Posted in: Exploring Ohio, Rest Stop/Welcome Center/Visitor Center

Finding A Place To Stop: An Ohio Rest Stop

If you travel any amount of distance, you have probably stopped at a rest stop for a break. Whether it’s a bathroom break, a chance to stretch your legs, grab a snack, let the dog out, or stop for the night, a nice rest stop can make a big difference in your drive. We stopped at so many rest stops during our RV trip, and even stayed overnight at some when the drive was too long. I never paid too much attention before the trip, but there can be a huge difference in the quality of rest stops! We’ve gone to ones that are simply toilets, nothing else there, nothing special. Then of course, you can find really nice ones where everything is new, super clean and bright. Florida’s Welcome Center/rest stop gave out masks and orange juice. Wyoming’s (near Cheyenne) had so many people stopping there, that Uber Eats delivered! (It was a nice stop too, not just due to food delivery.) New York’s Western NY Visitor Center had a little shop and a playground on the campus. Virginia’s Eastern Shore had a wildlife refuge and great walking trails.

Ohio’s have been a mix. On our way back home from Michigan, we stopped at one that was nice enough, but small and older. There were plenty of parking spots though. Between Wilmington and Lebanon, Ohio, on highway I-71, there are a pair of newer rest stops/welcome centers. They are located around mile marker 33.5 and are on either side of the highway, so there is both a northbound and south rest stop. There are bathrooms, vending machines, local tourist information. The southbound rest stop/welcome center has a fun Ohio sculpture that makes for a great photo op. It also has shaded picnic tables along the right side of the building. Along the backside there is a walking path; it isn’t very long, but it gives you a nice spot to stretch your legs and has a few benches along the path. There a is a dog poopbag station as well.

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The southbound rest stop has 20 RV/truck spots. The lanes seemed large enough for easy maneuverability. There were only a few lights in the parking lot, so it may be pretty dark at night if you are here for an overnight stop.

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Normally we only use rest stops when we travel; however, we have occasionally grabbed things for a picnic lunch and headed to a nearby rest stop. They can be great places to have a change in scenery, especially if it has a large open space to throw a ball, picnic tables, and even the hard-to-find playground.

INFORMATIONAL LINKS:

Ohio.gov has a list of Ohio rest stops (including the type of rest stop, amount of parking spaces)

SIMILAR POSTS:

Cheyenne’s Welcome Center

Florida’s Welcome Center

Western NY Visitor Center

Eastern Shore National Wildlife Refuge

What/Where is your favorite rest stop?

Posted in: Animal Sightings, Campground Review, Exploring South Carolina, Hiking, Sightseeing, YouTube Video Link

Myrtle Beach State Park Campground: Campground Review

For our final stop in South Carolina, we went to Myrtle Beach and stayed at the Myrtle Beach State Park.

The state park does have some nice amenities to it: walking trails, touristy type of shops (1 in the campground, 1 at beach), walking distance to beach. If you are staying in the park, you do not have to buy the daily park pass (as long as you have your window tag displayed).

It was very dark at night, as there were not any street lights throughout the campground. Bring a flashlight if you are taking a walk or going to the bathroom! There are signs about copperheads throughout the park. There was air noise from the airport and helicopter tours. There were a couple of airplanes that flew so low that the RV rattled.

The sites are nicely shaded, although they are long and narrow. The sites had a picnic table and fire pit (with flip down grill). The gates closed and locked at 10:00 pm, although they do give you the code. It was a very weird experience, as you have to get out of your car in the dark near the woods to unlock and open the gate, drive through, get out again to shut it. Having a keypad code for the gate would be a huge improvement. The park also states that there is no alcohol permitted in the campground or park.

The camp store had some souvenir type of items, firewood ($7.49/bundle), ice, and some drinks and ice cream.

There were several bathrooms/showers around the campground. The laundry facility wasn’t too far from our site (in loop 5). Washers and dryers were $2/load.

Bottom image: entrance to the campground (campground to the left, beach to the right)

The beach did not close at night, so we did get a couple of nice nighttime walks in.

