Southern Nights - The Journey Continues

Remember our price guide:         $ = $10 - $20 per night                     $$$ = $36 - $60 per night         
                                                         $$ = $21 - $35 per night                  $$$$ = $61 or higher per night

 Continuing south from Eufaula, Alabama earlier this spring, our next stop was Panama City, Florida, where we checked into…

 

Panama City, Florida             Campers’ Inn, Inc.            (A Good Sam commercial park)         $$$$

Full hook-ups       Pet friendly, but be careful – sand burrs are everywhere and quickly stuck to Sophie’s feet              Gravel pads, a few pull-through, most are back-in       Laundry on-site         Wi-fi and cable TV (extra charge for cable TV)     Extensive camp/food/beach supply store on-site       Walking distance to public beach, across the street

 

Location, location, location!  This was the most expensive of our stops and ironically our least favorite. The location was good since it was just across a (busy) street from a public beach, close to restaurants and tourist spots.  However since it was right on a major highway there was a lot of noise almost 24 hours a day and it was very close quarters – other RVs (some of whom were full-time residents), single- and double-wide mobile homes and tent campers all crowded into some of the most expensive real estate in north Florida…the more, the ”money-ier”.   Worst of all, to the chagrin of the third party of our household, Sophie, the little white dog; there was no place to walk without getting hundreds of sand burrs. L   If being close to the beach and the “action” is your thing, Campers’ Inn might be alright for you, but we think that we would rather try a different location.

Our site at Campers' Inn, Panama City

Even though it has full hook-ups, the park is still pretty much "no frills"

The beach at Panama City

Another view of the beach at Panama City

We stopped for a "refreshment break" at Pineapple Willy's,
a restaurant and bar right on the beach

 

ä  We ate dinner one evening at a restaurant about 3 miles from the campground called Runaway Bay.    We chose a table outside near the pool, with a great view of a marina in a small harbor off the Gulf.  The food was good, the view was spectacular, and the price was reasonable.  The entertainment?  One might expect calypso or Jimmy Buffett-style island music.  We’re not quite sure how to describe the guitar player and his vocalist that evening, but all of their song choices were "sad" songs, definitely not in keeping with the ambiance of the restaurant.

If we're back in the Panama City area in the future, I think we would like to camp
at St. Andrew's State Park, a former military installation located right on the Gulf

Standing on a pier that marks the boundary of the state park.  Looking in this
direction, into the park, the beach is undeveloped, and not real crowded...

....but turn around and look the other way, and all you see is commercial
development and lots of people

 

 

 Destin, Florida               Henderson Beach State Park               $$

Water and electric sites; dump station as you exit the campground        Pet friendly       Mostly gravel pads, about half pull-through, half back-in       Laundry facilities on site

Note:  A boardwalk leads directly from the campground across the dunes to the beach…about a quarter-mile walk, but you don’t have to leave the campground to go to the beach, and the beach is still within the boundaries of the state park.

Check out time is 1:00 p.m.  and since this is a popular spot you can’t count on getting into your spot much earlier.   When you check in at the front gate, the Ranger will call the camp host to see if your site is ready.  If not, he/she will direct you to a parking lot just inside the park that has RV parking places.  We spent about an hour there waiting for our site, but you do have access to the beach while you wait.

We were in "loop A" where the sites were secluded by blooming magnolias and pines.   We also happened to have had a handicapped space, where (as all of the handicapped spots are), the pad was concrete.  A paved path and then a boardwalk led to the beautiful soft, white, sandy beaches which were sparsely populated.

This was our favorite campground on the entire trip.  Beautiful and serene, definitely a spot to return to!


Our camp site at Henderson Beach State Park

Another view of the Henderson Beach State Park site

Beautiful magnolia trees surrounded the site, adding fragrance as well as privacy

The boardwalk over the sand dunes, leading to the beach

The beach was just 1/4 mile from our camp site, with a walkway all the way

The beach at Henderson Beach State Park was almost deserted when we were there in May

Gulf Shores, Alabama       Bay Breeze RV Park     (commercial, small & family-owned)   $$$

Full hook-ups       Gravel pads, all back-in     Only 25 sites in the entire park        Wi-fi (spotty) but no cable TV

Notes:  Cash only - no credit cards.   Prices vary slightly depending on proximity to the water.

