Fall, my favorite time of year. I have my yard decorated for the season and am gearing up for some wonderful fall times.
I have the yard all decorated for the season; it isn’t that elaborate, but I have fun putting everything out. I had several people drive by and tell me they love the decorations, so that makes it all worthwhile.
I was able to participate in an insanely large Trunk or Treat; I can’t even begin to explain how big this thing is, but I am talking thousands of eager young goblins with massive bags in hand needing to be filled by our very generous community of families and businesses. It was my first year doing this, and I was not prepared for the massive crowd or the wind that kept taking my display down. But I had so much fun, and I was happy I did it, at least once. For the event, I found this trick with marbles, so I was handing out my space marbles, and it seemed to be a huge success. Amazing what a marble, foil, and a glass jar will do.
I had a fabulous evening sampling delicious tea at a Gothic Tea Party. It was such a fun little event, and the tea was delicious. I had some interesting conversations with other participants, and my granddaughter was able to join me for all of the fun. She loved the tea, but the cucumber finger sandwiches were her favorite; now I have to find the recipe for those.
My grandson attended the Ohio State High School Honors Band weekend. The Ohio State Honors Jazz Band is a program for select high school students (grades 10-12) who are nominated by their jazz band directors. Students participate in a weekend of high-level music-making, including masterclasses and rehearsals led by OSU faculty, and culminating in public performances. This is not a permanent band, but a special annual or semi-annual event that allows advanced students to perform together. We were able to attend the concert at the end, and he had a solo; so proud of him.
We made our annual trek to a local corn maze and I tell you what is said, “get lost in the maze.” They always say that, but this time they were not joking; it seemed like an eternity, and we just kept going in circles. I think we were in there about an hour, and we found a total of 3 clues (there were 9). We finally claimed defeat and went and sat by the bonfire.
So what are your fall traditions? We typically enjoy driving around the local yard displays; we have some folks with very elaborate setups in the area, so they are always entertaining. Then we try an evening corn maze. We try to get to an orchard and pick apples for the season. Then right before trick-or-treat, we have our Halloween jack-o-lantern carving party. Just hanging out with family, enjoying the cool weather and, of course, ending it all with trick-or-treating. I love handing out candy to all the little ones.
For about 13 years I have been working on my family geneology. I just finished up with my Mom’s side of the family. I am hoping to finish my Dad’s side of the family soon, but there is much left to do on that side. Then I will start on my husbands family and then finally I can finish our story for my future generations to have.
I’ve been so busy creating new items and adding listings to my ETSY shop that I hear the sound of my own crafting in my sleep. I’ve designed custom graphic tees and mugs that are a hit with everyone – even my pet goldfish is a fan. But between you and me, I just can’t find the time to create, print, and press the designs onto the merchandise. My equipment’s gathering dust in my tiny house, and there’s only so much room for blank mugs in here!
So, here’s the plan: I’ve teamed up with a print-to-order company. I handle the fun part – designing – and they take care of the rest, including shipping. It’s like having your personal magic merchandise printer! Plus, I can offer a ton more options without hoarding stuff in my house like a dragon guarding its treasure.
I’ve spent the last few days cracking the code on how all this works and getting some items up on ETSY. Right now, the shop has a couple of creepy, fun tees and some digital graphic files that are as versatile as a chameleon at a rainbow convention. Keep an eye on the shop because there’s plenty more where that came from!
And hey, if you’ve got a wild idea for a custom graphic, shoot me an email. I’ll let you know if it’s something I can tackle – I’m up for the challenge!
My backyard has turned into a cool Ohio native pollinator garden, and I spend a ton of time snapping pics of the flowers and critters that come to visit. I also love taking photos of cool plants and animals I come across during my walks, so this post is all about those snapshots!
