Old Highway 25 Campground

October 9th 2015 Donna and I packed up the camper for a weekend with the family in Heber Springs. No spaces available at JFK Campground so we drove on to Old Highway 25 Campground near Tumbling Shoals, AR. Found a nice campsite in area G site #21 with a view of Greers Ferry Lake. 

Addie, Lily and Zoey stayed Friday night. Although they look pretty calm below there is never a dull moment with these three girls. 

Saturday morning we were treated to some impromptu choreographed cheer routines.   

 

Off the back of the campsite were big boulders down to the lake that made for a good photo op.

Lily

Lily and Zoey n the Dragon Rock.

Addie

Zoey

Saturday we went into Heber Springs to the Clebourne County Ozark Trails Festival on the Cleburne County Courthouse square. We met up with Matt & Sarah. Kerry and Sherry had driven to Pine Bluff, picked up mom then came to the festival. Everyone went back to the Old Highway 25 campground for chili and the Razorback football game. The Razorback game didn't go so well against Alabama, but the chili and treats were a success on a really cool fall evening. 

Kerry helping Zoey with her Stick Art

Large Head Selfie

 Almost Halloween!

Every trip ends with a good laugh when it comes time to go to the sewage dump station. Leaving Old Highway 25 we went to the dump station where two camper trailers were ahead of us. Just the thought of pulling the sewage makes Donna ill. On this day the guy in the trailer in front of us (I think know from somewhere on an Arkansas outdoor TV show) was out talking to the guy who was at the dump station emptying his camper. Apparently, Donna doesn't think this is a time for a social event. When it came our turn Donna courageously gets out to help me hook up the drain hose, but ends up back in the truck with windows up before I get started good. Something about the "glug-glug" of the black water through the flex hose and a faint waft of the content. Like the guy in front of us said "the worst part of camping is backing up and pulling the waste tanks".

Petit Jean State Park

September 10, 2015 we took a weekend trip to Petit Jean State Park. I picked up Brayden from pre-school and left for Petit Jean without Donna (she had to work Friday). We got to the park and found our campsite #91 in campground section C. Not the best section of Petit Jean for 30' of trailer and 20' of pickup truck. Trees were tight around the camping pad such that the camper slide could not extend with the trailer at the back of the pad. We had to pull to the front of the pad to open the slide, then the awning could only be opened about 4'. Area C & D are best suited for small campers, pop-ups and tents, Campground section A is very open great sites with a view of Lake Bailey. Campground B is across the road in a more wooded area, but open enough to fit most any size camper with slides.

We couldn't get a fire started soon enough for Brayden 
to cook hot dogs and s'mores on schmarsh-schmello sticks. 

Campfire hot dogs with black bean salsa and chips with Poppie. 

It just doesn't get much better than this!

Brayden and I spent Friday morning exploring the area along Red Bluff Drive. We found nice overlooks off the road. We walked down to the Rock House Cave past the Turtle Rocks formations. Walked back the trail from the cave to the north side overlook of Cedar Falls.

A long day done we headed back to Russellville. Brayden woke up near Dardanelle, looked in the rear view mirror and said "Poppie! We forgot the trailer". I didn't have the heart to tell him that Nana and Poppie were coming back later Friday evening for a little quiet time. 

I picked up Donna after she got off work and we returned to Petit Jean just in time to catch the sunset from highway 154 entering the park as it set over Mt. Magazine.

Drove around Red Bluff Drive.

 

Dinner with Donna Saturday night,

  Campfire blazing. Burgers on the grill,

Lessons Learned:

• Need to make sure that campsite pad is wide enough for slide out and awing.
• Stay in AA or AAA campsites and at Petit Jean stay in campground area A or B,

Lake Dardannelle State Park

We decided to stay close to home for our first camping trip and drive to Lake Dardanelle State Park. I called the park and was lucky to get a great camping site for Friday, August 28th through Sunday. Site #12 was located on the lake side of the back loop about 50' from the water. 

Our first night we had lots of visitors. Jessica, Juan, Hannah and Brayden met us at the park. It was good having some help the first time I parked and set up the trailer at a campsite. Donna's friend Eva came to visit and brought wind chimes for house warming gift (mostly because Donna told her she didn't want to start junking up the trailer right off). The champagne and orange juice for mimosas was a hit and we really do like our wind chimes.

Brayden and Hannah came back Saturday and spend the night. Hannah is a big help washing dishes. Brayden built a tent so he could go camping in the camper!

 

Saturday night Donna caught these great sunset photo across the lake. 

Brayden is always happy when fishing and even happier when he catches a big fish.

Lessons Learned:

• Don't scrimp on sewer hose. 10' is not enough when you have to position the camper away from the campsite sewer dump station,
• Gray water tank fills up much faster than black water tank
• Back valve is black water and front valve is gray (remember back is black),

The Adventure Begins

On August 15, 2015 we took a trip to Camping World  in North Little Rock where Donna and I found our first travel trailer.  It is a Heartland Pioneer RL250 (Rear Living - 25').

August 21, 2015 I picked up our new travel trailer from Camping World in North Little Rock. I was a little apprehensive about pulling off the Camping World parking and directly into the Friday afternoon I-40 traffic, but I made it home to Russellville without incident.

rdh