There was a patch program for the kids through the state park (a little like the Junior Ranger Program at the National Parks). The Nature Center was at the edge of the campground and was a nice spot to sit and watch the birds at the feeders. It was also a great spot for the kids to find lots of information for the scavenger hunts.

We did not see many animals, other than birds and squirrels in the campground. We did see some crabs, starfish, and a jellyfish at the beach. Nick and I also found shark teeth, which was lots of fun and a new experience for both of us. There were also shells to find, which is always a plus for us at a beach.

CONCLUSION:

CONS: Air noise, the gate, tightness of the campground

PROS: Walkable to beach, campfire ability, shade trees, amenities of park and campground, patch program for kids

If we were in Myrtle Beach, we would stay here again.

VIDEO: Walking Tour Myrtle Beach State Park

SUMMARY OF CAMPGROUND:

Our rating: 3.5 out of 5 hitches

Cell Phone Reception: AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile

Laundry: Yes

Bathrooms/Showers: Yes

RV Sites: Back-in (dirt/sand)

Pop Up Tents/Gazebos/Outdoor Rugs On-Site: Yes

Amenities: picnic table, fire pit, playground, community grills in state park, second playground in the state park, close to beach, walking trails in state park, patch program for kids in park

Cabins: Yes (6)

Tent Camping: Yes

Full Hook-ups: Yes

            Amps: 20/30/50

Pool: No, but ocean is close

Food On-Site: No

Camp Store: Yes

WiFi: Yes

Fishing: Yes (no license, but daily fee: $8/day ages 16+, $3 ages 3-15)

Posted in: Animal Sightings, Campground Review, Exploring South Carolina, Hiking, Sightseeing, YouTube Video Link

KOA Mount Pleasant/Charleston: Campground Review

For our stay in Charleston, South Carolina, we stayed at the Mount Pleasant/Charleston KOA. The campground is located in Mount Pleasant, about a 15-20 minute drive from Charleston.

The campground had some nice features, including a camp store. The campground is located near a plantation, and offers wagon rides when the plantation is open. Unfortunately, the plantation house was under construction when we were there and the wagon rides were not going on.

The campground had corn hole, a nice walking trail, a community fire pit, hanging swings by the lake, fishing (catch and release, no license needed), pool (not heated), rec room with camp kitchen (2 stations) and little library, dog park, and bike/canoe/paddle boat rental. The office sold firewood bundles. There was a propane station and an ice machine near the office as well.

The laundry room was on the side of the office building and had 4 washers and dryers. Although there was not a coin machine in the laundry room, you could get quarters at the office. Washers were $2/load and dryers $1.50/load.

The bathrooms and showers were located on the backside of the officel. They are separate though: women’s bathroom on one side, individual shower rooms in the middle, and men’s bathrooms on the other side.

We enjoyed the walking trails. The trails go by a little creek and we saw some small crabs and turtles.

There was WiFi available. The signal was pretty spotty where we were. However, they do offer routers to borrow. These are on a first come basis. We were finally able to get one with only 2 days left in the trip, but it made a big difference! The speeds were a lot faster plugged in.

The campground was close to grocery stores, restaurants, gas stations, and several parks. Charleston was about 15-20 minutes away. The Costco and Walmart were within 2 miles. It was in a pretty convenient location.

VIDEO LINK: Campground Tour

The night before we left, we found a postcard on the door reminding us of check-out time.

COVID Review: Masks were required in the office. The office staff was friendly and always had them on. However, employees working outside (including those that show you to your site) and other campers really didn’t wear masks.

SUMMARY OF CAMPGROUND:

Our rating: 3 out of 5 hitches

Cell Phone Reception: AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile (slow)

Laundry: Yes

Bathrooms/Showers: Yes

RV Sites: Pull Through, Back-in (mostly gravel, saw a few concrete pads)

Pop Up Tents/Gazebos/Outdoor Rugs On-Site: No stakes allowed in the ground due to underground wires

Amenities: picnic table and fire pit at sites, some upgraded sites had a grill, cable, two playgrounds, pool, rec room/camp kitchen, little library, corn hole, dog park, bikes for rent, paddle boats and kayaks for rent, ice machine $2/bag, firewood $7/bundle (although after taxes/fees it came to $8).