As some may know, I used to be the proud overlord of a bead empire a long while back, and I still have enough beads to fill a small country, along with tons of wire. So, I’ve been occupying myself by creating an army of suncatchers, attempting to deplete my stash of beads and wire. I’ve lost count, but I believe I’ve unleashed about 10 of these shiny creatures into the world. I might need an intervention soon.
Many of the 10 have found new homes, but there are still a few left in my ETSY shop. If you feel like giving a girl a break and buying one, go ahead! I’d love to keep them all, but there’s only so much window space in this house.
We had a super fun fishing trip at Deer Creek State Park, such an awesome lake and a cute little campground. So clean and perfect! We only stayed for 3 days, so we might have to check it out more in the future since it’s only about an hour and a half from the house. We stayed in site #177, which was cool with trees all around us, but I think the site next to us, #175, was even better – super private. Next time for sure!
The park’s got a really cool lodge and a golf course for those who want to go the fancy route. There are loads of hiking trails and spots to fish from at the marina and the dam. I think renting a boat would be a better bet for fishing, so maybe we’ll give that a go next time.
We didn’t manage to catch any fish, but we definitely gave them a lot of worms. The campground wasn’t too packed during the week, but when we left on Friday, it was starting to get pretty busy for the weekend.
Ohio does offer so many wonderful state parks to explore, so if you are in our state in the future this may be one to check out.
I’m so lucky to live in an area with incredible hiking and walking trails in local parks, reserves, fens, and wetlands, and forests. And to top it off, I’m less than a 2-hour drive from Hocking Hills, home to the Whispering Cave trail, recently crowned as the best in the country by USA Today. Forbes even listed it as one of the best places to travel in 2023. And let’s not forget about our rich heritage, including over 70 Indian Mounds in Ohio, with the granddaddy of them all, the Serpent Mound, the largest effigy mound in the world. If you haven’t had the pleasure of experiencing the natural beauty of Ohio, let me introduce you to this wonderful state.
So with that being said, I enjoy exploring all the great things my state has to offer and have plenty to choose from.
Just a short drive from my front door offers some beautiful trails to hike and natural areas to explore. So today I am featuring 3 places in Fairborn, Ohio. All of them are very close to each other and on the small side so you can visit them all in one morning or afternoon.
They’ve just put in a gravel parking space and there are a couple of short mowed trails. It’s a 78-acre wetland area with special plants and animals. A perfect place for birdwatchers, plenty to check out if you’re cool with getting a bit muddy and don’t mind going through the taller plants. Looks like they’re working on adding more paths to walk since they put in the parking area.
Pearl’s Fen – 4533 Byron Rd – Fairborn, OH
GPS 39.817646707595905 -83.98401820869843
A peat wetland with tons of different plants (like 170+) and wildlife. This 2 acre spot is packed with diversity, so just take a leisurely walk on the boardwalk, grab your camera or binoculars (or both), and soak it all in. The sunset view from the accessible boardwalk is totally stunning. It even hooks up with the Oak Quarry pike if you’re up for more strolling.
Oaks Quarry Park – State Rte 235 – Fairborn, OH
GPS 39.814651, -83.994988
An old limestone quarry turned into a park, how cool is that? This spot is part of the Beavercreek wetlands, a real gem.
If you’re into time travel, this is your chance to go way, way back – we’re talking 440 million years! Believe it or not, this place used to be an ocean and a huge coral reef. Now, you can hike awesome trails and even hunt for fossils to take home as souvenirs.
When the glaciers passed through here, they left all kinds of marks on the rocks, like grooves and slides. It’s like nature’s own rock art gallery, frozen in time since the ice age ended 14000 years ago.
This park covers a whopping 190 acres and has horseback riding trails as well as around 2 miles of hiking trails. Time to saddle up and explore!
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Our initial visit to Seneca Rocks, West Virginia, was absolutely breathtaking. Despite having traversed this state numerous times before, I had never truly immersed myself in its wonders until now. The “mountain state” exceeded all expectations, and the photos I captured fail to do justice to its stunning beauty. Without a doubt, we are already planning to make a return trip to this extraordinary state in the near future. It’s clear that we only just began to uncover the plethora of experiences that West Virginia has to offer.
