# 1st camping trip- pics added 11/23/16



## seminole wind (Aug 22, 2015)

We went to Lake Kissimmee State park, about 100 miles away. Hubby didn't drive so I drove there and back. I actually did 60-65 mph a lot of the way.

I guess we stayed there when it was really quiet. Too quiet. The campgrounds were nice and clean and beautiful. It was about a mile to the area where there's the boat ramp, concessions, and an observation tower-the only place I could see 1 lake from. Otherwise there were no lakes to be seen.

They said there was fishing, but they meant standing on the side of the channel that the boats take out to the lake. I doubt there's fish there. If I had had the practice, I would have gone out on my inflatable Kayak. But what's the point in going to a place that has 3 lakes and you can't see any one of them unless you're out on a boat?

My daughter reminded me that there are campgrounds that are not state parks, but are not those campgrounds that the campers are lined up in rows. I will be carefully picking the next one.

As for the camping experience. We unhooked everything and hooked up to water and electric. I started the grill-yes me-and grilled Bratwurst which was so so good. However, forgot things like more cakes, junk food, a can opener, a bottle opener. I think I've learned more how to organize because there was no belongings that were organized, LOL. I think the camper was fun to sleep in.

As for hubby, maybe he's depressed , I don't know. He watched movies on his laptop the whole time. (No internet , no phone). That won't happen again. I'll get my phone made a hotspot. Hubby can't walk well. So he doesn't hike, fish, boat, sit at a park, or anything. I made a bed up for him, but he slept on the couch. I have 3 pop out beds, queen size. But he slept on the couch. I feel like why did I bother making up bed. 

He is not one to camp with. I myself enjoyed standing on the side of the channel just learning to cast with a new reel and learned a lot. I took the dog for long walks. 

Florida has over 123 parks, many with lakes, springs, or ocean and rivers. It pays to take advantage of them. Maybe I need a boat, LOL. Hubby took some pictures that did not turn out well. I took some pictures, but just a few.

Oh yea. I kept wondering why the dinette/sofa area was so cramped and hubby did too. Turns out we did not back the sofa out on it's slide. How dumb. It made a big difference . The picture shows the sofa pulled in but the area expand very nicely.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Can openers can be very important for a positive camping experience. Especially when it involves opening cans if you want to eat. 

I can not believe how big your girl is now. I don't remember if you ever posted any pics that was more than just her face or not. It just seems like you just got her. 

It's probably safer for everyone not to be on top of the lakes just in case there are gators in the lakes.


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## chickenqueen (Jan 9, 2016)

Robin,I was thinking the same thing about the dog.She got really big and the pic of you 2 in bed was cute.Looks like the dog enjoyed camping.Now that the trial period is over,you've worked out the kinks(buy a can opener and other cheap necessary items and keep them in the camper)and you know what to look for in camping spots,it should only get better.Your possibilities are almost endless!


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

About the fridge, is it dual fuel? Or triple or what? They recommend that you keep them fired up to keep the ammonia from settling to the bottom of the coils. If left to sit too long the only way to maybe get it running again is to take the fridge out and set it on its head for a while.


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## seminole wind (Aug 22, 2015)

The fridge is 2 way. We keep the electric plugged in at home. I still have to get in there and clean/mop floor. I called my sister who loves fishing and kayaking and her and hubby would be real excited to go. She said hubby would do all the cooking (Yea). He's the best cook in the family. Simple and yummy.

Funny thing happened the first night. I'm reading on my bed and thinking that the sofa and dinette are closer than I imagined and it makes it feel all tight. Not liking that. But then I realized I never moved the slide with the sofa out. Hubby said he didn't either and he thought I had my reasons not to. So the sofa/slide got slid open and made that area feel nice and spacious. 

I wasn't too sure about wanting the tent/beds. But after using them it's great. It opens everything right up. 

Does anyone know anything about nitro filled tires? They all look like they need air and hubby said they just look that way. I'm wondering because of the gas mileage. Without trailer-19mpg. With trailer 10mpg. But I'm an rpm watcher, and the truck did well because the effort of the truck was well within my limits. I believe it's a measure of pull power/gas required .

My experience would have been a lot better had they really had a dock to fish off of. I could have spent hours. I love the reel. It's a low profile boat casting. I have a perfect place for fishing and kayaking about 30 minutes from here. I'll go and practice.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Get yourself a good tire gauge. Check the sidewalls of your tires, they should say what psi they should be.