This mid-century RV park does not offer the amenities of many larger parks, but what it lacks in “glitz” it makes up in a friendly atmosphere.  The owner personally comes out and assists everyone to get into their spot, walking beside your drivers’ window and directing you (exceedingly well, I might add) to back into your site.  He then assists in leveling your rig, even providing 2”X10” boards from storage bins located between the sites.  The park is located on Mobile Bay rather than on the more crowded Gulf side of the peninsula.  It has the feel of a 1950s-era lakeside resort, with a small sand swimming beach and a long wooden fishing pier.  We found it charming, and the sunsets, looking west toward the mouth of Mobile Bay, were spectacular.  As the ball of fire dipped into the bay, I almost expected to see (and certainly hoped for) the green flash that accompanies sunset in Key West.  Alas, it was not to be, but the sunset, nonetheless, was breathtaking.

Our camp site at Bay Breeze RV Park in Gulf Shores



Adirondack chairs on the shore, looking past the fishing pier, out into Mobile Bay

Standing on the fishing pier, looking back into the campground at Bay Breeze RV Park

Mike and Sophie hanging out on the fishing pier....

...watching a pelican sitting on a piling as the sun sets

Spectacular sunset over Mobile Bay, taken from Bay Breeze RV Park

We found this RV park on the internet but booked it in a phone conversation with the owners, a very friendly couple.  A number of campers were repeat visitors every year.  This campground appears to appeal to extended families camping together.  The location is a bit far from the actual town of Gulf Shores, and even farther from Foley and Fairhope, all of which we visited during our stay.  We also continued west on the peninsula and visited Fort Morgan.  During the Civil War, Fort Morgan was supposed to keep the Yankee fleet out of Mobile Bay, but in a fierce battle, Federal ships slipped past the fort and captured the bay.  We also took the ferry across the mouth of Mobile Bay to Dauphin Island on the west side of the bay.  The ferry is a bit "pricy" at $32 round trip for our truck and two adults.  There was also a fairly long wait on the island to board for the return trip to Gulf Shores, but is was, after all, a beautiful Saturday afternoon in May.  

Streetlamps in the town of Fairhope, Alabama were all decked out in preparation for Memorial Day

ä  We asked at the RV park for recommendations for good restaurants in the area.  The first one mentioned was DeSoto’s Seafood Kitchen in Gulf Shores.  It was described as “nothing special in atmosphere” and “you can’t even see the beach from the restaurant” but the clincher was “all the locals eat there.”  And we could see why.  The place was clean and simple, the prices were reasonable, and we had some of the best seafood that we experienced during our entire trip. 
 

ä  Also mentioned were Lucy B. Goode’s Costal Café, owned by Jimmy Buffett’s sister, Lucy.  We walked through the complex but did not eat there.  Sand volleyball courts, a huge T-shirt shop, and the feel of a Jimmy Buffet pre-concert tailgate party, but we can’t comment on the food or the service.

 

ä  And finally, in Foley, we ate at Lambert’s Café.  The third of the family-owned “Home of Throwed Rolls” restaurants (the original is in Sikeston, MO and the second is in Ozark, MO) dishes up large portions of good home-style food, but the real attraction is the “pass-arounds” (fried okra, mac ‘n cheese, and other dishes brought to your table by servers walking around the dining room) and, of course, the “throwed rolls” tossed across the room by a server with a rolling cart loaded with dozens of piping-hot-right-out-of-the-oven  rolls.  Mike has now eaten in all three of the restaurants; Yvonne only the original and the Foley location.  If you’ve been to one, they are all the same, but still fun, nonetheless.