Cabins: Yes

Tent Camping: Yes

Full Hook-ups: Yes

            Amps:

Pool: Yes, not heated

Food On-Site: No, but camp store has a few items

Camp Store: Yes

WiFi: Yes. Routers provided at office, first come first serve, to help boost signal

Accepts Mail: Yes

Fishing: Yes, no license needed, catch and release

Posted in: Animal Sightings, Exploring South Carolina, Museums & Tours, National Park, National Parks, Sightseeing

Charles Pinckney Historical Site

The Charles Pinckney Historical Site was located pretty close to our campground. Although the house was closed (COVID), the grounds were open. We still wanted to go see it and get a nice walk. There was a Ranger vehicle parked there, but we didn’t see a anyone, so Nick didn’t get to do the Junior Ranger Program at this site.

There were a few walking paths around the property. One was really well laid out with a mulch base. I’m not sure how they did it, but the mulch all stuck together and felt a little bouncy. It was nice and even and made for a nice walk. The others were more nature trails and were dirt (or mud) through trees and brush. There were several signs warning of poison ivy and snakes (copperheads are apparently common down here). We took both trails and read the informational signs along the way. Pinckney was one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence.

I did almost step on a snake, a tiny brown snake that was very quick and blended in with the dirt very well. I think it was maybe a rough earth snake, but I was so startled that I didn’t get a picture. It certainly got my heart pumping, as I had thought that I had been paying attention pretty well to the ground in front of me. We do make sure to always wear boots or closed toed shoes when we are going on any type of walk.

The site was ok. I’m sure if the house was open it would be interesting, but otherwise it was a little boring. If you are in the area, I would check it out, but I wouldn’t go out of your way to see it. We were there there for about a half hour.

DETAILS:*

  • TICKETS: Free. COVID Restrictions: masks required
  • HOURS: Closed Monday and Tuesday. Open Wednesday to Sunday, 9:00 am to 5:00 pm
  • PARKING: Yes
  • BATHROOM: Yes
  • TIME RECOMMENDED: 30 minutes to 1 hour
  • *Details correct at the time of posting, but please double check before you go.
Posted in: Animal Sightings, Campground Review, Exploring South Carolina, Hiking, Sightseeing

The Oaks At Point South (Thousand Trails), Yemassee, South Carolina

When we booked this campground (The Oaks At Point South) several months ago, it had good/okay reviews. When we looked at it again on our way in, it now had horrible reviews due to mud and ruts. We tried to find another campground, but they were all booked. We were told it was the busy season, as Georgia’s summer brings bugs and flies.

When we checked in, there was a packet with our parking tag and the site map in the red box at the driveway. They were doing a no-contact check in. The reviews were right, it was very muddy and our site had deep ruts from where someone must have gotten stuck. We had gravel in the middle of the site, but the hook-ups and where our truck would have to park were very muddy and did not have gravel. TIP: If you do stay here, go slowly once you are off of the highway. You turn right by the Waffle House!

The site was a little small for us. The truck fit, but we had to park very close to the RV. We couldn’t really put out the master bedroom stairs and use that door. We put our rain boots on before we set anything up, which helped a lot.

After a couple of days, the mud began drying up. Ben and the boys once again put on their rain boots and stomped down the ruts to fill them in. We bought several bags of gravel from Walmart to cover the spot with. It wasn’t perfect, but at least we left it better than when we got there.

Some of the roads were tight. The roads were definitely single lanes, but were not dedicated as a certain direction. Garbage was to be placed in the dumpsters. The campground did have a laundry room with 4 dryers and 3 washers. Washers and dryers were $1.75/load. There was not a change machine in laundry room. It seemed like they really wanted you to use the app. A third party was in charge of the washers and dryers, so when one of them ate my quarters, I had to call the company, as the office said they couldn’t help.

