Ed Allen's Campground & Cottages

As you can see, we tend to keep to larger name campgrounds as we travel but we found a gem with Ed Allen's Campground in Lenexa, VA.  Flashback, it was Memorial Day weekend and we had procrastinated in making a campsite reservation.  With the suggestion from a friend, we booked a site at this family owned location.  And, although we didn't go to these places that weekend, it is close to Colonial Williamsburg, Busch Gardens and Water Country USA.  

Since it was a holiday weekend, they had a large list of activities for the family.  It's my understanding that this is not always the case throughout the year.  The campsites were tucked into a wooded area which I happen to love.  The girls got busy with some t-shirt tie dying and some time in the pool.  This idyllic setting also has a stocked fish pond for some lazy afternoon fishing.  

There was a live band one evening that played a lot of classic and southern rock.  In between sets a DJ played pop music for the kids.  Our three year old was a dancing fool.  The awesome thing was that if you didn't want to come to the pavilion, you could still hear the amazing music from your campsite.  

The next day there were turtle races.  Since we didn't give much thought to catching a turtle (many kids had caught their own), the owners had caught some to hand out to the entrants.  We were given the tiniest turtle you'd ever see and named him Smokey as an homage to the University of Tennessee mascot.  Not sure how a turtle race works?...neither was I.  There were three initial semifinals rounds and the winners move on to the finals.  The turtles start in the middle of a large circle, huddled under an upside down baby pool, and the one that makes it to the perimeter first wins.  Smokey didn't make it to the finals but we were proud of his underdog effort nonetheless! 

The campground is also beside and has boat rentals on the Chickahominy Lake.  We took a pontoon boat out on the lake alongside other fishing boats and some groups of kayakers.  We didn't have any luck with fishing that day...it just wasn't in the cards.  What was in the cards was some wonderful memories and time together as a family! 

Happy travels ~ Sara

KOA Natural Bridge/Lexington

Although this stop was not planned on our trip, we recently stayed at KOA Natural Bridge/Lexington.  The best part of this campground was the setting amongst the trees and hills.  We got there just in time for the girls to enjoy some time in the pool and stop by the ice cream social in the game room.  Through the end of the month they had activities planned from morning to night, every Saturday.

  
While we were in the area we decided to stop by the Natural Bridge park.  Although the entrance fee seemed a bit steep, it was a beautiful hike.  We were "fortunate" enough to come across some wildlife.  A three foot long snake slithered in front of us and swam to the edge of the creek.  Exciting for some, not so much for others.  The bridge itself is quite massive and impressive as is the Monacan Indian Living History Exhibit.  The exhibit has a communal cooking area, basket and bag weaving, sleeping quarters (complete with animal skins for warmth), garden and compost area.  The kids loved moving through the spaces.

       

This side trip took a bit longer than planned, so we didn't get home until late in the day, but I think it's worth a stop if you're ever in the area.

Happy travels ~ Sara

KOA Pigeon Forge/Gatlinburg

I would highly recommend KOA Pigeon Forge/Gatlinburg.  We were close to the area, traveling from Bristol to Nashville, TN and decided we wanted to store our RV for a few days until our reservation in Pigeon Forge at the end of the week.  We stored it and, for only $10, the staff moved our RV to our site on our check in day so all we had to do is drive up and get camping.  Well worth the extra expense. 

This location has a bounce pillow, frisbee golf, corn hole and horseshoes.  The pool area has a hot tub, a special section 1 1/2 feet deep for little ones as well as a play area with a fountain.  In addition, the wifi has been working amazingly well, which is something I can't say for other campgrounds.  They have been unpredictable at best.

The campground is on the other side of the fence line into Patriot Park.  This park has a nice trail with intermittent duck food vending.  The geese and ducks come swarming when people come close with hands open.  If you're in the mood for an amazing southern meal you should check out The Old Mill restaurant, on one side of the park.  Many meals come with their signature corn chowder and you'll be happy to see their famous basket of corn fritters for the table.

