Tag Archives: adventure

Camp Creek State Park Campground > Northern Kentucky RV Resort – Dry Ridge, KY

28 Tuesday Apr 2026

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4/28/26

Location: Camp Creek State Park, Camp Creek, WV

The rains came while we were sleeping which cleaned off some of the pollen we brought from Florida and the additional pollen and road dirt we collected through GA, SC, NC, VA and WV. When Skip was ready to take care of the outside chores and hook ChILL up to the truck, the rain had stopped. Without a single raindrop, I was able to move from ChILL the things we take to the truck while we travel. What a blessing!

Knowing that the exit for 77 North was closed and we would have to detour onto two lane twisting and turning US 19 for 8 miles, I still volunteered to take the first driving shift. As I drove those 8 miles I started to wonder how many more days it was going to take! It was with great discipline that I kept myself from asking over and over again, “Are we there yet?” It was a demanding 8 miles. Once we were on the interstate conditions improved but still lots of climbing up the mountains and keeping the truck and ChILL at a reasonable speed on the descents with continued curvy conditions. Definitely not a boring ride. About 2.5 hours later we switched drivers. Another rest area gave us the chance to have our lunchbox sandwiches from the comfort of ChILL with Skip continuing as driver for the overall 3 hours remaining.

Our original campground in Dry Ridge, KY was at Campers Village. Unfortunately the site they assigned to us was not feasible for us. Skip was able to get into the site without any trouble but only because he was able to use the empty site in front of us. When those campers arrived we would have no way to exit the site. With some tense moments and a little drama as the Airstream nearly bottomed out during the maneuvers, Skip disregarded the campground staff’s attempts at being helpful and made his own wise choices on how to get us out of this undesirable site. Thank You Lord for protecting ChILL from serious damage. The campground staff were apologetic and as nice as they could be but they were fully booked and could not give us another choice. They recommended a nearby campground that did have availability so we headed there.

Location: Northern Kentucky RV Park, Dry Ridge, KY, site 59, full hookup

The campground staff gave Skip a choice of 2 sites that would be suitable for us. The campground is built into a hillside with somewhat level sites. Skip used 2 boards under the right tires and was able to get us level enough to be comfortable.

We discovered that the outside compartment under Skip’s bed was stuck and could not be opened because items had shifted during transit. Skip’s drill was also in that compartment. To gain access Skip had to dismantle the wood frame under his mattress using just a screwdriver and elbow grease, lots of elbow grease. Soon the obstruction was removed. As he was now able to reach his drill, putting the bed back together was much quicker than the teardown. 

Whew! Now that all of the drama is over the normal setup chores begin. Our site is small and the campground is crowded but we are not here for the campground itself. Our goal is to visit The Ark Encounter which is 8 miles away.

Finally it was time to make our dinner on our cooktop of patty melts using frozen burgers brought from home and a side of RiceARoni. 

After some TV and showers we gratefully headed for our comfortable beds in our traveling suite.

Anvil Campground > Camp Creek State Park – Camp Creek, WV

25 Saturday Apr 2026

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4/25/26
Location: Anvil Campground, Williamsburg, VA

Because Skip took care of the black tank after my shower last night he was ready to go in record time this morning. Site 77 is too tight to turn right to exit our site so we made a loop thru the campground before heading on our way, departing around 8:15. 

The truck nav system routed us mostly the way Skip wanted with one exception as he wanted to take 295 around Richmond. After that change the truck nav routed us as Skip preferred. I drove the first 2 hours with Skip completing the most difficult and final 4 hours, having taken a half hour break with our lunchbox sandwiches soon after we crossed the WV state line. Thankfully the hardest rain we received the entire drive occurred after we walked from the truck at the rest area and were comfortably sheltered inside ChILL. Skip did have to drive the curvy and 5% grade rain soaked roadways with continuing light showers. He handled it very well.

Location: Camp Creek State Park & Forest, Camp Creek, WV, Mash Fork Site 25, full hookup

We arrived at Camp Creek State Park around 3:30. It is a 2 lane somewhat curvy steep in places 2 mile roadway to get to the campground however it is not nearly as challenging as I recalled from our visit in 2019. With God’s help I will drive us from here and then drive on the interstate mountain roads when we leave on Tuesday as we head to Kentucky.

Skip backed us right into our site which is plenty long enough for the trailer and the truck even after they are unhitched and the truck pulled forward. Departure days are always easier when the truck does not have to be in the roadway during hookup allowing us to take our time and not feel rushed to get out of the way of other travelers. 

The views all around are forested mountainous beauty with a small creek that runs behind ChILL. Our floor plan allows us to take advantage of spectacular views like this from our dinette area, so happy we chose this layout! 

This is the first campground where the T-Mobile hotspot was not an option. Skip setup the Starlink and all was well

One of the burners on our stove came loose during travel. Thankfully Skip was able to fix it quickly and easily.

Skip was able to watch the final laps of the NASCAR race. What a fitting way for him to take a well deserved break after driving all that time then setting up camp and repairing the stove, all while he was “playing Airstream” and having a great time doing so.

I thawed hamburger meat brought from home using the covered skillet on low heat on the stove, added taco seasoning mix and heated taco shells in the microwave. Dinner was served!

So happy to be back in this beautiful campground for the next few days!

