Assateague State Park  Berlin, Maryland             Sept. 6-8, 2016

I felt like I had just won the lottery!

One of my favorite sites at Assateague had just opened up due to a cancellation.  Site C-13 is large with nothing between the Aliner and the Ocean but a sand dune.  It is also just steps away from the boardwalk leading to the beach.  All I could think about was dozing to the sound of waves crashing the shoreline.... that is until I received the email that said Tropical Storm Hermine had forced the Park to close until further notice.

The good news is it opened back up JUST in time to honor our reservation so off we went.

With Tropical Storm Hermine in the rear view mirror the temperatures dropped considerably making "off grid" camping pleasant.  A nice breeze and temps in the mid 80's provided a great daytime environment to do what we do best .....relax!

Apparently the legendary Assateague flies must not have received the email about the Park closing because they showed up in force, munching any piece of flesh they could land on.  Fortunately we were able to retreat to our Screened Clam Shelter, and enjoy the beautiful days unfettered by the annoying insect intrusion, while still taking advantage of the perfect weather.

The State Park remains one of our favorite destinations.  It's never very crowded, the people who camp there are polite, follow the rules, and respect the environment.  The bath facilities are immaculate and the staff is always helpful and polite.  They even have store which sells things you may have forgotten including some of the BEST salt caramel ice cream I have ever tasted.

Aside from having to spend a little too much time protected from the flies, we were still able to enjoy the therapeutic benefits associated with the combined elements of salt, sand, waves, sun, cool breezes, amazing sunsets, campfires and spending time with my best friend.

In summary, life is better than we deserve and we are blessed being able to do what we do best ...RELAXING AND ENJOYING LIFE!

So long until next time!

Gettysburg PA. July 25-27

My 12 year old Grandson Billy, is a genuine treat to be around.  He is not just a great kid, he enjoys just about everything including sports, fishing, and history.  We were long overdue to spend some "Guy" time together, so we embarked on an adventure to Gettysburg National Battlefield Park.

This being Billy's first trip in the camper I felt I'd afford some amenities before exposing him to a true "boondock" experience.  We chose the KOA in Gettysburg where we could plug in the A/C, hook up cable TV, have WiFi access, and enjoy a pool, miniature golf, horseshoes and other stuff I thought 12 year olds might enjoy.

Once we set up and ate some bacon Cheeseburgers, Billy used the quite and serenity of the campground to catch up on some mandatory summer reading for school.

We awoke to a nice morning and enjoyed breakfast outside before embarking on our Gettysburg adventure which began at the visitors center with a Movie, the Cyclorama theatre and the museum.  Of course we couldn't pass on a HUGE slice of pizza!

The Cyclorama at the Visitor Center is a spectacular 360 degree experience.

Pizza anytime is great, but after a morning of hiking it's the BEST!

After lunch it was off to explore the battlefield, with the beautiful monuments, relics and sites of various famous battles such as Pickett's Charge and Little Round Top.

Billy with a line of cannons at the PA State memorial

What 12 year old doesn't like climbing on the rocks at Devil's Den

Billy makes friends with a Union General.....

We had a phenomenal 3 days and Billy says he's ready for some "Boon-docking" and some trout fishing..... which is magic to Grandad's ear!

Back at Camp Billy beat me at Miniature Golf, Corn Hole and every other game we tried.  It was a special treat to see his enthusiasm for history, and I was impressed by his voracious appetite for reading and learning everything he could.

I'm looking forward to many more camping trips and memories with a SUPER camping companion, and a incredible Grandson.