2008 Annual Summertime Camping Trip

We arrived at Pride RV Resort on Sunday, July 6^th, after spending the night in a Wal-mart parking lot in Florence, SC. The weather is great.  We get to see our granddaughter Rachel, for the first time since Christmas!  That is just too long, for me anyway.  She it still tiny.  We get to keep her while her mom and dad going scuba diving.

The countries represented were Argentina, Belarus, Chinese Taipei, Nova Scotia (Canada), France, Japan (1^st time), Russia, Slovakia and Trinidad. They danced their way down the street in full costume in 86 degree heat; some wearing fur hats and sheep’s wool jackets.  They were fabulous.  We have tickets to see their performance another time while we are in the mountains.

We head out for Yogi-In-The-Smokies campground.  Not sure what to expect.  Although they changed ownership about two years ago, they have a new manager this year.  (It is so hard breaking in new managers when you have been coming 24 years and they have only been there a couple of months.)  When we got there, our daughter Stephanie and boyfriend Ryan were already there and set up.  Becky and Rick’s son, Ricky and his girlfriend Jessica showed up late that day after flying into Asheville, from San Jose, Ca.  We also took our granddaughter Rachel with us in the RV.  The rest of the group had been there for some time and were busy with many activities.  I always say I’m going to keep track of all the wonderful meals we have while camping and I never do….hmm…one of these days.

We have convinced Stephanie and Ryan to move there campsite to a campsite closer to us.  It was a better site for putting up a tarp to keep the rain off.  Afterwards they took a walk down to Mingo Falls with Rick and Jessica.  By the time they got back it was time for dinner and I was hungry so I was rushing everyone to the picnic table for eats.  While I was sitting there stuffing my mouth my other daughter Tricia, mentioned out loud, “ Stephanie, when did you get a new pair of earrings?”.  Stupid me, was looking at her ears, and I certainly didn’t think they were new…when…BAM!…Bling !  Stephanie had a diamond ring on her hand!  STEPHANIE IS ENGAGED! ! ! !  Bob and I are so happy, I was running around the campground, dragging my daughter with me to show her ring to all our camping friends.  Ryan is so sweet.  We have been busy trying to get Ryan caught up with OUR camping traditions.

One of those traditions is biking down the unpaved, non-graveled, Heintooge-Roundbottom Road from atop the Blue Ridge Parkway. It’s a 21 mile road that comes into Great Smoky Mountains National Park from the parkway, and ends up in downtown Cherokee, but we don’t go that far; it goes right past the campground. It was an old logging road back before the land was a national park and its all downhill. I did not go this year as I am recovering from plantar fasciitis.  Also getting all the bicycles to the top of the mountain was a planning nightmare.  Ended up with Tricia driving the backup vehicle down behind them.  Unfortunately Stephanie and Ryan had to leave on Tuesday, so we wished them safe travel and they were on their way.  But we still had more fun planned.

We are on our way back to Waynesville for a Folkmoot Spectacular at Haywood County Community College.  A wonderful evening of performances by the groups I mentioned above. They were all wonderful; and it allows me to travel around the world without leaving the USA, The only group that got a standing ovation was from Japan.  It consisted of 18 high school students playing about 32 different drums. My gosh!  My heart started beating to a different pace listening to them play.  They were fantastic!
(The picture had to be taken without flash, my apologies).