We packed up Park’er and set off on a new adventure, this time bringing the car along with us. Keith took the wheel of Park’er while following me and the animals in the car. It all worked out quite well, although I did miss our conversations during the drive, and I had to navigate to ensure we didn’t get lost, since he’s not the best with technology for navigation. The dogs seemed more at ease in the car, and TT slept peacefully as always. Being able to simply unpack the camper and set it up without needing to move it again until we left was a nice change, thanks to having the car with us. It allowed us to explore much more than we usually do. I’m hopeful that in the future, we’ll find a lighter tow vehicle—I’ve got my heart set on an old VW dune buggy.
We broke the trip up because we prefer driving for no more than 3 hours at a time to give the animals a break. We found a place to stay halfway using Harvest Hosts/Boondocker’s Welcome, just outside of Parkersburg, WV. The spot was nice, but there was some confusion with the host, which seems to be the norm. We’ve used Harvest Host 3 times in total, with good experiences, but I’m not sure if I will renew it in October. Both times, the owner asked us to text 30 minutes before we arrived, which was challenging due to sketchy cell service in dead zones. Although it saved us when we got evacuated from our camping spot in Florida, we may not use it enough to justify the $150 subscription fee. We may have to learn to overnight in parking lots or Love’s, whether the dogs like it or not.
As we drove through the winding roads climbing the Allegheny Mountains of West Virginia, every turn revealed a more beautiful view. The final leg, following part of the Seneca Skyway, offered spectacular views at every turn. Then, as we turned, Seneca Rocks came into view and I literally got goosebumps. We were staying at the Seneca Shadows Campground, where the Rocks were clearly visible. There was absolutely no internet or cell service, but more on that later.
When you enter the Seneca Rocks / Spruce Knob recreation area, get ready to embrace your inner explorer, because you’re smack dab in the middle of nowhere, at the crossroads of US-33 and US-55, with Seneca Rocks looming ahead. On the left, there’s the Climbing School, and on the right, you’ve got Harper’s Old Country Store, run by the friendliest family in the business since 1902. Keith managed to charm the owner, who gave him the grand tour, sharing tales of the store’s history (he’s quite the charmer, that one). At 90 years old, she didn’t look or act her age, making us all wonder what her secret was. Sharing the same corner is Yokum’s Store and Grill, where, if you’re into sweet chili, you absolutely have to try their chili dogs – seriously tasty stuff. Now, here’s the big secret we only found out on our last night at the campground: you don’t have to endure a 20 or 30-minute drive to hunt down cell service for checking in at home or checking the weather. If you’re staying at Seneca Shadows Campground (which, by the way, is a gem), just take a leisurely 5-10-minute stroll to the tent camping area (loop F), and behold, there’s a path leading right down to Yokum’s – and they’ve got free WiFi, no less! I mean, seriously, why didn’t anyone tell us this on day one? It’s actually quicker to walk there than to drive, what with all the hills and twists and turns.
If you’re in a hurry, you might as well pack a picnic and treat it like a leisurely Sunday drive, because reaching anywhere quickly in the mountains is about as likely as finding a unicorn with a GPS. The map might say it’s just 15 miles away, but go ahead and schedule a 30 to 45-minute detour, considering the twisty, steep, unpaved roads where getting lost is practically a given. And if you’re lucky, you might discover the secret shortcut – or at least avoid the wrath of the local toll troll. Our grand plan to fish at Spruce Knob Lake took a hilarious turn when the road turned out to be a pothole obstacle course, and we realized that a one-day fishing license could cost more than a fancy dinner. So, we settled for admiring the views of Spruce Knob and took a stroll along the lake trail, charming anglers with our well-behaved pets – to our disbelief. Despite the slow and bumpy ride, this quirky little excursion is definitely worth the trip – just make sure to pack your sense of humor along with your snacks.