Anvil Campground – Williamsburg, VA continues

22 Wednesday Apr 2026

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4/22/26

Location: Anvil Campground, Williamsburg, VA

Both of us had a terrific night’s rest with neither one of us getting up at all overnight. Unfortunately Skip woke up with an upset stomach so we decided it would be best to take a day off and hang out at ChILL. The multiday ticket we bought for Colonial Williamsburg will be forfeited for today but we still have the opportunity to use our ticket tomorrow and Friday. Hopefully a day of rest will restore Skip and we will be able to enjoy walking through history while we are in the area.

Laundry moved up in priority since we were staying home for the day. They have 4 washers and 4 dryers in a small but nice laundry room a short walk from our campsite and adjacent to the campground Welcome Center and general store. Each load costs $2.50 to wash and $2.50 to dry. I am using TruEarth laundry strips for the washer, very easy to store on ChILL and they do a good job of cleaning the clothes. Perfect solution for travel. 

Skip was feeling better later in the day so we decided to take the truck in search of Ace Hardware and gas. At Ace Skip selected sets of heavy duty brackets to secure the subwoofer under the dinette seat which had become detached. The location of the subwoofer behind the drawer under the first settee made the repair a challenge to twist and turn while lying on the floor under the table but Skip was successful. The brackets that held it in place are the originals from 2018. The bouncing from the rough roads over the years and on this trip caused the plastic brackets to break completely. Hopefully the replacement brackets will last for a long time.

To give us peace of mind until we get back to AutoNation Ford in Jacksonville, Florida for a proper repair, Skip engineered a harness for the tailgate to prevent random openings, especially troublesome as we are driving and have no way of knowing whether it is open or not as we travel the roads. He invented his own solution using some braided line and S hooks. Praying that the truck and ChILL will not be damaged by a randomly opened tailgate bouncing up and down.

Skip chose baked potatoes for dinner to help ease his stomach. He’s feeling much better and up to touring Colonial Williamsburg tomorrow.

Although our plans changed from being tourists to a staycation day we had a wonderful time together in a new place. In between doing some chores and repairs we were able to ChILL and take a break in our familiar and comfortable traveling suite. Every day is a good day!

Magnolia Lane Campground > Anvil Campground – Williamsburg, VA

21 Tuesday Apr 2026

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4/21/26

Location: Magnolia Lane Campground, Pollocksville, NC

Prepared for departure by loading items into the truck, cleaning inside, dumping the tanks and hooking ChILL to the truck. The truck tailgate came down on its own at the campground. We assumed it was caused by pushing the button on the key fob from our pockets in error but WAIT there’s more!

Using the improved route that Skip had researched and that avoided the Hampton Bridge Tunnel, we headed out, with me as the first driver, for Anvil Campground in Williamsburg, VA. About an hour into the trip a nice driver slowed down to tell us the tailgate was open on the truck, which of course means it was laying on the trailer tongue jack as we were driving along the highway. At the stoplight Skip hopped out and closed it. We both removed the key fobs from our pockets in case that was the cause of the issue.  Fortunately the problem has not occurred again. Praise be to God!

Skip brought up the audible book he bought about Colonial Williamsburg which occupied us for a half hour or so. Then it became too boring for my tastes with excessive detail about furnishings and the reading of letters of political politeness. It did have some good information but not enough to continue listening to it and was not stimulating enough content to increase my driving focus.

Another hour later we took an exit because I needed a bathroom break even though nothing was noted at the exit, no gas stations or fast food places. However I did find an area that I thought was part of a nearby church parking lot. Turned out to be a small and busy local recycling center. After we used the bathroom in ChILL, the nice attendant allowed us to loop around where we easily returned to the highway and our planned route with me still in the driver’s seat.

Location: Virginia State Line Welcome Center

Here we took a selfie with the Virginia sign, picked up a couple of brochures about Colonial Williamsburg and enjoyed our previously prepared lunch from inside ChILL.

Skip took over as driver on what turned out to be the hardest part of the trip. Several quick exits happened in succession for the route Skip chose in advance. Many miles of construction also kept him on his toes. The roads for most of the time Skip drove were bumpy with a lot of traffic. Thankfully Skip handled it very well.

Location: Anvil Campground, Williamsburg, VA, premium site 77, full hookup

Anvil Campground was founded in 1954 by Ralph Jump and is still owned by the same family to this day. John D. Rockefeller, Jr hired James Jump and his son Ralph Jump in the late 1920s and early 1930s as master blacksmiths to help restore Colonial Williamsburg to its 1700s appearance to preserve history. In 1953 Ralph purchased a soybean farm that eventually became the campground. Inspired by their blacksmithing history the campground was named Anvil. A huge water wheel made by Ralph Jump in 1978 is still in operation today. The Jump family’s legacy lives on both in the campground and in their efforts over the years to restore Colonial Williamsburg.

Chris Jump, the owner of the campground since 2011, called us enroute to confirm our intention to checkin, verified our site number and told us to go ahead and setup upon arrival. An information packet was available for us at the Welcome Center containing the transit schedule and a suggested app for conveniently getting around the area. Armed with a QR code the campground provided for discount tickets, we purchased a multiday ticket for Colonial Williamsburg.

We have one of the premium sites with a large gravel pad. Our site is shaded and has a polywood porch swing with center cupholders, a polywood picnic table, a fire ring, a polywood privacy wall between the neighboring site’s porch swing area and close proximity to a sliding board. 

The transportation pick up is practically at our campsite and will take us to Colonial Williamsburg. The bus runs to and from frequently. Very convenient way for us to let someone else be responsible for navigating the local area and no need for us to find parking.

Had a freezer meal from ChILL of enchiladas I had made before we left along with raw vegetables. A tasty end to a good day!