock climbing. On a trip to visit relatives in Roanoke, Virginia last year with my wife I wanted to swing by the state park to look it over, and we loved the ride up The Crooked Road and the wonderful views from within the park, so I knew then that at some point I wanted to spend a few days there in the campground. Things finally lined up and I was able to spend four nights there starting Aug 1, 2016. NOTE: Grayson Highlands State Park also has a horse campground that is not reviewed here.

Grayson Highlands State Park Wild Ponies

Grayson Highlands State Park Wild Ponies – from the Rhododendron Trail

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#RV Journal: Indian Boundary Recreation Area and Campground, Cherokee National Forest

The Forestry Service website calls the Indian Boundary Recreation Area and Campground the “crown jewel of the South Zone of the Cherokee National Forest .” My wife and I spent four nights there 05/09/2016 thru 05/13/2016, and I cannot disagree with them. While there are a few shortcomings (mostly minor issues with the bathhouses), it would be very difficult to beat this value in RV, trailer, and tent camping. The campground and campsites are VERY nice, and the location is superb.

Indian Boundary Lake Sunrise - Loop A shore on left of picture

Indian Boundary Lake Sunrise – Loop A shore on left of picture

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#RV Journal: Vogel State Park, Blairsville, Georgia

Some dear friends of my wife and I invited us to join them in early February at Vogel State Park near Blairsville, Georgia, where they had a cabin rented on February 6 and 7. We love that area, and I wanted another excuse to get out in our new T@b camper trailer, so we headed up there and stayed in the campground Thursday through Sunday nights, Feb 5 thru Feb 8. This allowed us plenty of time to visit the area and well as visit with our friends. Read on for my report on the Vogel State Park campground experience.

Vogel State Park Campground

Vogel State Park Campground

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#RV Journal: Oscar Scherer State Park, Nokomis Florida

My wife and I spent January 20-21, 2015, camping at Oscar Scherer State Park in Nokomis, Florida. We had hoped to stay for 4 or 5 days, but I was making the reservations only 2 or 3 weeks in advance, and I was only able to get 2 days at this very popular Florida State Park. Fortunately we were there for a visit with my wife’s brother and his family, and he and his wife kindly offered us their hospitality, so we availed ourselves of their generosity for a few days. That allowed us to not only enjoy their company, but also to visit some of the areas highlights such as the Venice Rookery and Caspersen Beach. More will be (or has been) posted on those, but this report is about camping at Oscar Scherer State Park…

T@b at Oscar Scherer State Park in Florida

T@b at Oscar Scherer State Park in Florida

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#RV Journal: Mike Roess Gold Head Branch State Park, Florida

My wife and I stayed for two nights at Mike Roess Gold Head Branch State Park near Keystone Heights, Florida on Thursday, 1/15/2015, and Friday, 1/16/2015 so we could visit my aunt. This state park is kinda in the middle of nowhere in Florida, so I wouldn’t have picked it except for the proximity to Penney Farms, where my aunt lives. However, it’s within an hour of St. Augustine, has a beautiful picnic grounds and several small, picturesque lakes, and seems to have a nice bird population. The relatively remote location means no city lights tainting the night skies, so star-gazing was great there. While I might try Anastasia State Park if I wanted to visit St. Augustine, Gold Head Branch State Park is an attractive alternative.

Sandhill Cranes at Mike Roess Gold Head Branch State Park by Gerry Williamson, on Flickr

Sandhill Cranes in the distance at Mike Roess Gold Head Branch State Park

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#RV Journal: High Falls State Park, Jackson, Georgia

My wife and I stayed at High Falls State Park on January 14, 2015, as an overnighter on our way to Florida. The park is close enough to I-75 to make it worthy as an alternative to a more expensive hotel or motel, and I had hoped to have time to walk the trail along the river. We took more time en route than I had planned, however, so no time for the hike, but the park was nice, and I’ll probably make it there another time with a couple of spare hours to explore the park more.

T@b at High Falls State Park, northeast of Macon, Georgia

T@b at High Falls State Park, northeast of Macon, Georgia

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#RV Journal: We Now Have a T@b

What’s a T@b, you say? Well, first let me apologize to those of you that are expecting wildflowers in an article posted on USWildflowers.com. Gotta admit, this isn’t about wildflowers, although I hope that now that we have a T@b, we’ll be able to get further afield in photographing and identifying wildflowers. You see, a “T@b” is a small travel trailer.

T@b at Old Stone Fort State Park Campground

Our T@b at Old Stone Fort State Park

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