Not hiking to Seneca Rocks was not at all in the plan, but once we got there, we looked up at the climb and unanimously decided that our dogs were not aspiring mountaineers. We were pretty sure that the ascent would either kill us or crank up our grumpiness to maximum levels, so we wisely chose to give it a pass. In hindsight, four miles of steep terrain doesn’t sound too bad, but at the time it felt like scaling Everest. I even had grand plans of taking a horse ride up instead, only to find out that the stables were closed. Of course, they were only open Thursday through Sunday, and we were there Sunday through Thursday. I briefly entertained the idea of trying on Thursday, but stormy weather had other ideas. So, we packed up and made a dash for home, hoping to dodge both Memorial Day traffic and impending thunderstorms. Next time, though, mark my words: I’m getting to the top, even if I have to ride in on a unicorn. Keith, bless his heart, is determined to find a way to spare his poor back from the torture of steep hills. We’ve got a cunning plan involving trekking poles in our local hilly areas. Watch out, Seneca Rocks, we’ll be back, and this time we mean business!
All was not lost at Seneca Rocks, despite our best efforts to visit the closed Discovery Center, the mystical “Thursday through Sunday” phenomenon. Undeterred, we embarked on a grand hiking adventure, discovering hidden paths and stumbling upon the fabled swimming hole. As fate would have it, our canine companions regarded it as paradise on earth, while TT the cat deemed it the height of absurdity. The sheer delight of the dogs only served to fuel TT’s irritation, her irritation subsided at the campground once she got to kill a few butterflies and chase a chipmunk.
We had a wonderful trip and would like to return there in the future, maybe a longer West Virginia trip next time starting in the Seneca Rocks region and ending up at New River Gorge. We did change up a few things this time around and it did make the trip more enjoyable. They were all so simple changes but every little thing you do that makes it easier when you are away from home is a plus.
Here were are our winning changes this time around:
Taking the car can be a hassle, but the payoff is worth it, so it will become the new norm.
I used the Instapot this time and it was great. I made Beef Stew, which we had for dinner two nights. It worked better than the propane burner, which we didn’t use at all.
The CampChef Deluxe outdoor oven is a game changer. I made frozen pizzas and cornbread to go with the stew, and it’s now our go-to cooking method. With this and the Instapot, we should be able to eat well on the road.
Downloaded all the GPS maps we needed – we would have been lost without them. After learning about the lack of cell service, I realized it was a necessity.
Then there is everything we need to improve, we gotta move the bed because climbing over Keith in the middle of the night almost proved fatal when I slipped and whacked my hip on the kitchen counter, my ninja moves need to improve or we have gotta move the bed. The bifold doors, they really need to be addressed.
On to the next adventure – we have canceled our Michigan UP trip and have scheduled an Ohio fishing trip instead to an area we have not explored yet. Pymantunig State Park in Ohio, we will see you soon, I am excited because there are tons of things I want to do in this area or on the way so it should be a fun trip.
Lake Vesuvius Recreation Area – Iron Ridge Campground
“Wow, what a gorgeous place! I think we should totally come back here. We stayed at site #22 at Iron Ridge – Lake Vesuvius, and it was awesome. The spot was flat and had plenty of space. We drove through the Oak Hill camping loop, and it seemed a bit more busy, but I guess it’s closer to the hiking trails and the beach (even though it wasn’t open yet). The spots there looked nice too, just a tad busier than where we were.”
The Vesuvius recreation area used to be all about the Iron Industry, and you can still spot bits and pieces of the old Vesuvius furnace around the place. When the ore dried up, all that was left were the remnants of the once booming industry. Thankfully, the Civilian Conservation Corp stepped in and rescued this gorgeous area, preserving it for everyone to enjoy for years to come. They built a dam on Storms Creek, creating the lake that everyone loves today. We didn’t get to do any fishing this time, but next time we will be more organized.