The campground was close to a McDonald’s, Wendy’s, Waffle House, and a couple of gas stations. It was about an hour to Savannah, GA, Hilton Head, SC, or Charleston, SC.

The map (both online and the one we were given at check-in) stated there was a vehicle washing station; however ,when I check with the office, they said there is not one but you could wash at your site. It was not recommended, as it gets muddy easily. The campground has a lot of trees, which would make for nice shade in the summer, but also has your car covered in bird droppings and pollen. We found a few car washes nearby, but they were pretty expensive. We finally found a do-it-yourself one near Tybee, which cost us about $5.

The horseshoe pits and putt-putt looked run down and like they hadn’t been used in a long time. I was told they were closed by the office. The walking trail to the ponds was really nice and we got to see several small alligators and turtles, as well as lots of frogs at night. The footbridge located on the map is still there, but not in great shape, so I would be careful using it. It was a dead-end path, so we preferred walking the loop around the ponds. The walking trail was the highlight of our stay here!

Walking trail images. Bottom right corner: foot bridge

The walking trail also leads to the next-door KOA, which has a coffee and wine bar called The Swimming Mermaid, which is open to the public.

We would not stay here again. It was very quiet and the walking trail was neat, but there was nothing else to do! The pool was closed while we were there. Mask wearing was not prevalent. We were 45-60 minutes away from the larger cities. There are several campgrounds closer to Savannah, including some state parks, that had great reviews. We were trying to make the most of our Thousand Trails membership and I think we missed out on finding a great campground.

Sorry, the boys forgot to do their video at this campground.

SUMMARY OF CAMPGROUND:

Our rating: 2 out of 5 hitches

Cell Phone Reception: AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile

Laundry: Yes, $1.75/load

Bathrooms/Showers: Yes

RV Sites: Pull Through (grass/gravel/mud), a few looked like back-ins

Pop Up Tents/Gazebos/Outdoor Rugs On-Site: Nothing stated in rules at check-in, but we saw a few around.

Amenities: picnic table, cable (our hook up was wrong), dog park, pool (closed while we were there), walking trail to ponds, firewood for sale $7/bundle, community fire pit. There were only a few sites that had a fire pit of their own.

Cabins: No

Tent Camping: Yes

Full Hook-ups: Yes

            Amps: 30/50/20

Pool: Yes

Food On-Site: No

Camp Store: No

WiFi: Yes, in Clubhouse/Office

Accepts Mail: Yes, packages. No 1st class mail. Will not accept or sign, it just gets put outside the office door.

Fishing: Yes

Posted in: Animal Sightings, Exploring Louisiana, Hiking, Sightseeing

We Found Crescent Park! (French Quarter, New Orleans, LA)

Crescent Park is located near the French Quarter, right on the Mississippi River. The park is a little over a mile long. One of the entrances is by the French Quarter Market; it is tucked behind a wall, on the other side of the train tracks. If you are anything like us, you probably walked right by it and didn’t even realize it was there. There is also a parking lot at the other end of the park.

Two of the bridges you can use to access the park. The tall cement one has an elevator and stairs, and is by the French Quarter Market.

The park has several tables and chairs, lots of lawn space for a picnic, great views of the river, and a dog park. There were a lot of runners, bikers, and roller skaters. There is a large covered concrete pavilion of sorts on the French Market side where kids were practicing their on bikes and roller skates.

Foggy morning. Same views: top picture is at the beginning of our walk, bottom is at the end.

It was extremely foggy when we got to the park. We were standing on the walkway right next to the Mississippi River and couldn’t see the water, much less the city. Eventually it started to clear up. Towards the end of the park, the skies were pretty clear and blue, but on our walk back there was still some fog closer to the city.

It was a really nice walk and we enjoyed the park. It seems like it would be a nice green space to walk and enjoy some beignets. 😉 (Note: It would probably be pretty hot in the summer, as there were trees by part of the path, but it didn’t seem like they would really provide shade for the trail.)

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