Wednesday, May 7, 2014

Tanglewood Park Campground, Clemmons, NC


Date of Stay:  Tuesday May 6, 2014 (1 night)

Rate:  $31/night

Website:  Tanglewood Park CG
   4061 Clemmons Road
   Clemmons, NC 27012
   336-703-6494

Description:  Reviewed earlier here.  This is a great stop along I-40 at exit 182 with FHU (50A) and cable.  We were on site 1 which is paved and level.  Be sure to call ahead to reserve a level site since about half of them are not usable for any rv.  This is a full service Forsyth County Park with much to offer.  I really like the two mile paved multi-use trail that winds around in the forest.  (Look for CG signs when you exit from I-40.  Using the address in your GPS will take you to the park office instead.)

Activities:  This was just a stop over for us but next time, we plan to stay a couple of nights.  I enjoyed a bike ride on the trail in the evening and a jog in the morning before hitting the road.  I only saw one deer this time.  The horses were being moved from the stables to the pasture for the evening as I peddled by.

Trash and Recycle:  Dumpster in the back corner of the cg but several trash cans amongst the campsites.  A recycle can is at the bathhouse for cans and plastic bottles.

Tanglewood Park CG
Tanglewood Park CG site 1  Tanglewood Park CG site 1
Site 1
Stable horses at Tanglewood Park  Tanglewood Park Stables
Horses at the stable

Tuesday, May 6, 2014

River Plantation RV Park, Sevierville, TN


Date of Stay: Tuesday April 22 – Tuesday May 6, 2014 (14 nights)

Rate:  $34/night (rally discount)

Website:  River Plantation RV Park
   1004 Parkway
   Sevierville, TN 37862
   865-429-5267

Description:  Reviewed earlier here.  We stayed on site 429 which is a back-in on the Little Pigeon River.  Sites are FHU 50A with cable.  They recently paved the outer loop of roadway which helps a lot with dust.  This is a very commercial area but we were here to enjoy a week with our friends Tricia, Dan, Nancy and Bill and then a week with the RV-Dreams Rally.  We attended a Dreamers Rally here three years ago and this park is a great place for a big get together.

Activities:  We arrived a week before the Rally so that we could enjoy some time in the Great Smoky Mountains with T&D and B&N.  I enjoyed hiking with them on the Abram’s Falls Trail near Cade’s Cove.  We also did about 9 miles of the Appalachian Trail between Clingman’s Dome and Newfound Gap.  Meeting several through-hikers on the trail was inspirational.  Tricia, Gin and I rode through Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail one day and on another day, B&N took the four of us to Gatlinburg to sample some moonshine at the Ole Smoky Distillery.  We all enjoyed campfires at B&N’s signature site and later at Howard and Linda’s.  Since we had already been to a couple other RV-Dreams Rallies, we didn’t go to very many of the seminars.  We did however, enjoy the evening meals and entertainment.  The closing night was Kentucky Derby themed since H&L are great fans of the race so everyone wore Derby hats.  If we are in the area for fun and not for a rally, we probably would not stay here again.  We found a nice park that is quieter and geared more for adults at Up the Creek RV Camp.  It is closer to the Smokies too. 

Trash and Recycle:  A few dumpsters throughout the park.  No recycle in the area.

River Plantation site 429  River Plantation site 429
River Plantation site 429

Bill crossing the creek on the way to Abrams Falls  Dan, Tricia and Bill on Abrams Falls Trail
Hiking to Abram’s Falls
Bleeding Heart along the trail  Trilium along the trail
Sweet Betsy along the trail
Wild flowers along the way… bleeding heart, trillium and Sweet Betsy
Tricia and Nancy at Abrams Falls  Dan at Abrams Falls
Tricia and Nancy at Abram’s Falls                   Dan at Abram’s Falls
The parking lot at Abrams Falls Trail  Dan, Tricia and Nancy after the hike
Horses took their own trail there                  Nice bridge at the start/end of the trail

Dan and Tricia  Bill and Nancy
Dan and Tricia…           Bill and Nancy from the parking lot of Clingman’s Dome
Bill, Tricia and Dan on way to Observation Tower at Clingmans Dome  Dan and Bill at the Observation Tower
Spiral to the Tower  Dan and Bill near the top
Going up to the Observation Tower at Clingman’s Dome
Western View from the Tower  Tower spiral
Dan looking out from the Tower  Pigeon Forge from the Tower
Some gorgeous views from the Observation Tower!
Bill and Dan on the Appalacian Trail  Dan admiring flowers on the Appalacian Trail
The Appalachian Trail
Trail Magic offer a break to the real hikers
Trail Magic for the through-hikers

Syl, Gin and Tricia along the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail  Roaring Fork Creek
Syl, Gin and Tricia along the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail
Gin and Syl at Clingmans Dome parking lot
Gin and Syl at Clingman’s Dome parking lot

Registration at the Rally  Gin, Peg, Michelle, Bill, Nancy and Linda Kendall at the Pot Luck Dinner
Rally registration                                        Pot Luck Dinner
Derby Hats... Nancy, Linda Kendall and Bill  Gin and Syl who are absolutely hysterical
Derby Hats…  Nancy, Linda K and Bill                        Syl and Gin