The Vesuvius recreation area used to be all about the Iron Industry, and you can still spot bits and pieces of the old Vesuvius furnace around the place. When the ore dried up, all that was left were the remnants of the once booming industry. Thankfully, the Civilian Conservation Corp stepped in and rescued this gorgeous area, preserving it for everyone to enjoy for years to come. They built a dam on Storms Creek, creating the lake that everyone loves today. We didn’t get to do any fishing this time, but next time we will be more organized.
There’s this trail that goes around the lake, and even though we couldn’t walk the whole loop because part of it was closed, we still managed to cover a good bit of it. It was so beautiful out there, and it seemed like a lot of locals were using it for swimming. Can you believe it? Even though it’s spring, people were still taking a dip. And the plant and animal life was just stunning. Ohio is just so beautiful. No bigfoot, dogmen or UFO’s could be found on this trip.
TT even liked it a bit, well maybe not, but she did like sleeping in the bus.
On our way back home, we decided to take a little detour just outside of Chillicothe to check out the Leo Petroglyphs. It’s not a huge place, but it’s really gorgeous, and Potter was loving it because he’s convinced he’s part mountain goat. We wandered around looking for the petroglyphs on the cliffs for a while, but couldn’t find any. It turns out they were actually on a slab inside a gazebo right next to where we parked the bus. Quite a surprise, but definitely worth a visit if you’re in the area!
So here we go again with another adventure in the books! Park’er did it again – performed like an absolute champ. That bus is just so reliable. Next stop: Senecas Rocks, WV. Not entirely convinced we’re ready to conquer those big hills, but hey, who knows what’ll happen!
“I am currently in the process of moving my personal blog to WordPress. Once the move is complete, I have plans to take it in a different direction. On my personal blog, I will be sharing all my adventures with you. Hopefully, it will be filled with a lot of interesting stories. As you know, I love a good story!”!
“Get ready for some exciting adventures! Stay tuned!”
Fort Pickens – Florida trip 11/9/2024 to 11/20/2024 – 1705 miles
The first long trip in Park-er, and it was an adventure. We learned a bit more and have some things we would like to change, discovered some leaks, and really need to address the doors. All in all, it was a good trip and Park-er performed like a champ. We have learned that finding some cool old cemeteries to stop at along the route is a good way to break up the drive for the animals.
1st leg of the journey – 258 miles to Mammoth Cave Campground, Kentucky.
Luckily, we just stayed here overnight because I was not impressed. The area is beautiful, so I would go back I just wouldn’t stay at this campground. There were no hook-ups which we were aware of and that was fine because it was just a night and we have the solar generator but the bath house “yuck” and it cost like $5 for 3 minutes of shower. We did not shower. We did have a couple of exciting moments. When we pulled in there was a Mamma deer with her fawns at the entrance and they were not afraid, the dogs were in awe of the deer. We were able to start a campfire, which was nice, but I made the fatal error of sitting my hot, hot tea on my chair to get up and poke the fire. I sat back in my chair forgetting my tea and it went down my back and butt and literally burned my ass. So, I had to deal with the burn for a few days, not a good start to the trip.
2nd leg of the journey – 240 miles to Cathedral Caverns State Park, Alabama.
This was a beautiful campground; we were here for 2 nights. The camp hosts were fabulous and Alabama is beautiful. We had some really nice people camping around us and it was a very enjoyable place. The only downside was there was a no burn order so no campfire for 2 nights. We were able to hide a bit and the animals were able to roam so they were pretty happy in this spot. The big excitement was a stray friendly cat that wandered into the camp the 1st night and the host were on a mission to catch him. Later the next day he showed up again and one of kids camping was able to catch him and the hosts picked him up. The funny part is the cat actually belonged to one of the park workers, his cat had, unbeknownst to him, came to work with him the day before. We didn’t get to do the Cavern tour since we are still unsure as to how the animals will act being left alone in the camper.
