First Day at Camp Grandma - Chelsea's Day at North Bayshore County Park

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First day at Camp Grandma!~

I am taking each of the grandkids for a special time while I am camping up at North Bayshore Campground, an Oconto County park.   This place is only about 10 miles north of our home, and it located on the shores of the Green Bay.  

PDF file of brochure for North Bayshore Park, Oconto County Park System

Reservation site for North Bayshore Park in Oconto County

Steve took vacation days of Thursday through Sunday off of work, planning to go with his dad and brothers on their annual fishing trip. This year they were taking his dad's diesel pusher, a Beaver Contessa.   So while they were going to be gone, I planned four days away on my own in our motorhome and made reservations about a month early for this campground.    It's my own little vacation time too!

On a camping forum, we were discussing the frustration of finding good campsites during the week, only to have to move or even leave the park by the weekend when the reserved folks come in for their weekend site.  Sometimes having to move 2 or 3 times in a week due to reserved sites.  Well, our little county campground had a great solution to this!    They post these laminated calender signs on each site post.  At a glance you can tell when a site is reserved and when it's available.   Now you can plan accordingly when choosing a site.

All reservations are made at the county courthouse or online.   Once a reservation comes in, the courthouse staff contacts the host out here, and he marks off the dates with permanent ink on each site as they get reserved.   How nice is that:?  It is a great system that seems to work well.   Each site is paid in full at that time of  the reservation, so that prevents the "hogging" of sites and then not showing up without paying. That happens a lot too in other parks and is very frustrating.   To be turned away at the gate, but find out later half the park was still empty because people didn't show up and only forfeited their deposit and not the whole fee due for the multiple nights they tied up the site.  Then everyone loses!  The campers who get turned away, the funds for the agency running the park, and the local economy who depend on those campers coming into the area and spending money at their stores, shops, stations etc.  


Okay..off the rant.

Now back to Thursday morning... because I wanted a car out at the campground, along with the motorhome, early Thursday morning Steveio drove the rig out while I drove out the car.  Once the motorhome was all set up on our favorite reserved site, we returned back to town in the car... so he could wait at our house for his dad to pick him up..    and for me to pick up granddaughter Chelsea to take her out to her very first camping trip!  

About 11 am, Steve's brother called.  They were stranded along the highway between Green Bay and Oconto and had been trying to call Steve to help.   I finally got through to Steve back at home on his cell phone---  he had been otherwise occupied and not able to reach the phone  (i.e. bathroom)     So once they all connected, he could see if he could assist and they could get them on the road again.   Seems last weekend their motorhome had alternator troubles.  It was replaced on Monday/Tuesday down in Appleton, and this was the first voyage with the new alternator.   They got about 60 miles before they had trouble again.   Guess the same repair place was called and they dispatched a driver with a new one so the guys could continue their trip after installing it in a parking lot at the next available exit.  I offered that they could limp it along and make it this far, we could swap rigs and they could continue northward.  Never heard a word from them since, so I assume they got all fixed and on the road and are off fishing about 100 miles from here as planned.

In the meantime, my little camping girl Chelsea and I had a fun time at the campground.   

We took some walks around the park, and enjoyed the sunshine and lovely temperatures.   

We stopped to chat with a few folks, but there are only five campers in the campground besides us. 

On the weekend every site except one is reserved, so it will fill up fast on Friday evening for sure! 

Our little flirty girl (her outfit captures her personality) got out and about a couple of times.

She got to see the harbor, the birds, the blue sky, and the leaves on the trees swaying in the breeze.... 

a particular fascination of hers already.

Soon it was naptime... but she was wound up so we bounced on the big king sized bed a bit 

and had some giggles and fun.   She was full of the dickens and sure enjoys the attention! 

She was finally winding down after a few verses of Old McDonald and Twinkle Twinkle...what a sweetheart! 

Finally I was able to transfer her into the portacrib that fits so well up in front of the rig.  By now it was getting quite hot outside, so I turned on the air conditioning (this park has electrical hookups)   We were comfortable and relaxed.  The dogs snoozed and I checked emails and read blogs on the laptop.  There is a weak aircard signal here, but works good enough even though it is slow.

Later in the day, her mommy came and took her away!   I offered to let her stay overnight, but I think her daddy missed her too.   They promised to bring her back on Friday for a couple hours.   Erin needs to go to Green Bay for some service work on her SUV, so she will leave Chelsea with me again and she will also pick up Allegra, our 6 month old granddaughter for me!   It's 46 miles one way to our son's house, so by Erin picking her up for me, it saves almost 100 miles round trip!  

Friday night is Allegra

then Saturday I bring her back and 

pick up Jameson for Saturday night

then Sunday all the kids will come 

and we will celebrate Erin's birthday! 

Ahhhh and so goes the summer camp adventure of Camp Grandma!  

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