Camping with our Grandsons - Thursday to Monday - May 24-28, 2012

Rolling View Camping Area, Loop B, Site 18
Falls Lake Recreation Area, Durham, NC

Our daughter, Julie and SIL, Steve were attending a home schooling conference the past few days.  Steve’s parents volunteered to keep our two grand-daughters, Emily and Samantha.  Nancy and I volunteered to take our grandsons, Andrew and Daniel camping with us!!

We had the perfect site at Rolling View Campground in the Falls Lake Recreation Area just north of Raleigh.  Check out our previous blog to see how beautiful and handy it was.

Our Front Yard

Our Back Yard

We did a lot with our grandsons – fishing, hiking, kayaking, swimming, playing a lot of the board game Sequence and eating!!! 

Skipping Stones :o))

Looking for Fish ;o))

Andrew trying to catch the BIG fish!!



Collecting and Cutting the Firewood!!

Splashing Grandpop at the swimming beach.

Boys will be Boys!!

Learning to Kayak

The captain and his crew

Hi Ho, Hi Ho

I think they've got the hang of it :o))

This technique was taught to them by Grandmom ;o))

It’s hard to say what they enjoyed the most.  However, I think making smores and smore pies were way up the list;o))

Making Smores

Daniel thinks the Smore is GREAT!!

Making Smore PIES!!!

Now you must realize that these are healthy smore pies...

That is White Wheat Bread...nothing but the best for us!!

Cook it in a Pie Iron

Cool and Cut

Then ENJOY!!!



The boys enjoy the outdoors, but they also missed their video games.  However, we had fun playing Sequence each evening.  Not sure which team was the winner, but Daniel was on my team and he got all the JACKS... that's a good thing!!!

We kinda wore them and us out during the day with outdoor activities so by 9pm we were all down for the night.

On Monday, Memorial Day, the whole gang was at the Motorhome for a picnic, swimming and kayaking.  It was a warm, but beautiful day.  So much fun having all of them here with us!!

They all got to swim and kayak

Samantha's ride...

Emily's ride...

Daniel learned to paddle:o))

Even Julie got her time in the boat ;o))

Needless to say, we all built up a good appetite down at the lake. So we cooked up some hot dogs.  Add to that some watermelon, chips and more smores... we enjoyed a real summertime picnic!!

It doesn't get much better than this!!!

We really enjoyed our time with Andrew and Daniel.  They were so much fun and we have so many great memories of this camping trip.  Now, we need to recuperate;o)) 

Tomorrow, we head south and back to Huntington Beach State Park for about a week.  Hope the tropical storm wears out before it reaches us !?!?!

GREAT News Day!!! - Tuesday - May 23, 2012

Today we headed to our daughter's house to pick up Andrew and Daniel. They will be spending a few days with us here at Falls Lake.  But first, Daniel our youngest grandson needed to go to Duke Medical to get an MRI.  We hung out with Andrew and got our laundry done;o))

Daniel was diagnosed with brain cancer when he was 15 months old.  He had surgery and chemo to hold the cancer at bay.  Then at about 3 1/2 the cancer came back and he had surgery and radiation.  Since then he got regular scans to check for new cancer.  So far so good...no cancer.  Today, it was the longest stretch between scans...2 years!  He is CANCER FREE!!!

Daniel and Andrew

The doctors are extremely optimistic that he will remain that way.  The original cancer returned after 2 years.  He has now had 3 - two year stretches with NO cancer.  This is just so exciting for our entire family!!!

So this evening, we will head to Falls Lake with the boys.  

I believe we will be doing a little fishing, paddling 

and 

SMORES eating to celebrate!!

Travel Day to Falls Lake, NC - Tuesday - May 22, 2010

Rolling View Campging Area, Loop B, Site 18
Falls Lake Recreation Area, Durham, NC

Just a quick post to let you know we have left Cheraw SP and moved north to Falls Lake Recreation Area, north of Raleigh, NC.  We had an easy, short travel day... the best kind!!

We have never been to Falls Lake so we just selected this site because it was close to the water.  Wow...did we luck out.  This is a wonderful large site with great water access and spectacular view!!

Our Site

Lake access path behind the motorhome

Approaching the sold rock shoreline

Falls Lake!!

What a wonderful place to sit, fish or launch the kayak :o))

View to the left

View to the right

The fishing pier is just a short walk from our site!!

Tomorrow the fun begins.  We will be busy with the boys until Sunday.  But I am sure we will all find lots to enjoy.  Only one thing could make this any better...