 

 

Waveland, Mississippi               Buccaneer State Park               $$

Full hook-ups       Pet friendly      Asphalt pads, all back-in       Laundry and extensive food/supplies store on-site       Pool located within the campground, with a fee charged for use     Large water park owned by the State Park System is located adjacent to the park entrance and accessible from inside the park; a daily fee is charged
Note:  It is about a 5 minute drive from the campground to the beach

In August 2005, Hurricane Katrina made landfall, devastating the entire Gulf Coast.  Every structure in Buccaneer State Park was either destroyed or damaged to the point that it had to be razed.  It has taken more than eight years to completely rebuild the park, but the State of Mississippi has done a magnificent job in restoring it.  All of the buildings are concrete with brick or stone facades, and, of course, everything is brand-new – so new, in fact, that when we visited over Memorial Day weekend in May 2014, the pool and the store and laundry facility located next to the pool had just opened several days earlier.

Buccaneer State Park...grilling brats on Memorial Day

 

The park was full, but you didn't feel terribly crowded.  Our neighbor was 60 or 70 feet away

Sophie loves to travel with us, and is pretty good about staying in the trailer
while we are out sightseeing, but we hear plenty from her when we return

About a 10 minute drive from the park is the pretty town of Bay St. Louis, a good town to explore on foot.  It boasts several antique shops, restaurants, bars and a great bakery.  Eight minutes in the opposite direction as you exit the park is the Silver Slipper Casino.  Gulfport and Biloxi, both sizeable cities with plenty to see and do, are about 20 and 30 minutes, respectively, to the east.

The beach across from Buccaneer State Park, Waveland, MS,
early in the morning on Memorial Day

We were boaters for more than 25 years, and still love boats, marinas and the water.
This marina was located in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi

This is a very nice park and will be even better once some of the trees grow larger.  Many of the bigger, more mature trees were blown down in the hurricane.  The park was full for the holiday weekend and kids and bikes were everywhere.  For the most part, the sites are spacious enough that you don’t feel like your neighbor is right on top of you.  All in all, a good camping experience and worth a return visit if we are again in the area.  By the way, although we didn’t go into New Orleans, it apparently isn’t that far.  The park’s web site says the area was once known as Jackson’s Ridge because it was used as a base of operations by Major General Andrew Jackson during the Battle of New Orleans in January, 1815.

Did I mention that we love boats?  This marina was in Gulfport.  Towns all along
the Gulf Coast have rebuilt (or are still in the process of rebuilding) their city marinas

 Southhaven, Mississippi                  EZ Daze RV Park       (A Good Sam commercial park)         $$

Full hook-ups       Pet friendly, with a fenced-in off-leash area      Concrete pads, all pull-thru       Laundry on-site     Pool     Wi-fi and cable tv     If you need RV parts or service (or want to “trade up”) there is a very large RV dealer located just across the street from this park

 

We were just making a stopover for one night, but this would be a good location for visiting the region.  Memphis, Tennessee is only a short drive…in fact, Graceland is just 8.7 miles away.  Elvis is waiting for you!

EZ DAZE in Southhaven offers quick access to Memphis and is a beautiful park

 

 Lake Wappapello, Missouri         Redman Creek     (Corps of Engineers campground)     $$ 

Full hookups       Pet friendly       Asphalt pads, mostly back-in, with a few pull-thru     If you have a National Park Service Golden Age Pass (62+), camping rates are 50% off.

 

The St. Francis River feeds the 8,400 acre Lake Wappapello, which features great fishing and good recreational boating.  Like most Corps lakes, there is almost no commercial business right on the waterfront, and the few marinas on the lake are owned by the Corps and operated by private concessionaires.  Consequently, you don’t find many large boats on these lakes; primarily bass boats and a few jet skis.

 

Corps of Engineers (COE) campgrounds are among our favorite places to stay, and Lake Wappapello has four of them:  Redmond Creek Recreation Area, Greenville Recreation Area, Eagles Point Recreation Area, and Peoples Creek Recreation Area.   We were in Redmond Creek West; there is also a Redmond Creek East.  We drove through both, and preferred the West campground, where the sites were far more spacious.  Although we hadn’t planned to spend more than one night, we ended up staying longer to explore the lake area (the Visitor’s Center at the Dam is worth a stop) and clean and put the RV back in order while we had electric and water before returning home and putting the trailer back in storage.


