Visit to Oconee Point Corps of Engineers Campground, SC

Last week I visited Oconee Point Corps of Engineers Campground on Lake Hartwell for five days. Making the reservation, I thought this would be a first visit. Not so! Been here before. Must be getting old. Oh well. Beats the alternatives.

Oconee Point has 70 RV campsites. Every one of the campsites is right on the water. Well, with the exception of the two permanent sites for the Campground Hosts.

Click this link and have a look at the interactive map the Corps has prepared for this campground. Remarkable. A photo of every campsite with just a click of the mouse. Wouldn’t it be nice to have such a map for all campgrounds. Especially in our State Parks. Must be an expensive project, though.

Oconee Point is a terrific place to park your RV if you’re planning to complete a long writing project. Or if you bring along a boat. It’s also a great location from which to visit sites of interest in surrounding counties.

Pendleton is just 10 miles or so away. And those are interesting miles, along two-lane highways that will give you a nice look at the surrounding countryside. The Pendleton District Commission now has the Hunter’s Store building open. Here’s a link to a description of the ceremony. Take time while you’re there to look at the remarkable exhibits they’ve created.

Talk about “High Bang; Low Buck” projects! Those exhibits are fine examples. They provide lots of information without costing a fortune. The Commission also maintains a reference library there for public use. Be careful with that library, though, if you’re academically inclined. You’ll end up spending the day!

When you leave the Hunter’s Store building, step across the street to have lunch or dinner at Vaqueros Mexican Restaurant. What the heck? Go to Pendleton, South Carolina, for Mexican food? Just do it! You’ll thank me later. Somebody back in the kitchen really knows how to prepare Mexican cuisine. It’s the real deal. With Huge portions and very reasonable prices. [That’s Polite for cheap!] The building, by the way, started life as “The New Hunter’s Store.” So have a look around.

Pendleton is one of those towns in South Carolina, like Cheraw, that’s learned to take advantage of its rich history. Here’s an example. Their “Health and Heritage Walking Trail.

You’ll see colorful footprints like these all through town. Just another example of how a town with innovative management can leverage their scarce community development funds. I could easily have spent a week visiting Pendleton. Probably more. A wonderful place.

Back at Oconee Point Campground you’ll find those modern Corps of Engineers bath houses that are so nice to use. There are three or four of them, if memory serves. They’re clean, and have plenty of hot water for showers.

So there you have it. Another great place to park your RV in South Carolina. Bring along a kayak, or a boat. Or bring along a long writing project, like I did. You won’t be disappointed.

Bumgarner Camping Center Gives Aliner It’s Annual Inspection

Well! Bumgarner Camping Center in Lenoir, North Carolina, has a new home. Look at that! They’ve moved into a huge former Chrysler dealership right on Route 321. No longer on that side-street in Hudson you couldn’t find without directions from two long-time residents and a patrolman.

Same folks, though. Shannon and Angel Bumgarner. That’s Buddy you see behind the counter. With Chad Bumgarner, Jerry Sawyer, and their solid support crew handling pre-sale preps, service, repairs, and even the sort of general “wellness checks” I drive up for each year.

This is a wonderful RV dealership. I was surprised to see a few big Class A motorhomes on their lot. So I asked if they’d changed their line of business. No, those rigs are in on consignment, they assured me.

Bumgarners is still primarily a travel trailer dealership. One that knows, sells, and services travel trailers. Large and small. You won’t be treated like a second- or third-class citizen here just because you don’t plan to spend a few hundred thousand dollars on one of those rigs large enough to have its own zip code.

They have more room now, and therefore stock more of the parts and supplies that we all need. And some we don’t really need, but can’t resist when we see them on the shelf, or hear Buddy describe their virtues.

They also have a lot more room to service our trailers under cover. Four seasons out of the year. Space was a real problem over in Hudson. Not here!

I learned that Bumgarners no longer sells new Aliners. But they’ve replaced them with the Rockwood brand of folding hard-sided camper you see above.

These look a lot like Aliners, though they seemed to me to be better made. With a better selection of appliances. And even a lower price. When my beloved Mobile Studio finally passes on, its successor will be one of these Rockwoods. [Yes …. Buddy is a most persuasive person …. But still…. Look for yourself!]

I drive clear from Columbia, South Carolina, to do business with the Bumgarners, and am glad to do it. They provide a level of price, service, and reliability that reminds me of how business used to be conducted. Oh, and just in case the thought crossed your mind, I pay exactly the same prices at Bumgarners that you will pay. Special price breaks or payments don’t explain the enthusiasm of my assessment. They’re just great folks to do business with.

When you visit Bumgarners out on Route 321, be sure to ask to see the Vintage 1972 Cox camper set up in the showroom. This camper is a significant piece of RV history.

As Buddy explained, the Cox Company in Grafton was North Carolina’s only RV manufacturer. They’re no longer in business, unfortunately, but they produced a fine product in their time.

This is the smaller of their two models: the Cadet 220. It weighed only 415 pounds fully loaded, and could be pulled along behind most any car.

