# First camping trip of the year this weekend!



## ctfortner (Nov 16, 2007)

Well, I am going home to start the never ending packing for camping this weekend. The weather is holding pretty steady, so we are going camping at Arkabutla lake in Mississippi this weekend. It will be our first trip of the year, my daughter is so excited she cant stand it. She has been ready to go for weeks:shrug:


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## kiteri (Jan 12, 2008)

Oh how exciting.... I am green with envy. 

Be safe and have fun!!! Give us the report when you are back so we can live vicariously!!!


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## mailfire99 (Nov 16, 2007)

Yep rub it in 

Have fun, be safe, update us when you get back!


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## cassiem (Nov 16, 2007)

Great! Wish I was too. Whats on the agenda while your there? Anything special, or just relaxing?

Yall have fun​


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## roadhouse (Feb 29, 2008)

kiteri said:


> Oh how exciting.... I am green with envy.
> 
> Be safe and have fun!!! Give us the report when you are back so we can live vicariously!!!


I'm also envious....but also can't wait for you to post photos when you get back. It's still cold here, 48* today, but 20's at night. We'll probably go within the next couple of weeks. 

I need at least a mid 50's day to bring the camper to the house and clean it out, and prep it for the season. After that I'll be ready...hopefully.



Thought of something are you going Geocaching while you are camping this weekend? You know you want to.:rotflmao1:


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## ctfortner (Nov 16, 2007)

Well, I am all packed and ready to go. I decided to dewinterize the camper at the campground. I just filled up the fresh water tank tonight, that way I can just pull into the dump station, run the pump and let it all go in the dump, flip the bypass switch and back in business.

It was mid 70's here today, very nice, but windy. Supposed to rain friday, but still will be in the upper 60's low 70. Its not supposed to be below 50's at night all weekend, so it should be nice. I been seeing a lot of rvs cruising the roads around here lately.

I am glad you mentioned the geocaching, I need to revisit that and see whats around there. I am going to try that this year, for sure. I did look some of them up a while back, and there was some within a mile of where I work, got me curious :scratchhead:


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## terri01p (Mar 14, 2008)

I hope the weather holds for you all. Boy am I ever ready for a camping trip. Have a great time and we'll talk about you while your gone...hehe


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## haroldj (Jan 31, 2008)

It is gettin to be that time. Not quite for us, but it wont be long. I am ready!


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## ctfortner (Nov 16, 2007)

Well, I got down to the campground and got everything setup. Got the camper dewinterized and flushed. Pretty much had pick of the litter, the campground was only about a 1/4 full. Had a few cold ones, built a fire, was a beautiful night.

I patted out some burgers and marinated them, and when I had enough coals ready, I folded over the firepit grill/grate thats attached to the fire ring, put some aluminum foil down, poked holes all in it and grilled the burgers right over the wood coals. I have done this several times, but let me tell you, if you have never cooked them over wood coals like this, your missing out. It makes a mean burger :icon_smile_bbq:. Best burgers I have ever cooked. Matter of fact, I just had the leftover burger for lunch, it was as good as last night.


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## antigua (Dec 17, 2007)

Oh man........You had to rub it in eh.....I still have 4' of snow on my front lawn. I'm Jealous! 
Have a great time. Let us know how it went.


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## ctfortner (Nov 16, 2007)

Well, we are back. You didnt miss much. It all started out great, but friday night it rained so everything was wet when we got up. Saturday it was cloudy and much cooler 50's, and then rained for about 2 hours off and on. The wife is in pain all weekend with a bad sinus infection, so she wasnt up to par at all.

We did have some friends come to the campsite and cook out with us last night and tie one on.

This morning, no more than we woke up, it starts pouring again. So we packed up and loaded everything in the rain. 

Not a great first start, but we still got to camp. Had some nice campfires and some good eating. Didnt take many pics as the weather just was terrible, but will put up a few tomorrow from the one (non rain) day we had. Hitting the bed, wore out!


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## antigua (Dec 17, 2007)

Well that happens. Sorry it didn't turn out all that great. I hope she's feeling better. I've done my fair share of caming in the rain and I'm sure there is a few more to come and I don't like it all that much. Well at least you got out and had a little bit of fun.


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## l2l (Jan 27, 2008)

Sorry to hear the first trip was a wet one..

Hey look at the bright side my trailer is still buried in snow :thumbdown:


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## mailfire99 (Nov 16, 2007)

Hate to hear of the rainy start, but at least you got started. I have also done my share of rainy camping and its not the best, but still beats being at home I think, unless it just rains the entire time there, which is miserable.


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## happiestcamper (Mar 6, 2008)

A bad week...

