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Sunday, September 11, 2011

CAMPING - Veterans Memorial Park Campground where Dukie lost his Palookie

After looking at the gorgeous weather report, we decided to trust the weatherman and snuck off to a close-by campground for the weekend.  Not too far away is a nice little rustic campground called Veteran's Memorial Park in Marinette County.  It's a clean, well kept park with 15 sites and $10 a night rustic camping.  Nearby is the waterfalls and a nice picnic and playground area down from the campground.



We pulled through and saw two sites with tents, and one site with a fifth wheel ... that was it.  So we backed into a nice site and set up.   Tall pines and soft grasses, lovely sunshine and no winds.  Ahhhh and it was peaceful and quiet!  Hung out the shingle and we are "HOME"



Back at the intersection of Parkway and Cty W is a small bar called CrossRoads.  We have been there before for fish fry, and afterall it WAS Friday night... so we hopped in the Tracker and zoomed back three miles for a wonderful fishfry and a few drinks.   Back to the rig before dark and we enjoyed a quick walk around the quiet park with the dogs.  We said "HI" to the guy at one tent, and "HI" to two gals at the other tents.  Nobody around the fifth wheel, it looks like they just pulled in and shut it off and stopped there.  Truck still attached and not a soul around.  (turns out the whole weekend there wasn't anyone there morning, noon or night?)

It was pleasantly warm and the almost-full-moon came up.  We listened to crickets and other soft noises of the night.  It was a great evening and we were thankful to be camping in the Good Ole USA, free from the horrors of the terrors that happened in New York and Pennsylvania 10 years ago.   Let us pray that never ever happens again on our soil.


We woke up Saturday morning to sunshine... yes!  The weatherman was right!  The skies were blue, there wasn't a lick of wind, the humidity was down and the breathing was easy.   This was snapped right outside my bedroom window.  What a lovely way to greet the day.


We brewed up some coffee and ate some apple pie I had baked the day before for breakfast.  LOL ... but later we cooked up some taters and eggs to nourish ourselves more sensibly.

I had out the sock machine.... worked on some yummy alpaca socks and some rich heavy wool ones. I am trying to build up stock in my Etsy online store before the seasonal shopping starts.  Last year I could not even keep up with demand!
(those are Steveio's tool drawers open next to me)



Steve got himself busy with a project----  
I already wrote about the particular project Steveio worked on in a separate blog:



He said it was a "ONE BEER JOB"



By noon we were ready for lunch andthen a nice long nap. Ahhhhhhhh  Remember how peaceful I told you it was here?   Not a peep from anyone or anything.  Shhhhhhhh  naptime was so pleasant.

We were lazy all afternoon and decided to grill out some chicken breasts and sweet corn.  I had made up a potato salad earlier in the morning so that had a chance to chill.   Steve brushed on (sparingly) our Andria's Brush On Steak Sauce, a gift from fellow bloggers Jim and Dee of http://tumbleweed-jimdee.blogspot.com/  Boy oh boy, we love this stuff and are using it in tiny dibs and drabs to make it last longer.  Yummmmm


Speaking of fellow bloggers, I was laughing out loud at Al's post today on The Bayfield Bunch...  just read about the measures he has to go through to ensure a seat in his own lazyboy recliner?


Back to camping....

After supper, we decided to take a bit of a walk with the doggers from a path in the campgrounds down along the river towards the waterfalls in the west end of the park.  We had taken that path before, or at least we thought we did.    We got deeper and deeper into the woods following the river.




As we got further along the riverbank, the path got sparser and the brush and trees got thicker.  We knew if we kept following the river to the west, we would reach the waterfalls and the steps up to the picnic area.  But it was slow going through thick brush and no path.

At one point, Steve climbed up a very steep bank to see if it was easier going up on higher ground along a ridge.  At the same time as he went up about 20-30 feet above me on a very steep dirt slope, little Dukie started to fall DOWN the bank and towards the river!  I tried to lunge for him as he rolled on by, and the collar slipped right off his head and down down down he went, tumbling over and over!  I fell down trying to grab him and I landed myself up against some trees along the bank as the little roly poly Sheltie plunged INTO the river ...  totally underwater!  He didn't come up right away either!!!!  I screamed and Steveio flew down the dirt embankment, scrambling down quickly as best he could.  He managed to get Duke after he re-appeared above the surface and guided him along to a shallow spot to lift him out.  

Little Dukie dunked his Palookie-Butt in the river!!!

(just look at that face-- he was pretty scared!) 


We managed to get back up the slope, with one very wet, very upset dog.  We found our way back to the campground and I gave him a nice soaking bath in the tub to clean him up.  I think he was so relieved to get back to his own camper, his own water dish and his own comfort of being on high ground and OUT of that river!

Saturday night, we sat out relaxing around a campfire while the dogs dozed along side of us. The moon was coming up and the owls were hooting and the small animals of the night were rustling around nearby.  It was sooo nice.


We still hadn't seen anyone come or go from the fifth wheel next to us, and not a peep of a sound from their camper.  No water heater kicking in, no cabinet doors slamming, nothing set up outside.  Strange.

