Shenandoah Valley Campground 10/6-10/9 2023

Friday, October 6, 2023

Today was a travel day, and I am glad I took the day off. I always check the tires before pulling out to go anywhere. The bearing buddy on my passenger side of the camper had an issue. The grease fitting had come loose, and I was fortunate to be able to repair before leaving. We left Danville around 11:40 in the morning and headed up 220 North. We stopped at the Plateau and took a break, and Amy grabbed a Blizzard. We headed up 81 to Verona and arrived at the office to check-in at 3pm. It took us about an hour to setup camp and then we just relaxed. We really enjoy staying at Shenandoah Valley Campground, especially since our son lives in Staunton.

 

I was able to setup our new Ozark Trail Camp Tripod Grill. We used this to cook our two ribeye steaks for dinner. The setup was easy, and the cleanup was not bad either. Tip I will pass on, use Dawn Platinum Spray and a good grill brush. After spraying with the Dawn, the mess just wiped off with a paper towel.

 

We had the steak with green beans and mashed potatoes. As you can see, Amy Leigh was extremely happy.

 

After dinner, we had our first of many visits from families wanting to see Santa. The young ladies were a little bashful but it was a lot of fun.

 

After dark, we sat around the fire and just relaxed. I really enjoy the red lights on the ground, they are not too bright and they enable you to see in the dark. 

Saturday, October 7, 2023

 

Woke Saturday morning to a light rain, so we cooked breakfast inside, something we rarely do. We had eggs, sausage and fruit. 

 

While Amy Leigh was getting herself ready for the day, I decided to take a walk along the river. I stopped by a site on the river that a Boy Scout Troop from Yorktown. I had a good conversation with their leaders and continued on my way. There was no one at the waterfall, and I just finished my coffee and admired the beauty of God's handiwork.

 

We left and drove to the Blue Ridge Tunnel, near Afton VA. We parked at the East Trailhead and header toward the tunnel. 

 

There is a 1/2 mile hike to the tunnel entrance. 

 

This is about the halfway point in the tunnel and these are the two entrances, just pinholes of light.

 

This is the West Entrance, from inside and out.

 

It was interested to see that one half the tunnel was lined with brick and the other half as cut rock.

We left the tunnel and headed to the Rockfish Gap Country Store. This is Amy Leigh's happy place and we stayed there until time to head back to camp.

 

Back at camp I started a fire and let it burn for about 2 hours. We took the afternoon and cooked a White Chili over the fire in a soup pot that belonged to my great-grandmother.

White Chili

Serves: 8

Ingredients

Chili

1 Onion, Chopped

4 Cloves Garlic Minced

8 Cups Chicken Broth

1 Can of Green Chilies

1 Jalepeno Pepper, Chopped

1-1/2 Tbsp Cumin

1/2 tsp Paprika

1 lb Dried White beans

3 Cups Cooked Rotisserie Chicken

Thickening

2 Tbsp Corn Meal

1cup Milk

Preparation Steps

1. Cook Until Beans are done

2. Once the beans are done, mix the cornmeal with the milk and add it to the chili.

3. Cook for 10 more minutes, until thickened.

4. Top with Sour Cream, Cheese

5. Serve with Guacomole, Pico de Gallo or Corn Tortillas

 

While cooking the chili, our company arrived. First was Johnny and Alice Abbott with their grandson Logan. Then our son, Matthew, arrived. 

 

The chili turned out okay for my first try with this recipe

 

It turned off windy and cold this evening and I had to bring out the heavy coat. I had fun with Matthew and Amy Leigh, just joking around, talking about different things. All during the evening, I had children and grown-ups stopping by to say high to Santa. One in particular was a young lady named Maisie. She was such a sweet young lady! She was very polite and not bashful about asking questions. Not only that, but she even got to meet Happy, the elf. I wish Maisie all the best in life and keep the magic alive in your heart.

Sunday, October 8, 2023

 

Sunday morning it was really cold and the wind was still blowing outside. I was up early and got cleaned up for church while Amy Leigh slept in. After getting the coffee perked, I started working on my ornament and Amy Leigh did her devotions. 

 

We had breakfast wraps this morning with egg and chicken. 

 

We attended worship service at Victory Baptist Church in Staunton this Sunday. Pastor delivered a message from 1 Peter 1: 1-9. You can view the message here. Afterwards, we ate lunch at my wifes favorite place, Cracker Barrell. When we returned to camp, we just took a walk along the river and were amazed at how many folks had left during the day. We went and visited with the Abbotts in their new vintage camper. I really liked the layout inside and Johnny told me what improvements he had made.

 

We spent the rest of the evening just resting around the fire. We had the occasional visitor to get a candy cane, but one stands out. I had two young men come and ask for a candy cane and then they came back later with milk and cookies for me. That guarantees them a place on the nice list!!

 

 

Finished my ornament while sitting around the fire. One last peaceful night in Shenandoah Valley Campground before heading home on Monday.

Myrtle Beach Travel Park 9/1-9/4

Friday, September 1, 2023

We left home about 9:15 AM and headed for Myrtle Beach Travel Park, SC. We stopped at the rest stop in Seagrove, NC and then at an Exxon in Bennetsville SC. We arrived at the Travel Park about 2 PM, the check-in was very efficient. We set up camp in about an hour and then took our annual first walk on the beach. 

