16 – 28 November 2020 Following a period of intensive family and business responsibilities, we make up for lost time — traveling to northeastern Tennessee and southeastern Kentucky for a two-week camping trip. We visit Tennessee state parks Big Ridge, Norris Dam, and Pickett as well as the Blue Heron and Bandy campgrounds in the Big South Fork NRRA. This turns out to be not just a pleasure trip but a learning experience. In the future we’ll try to move less often; will probably buy a toad (vehicle to be towed); and will use a navigation app to keep us out of creeks!!! (Please see individual campground entries below.)
The Big Ridge campground is positioned between Norris Lake and the 47 acre Big Ridge Lake, which looks great for paddling but the only boat access we find is for the park’s rental boats (closed out of season). There are good hikes throughout the park, though none directly from the campground, and there’s a public boat ramp nearby on Norris Lake. The campground itself is a bit lacking in its design, with poorly located hook-ups. There are a few campsites directly on Norris Lake but most are closely spaced with little privacy. Some other sites are more spacious. Sites numbered in the 30s and 40s are elevated and some have views.
Norris Dam state park has two campgrounds – the western one is more wooded but is a few twisty miles on route 441 from the dam. During our visit, only the eastern campground is open and it leaves a lot to be desired. Basically, it’s in a field under a tower and high tension lines from the dam operations. Sites 1-3 are a bit separate from the others and have a view of the forest on one side. The driveways are short and the campground is neglected, unlike the rest of the park which includes well-maintained CCC cabins, a CCC tea house, and some nice trails. The lake trail from the cabin area to the dam is a pleasant walk.
On to Blue Heron in the Kentucky section of the Big South Fork NRRA. Once in the park we decide to bypass the campground and drive downhill to where the road ends at the river. We’re surprised to discover a well-designed outdoor museum, with many separate displays, dedicated to the Blue Heron coal mining operation. The surprise is that we’ve been here before! At the campground we’re not able to get Pard completely level on site 22. In fact, the campsites seem designed mainly for tent camping, with short sloped driveways but spacious gravel pads that are more level. This is a quiet, get-away-from-it-all campground with forest all around but no trails leading directly from the campground. Hikers must walk about .5 mile out of the campground before finding a trail. Also near the entry road to the campground is Wagon Wheel natural bridge. It’s not super impressive from the road. Do approach it and explore the vicinity for some awesome sights.
Perhaps the biggest adventure of this trip is our drive through the Daniel Boone National Forest from Blue Heron to Pickett State Park. We find ourselves on a single lane unpaved road heading downhill, coming to a full stop at a creek. Across the creek the road continues. Our first clue should have been the name of the road – Green Ford. The raised banks on both sides of the road prevent turning around. We have to back up about 100 yards and then back into a field between a home and the creek, knowing that everyone in the neighborhood must be watching! Of course the field is muddy and our back tires spin when we try to pull forward. To add insult to injury, a 10 y.o. rural Kentucky boy drives up in an ATV to watch. Eventually he asks if we want his Peepaw to come pull us out. Tim’s ego is at stake here and he finally manages to maneuver Pard so that it can get some traction and get back on the road. We thank the boy and apologize for the tire tracks, to which he replies “It happens all the time.” Truly a LOL moment.
Occasionally we find a place that resonates with our being, and Pickett CCC Memorial State Park is one of those places. Although the campground is open and we typically prefer wooded, perhaps it’s the contours and views that stir contentment. Like other Tennessee state parks though, the hook-up locations seem to have been chosen using a dart board. Check out the site photos when making a reservation here. There’s much to compensate however. This is a Dark Sky park and we saw one camper with a telescope. The park also boasts many CCC structures and has great trails with jaw-dropping geological features. The small lake encircles an island which is accessed across a natural bridge.