The Cox Company also made a somewhat larger model that accommodated a couple more people. In addition to the dinette table it came with an ice box and a stove for outside use. Top of the line!

After accepting this camper in trade last year they were persuaded to keep it for display by its near-perfect condition. Everything you see here is original. From the old-style canvas to the bedding. Cox added a single electrical receptacle inside, adequate to power a light or even a small fan. Oh, and the stabilizer jacks on all four corners were standard equipment.

So, be sure to have a look at this 1972 Cox when your travels take you in or near Lenoir, North Carolina on Route 321.

Hammond School’s Celebration of the 50 American States

Yesterday we attended a performance of “The Fifty Nifty,” Hammond School’s fourth grade celebration of the American States. It was a great event! Genuine entertainment.

Every Hammond fourth grader was on stage. Each had a speaking part. Costumes ranged from subtle to elaborate. Even the Empire State Building was represented! Lots of fun.

The performers all had a great time. But the serious looks on the faces of those awaiting their turns at the microphone showed how determined these fourth graders were to turn in good performances. “The Nifty Fifty” soared well above dry memorization of state capitals!

Click the photo above to see the final rehearsal of this extravaganza, courtesy of Hammond School TV.

As all of you with children and/or grandchildren know, these programs don’t just happen. They require an enormous amount of work from both students and faculty. Thanks to all for a delightful afternoon.

Lake Wateree State Park Gets New Playground Equipment

All of us who’ve taken children and/or grandchildren on our RV trips know how few destinations there are that appeal to all ages. Sadly, camping alone doesn’t seem to excite 21st century children the way it did their parents and grandparents. Too much competition from electronic gadgets, I guess.

Parks and other camping destinations have recognized that change, and do what they can to provide opportunities for all ages.

Here’s a fine example of an “electronic alternative” right here at Lake Wateree State Park, South Carolina.

Playground equipment designed for children from 5 to 12 years of age. At least, according to the manufacturer’s sign you see to the left here. That sounds about right to me, having watched grandchildren near both ends of the age spectrum enjoy the various challenges available in these compact, well designed packages. Sure beats a video game or a wide-screened TV!

Exciting, yes. But not dangerous. Lots of attention to safety and to accessibility. Kids fully enjoying these sets may bounce off the ground a time or two. Here, a thick layer of spongy cedar chips has been spread to limit damage. Also note the access ramp in the photo above. Another great feature.

I’m no playground equipment expert. But this installation appears to provide a surprisingly wide variety of physical challenges for the younger crowd. With emphasis on climbing and balance. Click on the photo above to see the 21st century version of the “monkey bars” most of us remember from our primary school days. A fall here onto soft cedar chips, however, won’t automatically require a trip to the school nurse’s office! A welcome difference.

And look at this! A genuine “suspension bridge”! One that gives a sense of secure instability as the child tramps across, the Indiana Jones theme ringing in his or her ears. I tried out the bridge myself. It flexes up and down almost as if it were made of vines and logs. Just add imagination! Something the 5-12-year-old set has in abundance.

Finally, here’s a special feature. Accessible only after climbing up to the upper deck. A telescope! Solidly mounted, but moveable in all directions. Ready to spy out potential hostiles on the horizon, whether ashore or afloat.

So, next time you visit Lake Wateree State Park, take along one or more members of the 5-12 set. You’ll find this delightful playground near the Park Office and lakeside picnic area. Enjoy.

Follow @CarConProject

www.CarolinaConsidered.com

Camping at Lake Wateree State Park, SC

Back once again at Lake Wateree State Park, near Winnsboro, South Carolina. This Park is only about 45 minutes from our home in Columbia. It’s one of the nicest getaways imaginable at which to complete a writing project.

Click on the photo above and you can see that I’ve turned the Aliner around on the campsite to face the lake. What a view! As if the woods in this area weren’t enough. A beautiful lake view out of the front window and from both sides.

Speaking of campsites, this Park has paved campsite surfaces that rival those at Calhoun Falls State Park! Now, that’s high praise indeed. It’s true, though. And they’re kept spic ‘n span clean year round. As are the bath houses here.

Lake Wateree is one of Park System’s later additions, I believe. So, those of you uncomfortable with dirt or gravel sites, even when hard-packed, will be right at home here.

Every one of the sites here is just like those you see in the photo above. No surprises. Some are even long enough to accommodate those huge Class A motorhomes – the ones so big their owners are said to pay taxes in two counties. There are a few pull-through sites as well. Not on the water, though.

I’ve been coming here for a long time. Long before the Aliner. I vividly recall grading final exams here for two classes back in the late 1980s or early 1990s. I was camping then with a large tent. Hot as the dickens. Must have been at the end of the spring term. This Aliner with its air conditioner and propane furnace is much more comfortable.

Crappie fishermen have been out in force on the lake yesterday and today. It’s said the crappie are thick as fleas just off the shore here. Click on the photo above and look closely at the boat in the middle. It obviously was built more with comfort than speed in mind. Those folks know what they’re doing. Wouldn’t be surprised if it included a full-service kitchen!

Well, back to “work.” More to come from Lake Wateree, so stay tuned.