 

That evening for dinner, we met Keith and Delores Evans at the Sea Merchants Restaurant in North Myrtle Beach. The food was delicious and the atmosphere was wonderful. This place is not loud and rowdy like some other places we have been in Myrtle Beach. 

 

The sky was full of fast moving clouds and made for beautiful pictures. We also used our red rope lights for the first time. We got the idea from seeing others use the rope lights but we chose red because it does not affect your night vision like clear lights do.

Saturday, September 2, 2023

 

For breakfast, we had scrambled eggs, potatoes and bacon. 

 

After breakfast, Amy went to the beach and I stayed at camp to read. About 2 hours later, I met her at the beach, and we walked for about an hour. On our walk we met John and Mary from New York, and they wanted a picture with Santa.

 

For lunch, we had Saucy Chicken and Veggies. 

-1.5 pounds of chicken breast chopped into small pieces. 

-Slowly cook in pan until done. 

-Use paper towel to remove excess water

-Add one bag of frozen stir-fry medley

-Once veggies are tender, add your favorite spicy sauce and stir (we used G. Hughes Sugar Free Hamburger Sauce)

The afternoon was spent at Callahans of Calabash and Carolina Pottery. 

As a side note, we have noticed that our kitchen box has less and less in it every trip, we find that we just do not need a lot of things.

 

For supper: New York Strip Steak cooked over the fire until perfectly medium, baked potato w/garlic butter and tossed salad w/G. Huges Sugar Free Thousand Island. 

We use an old wash tub for our portable fire pit. Works great, does not rust, and it was free. 

 

Our camping tree with weekend hand painted ornaments. We also added the lighted American Flag to the end of our camper. We moved to the end so it would not be distracting to the neighbors beside us. The end of the camper is always facing the exit and most neighbors are far enough away that it will not be distracting but it will light our way as we enter/exit our campsite at night.

Sunday, September 3, 2023

 

For breakfast this morning, we had scrambled eggs, potatoes and ham. Breakfast is always better when you share it with someone your love.

 

We cleaned up from breakfast and dressed for Sunday service. We stopped at the Christmas Mouse and shopped for a bit. We then made our way to our Myrtle Beach home church, Friendship Baptist Church. Pastor Matt preached on "Do You See What I See?". 

 

After service, we met up with Denise Wyatt at River City Cafe on 21st Ave. Amy and I both had the Big Island Burger, and we both were amazed at how delicious it was. Our waitress took a selfie with us and she was a great hostess. 

 

After lunch, Amy and I scouted out Pelicans Landing since we would be staying there at a later date. We also found Finn McCools, a place recommended to use by Keith Evans. After returning to camp, Amy headed to the pool and I stayed in camp, we both just relaxed the day away.

 

For supper, we had grilled ham and cheese sandwiches with Cheetos. 

 

After dinner, we just relaxed around camp and enjoyed the fire and each other's company.

 

After dark, we enjoyed smores and roasted marshmallows.

 

We went to the beach before bedtime and just enjoyed the night air on the ocean.

Monday, September 4, 2023

 

We arose early this morning and headed to the beach to catch the sunrise. It was a beautiful and clear day to observe the wonder of God's creation. "Psalms 113:3  From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same the LORD'S name is to be praised."

 

It is amazing how fast we are turning, and yet we do not fall off this spinning rock. The sun peeked out over the ocean and in just a couple of minutes, it was fully visible.

 

We had a little fun taking pictures with the sun.

 

For breakfast, we had BLT sandwiches. 

 

I put the finishing touches on our weekend ornament (video below) and we packed up and headed for home. We left at 10 AM but the traffic after we exited 22, from 501 to 38 was so thick that we lost about 45 minutes. We stopped at McArthur Farms and purchased a few fresh veggies and fruit. Our next stop was the rest area at Seagrove NC. Our last stop was for gas at Sheetz on 29 North outside of Greensboro NC.

Our Review of the Campground

1. The grounds

    A. Clean and well-kept.

    B. Easy to navigate, just follow the signs. 

    C. Watch the speed bumps, they are there for a reason.

    D. Bathrooms in easy walking distance from every site

    E. Very nice and well stocked Camp Store in the Center of the Campground.

    F. Pool and Lazy River are very nice.

2. The Bathhouse

    A. Cleanest bathhouse at any campground we have stayed at so far. 

    B. Plenty of facilities to accommodate the guests.

    C. Shower were hot and had plenty of water pressure. I actually had to turn the shower over to the colder side of the dial, it was that hot.

3. The Campsite

    A. This is not like a campground, it is a Travel Park. This is a parking lot for campers, so bear that in mind when staying here. 

    B. The sites are about 20' wide and 70' long

    C. There is a wooden shelter on every site. 

    D. There is a picnic table on every site.

    E. The site is fairly level and sandy. 

    F. If you have to level your camper, you will need to find a grassy spot (what we had to do) or have something wide enough to put under the tires that it will not sink from the weight.

4. Close by

    A. Groceries: WalMart, Kroger, Dollar Tree

    B. Food: Biminis, Finn McCools, and several other places. 

    C. Shopping: Tanger Outlet, Bass Pro Shop, Wal-Mart, Ross, Marshalls, Dollar Tree, Kirklands

    D. Gas: Murphys Gas, Kroger Gas