States – Page 16 – Wandering Dawgs

Throwback Thursday #6 – September 12, 2015

September 12, 2019Posted in RVing, VirginiaTagged Claytor Lake State Park, fifth wheel camping, Memories, Throwback Thursday, White Tail Deer11 Comments

We’re not traveling as much in our fifth wheel anymore so I thought it would be fun to relive some of our most memorable days from previous RV trips.

On this day four years ago, September 12 2015. we were camping at Claytor Lake State Park, Virginia, one of our favorite state park campgrounds. Our daughter lives nearby and we enjoyed the fall beauty of the park when we weren’t enjoying spending time with her family.

It’s always fun to be somewhere and have an unexpected event taking place. Four years ago today, the Claytor Lake Triathlon was going on. I walked over to the lake to watch some of the race.

20150912Claytor-Lake-Triathlon-(47) — Ready, set , go!

20150912Claytor-Lake-Triathlon-(53) — Swimmers in the 2015 Claytor Lake Triathlon

Swimmers heading for the beach at Claytor Lake

I enjoyed walking the trails in the state park every morning. One morning I spotted white tailed deer in the woods.

20150914Claytor-Lake-Deer-(11) — White tailed deer at Claytor Lake State Park, VA

We enjoyed Claytor Lake so much we have camped there multiple times. There’s more about this stay at A few days in the Appalachian Mountains of Virginia.

Last week’s Throwback Thursday was interrupted by Hurricane Dorian. After waiting on pins and needles for several days to see where it was going to go, we decided not to evacuate. The center of the storm passed offshore about 80 miles east of us at about 8 p.m. on Wednesday, September 4, 2019. The wind gusts were strong at times but we had no damage and no flooding. Other than some yard cleanup we were fine and only lost power for 18 minutes. Our neighborhood had no major damage and for that I am very grateful.

The Bahamas did not fare so well. Please keep the Bahamian people in your prayers. It will be a long time before many of them will be able to recover from the devastation Dorian caused there.

Throwback Thursday #4 – August 22, 2009

August 22, 2019August 20, 2019Posted in RVing, Tourist Attractions, WisconsinTagged brewery, Good Old Potosi Beer, National Brewery Museum and Library, Potosi Brewery, Potosi Brewfest11 Comments

Welcome to #4 in my Throwback Thursday series of flashbacks to memorable days from our past RV trips.

Flashback to ten years ago, August 22, 2009. We were camping at Grant River Corps of Engineers park in Potosi, Wisconsin, across the Mississippi River from Iowa.

Potosi, Wisconsin side of the MIssissippi River looking toward Dubuque, Iowa

After spending the previous day exploring across the Mississippi River in Iowa, we stayed close to our campsite and enjoyed lunch in the outdoor beer garden at the Potosi Brewery in Potosi, Wisconsin (population 711 in 2009). The National Brewery Museum is located at the brewery.

20090822Potosi — Outdoor beer garden in front of the brewery

20090822Potosi-(7) — Springs at the Potosi Brewery

20090822Potosi-(3) — Natural Spring Water used to brew Potosi Beer

20090822Potosi-(5) — Good Old Potosi Beer

They were having their first annual Brewfest that day which brought lots of people into town.

20090822Potosi-(10) — The town was set up for the The First Annual Brewfest

20090822Potosi-(13) — The town was set up for the The First Annual Brewfest

We enjoyed a Good Old Potosi beer with lunch and bought a Growler to take with us. Sadly, the bottle is long gone and I never even took a picture of it!

Throwback Thursday #3 – August 15, 2007

August 15, 2019August 13, 2019Posted in Nature, RVing, South Carolina, WaterfallsTagged Issaquenna Falls, Oconee State Park, Scenic drives, Stumphouse Tunnel, Throwback Thursday, Walhalla Fish Hatchery14 Comments

Welcome to #3 in my series of flashbacks to memorable days from our RV trips.

Flashback to twelve years ago, on August 15, 2007. After a three month RV trip from Georgia to the west coast, we weren’t ready to sit still yet. With 100 degree heat at home, we decided to escape to Mountain Rest, South Carolina to beat the heat. Our campsite was at Oconee State Park in the South Carolina Upcountry about 30 minutes from the Georgia state line in one direction and the North Carolina state line in another direction.

August 15 was our first full day camping at the park. We started the day by wandering around the state park.