1. Camping
2. Fishing
3. Golfing
4. Fill in with any activity

...is better than a good week at work :thumbup1:


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## mikey (Feb 20, 2008)

Hate to hear about the weather, but I tend to agree, bad day of camping is better that a great day working. Besides had you been at home all weekend, you would probably have had honey do's to tend to anyway


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## glfortner (Nov 16, 2007)

It was nice we were close to home so that it didn't seem quite so bad to pack up and leave. What is a honey-do list? :scratchhead: Or I guess I should say-do those honey do lists really work? :whipyobut:


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## ctfortner (Nov 16, 2007)

Here is a few pics from the one "non rain" time we had. Not much to look at, but proof we were there at least...

There is no awning out, well for two reasons. One, it was windy as ^$%$. and two, I kinda broke a piece on it, that last trip in 2007, havent fixed that yet.

*Beware of dog*


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## happiestcamper (Mar 6, 2008)

Get some awning tie downs - I don't worry about wind anymore.

Also, I bet you have condensation inside that canvas roof - check out the Popup Gizmos (I added the product just now). They fit over those bunk ends, and you can either put the silver side up to reflect heat or the silver side down to retain heat. I got tired of waking up to all the moisture falling over me. Using these and some fans to keep the air circulating, it never rains on me in the morning anymore.


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## ctfortner (Nov 16, 2007)

Actually I do have some of the awning deflappers, and they do work good. I couldnt have let the awning out either way, the little square piece that slides up and down when you raise and lower the awning broke on one side. I have to get that fixed, we have some painful sunny summers here, cant live without that awning.

I do get some condensation through the canvas, although it has never gotten on us. Well, unless the little one starts pushing on it, then it happens 

During the summer, we have a fan that came with the camper and plugs in right in front of our bed, which we always use to.

I will look at that gizmo, sounds like a good investment. Thanks for the suggestion! When it starts getting hot and muggy, we will sure need it.


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## ctfortner (Nov 16, 2007)

Oh yeah, forgot to mention the best part.

Memphis (Tigers) were playing the night while we were there, and of course I had to watch. They played Michigan St., sorry to all our Michagan'ers here, the Tigers are pretty tough.

Anyway, I should have taken a picture of me sitting out by the campfire with my TV strung 20 feet out there with me watching the basketball game. I brought some extra coax cables so it would reach out there and still use the antenna. 

Cold one, campfire, ballgame, does it get any better?


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## mailfire99 (Nov 16, 2007)

ctfortner said:


> Cold one, campfire, ballgame, does it get any better?


It just really doesnt get any better....

Now I really want to go camping, thanks for sharing the pics.

Really like that popup gizmo cover, I checked out their website. If I had canvas pop outs or a popup, I believe I would have to try that.


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## haroldj (Jan 31, 2008)

One down, many to go! I am jealous, cannot wait to cookout and build a campfire!


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## cassiem (Nov 16, 2007)

Cute little guard dog you got there!

You got the rainy trip out of the way now, its smooth sailing from here on


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## antigua (Dec 17, 2007)

Sounds like you had a great time. I can't wait to get out there. Most campgrounds around me don't open until May so I still have time to wait and plan. June 13th weekend will be our first trip. I can't wait.


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## danny (Apr 10, 2008)

ctfortner, just found this site and it seems you are close by. We live in Decatur County. We have just started camping this year and love it. So far we have been on two trips. Do you have any good suggestions on places to go that are close by? 
Thanks
Danny


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## ctfortner (Nov 16, 2007)

danny said:


> ctfortner, just found this site and it seems you are close by. We live in Decatur County. We have just started camping this year and love it. So far we have been on two trips. Do you have any good suggestions on places to go that are close by?
> Thanks
> Danny


Welcome to the site Danny!

Decatur county, if I am not mistaken thats not far from henderson county right? I used to hunt over in henderson county, off Law road (exit 93). henderson is about an hour and 15 from me, so I am probably not too far from you.

Out that way, the places we frequent the most are Natchez Trace State Park, Chicasaw State Park and Beech Lake Campground. 

Check out the forum for campground reviews for discussion of these by the way.

Beech lake is in lexington, TN

Natchez and Chicasaw are in Jackson TN area.

Where have yall been so far?


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## ctfortner (Nov 16, 2007)

*Joy-O-RV Park and Beech Bend Campground*

There is also Joy-O-RV Park which is in Denmark TN I believe, outside Jackson. I have not been here yet. I think its a smaller campground, 40 sites or so.

Have you been to Beech Bend Campground in Decaturville? It also looks like a nice place, plan to try it out this year too.

Beech Bend Camp Grounds and Park


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## danny (Apr 10, 2008)

Thanks for getting back to me.
We bought a used 5th wheel in December and have waited for the weather to get nicer to get out.
So far we have camped at the TVA Campground in Pickwick and Natchez Trace. We enjoyed both of these campground very much.
We usually camp with our 3 grandchildren ages 5, 6 and 9. They like to ride bikes and playgrounds so we try and find places they will enjoy.
While we haven't camped at Beech Bend we have been there many times. There always seems to be many people around who are not campers.
We will have to check out Beech Lake in Lexington it sounds nice. We looked at Chickasaw but didn't like the way it was away from everything.
Thanks for all your help and the great forum.


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