Learning the Campground Ropes

I have a feeling Ryan and I have a lot to learn about the culture of camping. We feel like we are looking up new things every day to make sure we're understanding all the terminology. And this trip has shown us we definitely don't know it all. 

The first campground I chose for us on this trip was honestly not the one I wanted to choose. I had hoped we could stop for the night on the far side of Illinois, just before the Mississippi River. I found a handful of campgrounds on the path we would be taking but all of them were either first-come-first-served, or they didn't have an online reservation option. We called some of them, but no one answered or returned our messages. And it made me too nervous to show up at a campground on Memorial Day weekend without a reservation. (Especially since I knew we'd be coming in probably between 7-8 p.m. Most campers are set up by then.)

So we chose a campground a little ways into Iowa. Now don't misunderstand: it was a lovely campground. It was extremely well-kept. The lawn was thick and beautiful. They had planters in full bloom, flags flying everywhere, and it was all incredibly clean. 

I called the office (since we would be arriving after it closed for the day) to see if we needed to know anything in particular about finding our site. The lady answered on the first ring and was so very cheerful and helpful. She said they would hang a paper on the office door with our information on it, and we could stop and pick it up. That's exactly what we did, and it was right where she said it would be. 

According to the map on the paper, there were 34 campsites at that campground, and all but one was occupied for the night. We were the last people to arrive.

And we did not see a single soul out and about. We were so confused. No one had awnings out and lights strung. Outdoor mats weren't allowed...we'd read that online. You could only have a campfire if you had a fire ring, and only about half a dozen sites had a ring. (You can correctly guess that we were not one of those.) 

It was a gorgeous, gorgeous night, but by the end of it, we only saw one family out on lawn chairs in their driveway area. Most of the campers were huge Class A rigs or massive 5th Wheels, so I guess it was just more fun to be inside. 

We weren't upset about it...we just weren't expecting it! We thought the whole point of camping was to enjoy the great outdoors! So...we just stayed in and enjoyed each other's company. Slept great. A full eight hours, even. We'd forgotten what that was like.

We woke up Sunday morning and rather than making breakfast in the cast iron skillet over the campfire like we planned, we ate zucchini muffins in the RV. LOL! We too our time getting ready, reading our Bibles, and packing everything up for another day on the road.

Our destination for Sunday? York, Nebraska. This was another destination merely to get us closer to where we were actually going for our first official stop. I chose it because it was about six hours away from Mount Pleasant and I was able to find an affordable campground there.

We had a good day of driving. Good weather, no road construction, no issues! 

Well.

Almost. 

One of my specific prayers for our trip had been that Abby wouldn't break down or have a flat tire. (And so far she has not, for which I am profoundly grateful!) But we did pass a car with a flat tire, and Ryan immediately pulled over to help. Two women were in the car, and neither of them knew how to change a tire, so they were awfully happy to see him. And I was awfully afraid for him the entire time he was out there. We'd swerved more than once to miss drivers who drifted, and I was so afraid for him to kneel on the side of the interstate next to the drifting drivers! 

I was never more thankful to have him back in Abby in one piece! I love his huge heart to help, but that one scared me!

On the way to York, I did a little research on campgrounds and RV parks. (The one we stayed in back in Iowa was an RV park. I thought maybe that made a difference in the culture of the place.) I learned that campgrounds are usually the lower end of the spectrum and then RV resorts (and all the amenities they bring with them) are the higher end. We were headed for a campground. (Kampground, if you want to be specific) so I crossed my fingers that at this location, we could set up camp. Awning, lawn chairs, the whole bit. 

Ummmmm, no.

Our c/kampground was right next to the interstate, and it was basically a huge gravel parking lot (with plenteous potholes filled with water) and campers right on top of each other. You might guess there were also no fire pits.

Or cell service. Or internet.

We pulled into our site, hooked everything up, and grilled our burgers on the griddler...inside. (I even closed the blinds on that side, because the camper next to us had security cameras strapped all over it, and one of them was pointed right at our bedroom window. Not disconcerting at all, right?

We never saw a soul at this campground either. And we didn't venture forth. It didn't seem the place.

We did rest well, though. A hearty game of Dutch Blitz, a sweet sweet sunset, and multiple hours of uninterrupted sleep were so good for the soul.

We are hopeful that before we get home, we'll find ourselves at the kind of campground and/or RV park that welcomes awnings and outdoor mats and lawn chairs. We think Miss Abby would look so cute all decked out! 

(PS - if you speak campground lingo and want to message me any tips and hints on finding friendly spots, please feel free!)