THEN the noise began.... some young people had come into the park about 10pm and set up on a site far on the other side of the campground.  We could not see them, but we sure could HEAR them!   I felt bad for the folks in the tents, as they could not drown out the "Rap Krap" music thumping through the air, shattering our peaceful quiet woods.   There are no rangers or campground hosts in such tiny rustic campgrounds, so we thought heck with it, let's go to bed and closed up our dual paned windows in the motorhome.  They really drown out the sounds from outside, and we had a nice restful sleep.  

At 7 am we are rudely awakened by a firm KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK on our door...  on a Sunday morning at 7 am?  Are they nuts?  I opened a window up a crack to speak to them.   It was one of  the young men from across the way, with another one standing out by the road.  They asked frantically if we could give them a jump as their battery was dead.  Figures, after playing their music all night long from a car stereo???   Too bad, so sad, we didn't have any cables along anyhow.  Steve had last taken them out for the car a few weeks ago and had not replaced them.  Sent them on their way with a firm slam of my window.  

(we didn't offer to fire up our generator and hookup their battery to our standalone auto battery charger either--- for anyone else we would have, but not for them after being so rude all night long to everyone else)

I imagine they didn't pay for their campsite and were rushing to get out in the morning before any rangers came through.  I was not going to get up and get dressed just to walk over and write down their license plate number either.  I went back to bed.  Sorry, not my problem.  Sounds bitter of me, but folks who don't respect others, don't deserve a helping hand either.

Later a ranger did come through, and had talked to the gals in the tents, and then Steve too about the noise, as the ranger was cleaning up the bottles and cans strewn all over their campsite.  Sigh.  Now see why we didn't bother to help them?

We did mention to the ranger about the absence of anyone next door at the fifth wheel camper.  In case there was someone in there sick or whatever.  So he went over and checked it out and made a report on it.  Noting they had been there since Friday but not occupying their rig.  (rules about that)  We just didn't want to find out that someone was gravely ill inside and not able to get help.

We decided to hop in the Tracker and take a ride on Sunday.   We checked out the new state park north of there, called Gov Tompson State Park (after a previous governor)  ... the campground portion is not open yet, but it's a huge park and will be nice once it's ready.  The cost is going to be only $12 a night and $5 more if you want electric.
http://dnr.wi.gov/org/land/parks/specific/govthompson/

From there we went further north on Parkway up to find McClintock county park, and it sure is a nice place!  The last 6 or 7 miles is all dusty gravel, which is a concern to rear engine diesel motorhomes with air cleaners back there.  Can get *dusted* pretty easily which can harm the engine pretty fast.  But the campground was rustic along a river above a rapids.  Many of the sites are in deep pines, overlooking the river with great views.  I think we will camp there sometime if there is a recent rain to keep the dust down?
Marinette County Parks - McClintock Park

From there, a few miles north is Goodman Park, near another waterfalls.  We drove through here and saw a number of good sites, but again, with all the dusty gravel roads to get there, not sure if we can.  This park also had a dump station and nice facilities for day use picnic-ers too.
Marinette County Parks - Goodman Park

We tried an alternate route back to the Veterans' Memorial Campground where we were parked, hoping to find some pavement in a different route to get there... no such luck.

We put on 60 miles in a loop for our little ride around .... 



As we pulled back into our campground at 3pm (checkout time) we saw that mysterious fifth wheel trailer exiting the campground!   Hmmmm they came and parked and paid -we saw the slip on the post- but never saw hide nor hair of them.   Makes ya wonder.....   nice new trailer, nice newer pickup truck.  Meth lab?  Someone ill?  Last minute change of plans?  Visiting someone nearby and decided to stay there instead of camp?  Husband / Wife arguement and they went home in another vehicle?  We can only speculate, but it sure seemed unusual....

So we packed up and headed out too... another weekend of camping accomplished before the snow flies!



Did you know our motorhome is old enough to drive all by itself now?  
Even though it is a '96, it was manufactured in Sept. of 1995... 
making it now Sweet Sixteen!  
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO OUR SAFARI SERENGETI! 



8 comments:

  1. I certainly enjoy reading of your camping adventures. Please go again soon! ;)
    What a scare it must have been for all of you with your baby dropping into the river! Thank goodness everything turned out well.....

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  2. Poor Duke - I bet he was just scared to death. I'm so glad it turned out okay for him. Veerry strange about that fifth wheel. Does make you wonder.

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  3. Poor Dukie! What a shock it must have been to him.

    You have the most wonderful campgrounds in your part of Wisconsin.

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  4. Glad to hear you had a great camping weekend, We have driveway campers this week, You know how we love having driveway company. Hope little Dukie is okay, Rigg's and whiskey spent the afternoon at the doggie park. Be safe out there. Sam & Donna.PS we will be meeting Jim & Dee this afternoon.

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  5. awww poor sweet duke..glad hes ok..what a face...looks like once again you had a very busy weekend...but a great one :)...

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  6. Poor Duke! Give him a hug for me! Except for the rude folks it sounds like you had another terrific weekend.

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  7. Now that I have read the complete story about Duke it was really scary ~I'd a been screaming too. Thank goodness Steve got him out safely! Enjoy the rest of your t ime!
    Donna

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  8. Yikes! I would have been terrified too Duke! You did the right thing to ignore the jerks...they deserved it! Many people just don't get it. The chicken and corn sounds wonderful...Yum! And by the way, I love your shoes Steve! Cheers! ~M

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