Across lake from Island Trail 
Boat docks & beach from Lake Trail
By the time we reach Bandy campground in the Big South Fork NRRA we’ve realized that we’re missing many sights due to the lack of a toad. This aspect of the camping experience is much debated with many pros and cons associated with both choices. We had decided to go for awhile without a toad but the limitations have become obvious. If a trail we want to hike is a few miles from the campground, we have to prepare Pard to be moved; decide whether to leave belongings at the campsite; disturb the cats; and find a place to park at the trailhead. Then reverse the process. We’ll see how inconvenient it is to tow a vehicle and perhaps pick and choose which trips will include one. Bandy campground has four loops and we stayed in A where there are no hook-ups but the sites are more spacious and private. The only trail within walking distance was ho-hum. Many appealing trails are near the Big South Fork river section at Leatherwood Ford (there’s that “ford” word again!). Bandy is horse country and once the virus has subsided we may return for a tour.
07 – 09 Sep 2020 We snag a two-night creekside reservation at beloved Cataloochee, arriving on Labor Day (not recommended due to crowds). The roads into Cataloochee require concentration due to the curves and oncoming vehicles. For much of the last ten miles the road is unpaved and single lane with pull-offs for vehicle encounters. The campground is small and pleasant. Some of the largest sites are not on the creek. There are no hook-ups but there are water spigots for filling tanks. No cellular or Wifi. Delightful fall weather at this elevation. During our stay, the back section of the park was closed to vehicle traffic (due to a washout) but foot traffic was permitted. When we asked a ranger whether we could cross a rustic bridge to the historic Caldwell house, he said that we could, but that he had just found two copperheads under rocks he was moving and that they had gone into the wooden structure of the bridge. Easy decision! We had been on the look-out for Cataloochee’s famous elk herd – unsuccessfully until we returned to our parking spot and there was a female wandering close to Pard. Another day we walked from the campground to the Palmer House where we spent time looking at maps and documents on the history of Cataloochee. For a wonderful fictionalized account of the Cataloochee settlement, see Wayne Caldwell’s novel by the same name.
07 – 14 August 2020 This one-week trip includes three campgrounds, all in southwestern Virginia: Grindstone, The Breaks Interstate Park, and Stony Fork. Grindstone is one of the Washington/Jefferson Nat’l. Forest campgrounds that has hook-ups. The sites are relatively spacious and private, with a pretty trail near the campsite loops. A trailhead for the Appalachian Trail is nearby. The most direct route from Grindstone to Breaks, including VA route 80, could best be described as abusive. Think continuous 180 degree curves at 15 mph for three hours. Not “tail of the dragon”; perhaps “scales of the dragon”. The geography of the park is awesome, though, with many good trails and overlooks. Per TripAdvisor reviews, the trail descriptions are misleading and can take far longer to hike than estimated, partly due to missing blazes. Be sure to see The Towers (photo below) as well as the Russell Fork gorge where a railroad runs parallel to the whitewater river. If not for Covid, there would be many things to do at The Breaks. The campground is well-organized although our loop D had power fluctuations that kept annoying our surge protector. Some sites have full-hookups, with sewer. Sites 73 and 81 are particularly nice. Our route from Breaks to Stony Fork (mostly on US-460) was much more tolerable than the way into Breaks. Stony Fork, near Wytheville, could be an adequate stopover for campers traveling along I-81. Unfortunately, weeds have grown up to clog everything but the campsites, including the creek. What was once a nice trail is now about a foot wide, with poison ivy lapping at your ankles. Of interest was a downpour causing the creek to rise, and a path we found behind the dump station that led to a pumphouse and, higher still, a weather station. The calico campers are adjusting (photos below) although their pre-camping orientation had a glaring omission — driving through heavy rain and, OMG, windshield wipers! Po reacted by doing what she normally does in the litter pan, bless her heart. All in all, though, they seemed more comfortable this trip.