Our site in Redmond Creek West at Lake Wappapello

The visitors center had a display of handmade quilts...no "machine quilting" here

ä  We ate dinner at one of the few restaurants near the campground, expecting to get the usual “fried catfish, breaded pork tenderloin” fare that seem to be the staples of lake-area dining.  Crab & Company was rather new, nicely-decorated, with a surprisingly extensive menu.  One of the entrees caught Mike’s eye, and maybe he didn’t read the entire description or just didn’t believe it.  The menu featured a two-pound pork steak (actually, a smoked pork shoulder) that was as delicious as it was large.  He ate his fill, and we brought the rest home; it made sandwiches for three more meals.  When the waitress brought the food to the table, Mike asked her “do you really think I can eat all that?” to which she responded “if you do, you’ll be the first that I’ve ever seen do it.”

Contemplating a two-pound "pork steak"

In case you can't appreciate how big a two-pound steak really is, here's a close-up.
You might expect a piece of meat this size to be tough, but it was delicious!

So, after 33 days on the road, covering 3,586 miles, we returned home.  We hope you find our reviews helpful and maybe even a little entertaining.  As we type this, we’re already planning our next trip, readying the RV to head out and collect more Road Stories.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Southern Nights

Washing the trailer before our first trip of the year - a month-long trip "south"

As we select destinations and directions for our RV travels we try to mix “scheduled” nights and “unscheduled” nights so we can adjust our itinerary to suit our interests and needs.  We typically make advance reservations for weekends and holidays or for high profile stops, leaving many weekday nights open.  As noted in earlier blogs, we prefer state and national parks as well as Corps of Engineer campgrounds as they usually offer more space in lovely natural surroundings.  We have been pleasantly surprised to discover some small towns have city-owned RV areas.  Of course there are times when necessity and convenience require commercial RV parks. 

Booking on line, while convenient, is not always a safe bet; the pictures on a website can often be made to look much better than the park actually looks…a sort of “artistic license” and “creative interpretation”.  We’ve learned that recommendations from friends provide the most accurate appraisal of a campground, and it is in that spirit that we offer our thoughts and opinions.  On a recent trip south we enjoyed some very pleasant spots we thought we would share with you.

Price guide:         $ = $10 - $20 per night                     $$$ = $36 - $60 per night        
                             $$ = $21 - $35 per night                  $$$$ = $61 or higher per night

 

Vincennes, Indiana           Ouabache (pronounced “Wabash”) Trails Park          $$

Water and electric sites       Dump station       Pet friendly       Laundry on-site        Gravel pads; few pull-through, mostly back-in
Note:  Directions on their web site are good but it may feel like you are off track for a bit due to the remote location of the park.

First night out - our site at Ouabache Trails Park

Part of the Knox County, Indiana, Park System, this is a pleasant stop with lots of mature trees surrounding the sites.  It was several miles from any restaurants.  People were arriving for a rally and questioned how long we were going to occupy our spot, which was apparently in the middle of their gathering.  We assured them we had reserved the spot and we would be on our way the next morning. 

Rising Sun, Indiana                  Little Farm on the River     (commercial park)     $$

 

Full hook-ups       Pet friendly; lots of space to walk       Pool and camp store on-site       Gravel pads, about half pull-through, half back-in       Laundry on-site       Propane available on-site       Cabins available for rent at this resort

 

This park was the site of a rally of Ohio, Michigan and Indiana FROGs.  Our friends Joyce and Gary did a terrific job of planning and hosting the event.  Over twenty RVs convened for a long weekend of camaraderie.  There are two distinct areas available:  one is the main section of the park, around the pool, and the other is about a quarter-mile south, along the bank of the Ohio River.  We enjoyed our spacious spot by the river.  It was fun to watch the river traffic.  There were numerous coal barges making their way up river.  Several small riverfront towns – Rising Sun and Aurora, to name just two – make for interesting sightseeing.