3rd leg of the journey – 166 miles to Fort Toulouse – Jackson Park, Alabama.
Another fabulous spot in Alabama, with a bonus cool old Fort to check out. The spot here was on the river and we were allowed to have a fire so it was a nice evening. There were campers next to us strumming a guitar and singing, so we had free entertainment. The Fort was very cool and the dogs were able to roam freely, which mad everyone happy.
4th leg of the journey – 198 miles to Fort Pickens Campground, Florida.
The weather is damp and chilly but the campground is very nice. We are able to stop at the dog beach before we get to the campground and the dogs were so funny, they didn’t know what to think of the crashing waves. It was very comical; the weather was so yucky we were the only ones on the beach. On day 2 we wake up to rain, so we decide to go into town pick up a few things and do some sight-seeing. We return to the campground at Noon and there are barricades up, the ranger informs us that evacuation is in progress we need to pack up our campsite and leave. I ask if we will be allowed back tomorrow and he says “maybe Thursday”, great. So, we get to our campsite and someone has stolen our rug but luckily our other stuff is there. We pack up and proceed to try to find a place to stay after striking out at a couple of RV Parks I remember I have Harvest Host so I start messaging people to see if they can take us in for a night or two, the third person I message responds right away and says come on down. He is about 20 minutes away and has electric hook-ups and a space in his driveway. So off we go, he was a lifesaver. It is torrential rain now and we have leaks 2 of them, one at the fan and one at the doors in the front. Probably wouldn’t have found them if it wasn’t raining so hard and we were parked on a level surface, so it is good to know we will fix them. The host was great but it was a residential area so we decided to find a different place the next day and were able to get a spot at a state park called Blackwater River, it was beautiful there as well not super dog friendly but there were nice hiking trails and the campground was very well maintained. We were able to return to Ft Pickens on Thursday, which was our anniversary so that was nice. We stopped at Joe Patti’s Seafood and got some fish and shrimp to cook and it was delicious. We visited the dog beach again. I was hoping to find some nice shells after the storm but had no luck, not one decent shell. I did however get chased by an armadillo on the boardwalk, unfortunately I did not catch it on camera. Friday the day we leave was beautiful, warm and sunny, of course. We visited the fort and left the animals in the camper, they did fine, the fort was very cool and I did a bit of ghost hunting got some good responses but I didn’t actually save any of them to the app I was using. The fort was very cool and very interesting history.
5th left of the journey – 127 miles to Isaac Creek – Alabama.
Another wonderful campground in Alabama. We were on the river and this would be great for fishing, not any real hiking trails I could fine but just sitting by the fire watching the river was nice and the dogs were fine. Just a very nice relaxing spot, which we needed because we were tired.
6th left of the journey – 189 miles to Rickwood Caverns State Park, Alabama.
This was beautiful but very small and lots of campers, there were maybe 10 rv spots and they were tight. The caverns were also decorated for Christmas, had I know we would have found something else. But it was very pretty and lots of nice hiking trails. There were giant boulders and leaves knee deep, when we first got there Keith went to check in and I took the dogs for a potty break. I was walking along and the leaves were so deep I didn’t realize there was a step down into a picnic area and I fell buried in the leaves. Keith says he saw it but thought it was a kid playing in the leaves, nope just your stupid wife. Any how nice park to spend the evening we did some hiking but no campfire there was a no burn order.
7th leg of the journey – 147 to a Harvest Host site the South 40 Farm, just outside of Nashville, Tennessee.
This was a good stop for the night, it was cold, really cold but they had electric hookups for us and a nice farm we could let the dogs run around on. It was a good stopping point; we were all getting a little road weary and the weather has been chilly so we decided this would be the last stop and we would cancel our last stop which was to be 3 days at Nolin Lake but the forecast was calling for snow and cold so we decided we would just get up early and make the very long ride home in the morning.
Headed home, 381 miles, it was a long, long ride.