24 – 26 June 2020 Hurricane. A southwest Virginia campground that’s one of our favorites. Located in the Washington/Jefferson Nat’l. Forest, it has a lovely creek rushing through it and is within a mile or so of the Appalachian Trail. In fact, a couple of lost AT hikers needed directions to get back on course. Hurricane has no entry gate, which reduces personal contact in the age of covid. Many campsites are on the creek and several are tent sites only. A memorable scene: in the middle of the night, waking up and looking around to check on everyone; Autumn stretched out on the dash under the windshield … with sparkles all around her — fireflies! Be sure to hike on the Hurricane Knob loop trail. Bathing suits and water shoes will enhance the experience.
20 June 2020 We changed our own oil! Tim had checked around and, to avoid covid risk, decided to do it ourselves. Through Advance Auto Parts, he ordered oil in keeping with Ford’s warranty, the proper oil filter, pan, etc.. Barb got her first experience under a vehicle! Well, getting off the factory-installed oil filter was a bear. After about two hours of struggling with it, Tim used a “chain wrench” and a pipe for leverage and it finally gave.
14 – 16 June 2020 More “practice” for the girls at Davidson River campground in the Pisgah National Forest. This time we all sleep better and Po has a bit to eat and drink. Hooray! We arrive about an hour before a storm moves in and, oh joy, wrap ourselves in the scents of the forest rising to meet the new rain. I’m reminded once again of my love for camping. Our site, #108, is on the Poplar loop where there are no hook-ups, and generators aren’t allowed. These are large, wooded sites. In other loops there are campsites, such as #143, on or near the lovely Davidson river.
01 – 03 June 2020 Our first camping trip since Covid 19 reared its head, and our first with the two calico campers (hear that girls?). Coneross campground, a Corps of Engineers campground on Lake Hartwell south of Clemson, SC, is our choice for this two-night stay. The evening of the second day finds us en route home after Po has had nothing to eat or drink for the entire trip. Once home, she eats and drinks normally. Kitty orientation takes a few steps back.
23 – 24 May 2020 In our Subaru Impreza, we scout forest service roads and dispersed campsites in the Pisgah (vicinity of N. Mills River campground) and Appalachian (Big Ivy road) Ranger Districts. Lovely scenery, but we doubt these roads and campsites will work for camping in our Wonder. The roads are single lane with occasional narrow pull-offs for passing. Most of the campsites are tent-only, with vehicle access blocked by boulders.
21 May 2020 Pisgah National Forest has reopened some roads, recreation sites, and dispersed camping. As soon as this rainy weather passes, we’ll start some short expeditions to begin breaking in the kitties to our new lifestyle. https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/nfsnc/news-events/?cid=FSEPRD738953 Dispersed camping areas in national forests in North Carolina: https://www.fs.usda.gov/activity/nfsnc/recreation/camping-cabins/?recid=48112&actid=34
8 May 2020 We’ve been grounded for months thanks to Covid19. Yet we’re not completely homebound. From time to time we spend an evening in Pard reading or watching a movie, accompanied by one or both of the kitties (whomever we can catch). As part of the feline orientation process, we sometimes move Pard out onto the street (for leveling purposes) and spend the night there with the girls (who said anything about sleep?).
25 – 27 January 2020 A break in winter weather and we’re off to Twin Lakes – a Corps of Engineers campground on Lake Hartwell, South Carolina. You can’t go wrong with COE campgrounds, AND there’s a 50% discount for Golden Age, Golden Access, and America the Beautiful Interagency Senior and Access Passes. Clemson and the Clemson Botanical Gardens are just a few minutes away. A photo of Pard at our campsite:
18 – 20 December 2019 Dodging snowstorms, we make a quick trip from Asheville to Van City in St. Louis to pick up Pard …. On Wednesday, we head NW in a rental car – in case the deal falls through. Most of Thursday is spent on a walk-through/orientation/document-signing. We return the rental car and, at about dusk, begin our drive back to Asheville. Cracker Barrel is known to campers as a company that allows overnighting in its parking lot. We take advantage of this, although it’s tricky because Pard has been winterized. Also, the furnace dies overnight thanks to the propane line freezing. We’re quickly gaining experience! The remainder of the trip back to Asheville is uneventful but fun. After more than a year of research and RV shows, we’re excited to finally own a Wonder FTB.