Tag Archives: travel

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 and Touring Colonial Williamsburg

23 Thursday Apr 2026

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4/23/26
Location: Anvil Campground, Williamsburg, VA
Colonial Williamsburg
Freddy’s Frozen Custard and Steakburgers
ChILL

After another quality night of rest both of us were ready to tour Colonial Williamsburg. We had coffee and a light breakfast at ChILL. Then we boarded the 9:42 AM WATA bus number 7 to Colonial Williamsburg train station. A quick change to the free number 15 bus that loops frequently around Colonial Williamsburg brought us to the Visitors Center. Although we purchased our multi-day tickets online we were having some trouble printing them at their kiosk. Fortunately the line moved quickly and the helpful employee was able to find our previously paid tickets and print them for us. Many of the historic venues require paid admission before entering and it is easier to have the tickets available. The nice employee also gave us badge holders to clip our tickets on our shirts.

The town has several buildings and demonstrations with actors in period dress, some of whom have their own long hair styled for the era and the occasional handlebar mustache too. Not all buildings and demonstrations are open every day. Each open site is marked by a British Colonial flag making it easy to know where to go.

Guests are encouraged to interact with the actors who respond in character. It was an unexpected pleasure to meet and talk to Colonel George Washington as he was outside on the Duke of Gloucester Street in the shade of a tree. At various small shops, some of which were the original buildings and some were reproduced on the original foundations, we interacted with the engraver as she worked on silver flatware and the printer as he was inking the typeface and producing a newspaper page as we watched. He explained that it would take up to 24 hours for the paper to be dry enough to touch. In another shop yarn was being made from wool fibers on a spinning wheel by a woman who explained that it was a tedious and time consuming process that yielded very little yarn when completed. Virginia citizens hoped to make enough money on the sale of tobacco to allow them to purchase ready made yarn from the British factories that employed many more workers than Virginia could. In the leather shop we learned that the shopkeeper makes his own shoes as well as many of the shoes that the other actors wear while in costume. He also made his own breeches and provided those for some of the other actors too. As there are more actors than they have skilled employees to make shoes and breeches, not all actors were outfitted by that shop.

Within each open building the actors dressed accordingly. They not only had the historical knowledge but many of them were also trained to do the trade as it was done in the past making that their full time means of making a living in the present. The employees were eager to interact and obviously had a passion for history as they worked in venues that were renovated originals or reconstructed on the original foundation with dim lighting and the same cramped quarters and sparse furnishings as in the 18th century.

For lunch we tried a beef pasty and a chicken pasty. They were basically handheld flat pot pies. Glad we tried them but I would not put them at the top of my list to eat again. Skip also had apple cider. I looked for a shirt or sweatshirt to commemorate the nation’s 250th anniversary of independence or Colonial Williamsburg’s 100th anniversary of its restoration but I didn’t see anything I liked. My only purchases were interesting postcards and a 250th anniversary shopping bag.

The day was sunny with pleasant temperatures in the mid to upper 70s and the crowds were light, absolutely perfect time to go to Colonial Williamsburg. We were able to see and do a lot all in the same day so we decided not to return on Friday.

Once the bus dropped us off at our campground, we headed out to Freddy’s for burgers, cheese curds and frozen custard. What a pleasant surprise! The double steakburgers we chose were served with big slices of dill pickle and raw onions with mustard, one of the best burgers I have had in a long time.

Then back to shower and relax in our traveling suite.

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!