So, we did get to see a lot of cool and beautiful things. We were able to hike a bit, I actually lost about 10 lbs. on this trip, so that is a win. After all was said and done, I am glad we went, wished the weather was better the experience might have been different then. We both decided Florida is off of our future travel plans but would go back to Alabama in a hear beat. The people at the Alabama campground were so friendly and nice, the scenery was beautiful. Some very cool cemeteries and the cotton fields were pretty to look at. So much water in Alabama and hills and caverns, spectacular. Florida was ok, the people at the campgrounds were not as friendly, the whole place was not very dog friendly. Even the dog beach required the dogs to be on leash, what fun is that. I will say this the rangers at the Blackwater River state park did point us into an area the dogs could run off leash, so that was nice. All in all, still not a Florida fan.
So, the bus was great but we do want to do some rearranging. Probably replace the couch with a dinette, that would be better and then just where we put things. The front doors need addressed the current set up just is difficult, so we will work on that too. But the animals did pretty well, they don’t love it but I think once we get to the actual campground, they are much happier.
So, this is a little late but the holidays came and went and I forgot to update the blog.
We have our next adventures planned for this year just shorter trips that are about a week long. We will be checking out Lake Vesuvius in Ohio in April, then Seneca Shadows in West Virginia in May and Colwell Lake Campground in the UP Michigan in June. Many more plans in the works.
So we made our first trip out trying some dispersed camping close to home. For those unaware of dispersed camping it is camping with “no hookups”. In a nutshell all of the Country you will find public land that allows you to camp on it for free, typically no amenities. Now, thru hikers know all about dispersed camping/primitive spots that you find along hiking trails, but there are plenty of sites that you can drive right up to you just have to know where and how to find them. Since we are newbies we don’t fully understand the where and the how but we are learning.
So as luck would have it, the Hoosier National Forest in Indiana has tons of dispersed camping spots, so we though perfect place to get our feet wet since it is just a few hours away. So we finish the bus build, pack up our gear and the animals and off we go. A bit nervous but excited at the same time. Hey we watched a YouTube video, how hard can it be…………………..
We have built Park-Er for dispersed camping, she has 1200 watts of solar power on the rood and a pretty hefty solar generator . The big question is that enough power to really sustain life for a few weeks at a time. We don’t know but we plan on finding out on this trip.
I use an app called The Dyrt to help locate some possible spots, my first choice being Buzzard Roost overlooking the Ohio River. We get to Buzzard Roost pretty smoothly, made one wrong turn (thanks Google), and ended up in someone’s driveway. Apparently they are aware of Google’s error because there was a sign when we turned that said “Do not turn, Dead End”. We did not listen to the sign. But we eventually found Buzzard Roost and it was not what I expected there were about 5 or 6 spots, all had pads to park on, no electric or water but pit toilets were available. We were right on the trail head it was absolutely GORGEOUS, very impressed. There was one other camper on the other end so basically the whole place to ourselves.
But as you can see it was also very shady, so not much sun to charge the generator. This could be a problem.
Get camp set up, do a bit of exploring and then it is nightfall. We wake up in the morning and decide to take a hike down to the river. The trail looks steep and says it is a “moderate” trail so we figure we can make it. We grossly overestimated our hiking skills, well we could have probably made it but we were worried it may be a bit much for the dogs. The Cat (TT) on the other hand was fine in the backpack I carry but negotiating steep terrain with and extra 10 lbs on my back was a bit tricky. We decided to turn around about 2/3 of the way down.
We make it back to the camper and realize we are using more power than we are pulling in on the solar panels, so we decide to go for a drive to find some sun and other spots to explore. It is such a beautiful place we drove along the road that followed the river but we couldn’t seem to find a good sun place. We decide to head back to Buzzard Roost and get something to eat because I felt a migraine coming on. We make it back and I take a nap, when I wake up from the nap the headache is gone but I realize that someone (probably me) turned the generator off. So basically we were pulling in no power for a few hours, we are at 40% power, I don’t think we will make it through the night. I start searching on my phone for a new spot, there are a few more dispersed options but if they are shady too then we will be in the same boat. So I find a County run campground just up the road so I make reservations (had to do 2 nights) and we leave for there.
