by 213 – Shamrock RV Park. Returned to semi-store Vista as we moved into Suzanne’s parents house for a week to visit family and celebrate Christmas in June! This site is very small – due to trees, we had challenges parking RV and the Jeep. Shamrock site this time is only 30-amps – lost power 3-times on Thursday. Drove thru some hilly sections. Several nice little towns. Short drive into North Reno. Our two sons (and girlfriend) had arrived the day before we arrived. We arrived around 11:15 am or so, but took about two hours to transition. Suz’s brother and his family arrived later in the week. Even though we had seen everyone in the last 8-months, this was the first time the entire family had seen each other in the last 18-months due to Covid. Took family to dinner, drinks and games (cornhole and bocce ball) @ the Eddy in Reno – had a lot of fun. Went to RSL for designer cocktails. Went to South Lake Tahoe with the 3-young adults – Coffee @ Clydes Roasting and Coffee, beach time @ Kiva beach and lunch @ Sonny’s BBQ. We went to the meadows on Mt Rose Hwy – then celebrated Suz’s mother’s birthday. Fathers Day breakfast. Suzanne had a couple of doctor visits. Picked up replacement wally receiver, replacement Shurflo water pump and stuff for e-bikes (incl new locks). Had auto door locks installed in Carson City – we had to improvise to spend 8-hours (went to lunch @ Fox Brewpub). Activated wally receiver. Smog check and DMV renewal for the Jeep. Temps rising all week from 87 to 99 degrees. Jeep had problems starting the day after and the 2nd day after the door locks installed – took back to the store who installed them but they re-inspected the Jeep and found no issues (wires connected to battery terminals, and the two front panels underneath radio and steering wheel).
212 – Whiskey Flats RV Park. Nice little park in Hawthorne. Did not use bathhouse. Good sized PT sites. Drove a long day so that we could get closer to Reno. US Army munitions depot nearby. Drove thru some nice little towns.
211 – Canyon Trail RV Park. Arrived in 103 degree weather. Near Lake Mead. Rear AC unit not working (think it is leaking Freon) – need to find RV service center that does warranty work. Nice PT sites. Nice bathhouse. Decided to disconnect Jeep and ate okay BBQ @ Fox Smokehouse BBQ. Lots of mountain driving.
210 – Petrified Forest KOA. Somewhat small PT sites – had to park Jeep @ angle. Okay bathhouse. Nice visit to the Petrified Forest NP. Local town easy to drive. It was starting to get hot, so we did not take Rio with us but dogs were allowed. Gas prices really starting to go up as we travel west.
209 – Sante Fe Skies RV. Nice campground. Back-in site with FHUs. Nice bathhouse. Nice views of the western mountains. They have had minor theft issues in the past – they now have a gate after 8 pm. Enjoyed walking around the Plaza and the galleries on Canyon Road. Had a great meal at Sazon – lucky to get a reservation at the last minute – upscale Mexican food. Visited Meow Wolf immersive and interactive museum – very interesting place. Ate green chilli burgers @ Sante Fe Bite – met four siblings that spend a few weeks down in Mexico in October – really nice people. UPDATE: decided to re-plan October and join several of the siblings to visit Puerto Penasco in Mexico for 15-days in October and November.
208 – Oasis RV Resort Amarillo. Stayed overnight. PT – did not disconnect. Okay bathhouse. Used cable. Want to go back to try Palo Duro Canyon State Park. Top BBQ restaurants were closed on Sunday and Monday.
207 – Rockwell RV Park and Campground. Simple campground. Bathroom was okay. Pleasantly surprised by OKC. 1995 Bombing Memorial and Museum was very powerful. The Brick House river walk was enjoyable – wine tasting @ Put a Cork in it. Enjoyed onion burger @ Nic’s Grill. Went to a food hall called the Parlor – had good drinks and food – would like to visit the Collective Kitchens and Cocktails next visit. The water park with rapids and skiing look interesting.
206 – Hot Springs Holiday KOA. Nice campground, but very hilly with narrow streets. Stormy the first day. Visited downtown where the National Park is located. Also drove along the hills and parks near town. Town is very popular but found it to be in need of an uplift. We forgot to book reservations for hot springs pools and spas. Had good food @ Mama Vee’s Homestyle Cuisine. Had coffee @ Kollective Coffee & Tea. Rained really hard 2nd night. Next day we hiked in the National Park, then had lunch and drinks @ Superior Bathhouse Brewery – converted from one of the original bathhouses in Hot Springs.
205 – Tom Sawyer RV Park. Cancelled the reservation with KOA. On Arkansas side of Mississippi River (West Memphis). Nice PT site on the end. Inside sites had a lot of shade trees, but not on the outside sites near the river. No real landscaping . Great views of the Mississippi River – saw lots of river barges going up and down the river. I 40 bridge was closed, so detoured thru South Memphis I 55 bridge – Friday afternoon on Memorial Day – took over an hour plus to get through the detour thru town. West Memphis was fairly run down – did not explore much. Hung out first day due to be so tired after 5-days of driving. Second day we visited Memphis. The river front was blocked off due to construction. Visited BB Kings for music and ribs – lots of fun. The favorite BBQ joints were closed on Sundays and Mondays. Walked to the Peabody Hotel to watch the parade of the ducks.
204 – Nashville East / Lebanon KOA Park. PT site was nice and long, but a little uneven. Lots of trees. Big field nearby. Bathhouse was okay. We used cable. Cell was okay.
203 – Dumplin Valley Farm RV Park. Farm land converted into a RV campground. Contact-less arrival. FHUs. Long PT sites, but slanted at both ends. No bathhouse. I 81 and I 40 nice – long rolling hills through Virginia. Passed more of the Blue Ridge mountains and the Cumberland pass. Decided not detach Jeep and go into Knoxville. Cell service okay. No cable. Dish setup and service was good this time.
202 – Dixie Caverns and Pottery. Simple, but plain campground. Sites are very long (PT), but not much space between sites. Lots of trees, but no landscaping – struggling grass and weeds. Cable and cell service good. Did not try to use Dish. Bathhouse was closed. Another camper said that he visited six months ago and the campground was in better shape. Sprinkled once we got here. Lots of rolling hills along the route. Passed by the Shenadoah National Park and Blue Ridge mountains.
201 – Harpers Ferry Holiday KOA. Has a lot of potential. PT sites not level and rather close together considering this is a holiday CG. Would benefit from weeding and some landscaping – especially for the price. Shower looked nice, but the floors were dirty. In our attempt to get gas, our route changed drastically and we ended up going south through Philly and Baltimore via Trenton instead of heading west to Harrisburg. Lots of rain as we routed around Baltimore. There was a truck in our site when we arrived, so we asked for a different site – got stuck in the mud and leaves trying to go up into a different section – asked for help and they backed us down the road with Jeep attached – we should have detached at the first site (major mistake – thankfully no damage). A very long day – hope it gets easier as we head west. Did not setup Dish – used their cable instead. Cell service is good. Took jeep into historic downtown – nothing was really open – definitely need to come back. The whole area seemed to be part of the National Park system – the main part of town was nearby.