We spent a day at Dollywood's Splash Country.  There are local trolley's that will pick you up on the edge of Patriot Park (close to The Old Mill) and bring you directly to the entrance of Splash Country, as well as many other local attractions.  Again, only a quick walk from our RV and it only costs 50 cents for each rider, one way.  The waterpark was really fun for adults and kids of all ages.  If you have an extra day in the area I would say it's well worth the cost of admission.  Next time we're here we'll have to check out Dollywood's theme park!

Side note: If you are in need of any camping equipment, definitely check out the Coleman Factory Outlet Store while you're in the area.  

As we wind down our day, a summer thunderstorm has rolled in.  We were lucky to have had such a beautiful day at the water park.  Tomorrow we're loading up and heading home...hopefully, we'll have enough time for a local pancake house on our way out of town.

Happy travels ~ Sara

KOA Bristol/Kingsport

We recently rolled into the Bristol/Kingsport KOA.  There was talk of thunderstorms that night and through the next day.  Not the best news for Mike who was accompanying his dad to the drag races on Father’s Day.  The rain held out for the evening, thank goodness.  We chose to reserve a site with a deck, picnic table and bistro set.  This flat sturdy area was great for ease of meals and relaxation.  

Side note: If you’re concerned about accessing cable in your RV, our 25 foot cable that wasn’t long enough to reach the hookup.  The office did agree to allow us to borrow a longer cable instead of purchasing one which was great but still an inconvenience.    

While the boys went to the races, the rest of us enjoyed the pool.  This campground had all kinds of activities for the kids to include a bounce pillow, playground, sandbox, swings, horse shoes and corn hole.  But, the greatest fun always comes with a dip in the pool for my girls.  The weather cooperated.  One thing to mention, this KOA pool had a bottom surface as slick as a bathtub.  If you need to be steady on your feet, you may not want to be holding a squirmy three year old.

For those equestrian lovers, there are three ponies on site.  The girls loved watching them, naming them and petting them.  Unfortunately, they only offer pony rides Saturday mornings so if you’re there any other day you’re out of luck.  Although we didn’t follow up with the idea, one employee in the office said they often have horse riding at the nearby Warriors' Path State Park.  If you tire of petting the ponies, they also have a sweet goat named Thelma who really enjoys the attention.

We went out to dinner one evening at La Carreta in Kingsport.  The service and food was great, I would definitely recommend if you're in the mood for Mexican.  Here are some comments and ratings from TripAdvisor.  Even though the weather held out for the day, an incredible thunderstorm hit while we were in the restaurant.  The power went out momentarily which was very exciting for the girls and a fun story to share with their friends.  That evening we slept well in our Mexican food comas and the pitter-patter of rain on our roof.

Happy travels ~ Sara

Road Tripping with Kids

Lists and strategically placed piles are my best friends when it comes to packing and preparing for a road trip.  I have a 'method to the madness' mentality prior to a big trip.  No one else in the family quite knows what's going on with my system but I'm okay with that.  I know where everything is and, although the piles litter my house, it works for me.

There was a time in my life when I could get ready for a trip in twenty minutes, that is no longer the case.  These days I'm concerned with activities to entertain kids, snacks, sippy cups, dvd players and headphones.  I will say the last being the most important.  Get a good movie in the player and you'll have complete silence for at least an hour.  This is a treat when the alternative is the question as old as time, "when will we be there?".

Since our RV is a travel trailer we are still at the mercy of traveling in our truck.  Despite Mike's frustration, I load up the back seat practically to the ceiling.  By the time we arrive it's cluttered with crayons, stuffed animals, books and goldfish crackers.  I say...if it keeps them content and quiet, it's well worth the filth they create.

As I've mentioned, I love the Dollar Tree, it's one of my favorites.  I like to go there before a big trip. They have all kinds of activity books, snacks and treats for kids.  I pick up a bag for each girl so they can keep track of their own stuff and try to keep things contained.  All of the items for both bags totaled only $18.  This is my effort to keep the back seat clean ~ it's a futile effort!  Regardless, the girls are always excited to see the surprises awaiting them in their bags.  