The campground, Sycamore Springs Campground in English, Indiana, it wonderful. Not horribly crowded but a lot of people, but they have full hook ups, a shower house and all the firewood you could want. Our spot is right along the “river” it looked more like a creek but they called it Little Blue River. The little part was correct. It is great for us but the dogs can’t roam and explore so they aren’t happy but it was nice. If you want a cute family campground, this is it. We ate some food and got a nice campfire going it was nice and we were plugged in charging the generator. We watched the stars, may have seen a ufo, there was a star that we swear was moving. Ok probably not a UFO but maybe it was ?
A UFO?
The next morning we went exploring we went to an area in the Hoosier Forest called Indian-Celina Lake recreation area, great place as well did some hiking and let the dogs stretch their legs. Checked out the camping areas in the area and met the camp hosts, they were great. I wish we would have just went there and camped there was a small fee but they had hook-ups, next trip. So the camp hosts tell us to check out the Tipsaw recreation area just up the road, so we headed that way, it was nice as well. This area had a swimming beach which was closed but we decided to let the dogs go for a swim (even though it said no dogs) but the beach was closed so really no harm. So the dogs are enjoying the beach and I am holding the cat who does not have her harness or leash on (this is a very bad decision on my part). Keith says “there is a drain pipe right here you better watch her”. Now we are pretty far from the pipe so I’m kind of watching but not really and sure enough off she goes right to the drain pipe. It is a good size pipe so I can see light from the other end so I run down to that side which is like a pit so if she makes it to that end she could get out and get into the woods, this would be bad. So I’m trying to get her to come out, I see her eye shine but she isn’t coming out. Finally she decides to come closer to my end and I think she is going to come all the way out but she turns around and shoots toward the other side. At this point Keith has returned from putting the dogs in the bus and I say stay on this end and I will try to get her to come out. If she comes out grab her. So I go to the pit side, “it says do not enter”, as you may realize by now I don’t really follow signs to well. So I jump down in the pit and pick up a rock to toss inside thinking the noise will scare her out, it doesn’t. So after a little bit I figure the only way to get her is to crawl in an get her, so I start crawling. I want to say it was about 3 feet tall inside so I have to crawl. It is filled with rocks and debris and lord knows what else because it is pitch black and I’m feeling my way along the sides so if she runs by me I can catch her. I am praying there is nothing else in there. So I make it to the half-way point and I see eye shine, I grab her and pray it is her and not something else. So I drag her out by the neck scruff and emerge into daylight and Keith says “dumbass”. He has a point, so we decide to head back to the campground I have had enough adventure for the day.
The tiny village at the campground
We get to the campground and get settled in, later Keith decides to go take a shower at the shower house. I am going to get the fire going but instead of leaving to shower Keith starts messing with the fire. I said you should take a shower, it was getting dark. He finally leaves and he is gone forever, I was actually worried about him. He makes it back and is madder than a hornet, I said what happened, he got lost. He said he was walking across the field to come back and fell in a ditch 4x’s ( I wanted to laugh but I didn’t). So after the 4th fall he thought I should go down the road so he said he made his was to the little play village and must have turned the wrong way. He didn’t have a flashlight and couldn’t see anything, I couldn’t believe he didn’t take a flashlight since he is kind of obsessed with them. So I had to laugh because it was funny. I said you didn’t take a flashlight, “dumbass”. We sat by the fire for a bit then called it a night, clouds were rolling in couldn’t see any stars.
The next morning we explored a bit more but decided to head home because rain was moving in and we were done. All in all it was a wonderful trip and we learned a little bit. Can’t wait to get back there it was a beautiful place and so much more to explore there.
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Just An Ohio Girl 
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