Sophie and Mike at our site at Little Farm on the River, Rising Sun, Indiana

Barges loaded with coal heading up-river on the Ohio...the view from our site

Feed, farm and seed store in Aurora, Indiana

 


One of the beautiful homes in Aurora

Inside the harp factory in Rising Sun, Indiana

A colorful mural depicting a steamboat, painted on the wall of a home in downtown Rising Sun

 

Nashville, Tennessee                  Two Rivers Campground    (commercial park)     $$

 

Full hook-ups       Pet friendly       Pool and camp store on-site       Gravel pads, about half pull-through, half back-in       Laundry on-site       Wi-fi and cable TV       A Good Sam park       Propane available on-site

Notes:   The campground often provides complimentary entertainment, usually
                     a country and western singer
               Camping World is right next door
               Shuttle service to downtown Nashville and the Opryland complex is available for a fee

 

This is one of our favorite spots as a stopover point. It is close to restaurants, Opryland Mall, the Grand Old Opry Theatre, and Opryland Hotel and Conference Center.   We’ve stayed here five or six different times.  On our most recent visit, the one evening that we were there, the owners provided complimentary wine, cheese and fruit while a country singer entertained the guests.
 

View of the office and camp store at Two Rivers in Nashville

Our site at Two Rivers Campground

ä   Within walking distance of Two Rivers Campground is Cock of the Walk Restaurant, one of our favorites and a great place for fried catfish.


Cock of the Walk is within walking distance of the campground...just on
the other side of Camping World

 

Huntsville, Alabama           Monte Sano State Park       $$

 

Full hook-ups       Pet friendly       Small camp store on-site       Gravel pads, some pull-through, mostly back-in; very spacious sites, spaced a comfortable distance apart       Laundry on-site 

 

Located atop the highest point in Alabama, the park offers beautiful views.   Much of the infrastructure of the park was built by the CCC. 

 

The directions on their website say “DO NOT follow your GPS - please call.”  The MAN driving confidently boasts ”I can make it this way.”   So, we begin the hairpin ascent.  Signs warn “DO NOT attempt if over 35 feet in length”.   Now, I have a math-avoidance issue but even I can figure out that a 35 foot trailer pulled by a three-quarter-ton pickup is over the 35 foot limit.  Onward and upward we go.  After a while I quit haranguing HIM since, after all, I decline (or should I say, refuse) to drive the RV.  However, that doesn’t stop me from muttering comments such as ”it’s really going to be difficult backing down this narrow, serpentine road” just under my breath. When we checked in at the campground it was suggested, rather strongly, that we use the road on the other side of the mountain when we leave.   OK, so he could - and did - make it but I also got the chance to check our taillights without getting out of the passenger seat!   We enjoyed seeing the sights in Huntsville (see our June 30, 2014 blog, To the Moon and Back by Dinner) and our side trip to Tuscumbia, which we’ll cover in a future blog.

Driving up Monte Sano wasn't too bad at first...

 

then it got a little more tricky...

 

This is where Yvonne said she could check the taillights
without ever getting out of the truck

But when we reached the top and got into our site, it was worth it!

Front door and porch of one of Huntsville's beautiful antebellum homes



Harrison Brothers Hardware Store.  Phone messages and phone orders were left right
by the phone when the store closed.  Today it is operated by Historic Huntsville, Inc.

Another possible place to stay in Huntsville is the RV campground  at the Space and Rocket Center.  We visited this park while we were in town, and although we didn’t stay there, it looked like a very nice park.

Actual moon rock in a glass case at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center

ä  While you are in the Huntsville area, plan a visit to Big Bob Gibson’s Bar-Be-Que at 2520 Danville Road SW, Decatur, AL 35603.  It was recommended to us by a local resident as the best barbecue in the area, and it didn’t disappoint.

