23 June 2012
Tony and I are camping this weekend at the Saunderosa
campground near Mercersburg, PA. It’s about an hours drive from home but towing
a heavy trailer makes for a longer trip.
We drive on rte 70 heading west passing beautiful
countryside in Maryland. Heading up we pass a sign for Fort Frederick State
Park (off MD 56), so I jot down the exit number thinking we could camp there
another time.
Up on rte 456 heading north, we pass farmland, many with
their bails of hay rolled up. It’s lovely in this area. The road leads us to a
high elevation in the mountains and to the campground.
We are not roughing it (there are a few primitive sites) but
booked a site with hook up to water and electric. I do need a/c and some
comforts of home. The price per day was only $28. There are about 180 sites
around a wooded area along with two pools, a few pavilions, a “catch &
release lake”, and even a mini golf course.
Our spot is #64, located next to a small stream and towards
the right is the mini put-put course (with a waterfall – relaxing sound), not
quite the same as the course in Overboard with Goldie Hawn. Lucy checks out the
stream and even drinks the fresh mountain water. We are able to set up the
trailer perpendicular to the others near us. We didn’t want to face another
trailer but instead we have great views of the mountains.
It took a while for Tony to set things up. Afterwards we
drove to McConnellsburg, which is about 7 miles away and picked up food at
Giant. Next time we camp, I’ll be sure to have food in the camper to save time.
Next door is a liquor store so I picked up a bottle of Pinot Grigio and
limoncello.
Back at camp, we relax with snacks and drinks before dinner.
Dinner – roasted chicken and a salad. I had washed some squash and a cucumber
before we left but they’re still in the kitchen at home. Oops. While sitting
outside, we watch couples go by in golf carts, some with their dog.
I walked Lucy for a bit and met one couple three trailers
down. Very nice couple from Chambersburg.
The downside for Lucy in camping is that she has to be on a
leash. We can control her very easily but we keep her tied so that we don’t get
in trouble.
As we do things, we realize we are missing certain items, so
I created a list for future reference: More pantry items, lights for outdoors,
regular utensils (instead of plastic), an extension cord, and firewood: each
spot has a metal round ‘ring” where you can light a fire.
It cooled down to about 60 after the sun went down, so I was
glad I had checked the weather report. I brought a sweatshirt and long pants. I
should bring a blanket too to bundle up in.
24 June 2012
Our trailer is equipped with a small stove, oven,
refrigerator, and a microwave oven. I made scrambled eggs and bacon for
breakfast after a nice hot shower. The trailer is much smaller than a cruise
ship cabin and it isn’t the Ritz but we’re comfortable with the amenities it
has.
Mercersburg is about 8 miles away after going up and down
windy roads. We are high up, about an elevation of 1,650 ft. We stopped at the highest point where we could look down in the valley.
Mercersburg is a
historical town and some of it looks similar to downtown Frederick. James
Buchanan, the 15th president of the United States was born here.
As we came into town, we spotted a church spire, so tracked
it down. It’s the church at the academy, which was founded in 1893. Beautiful
grounds. There were many cars with people dropping of young kids for a week of
camp. Most are from Maryland!
We should have visited Mercersburg yesterday as most things
were closed, but it was a nice walk on Main Street.
Nearby is the James Buchanan State Park, where he was born.
The house was relocated to the academy.
At the spot where he was born is a stone pyramid.
Another quick stop to Giant Tony picks up food for dinner. I
could have bought things yesterday but we were hoping to find a place for
dinner with outdoor dining. Nada.
Back at the trailer, we have turkey and ham sandwiches for
lunch. In the afternoon we explore the rest of the campgrounds and jotted down
notes of future possible sites. I decide #64 is the best. On the way back we
stop at the main building where you register. There’s a small grocery store so
I pick up a small container of Hershey’s creamy chocolate ice cream for later.
It’s more humid today so I read my magazine inside with the
a/c on. Lucy naps – she’s walked quite a bit in her old age. Tony naps for a
bit outside. It’s a lazy, relaxing afternoon.
For our evening appetizer, we had (as I said we’re not
roughing it) wine (me) and vodka with soda (Tony), baked brie with apricot
preserves and crackers. It’s a quiet evening and in fact, we are all alone.
Being a Sunday, all of the trailers near us have left. I have tomorrow off. We
have the entire area to ourselves so I take Lucy’s leash off. Dinner: burgers
and a salad.
Tony lights a fire after we gathered some wood that others
left behind. We’ll have to remember to bring our own. With my itouch I turn on
some music while we stare at our survival t.v.
Lucy supervising in the kitchen - or waiting to see something fall to the ground
25 June 2012
After breakfast, we pack up the trailer, which was much
easier to do than when we loaded everything into the trailer.
I think Lucy was glad to be home again.
It was a fun, relaxing weekend and I’m looking forward to
camping again. I’ll have to do some research and find other places to choose
from.
