End of the Season

All good things must come to an end. This weekend marked the end of the 2013 camping season and the RV is tucked away waiting for spring. This year while we didn't get out as much as I would have liked, but did have some fun trips and hit a few new favorites. 

We had a number of issues this season...everything from a awing taking flight and nearly putting a hole in the roof to a hub fire from a wheel bearing that let loose. A new axle and 4 new tires were also needed for a defect in the original axle. It was an expensive season for sure. Even with over $1500 in repair bills, fuel and camping fees I still think it is an asset for our family. Being able to spend time with my kids un-obstructed from the leashes of cell phones, videos and endless TV shows is worth a lot more to me than money. Standing at the edge of a lake with morning fog blanketing the area with a little boy skipping rocks across the smooth surface is a good thing. Talking a walk at night and looking up and realizing that the sky is really peppered with stars you didn't know existed is a good thing.  Sitting by a fire so hot you think that your shins have caught on fire is a good thing. The more you learn and plan, the more you find out that by traveling with an RV you really can have your own lakefront property for a few days for what others pay thousands or even millions for...being able to share this with your family is a good thing. 

Big things planned for next year. Started the process of planning our longest trip to date to Table Rock Lake. It sounds funny, but the next few months you should start planning trips for the spring especially if you want to go during weekends...By the end of December most of our season will already be in stone. In terms of improvements, I am seriously considering dropping the bulky husky hitch that is a pain in the ass for something that preforms a bit better and is easier to use. 

Say Goodbye to Summer...

Whats new you ask? Quite a bit actually. We are now officially 4 weeks from closing on our new home. It’s been a long time coming…years in fact. Recently I took a look at all pictures we took at our old house and I was a bit taken back by how small the space really was and to cram 4 people and a dog into the space seems now an impossible task.  Living in my parent’s basement for the last 4 months has now begun to seem normal and it’s a little hard to remember how it was before. I guess that’s good and bad. It is a very strange transition to go from living on your own for a number of years to not really having a home. It plays with your mind. Thankfully our relationship with my parents is still good and they have been very accommodating…willing to give up their house to the tornado that is our family. Truthfully it’s been good for everyone.

We took a little vacation to Florida a few weeks ago. Originally it was going to be just Ali and I but a few weeks before going we decided to take Sam as well. Glad we did. It was a good opportunity to spend some time with just him after bringing Max into the fold. Can’t say enough how much of a needed trip that was for me….it’s been a while.

Camping has slowed down a bit while we get ready for a lot of things in the fall. My brother is getting married in October and both Ali and I are in the wedding so the ramp up is starting to take place. Also to complicate and compound everything we get to move and try to get settled in a new place. This is I am afraid going to take up most not if all of the available camping weekends in October. We just might be able to sneak in a trip in early November…we will see. Hard to imagine we are already talking packing it away for winter but we have had a good time with it this year.  Fall is an awesome time to get outside. The air is crisp and fresh in the mornings; the nights are just chilly enough to require a blanket by the campfire. It’s really the perfect season. We were going to take a trip this weekend to Mark Twain Lake for the holiday but after some consideration I decided to cancel and go next weekend. It’s just too hot and since Max is still not walking it’s a bit difficult to cage him in. Also a little fact that I have learned is that the less people at the campground the better for my sanity.  If you are looking for a nice quiet relaxing trip, Labor Day may not be the best time to go.

Start of Summer....

Memorial Day! The official beginning of summer is almost here. For my family this summer will be a bit different as we are staying with my parents while we wait for our house to be built. We are slowly settling in and it’s becoming more normal. Lots of things are planned for this summer and some unplanned. First off…didn’t think we would have sold our house as fast as we did. I thought it was the unsellable object that would haunt us forever (Hence the living with the parent’s thing). June is birthday month for the boys and Sam starts school in August. We also have a short vacation planed in August for just Ali and I. Max should hit a few milestones this summer as well. Assume he might be walking and at least talking abit. He currently has his own language now but I think will really come into his own in the next few months. His 1 year birthday also means NO MORE FORUMLA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I would like to at least take the kids camping a few times this summer…we have a few trips scheduled for next weekend and for the 4^th of July. I also re booked the lake site for late in October. That should be a good trip for sure.

Doing a big cook this weekend hopefully….Have a few gadgets that will be delivered that hopefully will gain some more consistent results. I purchased a temp controller for the weber that helps maintain the fire at a consistent heat level and also helps to conserve fuel.  More detailed review will follow on this once I have time to mess with it.

 On the Menu this weekend:  

1.       Pork shoulders

 If you are going to go through the trouble of firing up a cooker you might as well cook a few butts.  Once you shred em’ and cover em’ in sauce they freeze very well for consumption within 6 months. Doing this actually is great for camping meals and quick last minute weeknight meals. 

2.       Chicken Thighs

Going to try something a little different…want to brine them overnight and see how they turn out with a little light smoking in the cooker. Update to follow.

3.       Ribs cut to St. Louis Style

With the temp controller these should turn out  a little better than usual. I don’t think I am going to do anything special….but we will see.

I will post the results next week!

 

2013 Camping Season

It’s Friday. That’s great news. I am finally getting caught up after a few days of fun with the guys in Vegas and I am finding myself dozing off thinking about other things. Started thinking about camping with the kids and trying to plan out at least a few weekends on top of all the other things we have going on this year. We are in the middle of trying to sell our home (remaining positive….we will sell) and most likely building another in New Town, so that’s going to be a big decider of our 2013 schedule. My brother is getting married and even though I am not the one getting hitched it’s a pretty big deal. Ali and I are also going to take a trip to Florida sometime in August. Throw in a possible trip to Ohio and at least one Houston visit…the schedule starts stacking up. That’s one of the best things about the camper…you really don’t need to do anything but hitch up and take off. If you have a free weekend you can decide the day before or even the day of.

Since buying Clarabelle last year, we actually used it much more than I thought we would with all the things going on in 2012. Not that it’s a contest but I would assume it will get used a bit more this season. I wanted to hit at least one of the holiday’s this year. It’s surprising to see that almost all the state park sites book up quickly….Labor day at Lake of the Ozarks is already full! Being new at this I have learned that you need to be on the gun 6 months ahead of the holiday to make the reservations.

On the list this year to hit:

*Babbler State Park in Wildwood- Very close to home with all paved sites. Heard nothing but good things about this park on line. Only drawback is there is not a playground there. Its worth checking out.

*Lake of the Ozarks State Park- We stayed here in a rental in 2011 and it was our first camping trip ever. It didn’t go smoothly because mainly of the equipment and the fact you had to take everything with you because it was a rental.  It was a cool park and now that we are a bit more seasoned…it will be a good time.

*Pere Marquette Alton Ill- This is another that is on the list. It’s a bit of an unknown as the Illinois state park department website is a bit lacking but its close enough to the house it would be worth driving out and taking a look.

* Cuvier River in Troy- Spent 6 nights there last year. Site #1 is literally next to the playground and is a big hit with Sam. This is a go to for sure.

Any Others?