Pipestem WV

I was getting cabin fever and decided that we needed to have a weekend getaway....so I did some research on places within a short drive and found Pipestem WV.  I have wanted to visit Tamarack since we moved here and up until this point haven't made it there, so with that in mind I thought...great this in the general vicinity maybe I can see both.So we rented a cabin at Pipestem State Park for the weekend.  It was about a 4 hour drive from Wheeling and a bit further away from Tamarack than I thought it was going to be but the drive wasn't bad.  We took this trip in the spring so there were alot of things in bloom so it was a beautiful trip with the mountains, and all the color.  I was a bit stressed because the weather report for the weekend wasn't very good....it was supposed to rain ALL day on Saturday. 

Got to the park and was really impressed with the size.  It had a campground, cabins, nature center, gift shops, golfing, fishing, hiking, a pool, a resort.  Tons of things to do.  We checked into our cabin....it was a 2 bedroom cabin with a great fireplace, kitchen, bath...the whole works. 

We unpacked, got the boys settled in....they were going crazy with the new surroundings and smells and then went to check out the park.  We went up to the resort, a beautiful place.  They had a game room with ping pong and shuffle board and an indoor pool.

Saturday morning I woke the troops up early because it wasn't raining yet so I thought we could get a hike in before it came.  They weren't real enthusiastic to be up at 7 while on vacation, but they cooperated and we set out.  We hiked down to the lake that was behind our cabin.  It was beautiful....so calm and clear and we didn't see anyone else on the way so we could really experience nature.  :)

Later that day we checked out the nature center, it was really nice.  It had a bunch of exhibits of animals native to that part of the state and a old time cabin.  Randy and Sierra went swimming in the pool and we all played ping pong and shuffle board.  Lots of fun.  It never did rain so Randy and the boys took a nap later that day.  That evening we had a huge fire....thought we were going to have to call the fire department but the smoke eventually cleared out hahaha. 

We didn't stop at Tamarack on the way home because of the puppies....but I will be planning a trip there sometime soon.

Over all it was a great weekend trip that I would recommend to all.

Ohiopyle, Pa

Well we just got back from our weekend excursion.....a trip to Ohiopyle Pennsylvania.  It was not our usual camping experience as we went with new friends and we stayed at Yogi Bear Jellystone Resort Campground.  My parents always told me to say something nice before the negative comments start flying so here goes: 

We had a great time with our new friends.  We spent some time doing some of the activities that the campground had to offer, we checked out the store, went swimming and went on a hayride.  We also spent some time on Saturday afternoon seeing just a few sites that the area had to offer.  Ohiopyle is a very scenic area that I would recommend to anyone.  We have been there a time or two before but the beauty of the area never leaves us wanting.  In the past we have done the river rapids, always alot of fun.  You can have guided or unguided tours down the river and different areas of the river are for different levels of rafters.  When we took our family my daughter was probably around 10 so we took what I would call the bunny slope, but we had a great adventure on the river together.  Some other things the area has to offer is natural water slides where the river has carved out a trail and there is enough current to carry you down to a natural pool.  The water is very clear and the rock formations are beautiful.  Much of the area is covered with Mountain Laurel and I'm sure it would be extra beautiful when it is in bloom.  This time I was only able to find one spot where it was blooming so I'm not sure if it is just starting or ending.  These are right on Rt 381.  There are hiking trails, a battlefield, alot of places where you rent bicycles, or rafts.

Now about Yogi Bear.....it is probably your typical "privately" owned campgrounds.  You know the kind that pack as many campers into an area as possible.  The sites were very small and really close together.  On the website it said that our site had a creek running behind it, it was a drainage ditch.  The quite hours which is what I like about camping were from 11pm to 7am and let me tell you the campers were loud and living it up until the very last minute and right back at it again come 7am.  As far as campgrounds go this one was a bit expensive I thought but we did have water, sewer and electric at our site, a nice convenience that we aren't used to.  But the showers were another story.  They were luke warm at best. 

So if you are looking for a loud, very active camping trip with tons of activities this is the place.  If you want a peaceful, restful camping experience this is NOT the place for you.  Right down the road there is Ohiopyle State Park and they offer camping....I will be there next time.

Pymatuning State Park-Ohio

We just got back from a week of camping at Pymatuning State Park.  It is a pretty big park and within the park there are several campgrounds, a dam, spillway, and a lake.  It borders on the Pennsylvania and Ohio state line.  We camped at the Ohio campground.  We have been going there for years and this year we met up with family and some old friends so it made it extra special.

I am happy to report that for the most part the weather was great, if on cool side.  I think a good time was had by all, but of course we wish that the week didn't go by so quickly.....why is it that the work week drags on forever but vacations fly by?  I personally think that we need to adopt the Europeans way of life and vacation more and work less.  :)

Food is always the best part of any camping trip.  I think everything taste better when cooked over the fire and eaten in the open air.  As always we had planned for a steak and baked potatoes night so all day my mouth was watering and we were all very excited as the steaks were put on the fire.  I had purchased .....or I thought I purchased Angus strip steaks.  But as they started to color on the fire they weren't looking like everyone elses....they weren't getting as brown.  So we took them off and cut into them and the texture was all wrong.  It was more like  PORK.  Which is fine if that is what you were expecting.   But when you think you are going to sink your teeth into a medium done steak and you get pork steak.  It just isn't the same.  So everyone was joking at my expense.  That perhaps I got cloned cow....or something worse.  My husband says he will now take on the responsibility of purchasing the steaks.  Needless to say the smores that night tasted extra good after the disappointing dinner. 

