2024
The 2024 camping year started with a shakedown trip in April, this time at our new campground, Nickerson Park. We really like this campground! Our next journey was in May to the Alliance rally in Elkhart, Indiana where we cooked in dutch ovens once again for the parking volunteers. Previously, we started discussing looking at small motor homes to do traveling so while in Elkhart we toured three motor home factories and ended up faced with an opportunity we could not pass up. We made an offer on a 2024 Phoenix Cruiser 26 foot motor home and it was accepted! We drove the 5th wheel back to CT and flew to Elkhart to complete our transactions and take ownership of our new coach. 2024 was a very full year of travel, planning a bridal shower, attending a family wedding and our daughter's wedding as well.
We had decided early in the year to travel to Colorado with the 5th wheel for a family reunion in August for Tom's family. Because we can't take a trip without trying to see National Parks, we decided to expand the the trip to include the Colorado National Parks as part of the reunion trip. Now we changed plans from taking the 5th wheel to taking the motor home! It's never a dull moment with us!
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Nickerson Park, Chaplin CT-April 15-22
Annual shake down trip! Battenkill was bought by a corporation sadly and things were rapidly going downhill. The new owners don't open it until May so we decided to go to Nickerson which is open year round.
Rally Bound!
Seven Points Raystown Lake COE - May 13th - May 17th
Outflow Campground - Youghiogheny River Lake COE -May 17th - May 20th
RV Overnights Holdfast Alpaca Farm, Medway, OH - May 20th
We decided to take our time getting to the Alliance Rally. First, we needed to get a tire stem replaced. On the way, we visited Ohiopyle State Park in PA with a pretty waterfall, Fort Necessity National Battlefield, and Falling Water House - designed by architect Frank Lloyd Wright. One night stay at an Alpaca Farm in Ohio was a first and maybe a last!
Mississinewa Lake State Park, Peru Indiana - May 21st - May 24th
Stayed at a nice state park campground in Indiana for a few nights on Mississinewa Lake.
Alliance RV Rally Elkhart, IN - May 24th - June 2nd
Our 3rd and most likely last rally. Cooked again for the volunteers and enjoyed seeing friends! We also bought a motor home while in Elkhart! While we did not intend to do that, we both agreed life is too short to wait for someday! Too much of the country to see!
Ives Run Tioga-Hammond Lake, PA - June 3rd - June 7th
After one night at an RV Overnights Golf course in Lake Milton, OH we landed at one of our favorite places, Army Corps campground Ives Run in Tioga, PA with a daughter visit too!
Nickerson Park Family Campground, Chaplin CT - June 14th - July 8th
Spent a month at our new favorite campground! Now the proud owners of two RV's we decided to bring our new motor home to Nickerson for a shake down. After a week we brought Milt the motor home back to the house and brought Evvie the 5th wheel to Nickerson for some fun with friends and Dutch Oven University.
Camping on the Battenkill, Arlington VT - July 8th - July 20th
A much calmer time this year. No flooding but a disappointing experience with the new owners. Now that we found Nickerson on the Natchaug River in CT, we made the decision this would most likely be our last time at Battenkill after 15 years. We brought the 5th wheel to Battenkill because we needed the space. The plan was to get the 5th wheel home and do a quick changeover and leave for Colorado in the motor home!
Colorado Bound! July 22nd - July 28
We left a few days later than planned but managed to get to Colorado in seven days. The first two nights were at Fisherman's Cove in East Moline, IL, then Cherry Glen Campground in Des Moines, IA where we met up with some family. We also visited The Buffalo Bill Museum and American Pickers location. After Iowa, we landed at Methodist Cove Campground in Alma, NE. Finally arrived at John Martin Reservoir State park in Hasty, CO July 28th.
Lake Pueblo State Park, CO and Great Sand Dunes National Park
July 30th - August 1st
We hoped that working our way across the country and Colorado we would get acclimated to the altitude. It was pretty hot in Pueblo and we had to change sites due to being unlevel. We didn't prepare and bring devices to help level a motor home. We were still learning! While at Pueblo State Park we visited Great Sand Dunes National Park.
To the Mountains!
Ridgway State Park, CO Million Dollar Highway, Black Canyon of the Gunnison and Mesa Verde National Parks - August 1st - August 8th
Escaping the heat of the flats of Pueblo we embarked on a beautiful journey to the Rocky Mountains. Because of a closed bridge on Route 50 we took the "long way" to Ridgway State Park that ended up being the Million Dollar Highway. Little did we know what we were in store for! Mountain passes, narrow roads and unbelievable beauty! Ridgway is close to 7,000 feet elevation so the air was getting much cooler. We spent a week at Ridgway and while there we visited Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park and Mesa Verde and toured the cliff dwellings.
Family Reunion Hermit Basin Christian Conference Center, Westcliffe, CO
August 9th - August 11th
We traveled from Ridgway to Westcliffe and the elevation rose to 9,000 feet! That was above our limit and it was a tough weekend but we still managed to enjoy socializing with cousins and enjoying the mountain beauty. We even had to pick up some canned oxygen for Tom!
Eastbound! St. Vrain State Park CO August 11th - 15th
Lake Cunningham Campground, Omaha, NE - August 15th - August 19th
Time to head East and get home but first we met up with some old friends who moved to Colorado and then rally friends in Omaha, NE. Our original place to camp was in Iowa but previous flooding closed the campground.
North Hero, VT September 14th - 18th
We arrived home late August to prepare for Kelly's Bridal Shower and then it was off to see our friend from Camping on the Battenkill in her new home in North Hero, VT on Lake Champlain. We parked in her driveway right on the lake!
Nickerson Park October 1st - October 30th
Our final trip for the year was back to our new favorite for the whole month of October. That is when let them know we wanted to become seasonal there with the 5th wheel. The month was quiet and we were able to go back and forth to home in preparation for the wedding!
