Saturday, June 27, 2009

Rockahock in June

Our monthly Good Sam outing for June was at Rockahock Campground in Lanexa, VA almost mid way between Richmond and Williamsburg. We had been here before with the Dogwoods, but it seemed different this time.

We planned to arrive on Thursday June 18. Imagine our shock when we went to the RV storage area Thursday morning to find the driver's side-window shattered. We suspect vandalism, but cannot be sure. We had been to the coach on Monday, and all was well.

We called Fawn Lake security. An officer came, photographed the damage and filled out a report. Because the window is double-paned, tempered glass, we felt we could continue our trip. All was well until we picked up speed on I-95 south. The shattered glass on the outside pane began breaking loose. Several trucks following had a glass shower. Before long, no vehicles were following in our lane. The inside glass pane held firm throughout the trip.

Rockahock CG is not user friendly. Signage is non-existent until arriving at the front gate. Getting to the office to register is a maze. We encountered numerous obstacles in our path. Many of our friends were already at the campground, and they welcomed us grandly. Larry H. parked us, then he and several others helped us unhook the car and hook up the coach.

Rain came in buckets at night. By morning, we were looking at water throughout the campground. Settles and Ferebees were surrounded and the road in front of our site was flooded. Days were sunny and warm, so the rain was no problem. The puddles drew swarms of mosquitoes, which drove us inside early in the evenings.

Friday we welcomed the rest of our group to the outing. We had 14 rigs for the weekend, which is about 61% of our active membership. The Welfords, Freeds, and Meserles hosted the camp out and did a wonderful job. We had omelets Saturday morning, grilled chicken Saturday night, and scrambled eggs Sunday morning. No one went hungry. Between meals folks visited, fished, shopped, rode bikes, walked, swam in the pool, etc. It was a great relaxing and fun time.

Being with good friends is ninety percent of camping. The group got the weekend off to a great start with happy hour and then dinner at a restaurant at the campground. The restaurant was disappointing. We had been there before, and it was terrific. We do not know if it had new owners, but the menu, ambiance, service and food preparation were all sub-par. We enjoyed being together for dinner, but we would not recommend the restaurant.

We were excited to welcome our daughter Karen to camp with us. She arrived Friday and stayed through Sunday. This was her first time "camping" with the motor home. She has been with us in Florida, but it is not the same. On Sunday she had first hand experience unhooking the coach, emptying the tanks, and hooking up the car. She seemed to enjoy herself, and she said she would do it again another time.

Leaving Sunday was not a problem. Traffic was heavy on I-95, but it moved well. We took our time and reached Route 3 in time to stop for a late lunch at Spotsy Mall. The parking is easy and Logan's has good food. Karen joined us, and we enjoyed a good meal together.

Our next outing is in July, unless we take the coach to Georgia before then. We have to repair the window, the bedroom AC, and the mount for the washer/dryer. That will take some time. We plan to have our grandchildren with us at the July camp out. That will be a totally different dynamic.