First Trip Successful

[Ohiosnowbird]

We bought our class C in May of 2023 and boondocked all summer to learn. Glad we did. We had lots of “issues” some of them would have been pretty serious had we hit the road right away. Thanks to everyone who helped us along the way! Our first big trip was from Ohio to Tennessee to Alabama to Pensacola. We left with our generator not working properly and that wasn’t an issue (thankfully). We stayed at Edgar Evins State park in Tennesse, review: very nice, unique

Then we stayed at Birmingham South, crowded, just OK.

Then we stayed at Big Lagoon State Park. We liked it very much! Just what the doctor ordered in January! Boardwalks were great, seafood was fabulous, weather, well, warm most days and then a tornado. In spite of all the issues we’ve had, we were so concerned a tornado would reveal something else awful, the camper fared well. Florida treated us well.





On our return to Ohio (we thought the cats would need some time home before we went out again(we’re traveling with 4)) we stopped at Wind Creek State Park in Alabama. Huge camping facility situated on Lake Martin. Has every amenity one could imagine in a campground.

We then moved on to Tennessee, Tims Ford State park. Not to be out-done by Florida’s tornado, Tennessee presented us with a pretty impressive blizzard. We were going to stay 1 night and go back to Edgar Evins, but decided to stay all three nights.



Heading out to South Carolina in a week.

 

[DutchmenSport]

Sounds like you are have a great time in your travels! Thanks for sharing!

 

[Dan_Frisbie]

Big Lagoon is our “hangout” park. We live a few miles away and often ride there on the motorcycles or take a picnic lunch to just watch and relax.

 

[edjunior]

What were some of the "issues" you were having? And what did you do to counter the issues? It looks like you are having a great trip overall.

 

[Laura & Charles]

Thanks for the report! I’ve followed your experience dealing with various issues… and have commiserated. I admire your perseverance. Perhaps we’ll meet up one day~~

 

[Oldgator73]

We took a month long trip with the grandkids a few years ago and stayed at Edgar Evans SP. nice little park and priced well too.

 

[Ohiosnowbird]

Big Lagoon is our “hangout” park. We live a few miles away and often ride there on the motorcycles or take a picnic lunch to just watch and relax.

How lucky you are to have such a great place near by!

 

[Ohiosnowbird]

What were some of the "issues" you were having? And what did you do to counter the issues? It looks like you are having a great trip overall.

Our issues are well documented in this forum. The folks here have been pretty great in helping with them.

 

[Ohiosnowbird]

Perhaps we’ll meet up one day~~

would love that!

 

[Ex-Calif]

Nice looking rig! Sounds like you are having a blast!

 

[edjunior]

Our issues are well documented in this forum. The folks here have been pretty great in helping with them.

Okay.

 

[CharlesinGA]

I spent a long Christmas week at Big Lagoon a couple of years ago with my camping friends Steve and Suki and Bella the miniature Schnauzer. Also stayed there in the motor home in 2017 I think it was.

Steve and I took a ride over to Mobile to the Battleship Alabama while we were there.

Very enjoyable. I kinda like Ft Pickens more but Big Lagoon has more walking trails.

Charles

 

[Dan_Frisbie]

How lucky you are to have such a great place near by!

 

[Ohiosnowbird]

I spent a long Christmas week at Big Lagoon a couple of years ago with my camping friends Steve and Suki and Bella the miniature Schnauzer. Also stayed there in the motor home in 2017 I think it was.

Steve and I took a ride over to Mobile to the Battleship Alabama while we were there.

Very enjoyable. I kinda like Ft Pickens more but Big Lagoon has more walking trails.

Charles

Ft. Pickens was closed due to the weather, we wanted to go see, stopped at Peg Leg Pete’s, had the best grouper I’ve ever tasted! We really liked the Seville district in Pensacola, being the old house people were are. Beautiful old Florida architecture. Found a great cheesecake place.

 

[CharlesinGA]

My travel buddy was at Ft Pickens in early December. He booked it only a couple of days before they left, and I didn't have time to load up and go. His wife's sister from Korea went with them, it was her first time camping. Apparently the camping was OK but he said the fishing was not too good.

