Two Weekends in Neighboring States

Tennessee Cumberland Plateau Campground, Tennessee

In August we got an invite to the all-Airstream park in Crossville Tennessee, Tennessee Cumberland Plateau Campground (TCPC).  At TCPC, the lots are individually owned with the exception of a few visitor lots.  We stayed on an improved lot.  (It is for sale.) I've only backed the trailer up a handful of times.  I was a little nervous parking this close to a structure but I didn't hit anything.

Notice the bikes.  This was the first time we have taken bikes since we've had the trailer.  The two smallest bikes we put in the back of our SUV, the biggest one we put in the trailer with a cargo bar.  (Who knew you could use those things for anything other than putting in endcaps?)

The smallest bike hasn't had training wheels in over a year but its rider has refused to use it (with or without training wheels.)  I was hoping to have three bike riders by the end of the weekend. 

Loved the charm of this place...

This swan holder was at our site.  I saw a few of these around at different campsites.  They made me smile.  Clearly someone made them (and presumably gave them to friends).  There's something about seeing these hand crafted things around the whole campground that make me think the people here enjoy each others company. They are a connected community.

Neighboring Cumberland Mountain State Park has a well-attended catfish dinner on Friday nights. 

 We joined the crowd and were delighted to find another fantastic CCC bridge, too. 

Saturday, we went with our friends into Crossville to see the large tree house there.  Our friends, who own lots at TCPC, had never been to the treehouse.  They thought taking the kids was a perfect excuse to visit.

One man began building this house in 1993.  It's made entirely out of reclaimed wood.  It's quite a thing!

Samuel is waiting his turn while our two girls ride the 5-story lawn-chair swing attached to the side of the tree house.  I saw just as much duct tape as I did rope.  I'm still not really sure if this swing is a good idea.  The kids sure enjoyed it though.

With our friends at the treehouse.
Check out the "support post" on the right.

For just spending two nights here it sure felt like we crammed in so much.

We spent time with friends, made new friends, and miraculously came home with three bike riders. 

Goodbye, TCPC.  Maybe we'll see you down the road again.  We'll certainly never forget the kind words from our new friend, "A campground without children is like a forest without songbirds."

a little down the road, and a whole month later....

De Soto State Park,  Alabama

Our first Airstream caravan.  I actually thought it was our first caravan ever but then I remembered the rescue caravan last Thanksgiving when we left the swamp.

All lined up and ready for our weekend of fun.  

As the only people who had ever been to DeSoto State Park, we got to be the leader.  (Yikes!)

Rome, Georgia is about halfway between our rendezvous point and the park.  We decided to stop there for lunch.  Brian had the clever idea to consult Google maps to find trailer parking for four.  Easy as pie.  There was a parking lot close to the restaurant.  We followed the GPS to said parking lot.  I turned down the one-way alley only to discover a parking deck instead of a parking lot!  Oh dear!  It makes me wonder how often those Google maps are updated.  After a little (stressful for me) meandering, we found a church parking lot nearby.  Lunch was great.  I only had one complaint... it was that we had to get up and leave (to go to the park to spend more time with each other.)

The hiking at De Soto is great, it's mostly shaded.

Great rocks for the kids to climb all over: 

billy goats?

Water to stick your toes in:

 We have an knack for finding waterfalls with no water so Laurel Falls was a treat.

Back at camp, another Airstream owner came by on a golf cart with the camp host.  We knew there were two other Airstreams at the campground but hadn't been to visit yet.   Golf Cart Guy told me there was a third Airstream "older than yours but not polished" at the back of the campground.  I hardly let him leave before all of us set out to find the 'airstream older than mine.'  I was more than a little skeptical.

But I shouldn't have been.

He was right.

 
At the back of the campground there was a 1957 Custom/Flying Cloud (it's a bit of a mystery.)  We  were offered a tour.  After a few minutes, we soon realized had met these Airstreams before.  That is, we previously met the people, not the trailer.  Brent and Vanessa bought this trailer just a couple of months before the TAC rally at Cloudland Canyon (Labor Day weekend 2011.)  They came to Cloudland Canyon to visit friends in an SOB (Some Other Brand trailer.)  While they were at Cloudland they looked at our trailer.  Surprisingly, it still took us a few minute to recognize each other. It was nice to get to meet their trailer this time, too.

Ahhh....DeSoto!  The company was spectacular, weather was perfect, the food was perfect-er.  (Anybody seen a thesauraus around here?)

brunch

 

What a weekend!  Complete with candlelit dinner.

For many years, before we ever had our trailer, we would go camping with friends in our tents.  About those trips, we would say, "We eat like kings and queens and sleep in tents."   Sunday, after the trip was over, I was putting Annabelle to bed and we were talking about the weekend.  I think she put it best when she said, "We ate like kings and queens and we slept like kings and queens."