Nitrogen does not expand the way using air does so whatever the tire measures cold should be very close to what it measures hot. 

Now is the time to do it. Cooler temps, hopefully less bugs so that everyone can sit back and enjoy the family chef cooked meals. 

See, I told you you would be discovering things for a while yet. Like the slide not being open.


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## dawg53 (Aug 25, 2015)

Why didnt you fish along the bank where there's cover for the fish? I'd bet there are a few bass hanging near the bushes on the bank as well as in the reeds. A weedless red tipped black plastic worm or gold in color rapala would light them up for sure.
Even a bobber with an earthworm or cricket on the hook will catch crappie and bluegill.


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## seminole wind (Aug 22, 2015)

Dawg I stood on that bank for an hour learning how to cast. Would they come that far up a canal to the lake? Some guys came back in a boat and they had lots of fish.

I'm looking for somewhere within an hour for me and sis and BIL to go. Seems like all the fun places with nice nice access to water are like snowbird places. But they're kind of funky places, and I'd rather be around them. Seniors can be a lot of fun.


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## seminole wind (Aug 22, 2015)

This is my next attempt. Not far from here. You can click on things here and pictures come up. Cool
http://www.riversidelodgerv.com/pages/resort_map.htm

You just have to click on that link. You can click on everything and it gives you a pic of what you clicked on. Dec.17 our spot is 34a , upper left .


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## seminole wind (Aug 22, 2015)

Here are camper cleaned up pics


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Look! The slide is open. Sorry, but not really, I couldn't help myself.

I see the shiny new TV sitting on the table right next to the bed. Good place for it for watching at bedtime.

Did you ever see if the camper had a built in antenna or will you have to get one? I don't see any signs of one but then not all of the ceiling is shown in the pics.


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## dawg53 (Aug 25, 2015)

Very nice Karen.


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## chickenqueen (Jan 9, 2016)

Have you planned your next adventure yet?


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## seminole wind (Aug 22, 2015)

Yea. http://www.riversidelodgerv.com/pages/resort_map.htm
We reserved red circle #34a. If you click on it, it gives you a view. Dec 17-20.

Robin yes that's a new tv -I got a real good bargain on it. The camper is wired for cable, and I ordered one of those digital antennas . State parks have no wifi, cable, and very little phone service. Most of them do have wifi at their info/camping store.

Yes the slide was out this time. I gave the camper a spray of Home Defense underneath yesterday. I have to re caulk the outside. And there was a "soft spot" repair inside the door that someone fixed by laying a board over it. I'd like hubby to take that out and do it the right way.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

That CG looks ideal. You will have wifi, maybe. The issue will be how far away from the office you are. But you have fishing, free canoes, that site is away from 75. 

I had to stop for a moment and think about whether or not we had stayed there once. But I don't think so just because of the water access.


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## seminole wind (Aug 22, 2015)

It's kinda nice to have enforced not be a slave to the internet time.


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## seminole wind (Aug 22, 2015)

Robin, did you camp in Florida?


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Didn't exactly camp. When Bob's latest job assignment sent him far far away we'd pack up the motorhome and head out. We stayed at three different places in FL. The longest, for the job, stay was down in a KOA near the Everglades outside of Miami.


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## chickenqueen (Jan 9, 2016)

Looks like you could almost roll out of bed and be at the riverbank in a couple of minutes-very nice!Loved the pic of the stork(?),hope you see alot of wildlife and catch a mess of fish.


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## seminole wind (Aug 22, 2015)

Since they all mention "fishing" at least this one will really come true. I am working hard at learning how to set up by myself and have this hitching system where there's 2 balls on poles and getting them together as you back up will get you at the hitch. I'm thinking of an electric hitch and better jacks but I've outspent myself so it will have to wait. I have to recaulk the whole outside. 

I read all about flounder fishing and the best way to catch them, and Dawg showed me his set up because the bait has to travel near the bottom of the water. In NY we were surrounded by water, lots of boating, and that's all I did but never caught anything. But there were no internet directions either . Seems that all the water was not actually flounder water. But all of it is more of where they like to be. I am super anxious to be on Florida's rivers. I never realized how many there are. Seems like Florida is covered with rivers and lakes.

I could actually leave the chickens for a week. I could leave them all in big tight pens with food and several buckets of water and just have someone check on them daily. I could never accommodate that until now.


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