October 22 thru 24 - Desoto State Park, Fort Payne, Alabama
For more destinations, visit our
new website: PBandJAdventures.com
Desoto! State Park is one of our top ten favorite
destinations. We have spent several long holiday weekends here because
Desoto has all the positive aspects of a state park with the
conveniences of an RV Park. There is an abundance of nature and the
campsites are large like most state parks, but Desoto's campground also
features full RV hookup (30 & 50 amp electricity, water, cable, and
sewer). Amenities are abundant and the staff organizes some really great
events and activities.
This particular adventure was planned around
Spookapalooza, a weekend of Halloween activities like outdoor movies,
games, story telling, and Trick or Treating. For the Richardson Tribe,
it was the end of a very long and trying week. John Micah had a fever of
over 103 Thursday night, and work was piled on everyone. The costumes
we'd ordered hadn't yet arrived (or so we thought, another story), and
we got away from the house late on Friday making our arrival at Desoto
well after the office had closed. Fortunately, the trusty security
ranger had the code and our paperwork handy. It didn't take long to get
the camper leveled and connected, and it was once again beginning to
feel like home. The psychology of being on Central time for a change
made me decide it was early enough for a fire, so I indulged.
Saturday
went a little different than planned. We had our bikes and rode a little
in the morning, but didn't cover the distance I'd hoped. There was just
too much happening. We visited Pamba, Parker Jon, and Calbert at a cozy
little cabin they had rented that overlooked Desoto Falls. The cabin,
nearly 70 years old, was very rustic and quaint, but a newer
structure just a short
walk away was even more unique. The cabin's owner has also built a very
nice screened chalet over the small lake formed from the dam at the top
of Desoto Falls. There is no glass in the structure. It is completely
screened, but has most of the comforts of home. Later in the afternoon,
we headed back to the park.
We hadn't planned on "trick or treating"
because the kids had no
costumes.
Initially it was working. The little guys helped entertain the trick or
treaters by posing as statues while Mommy played the "Candy Lady". But
then, with a stroke of genius, Lee Thomas created the costume of a Dumb
and Dumber Hobo Nerd! The rest of our crew followed suit, and were
soon a hit with the other trick or treaters and parents. It wasn't the
goofy way they dressed, it was how they acted and talked. They REALLY
got into character, especially the dumber part. They went around our
loop in the campground, and came back with grocery bags loaded with
candy.
We sat around the fire for a
very long time talking and laughing that evening before retiring to the
camper. We started a movie, but, as so often happens, everyone was out
well before the end. That's ok, 'cause we have to get up tomorrow
morning, pack-up, and head for Rome and the Chiaha Art Festival, but
that's another story...
Side Trip - Chiaha Festival - Rome, GA
October 16 thru 17 - B&B Farm, Dews Pond, GA
Well, our very first published adventure was right
here at the awesome piece of property co-owned by Super Disco Dave and
the Clown in January 2007. They arranged to have this bon fire around
our schedule so we could attend too, and it was greatly appreciated.
I'll tell you more later. Look for an update.