Another thing I have grown to love is our local library.  I am not a huge reader and was never one to enjoy being in a library (you can ask my parents) but now I see all the amazing services our library provides, especially for kids.  If you haven't checked yours out lately I would highly recommend it.  We make a trip to the library to stock up on books and videos for the kids before we hit the road.  We had a particularly fruitful trip today, coming away with 9 books and 12 videos.  That should keep them busy for a while.  Free, easy and a great selection!

Next step, organizing clothes and groceries.  Let the piles begin!

Happy travels ~ Sara

Cheatham Annex RV Park

Mike picked up our RV and we met him at Cheatham Annex RV Park.  He arrived before us so when we drove up everything was already set up.  That's my guy!  The only thing left to do was level it out so we wouldn't all be rolling to one side of the camper in the middle of the night.  Once that was taken care of we got down to the business of camping.

This site is on a military base so the access may be limited to some.  There were definitely pros and cons to this location.  

Pros: large sites, wooded trails, on base activities (bowling, pool, playgrounds, etc) and the Youth Pond.  This was my favorite thing.  The pond is set back in the trees and has a good sized pier that extends toward the middle.  It is stocked with fish and is catch and release.  Among the frogs, turtles and dragonflies, you can find some great quality time with your family.  It did take us quite a while but I'm happy to say each of our girls caught at least one fish.  Thank goodness.      

Cons: direction to check-in and to the sites, small spaces to maneuver/turn around RV, sites were not surrounded by trees, you could see industrial parts of the base from our site.  Some of these aesthetics may not be overly important but I really would prefer to feel that I'm in the midst of nature on these excursions.

Our night was filled with marshmallows, bubbles, and the card game Go Fish.  We all settled in nicely.  Even the girls came to a good understanding about the bunk beds and who would sleep where.  

In the morning we went for a nature walk through the woods.  It became a bit hurried as someone needed to 'go to the potty' half way through the walk.  Even still, it was so nice to be out in nature with the girls.  Later that day we went to the pond for some fishing which really was our favorite part of our stay.  We had a wonderful time on our first adventure and look forward to many, many more.

Happy travels ~ Sara

Keystone Outback 324CG

We finally found the RV that met all our needs and we couldn't be more thrilled.  We decided on a travel trailer with a toy hauler twist.  The Keystone Outback 324CG was a perfect fit for our family's current needs and those in the near future.  

As we shopped, I was quite amazed at the selection and options of each RV.  Even within a row of seemingly similar campers, there were variations in each.  Once we firmed down our price and really decided what our most important options were things narrowed down fairly quickly...thank goodness.

We had made the mistake of bringing the girls to other dealerships and had spent our time yelling at them to "stop pulling that", "stop sitting on that", "you're interrupting me", "stop touching each other", "don't play with that", etc, etc, etc.  I'm sure you parents can absolutely relate.  No good came from those initial dealership visits.

It was a rainy April day, we got a babysitter, and headed to Ashland, VA (close to Richmond).  Mike found some great options online and we drove up with excitement and anticipation. We ended up at McGeorge's Rolling Hills RV.  Our Sales Associate, Kevin, gathered a quick list of our specifications and carted us out into a sea of RV's.  After looking at a few that might work for us, we saw the Keystone Outback.  

It was a bit out of our price range, but we hoped we could haggle it right down to our sweet spot.  It was perfect.  We were really excited about the entire space, but especially the following: king bed in a separate bedroom, all sorts of storage, bluetooth for music with outside speakers, large door with ramp for ease of bikes and other awkward items, bunk beds and a very modern look.

We did, indeed, get an amazing price and decided to sign on the dotted line.  Mike picked it up the following weekend and we headed directly to Cheatham Annex RV Park.  We're both so ecstatic...let the adventures begin!

Happy travels ~ Sara