Some how during one of our past camping trips my friends have given me the title of camp counselor....I think it has something to do with my list making and I don't think that I have mentioned that I am a planner. So as camp counselor I decided it would  be a great idea if we got a friendly game of whiffle ball going.  Most everyone was up for it....a few had to be bribed, but finally we got the game under way.  Everything was going great until my daughter (who was on the opposing team) decided to tackle me as I was running for home plate.  We went down and my big toe went a way that it was not meant to.  I got up and continued to play but the next day.....I was in some serious pain and now it is swollen and purple.  Not very attractive during sandal weather and let me just say that I didn't know that whiffle ball was a contact sport.

Since were were camping for a week we took some excursions... we took a trip over to the dam (about a 10min drive from the campground) to take some pictures.  I had never checked it out before but was pleasantly surprised.  There is a great place to fish with a lookout area and some benches and this is all handicapped accessible.  Another great place to visit while in the area is Yorkies.  It is a great spot for ice cream and they usually have around 30 different flavors...Two thumbs up for Yorkies. 

Another area attraction is the spillway in Linesville, Pa there are a huge amount of carp that gather there and you can view them and feed them bread.  These are no ordinary carp.  They are huge in number and size.  There are so many of them that the ducks can walk across the fish without getting their feet wet.  It is something to see, ducks and carp alike fighting for the bread that is being thrown to them from the shore.  If you have never been here it is something to see and definitely worth the short trip.  It is about 20 minutes if that from the campground and you can stop at Yorkies on the way back an make an afternoon of it.http://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/2204

Another area of note that we came across is in Meadville, PA at the Dot office. Meadville is about 35 minutes from the campground or right off of I79 at the Meadville exit. You won't be disappointed. The Department of transportation has made murals out of used or retired road signs......they have them posted on fence of their property. I was such a pleasant surprise. Below are some photos of just a few of the displays. The hot air balloons and the flowers were my favorite....but there is something there for everyone and there is no cost. A must see for anyone who happens to be near by.

http://ceed.allegheny.edu

Preparing

Well I'm getting ready for our annual camping trip with my parents.....every summer we meet at Pymatuming State Park and camp together for a week.  Since my parents live in South Western NY and we live in Wheeling WV it is about the middle.  So all this week I will be busy preparing.  Last week Randy took the camper (an oldie but goodie 1984 motor home) to get inspected.  Guess what, it didn't pass.  The back lights didn't work.  We tried to tell the inspectors at the inspection station that we don't drive at night so really the lights weren't necessary but they didn't buy it.  We had to make a trip to the local camping supply store for new bulbs and covers.  (the covers came off during a horrendous wind storm we had over the winter)  So hubby worked for awhile on the lights but couldn't get them working....then all of a sudden the camping Gods looked down on us and the lights came on.  Randy hurry up and drove it back down to the inspection station without turning it off in case it was a fluke. 

WE PASSED!  So we are legal again....Yeah!

I am a list maker, and I'm sorry to say that this is a part of me that my family does not enjoy.....but with so many other things going on in my head I have to make list so that nothing is forgotten.  I make list for shopping, list of things to put in the camper, things that will need finished up this week at work, things to do around the house before we leave...the "list" goes on and on.  So today we are off to Wally World (Walmart) to pick up some supplies for the trip, but I will still need to go to the store one more time, probably on Thursday to pick up the last minute items like bread and milk so they won't get gross.  I would also like to get the lawn mowed today and finish up the weekly laundry but this will all have to get squeezed in between breakfast for Randy for Father's Day and a movie with him and Sierra.

Wish me luck!

Hocking Hills, Ohio

The life changing event that I spoke of was the death of my son, which happened November of '08.  So we, as a family were dreading the upcoming holiday season and didn't know exactly what we wanted to do but after doing alot of reading and talking to counselors it was suggested that we start some new traditions.

So Hocking Hills was recommended to me by a friend.  I did a little bit of research about it and decided that was were we were going to go.  It is in Central Ohio a little south of Columbus.  We went for a long weekend and the weather that year was actually very cooperative.  It was a little bit soggy but pretty warm and were able to do some hiking and see the majority of the sites.

We rented a cabin called The Two Trees Inn. hockinghills.com/twotrees/ A great place with tons of charm. The owners have included unique touches throughout the cabin, the dinning room table was a long slab from tree that had been varnished to a high gloss, there was a loft w/ a beautiful private bath, some of the supporting beams and ladder were branches, one of the bedrooms had a little nook where a bunk was placed, they had a library of book, a pool table, ping pong, a wonderful deck with a view of the woods and the pond and a fire ring.  We loved it there and would love to go back. 

There are alot of hiking opportunities in the area but most of them had shorter options if you had elderly or disabled parties in your group they can still enjoy the wonderful scenery of the rock formations and the falls.  Most of the trails are in a central location and easy to get to, off of main roads or state parks.  Some of the sites to see are Old Man's Cave, Ash Cave, Conkles Hollow, Cantwell Cliffs, and Cedar Falls.

There are also some great shops in the area.....they have some unique things with local flavor, some antique shops as well. 

We had a wonderful time and I highly recommend Hocking Hills for a get away for friends, families, girls or guys weekend anything and of course it is puppie friendly.  At the time we went we only had Tucker.  He was soo funny running around the cabin taking in all the smells.

Well I finished my first post....wasn't as hard as I thought it was going to be.  I'm kind of proud of how it turned out.  Yea Me!