20070815Oconee-State-Park-(11)-close — Lake in Oconee State Park, SC

20070815Oconee-State-Park-(16) — Oconee State Park, SC

20070815Oconee-State-Park-(6) — Water Wheel at Oconee State Park, SC

We took a scenic drive to nearby Issaqueena Falls and the Stumphouse Tunnel.

The falls are named after Issaqueena, an Indian Maiden who fell in love with David Francis, a silversmith who lived in what is now the town of Ninety Six, South Carolina. After she learned that her tribe planned a surprise attack on the settlement, Issaqueena warned the settlers there. Angry at her for warning the settlers, her tribe tracked her down. To escape, she jumped over the falls and hid on a ledge behind the water. The warriors thought she was dead and gave up the search.

200708152Issaqueena-Falls-(25) — Issaqueena Falls

200708152Issaqueena-Falls-(13) — Issaqueena Falls

The Stumphouse Tunnel also has an interesting story. The railroad wanted to connect Charleston, SC with the midwest so they began building the tunnel in 1852. The tunnel goes about 1600 feet into the mountain but was never finished.

200708153Stumphouse-Tunnel-(13) — The Stumphouse Tunnell was never finished

At the Walhalla Fish Hatchery we saw thousands of trout of all different sizes.

200708153Walhalla-Fish-Hatchery-(1) — Walhalla Fish Hatchery, SC

200708153Walhalla-Fish-Hatchery-(3) — Walhalla Fish Hatchery, SC

We camped at Oconee State Park a few more days and continued to explore the area not only in South Carolina but also in North Carolina and Georgia. We discovered scenic drives, more waterfalls, good restaurants, and mountain trails.

200708152Issaqueena-Falls-(6) — Wandering Dawgs at Issaqueena Falls, SC, August 15, 2007

Throwback Thursday #2 – August 8, 2006

August 8, 2019September 15, 2019Posted in National Parks, Nature, RVing, Tourist Attractions, Waterfalls, Wildlife, WyomingTagged Bison, Fifth Wheel, Old Faithful, Scenic drives, Throwback Thursday, Yellowstone National Park8 Comments

We’re not traveling as much in our fifth wheel anymore so I thought it would be fun to relive some of our most memorable days from previous RV trips.

Flashback to our first RV trip in the summer of 2006. On this day 13 years ago, August 8, 2006, the Wandering Dawgs were enjoying the wonders of Yellowstone National Park, America’s first national park.

That day we watched Old Faithful erupt and drove the Lower Loop Road where we saw Bison herds (American Buffalo), waterfalls, and spectacular scenery. It was one of our most memorable days from all of our RV travels.

Bison in Yellowstone National Park (Wyoming)

Lower Yellowstone Falls in Yellowstone National Park (Wyoming)

20060808Yellowstone-Lower-Loop-Rd-(20) — Waterfall along Yellowstone Lower Loop Road

20060808Yellowstone-(23) — View on Lower Loop Road, Yellowstone National Park

20060808Yellowstone-Lower-Loop-Rd-(28) — Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming

20060808Yellowstone-Lower-Loop-Rd-(51) — Bison at Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming

20060808Yellowstone-(7) — Wandering Dawgs at Old Faithful Geyser in Yellowstone National Park in 2006

We spent about a week camping outside of Yellowstone National Park and spent most of those days exploring the park.

Throwback Thursday – August 1, 2013

August 1, 2019September 15, 2019Posted in Alaska, Glaciers, RVing, TravelTagged Fifth Wheel, Memories, Throwback Thursday, Valdez14 Comments

I originally started the Wandering Dawgs blog as a way to keep friends and family updated as we traveled from Georgia to Alaska in 2013. Six years later, the blog is still going strong. We’re not traveling as much in our RV anymore so I thought it would be fun to relive some of our most memorable days from previous RV trips.

On this day six years ago, August 1, 2013, we were nearing the end of our stay in Alaska. That day, we drove from Glacier View, Alaska, to Valdez, our last major Alaska destination. I remember that drive was one of the most spectacular drives of our Alaska journey.

There were mountains and glaciers along the way.

20130801Day-78Glacier-View-to-Valdez-(4) — On to drive to Valdez

We could see Worthington Glacier from the highway about 30 miles from Valdez

We had lunch with a view.

We had lunch at Willow Lake with a view of Mount Wrangell

As we got close to Valdez we descended a long steep grade through Keystone Canyon and saw jaw dropping scenery as we drove by. We couldn’t stop while towing the fifth wheel so I took these waterfall phtotos the next day when we drove back up the highway for a closer look.