 

Birmingham, Alabama                              Oak Mountain State Park       $$

Full hook-ups       Pet friendly; lots of space to walk       Swimming beach in this park       Asphalt pads, about half  pull-through, half back-in       Laundry on-site       Cabins available for rent in the park

Oak Mountain State Park near Birmingham is full of beautiful, mature trees

This park offers a serene forested area with great scenic views from the top of Oak Mountain.  It is convenient to Birmingham, especially if one uses the “back” entrance, near the campground.  There are two camping areas: “A” and “B”.  In our opinion, the section to the right of the campground check-in booth (we think that is the “A” section) is the better of the two camping areas.  The sites are more spacious and spread further apart.  This is Alabama’s largest state park and boasts several fishing lakes and an 18-hole golf course.  There is a bird sanctuary and raptor rehabilitation facility within the park.  From the parking lot at the top of the mountain, a hiking trail takes you to the cascading Peavine waterfall.
 

Our site at Oak Mountain Park

The picnic table and fire ring were removed a bit from the parking pad,
providing a great deal of privacy to sit and eat at the table

Peavine waterfall cascades down the rocks at the top of Oak Mountain

ä  For a bit of whimsy, visit the Irondale Café, located along side the railroad tracks in downtown Irondale, Alabama.  Located 10 miles from Birmingham and 24 miles from the main entrance to Oak Mountain Park, this café (actually, a cafeteria) features wonderful Southern home cooking.  Best soufflé sweet potatoes ever!  And Mike, who has always considered mac-and-cheese a vegetable, quickly pointed out that this staple was, indeed, listed under the "vegetables" heading on the menu board.  This restaurant has been a fixture in the community since it opened in 1928. It was the inspiration for the Whistle Stop Café in Fannie Flag’s best-selling novel Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Café and the later (1992) film version Fried Green Tomatoes.  A cookbook written by the current owner (since 1972) says that they fry 60 to 70 pounds of tomatoes each weekday, and more than that on Saturdays.


Catfish, green beans, mac-and-cheese and iced tea at
the Irondale Café...a real "down-home" meal.  Delicious!

The rose show was in "full bloom" at the Birmingham Botanical Garden

 

Montgomery, Alabama                  Capital City RV Park        (commercial park)         $$

 

Full hook-ups       Pet friendly       Gravel pads, all pull-through       Laundry on-site       Wi-fi and cable TV       A Good Sam park       Small lake on property      

 

This park is a bit out of town, toward Wetumpka, but convenient to the city for sightseeing.  It is also a relatively short 40-minute drive to Tuskegee, a must-see stop when visiting Alabama.  The park features a large fenced off-leash dog play/exercise area.  This is not a park where I’d want to spend a “snow-bird” winter, but for a 3- to 5-day visit to Montgomery, it is perfectly serviceable.

It poured rain while we were in Montgomery.  This shot, out the window of our
trailer on a rainy afternoon, shows a view of Capital City RV Park

 

 Eufaula, Alabama               Lake Point Resort State Park          $$

 

Water and electric sites; dump station as you exit the campground        Pet friendly       Small camp store nearby at the marina       Gravel pads, mostly pull-through, some back-in       Boat dock adjacent to the campground       There is a lodge in this state park as well as a marina and boat launch ramp.

 

When we were there in May (2014), check in was at the marina, not at the entrance to the campground, which is a gated area.  After the season begins on Memorial Day, campers check in at the campground entrance.  Large ancient pines shade the camp sites.  The park sits on the shore of Lake Eufaula, a Corps of Engineers lake noted for bass fishing; Lake Eufaula bills itself as “the bass capital of the world.”   There is also a Corps of Engineers campground in the area called Hardridge Creek COE campground.  We chose the state park because of its proximity to the town of Eufaula (see our June 14, 2014 blog, Eufaula). 

Lake Eufaula

The road through the campground, showing a couple of the sites
at Lake Point Resort State Park

In our next edition, we continue our trek south to the Florida panhandle and westward along the Gulf Coast before we turn toward home.  Watch for more Road Stories.