GOOD WEATHER!!

A Peaceful Day At Cheraw SP–Saturday–May 19, 2012

Nancy here:  Yes, there is a big gap in our blog AGAIN!!  We just left Cedar Point after two weeks of fun, fun, fun with Gin and Syl.  So much fun in fact, that there was no time to blog. Check out their post of the fun!! Hopefully, I will get those two weeks caught up soon. ( Yea…sure, right after I get the blog holes done from the end of our Florida trip in January ;o)) But, if I have to choose between having fun and blogging about the fun we have, you already know if you are not hearing from us,  we are having fun!!!

We had a nice leisurely trip from Cedar Point to Cheraw State Park.  We traveled the back roads except for I-74 between Whiteville, NC and Laurinburg, SC.

Route 53  through the farmlands

Past the Blueberry Fields

Old Farmhouse and Fifth Wheel

We passed through lots of small towns :o))

Wonderful Old Train Depot


We made one stop  on I-74 just before it intersect with I-95.
North Carolina has a HUGE farmers market there.

 We were the only ones in the entire parking lot!!

There are 3 units just like the above unit.

This place is really big!!

However, there was only ONE vendor;o(( 

We got some new red potatoes and young spring onions...

Think there is some potato salad in my future:o))

We got to Cheraw State Park later than expected yesterday.  Somehow, we made a wrong turn and then I wanted to get diesel before we set-up camp.  BIG mistake!!  We ended up driving 40 more miles and pulling into and out of 3 service stations to accomplish that task.  Hopefully, lesson learned ;o((

Nancy here:  What lesson you ask?!?!  That's knowing that when you have half a tank of diesel in “Baby”  a fill-up is not an emergency. You can still drive 500 miles or run the generator for 100 hours until you can find a LARGE gas station on a MAJOR highway!! Oh, did I mentioned we have water and electric hookups at Cheraw so we don’t have to run the generator ;o))


Today we both slept in and after our coffee decided to take a leisurely stroll through the State Park.  That turned into a wonderful 5 1/2 mile walk. 

We took the trail and boardwalk around Lake Juniper .

 Lake Juniper from the Spillway Bridge

We headed past the golf course. 

Yes, this State Park has its own golf course;o))

Then headed to the nesting area of the endangered

Red Cockaded Woodpecker.

(click on any photo to enlarge)

We spent some time trying to spot one,

but all we foundwere nesting holes ;o(( 

 Maybe another day!!

While we didn't see any woodpeckers,

we did stumble upon some old camping facilities.

Not sure what this pit was for?!?!

Huge fireplaces and ovens!!

Those wood beams are REALLY old!!

As we headed back to our campsite,
we passed the park office.

Once back at our site, we debated as to whether we should have breakfast or lunch.  It was already after 11am.  Cereal it is!!

After CEREAL… we decided to put together a 12’X12’ Northwest Territory Screen Room we had purchased a couple days ago.  We had barely started the task, when we discovered one of the key pieces was broken.  But, with super glue and electrical tape (no, not Duct tape) we repaired it and put the screen room up without a hitch. 

This is a test run for next week when we have our grandsons with us.  This will provide a little more room for all of us to eat and enjoy ourselves.  Since we will be staying in the southeast this summer, I know it will help as the bug season gets into full swing:o))

Nancy tested it today.  She cooked up turnips greens, potatoes, onions, garlic and whatever else she puts in that pan. 

I think this outside kitchen is great as the smell or aroma (Nancy’s word) won’t be in the motorhome for days ;o))  Regardless, you know I'll enjoy whatever she cooks up!!

It is a bit breezy with temps in the low 70’s.  I pumped up the Sea Eagle which we enjoyed as the wind died down after dinnertime. 

Since our site is not on the lake this time,

we put-in at the boat launch and paddled down lake, past site 10!!

This site was the "Birthplace" of the Carolina Clan :o))

A little further down the lake,
we saw this cute little Cypress Tree and Knees.


We headed across the lake towards the office and beach.


Then a right turn along the boardwalk...

Heading toward the Spillway Bridge...

A little closer...

OK that's close enough!!

Remember what's on the other side of the Spillway ;o((

Hang a right toward the campground and boat launch.

Almost Home!!

Just a short paddle, but very pleasant!!

All in all, it was a very peaceful and quiet day here at Cheraw State Park.  But many times, we both would get a great big smile on our face as we remembered some of the fun times here last October with the Carolina Clan:o))  Yes, this little campground will always be...

The 'Birthplace' of  The Carolina Clan!!!