Charles

 

[Ex-Calif]

Steve and I took a ride over to Mobile to the Battleship Alabama while we were there.

That's a great stop. Right at the top of the entrance ramp is a 5 inch gun. As inflexible as I am me and my buddy climbed inside the gun turret.

I could not believe how cramped it was, and that was with only 2 of us inside. Standard crew was 3. It was like being in a very small phone booth.

There were steel molded seats, something like a pan shaped bicycle seat. All I can say was the greatest generation also had very small butts.

 

[Tulecreeper]

That's a great stop. Right at the top of the entrance ramp is a 5 inch gun. As inflexible as I am me and my buddy climbed inside the gun turret.

I could not believe how cramped it was, and that was with only 2 of us inside. Standard crew was 3. It was like being in a very small phone booth.

There were steel molded seats, something like a pan shaped bicycle seat. All I can say was the greatest generation also had very small butts.

And very big brass balls.

 

[CharlesinGA]

Ft. Pickens was closed due to the weather, we wanted to go see, stopped at Peg Leg Pete’s, had the best grouper I’ve ever tasted! We really liked the Seville district in Pensacola, being the old house people were are. Beautiful old Florida architecture. Found a great cheesecake place.

The next time you come south to the coast, just take I-65 on thru Mobile and hit I-10 west to the next exit (exit 17, Alabama hwy 193) that goes to Dauphin Island Alabama. Great campground, lots to see and do, $6 per person roundtrip (on foot) ferry ride across the bay to Ft Morgan (cheapest boat ride in town!!!!) Beaches, fishing, places to eat. The ferry terminal is across the street from the campground, the Alabama State Aquarium/Estuarium is across the street about a block down from the campground, Ft Gaines is at the east end of the island, about two blocks down the street, beach is behind the campground, and a 100 acre Audubon Bird Sanctuary with walking trails is adjacent to the campground. You can also tour Fort Morgan when you take the ferry across, as its a modest walk from the ferry landing to the Fort's museum.

Dauphin Island was the first capital of the French Louisiana Territory

Dauphin Island Campground

The campground is not fancy but has full hookups, partial hookup, 30 amp, 50 amp, various different ways to hook up depending on your needs, plus a real nice shower house, restrooms, and laundry. It is nicer than Big Lagoon by a notch or so as far as the campground goes, but not hugely different. Don't take the campground pic wrong, many of the sites are wide open and grassed, they stuck us off by ourselves over on the Bird Sanctuary side, which is the more rustic side, but everything is close by.

Charles

 

[Dan_Frisbie]

Dauphin Island Campground

The campground is not fancy but has full hookups, partial hookup, 30 amp, 50 amp, various different ways to hook up depending on your needs, plus a real nice shower house, restrooms, and laundry. It is nicer than Big Lagoon by a notch or so as far as the campground goes, but not hugely different. Don't take the campground pic wrong, many of the sites are wide open and grassed, they stuck us off by ourselves over on the Bird Sanctuary side, which is the more rustic side, but everything is close by.

Charles

I checked it out a few years ago and was not nearly as impressed as you seem to be.
I thought it was kind of scary. I would not feel comfortable leaving my rig there for a day excursion…

 

[CharlesinGA]

I checked it out a few years ago and was not nearly as impressed as you seem to be.
I thought it was kind of scary. I would not feel comfortable leaving my rig there for a day excursion…

Not sure what gave you that feeling. Its a fairly closed off place (the entire island) and there are no hobos, junk RV's or nefarious persons hanging around the campground.

When I was there in the motor home, I decided I wanted a pizza. Problem is, the Pizza place is 3 miles to the west on the main road. The have a paved 4 ft wide or so walking/biking trail the length of the road and so I went on a hike. Ate pizza, and walked back in the dark with the pizza box with leftovers. I do remember some scroungy types in a van in Cadillac Square, a small park, mid island, but they are the only thing I saw that disturbed me even slightly.

I was there in November the first time, and December the second time, so the weather might deter some of the less desirables, dunno.

Christmas 2021 we spent several days there and never had any kind of issues, and we were all over the island and rode the ferry twice (got to see dolphins while on the ferry)

Now, Mobile is another story, lots of not so nice areas.

Charles