Our Location: Oakdale Campground, Quincy, Ohio
A very cold night, 21F/-6C with puddles freezing over and a very crisp morning. Lucky we are below a hill and aren't getting the slight breeze that is blowing. We are quite protected. The day promises to warm up in to the low 40's F/ 4 - 6C today and stay that way for the next couple of days. So we're okay with that, a bit of rain and perhaps some snow mixed in tomorrow but that's okay too. It won't stay and before long it will be spring here too.
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| This cute little cabin is across the driveway from us... |
We ran both the heater and the furnace for a while late last night and again this morning and managed the night without any heat at all. Not too bad in the Igloo either. I woke this morning around 7 am and noticed the lightness outside and sure enough the sun has come out and very few if any clouds in the sky.
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| Some seasonal spots...... |
We did our morning things, reading, commenting, hot drinks, etc. We've decided to rest today as yesterday's drive was a bit longer and wetter than we like. We do however have a few things we want to do before we leave.
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| Interesting cabin here... |
We headed out for a walk around the park to kind of get an idea of what there is to see, where the dump station is located as we will be using that before we leave and just have an overall idea of what the park is like. My first impression was more correct than I realized. It's a very nice park, well located, and I'm sure in the summer is quite charming and busy. The area above the hill is very well kept with grass cut and things all picked up and put away properly. A few 'cluttered' spots as you head down the hill and then a few more the closer you get to the river. There are a few that are quite derelict and really should be cleaned up or removed. There are some very nice spots as well, well maintained, planted, and in good repair. You can see pride of ownership in them which is what is needed in places like this.
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| More seasonal spots. Can see us in the bottom right? We're parked on that fella's driveway. |
The park is basically built on a hill, hillside and river bottom. The Miami River flows east to west at this point. The current appears quite strong and evidence of recent flooding is easily seen. The flooding spread over the banks quite a few feet and moved some unanchored decks around to new locations, along with picking up some debris, both man made and natural which it deposited in a few spots.
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| The outdated but clean bathhouse...rust from the water marks the showers... |
Loads of fresh gravel, as well as fresh grading is evident here. Some sights will need some more before they are usable due to the recent flooding. I can honestly say that except for one other site, the office is the most derelict looking building on the grounds. It's junky inside and out, which of course adds to a run down look. The patio area is too full of 'stuff' and too much stuff in the windows, storage and otherwise. Curtains on the storage area would improve the look drastically, as well as some good old fashion cleaning on the windows as well.
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| Frozen water this morning but the Miami River behind is flowing easily... |
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| That's us with that frozen puddle on the other side between us and the river. |
Across the river are some very quaint, well kept little cabins. Fresh gravel and maintenance is very evident there as well. I'm sure they have been family owned for many years and I'll bet the summer finds them bustling and well planted.
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| Looking east along the Miami River. |
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| Looking west which is the direction the river is flowing in fact, and quite rapidly too. |
Numerous rigs are stored here in their seasonal site as well as a few that are parked closely for just storage. Numerous boats of varying sizes, shapes and purposes are also stored here on the grounds. We are approx 15 miles from I-75 on the east side. According to Google there is a small town called Bellefontaine near by with pretty much what we need or at least a Walmart for groceries.
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| This deck doesn't belong here, see the hook ups under it? |
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| The office building. |
For the rest of the day we read books, napped and just enjoyed the warmth INSIDE the Igloo as it's just a bit too cool to open the door and enjoy the sunshine. Soon though we'll be doing that.
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| At the top of the hill not far from the bath house is the storage shed. |
Thanks for stopping by, hope you enjoyed your visit. Feel free to drop a comment. I appreciate them all.
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| In and out road. Looks pretty good from this vantage point. |
Until next time.... take care, be safe,
Deb
Looks like a bit of a run down park, but as long as you are in your house and comfy really does not much matter and close enough for groceries as well.
ReplyDeleteActually there are just a couple of areas that need some attention, the over all park is nice, clean, quiet, and the view of the river is wonderful. The bath house is old but very clean and you can't do much about rust in the water other than expensive filters. Except for the foul smelling and junky looking office I think the park is quite acceptable for a few days. I wouldn't want to spend the summer but I have to recant my 'wouldn't stay here again' comment.
DeleteTake care, be safe,
Deb
There are a few parks that just need some extra attention to make them feel more inviting. If they have seasonal people, we found they tend to let things run down more. They don't need us transients as much!
ReplyDeleteNice to have a good dry spot to camp and soon you will be crossing into Canada too where things will be familiar.
Travel safe and enjoy!
I agree, a little attention here and there and I think the park would satisfy the average traveler. Maybe not for long term but certainly for short stays. I think the park is actually owned by someone else and these folks just manage the park. I received a e-receipt that asked what I thought of the check in experience, etc, so I did mention the office and it's lack of appeal. I did however point out the folks were friendly and helpful and they truly were, very nice and couldn't do enough to help. Since I hadn't really walked around the park I didn't add that a few spots need some attention but I'm sure if someone is coming to check out the office they'll look around anyway. We are actually parked on a gravel driveway in front of a seasonal cabin. We're high and dry and I'm happy. We have electric and when it stops dipping below freezing I'll hook up the water. They have a dump station we'll use on the way out and I'm happy.
DeleteWe will be crossing on Saturday and are looking forward to being back on home turf.
Take care, be safe,
Deb
Deb, first off I don't know if I ever thanked you for suggesting the brake controller could be a problem on our trailer when we were having issues. We had two issues and one was the controller. The other was the sway bar that was needed. Ever since we took care of that, no more problems so a HUGE THANK YOU! :) Great pics of the park, just too bad about the office and the smoke! Nowadays it seems that people who smoke, do it outside and away from the front door, which would certainly make it better. They should think about that. Enjoy your time!
ReplyDeleteYou are more than welcome Shirley. Often times I've found that it's the last thing we think of and we often miss the obvious stuff, we seem to feel the need to look for 'less obvious' things. Glad it helped.
ReplyDeleteI agree, I thought for certain the office would just be a bit dumpy from the looks upon approaching but the it's not my park and so I would never suggest to those behind the desk but I did answer a questionaire that came attached to receipt via email and filled in the spot with the 'comments' so I'm pretty certain these folks are only managers and not owners. You can see the park is well maintained in many areas with only a few that need some attention. Like Patsy mentioned often the seasonal folks tend to have more 'stuff' and not all shiny, neatly arranged, etc, and this is very much a seasonal park. Other than the office smell and the junky appearance, the park is very nice and if they cleaned up the office, moved the smokers out and away from the door, I feel pretty certain they would increase their early spring business with so many folks heading north at this time. Oh well, it's just my own personal thoughts.
Take care, be safe,
Deb