Day 1 Sunday June 11, 2023 We departed with our grandsons Jackson and Levi at 2PM for 7 day stay at Twin Lakes RV Resort in Chocowinity N.C. About 90 miles from home.
When we got into Washington there was a detour on our route about ¼ mile before our turn that our GPS didn't tell me about or detour me around. Levi was riding in the navigator's seat (passenger seat) so he found a route using Google Maps on his iPhone.
We arrived and got everything setup about 6PM on site B15. This place has a nice setting, lots of tall pine and oak trees and water canals where the people that have boats can get out into the river. It appears that 95% or more of the sites are occupied by what we call seasonal or full timers that never pull their RVs off the site. We don't normally stay at a campground like this but we didn't know this one was like this. Most of the places here are well kept and not as junky as some we have seen that have a lot of full timers in it.
We set up our Clam which is a six sided screened in enclosure so Jackson could set his tent up inside it. Our couch in the motorhome makes into a queen size bed but Jackson said Levi takes up the entire bed when we sleeps so he wanted to sleep in his tent. He has a air mattress a battery powered fan and a sleeping bag so he will be as snug as a bug in a rug.
The boys went to the lake to fish awhile before dark. Jackson caught a nice size bass.
The campground has a couple of paved streets and some have gravel but the remainder are dirt like our street and it need scraping to fill in all the potholes. The parking area on the sites are also dirt. We are of the opinion that a “resort” should have paved streets and a paved or concrete parking for the RV, But it seems more and more campground are tacking on the word resort to their name. They do have easy water access here with at least two boat ramps, two lakes and three swimming pools and a game room. But you have to pay to use any of the games in the game room, like pool or Foosball. There is no cable TV access and if you want to use their WiFi the cheapest package is $5.95 a day for 5MB of data. We have our own internet service in the motorhome now and don't need to use the campground service.
Day 2 Monday June 12, 2023 After breakfast the boys went to the game room but it is closed on Monday. I worked on Lena's bicycle that has a flat rear tire. The tube had a hole in a weak spot in the tube. The boys fished for awhile then we left and went into Washington to Walmart for a new bicycle tube and Jackson and Levi bought some more fishing gear. Then we went to Franks Pizza and Italian Restaurant for lunch. They had good reviews. The parking lot was full and we had to wait for a parking spot to open up before we could park. The pizza was the best we have had in a long time.
Later I was outside snacking on some roasted peanuts and one of the many squirrels must have smelled them because he came up real close to me and gave me a “look”. So I tossed one on the ground and he grabbed it and hopped up on the fire ring to eat it.
A thunderstorm that lasted about 30 minutes rolled through about 7:30PM.
Day 3 Tuesday June 13, 2023 I had a hankering for a Latte so we went back to Washington to try the Giddy-Up Coffee House. It was not near as good as the reviews said it was, at least the Lattes we had anyway. Then we drove over to the waterfront to tour the North Carolina Estuarium facility. A nice facility that explains what a estuary is. We found out the Tar and Pamilico River is actually the same river. The Tar River is the fresh water end and the Pamilico is the salt water end and where they meet is what is called an estuary or as we have always heard it called “brackish water”.
We wanted to take the 1.5 hour boat ride out into the river but it was full today so we signed up for the Thursday trip.
We returned to the campground and grilled pork chops and cooked squash and zucchini for lunch.
Later the boys went to the game room and then Jackson fished for awhile and caught a popcorn sunfish.
Day 4 Wednesday June 14, 2023 After a hardy breakfast we decided to checkout the Goose Creek State Park and campground that is located on the banks of the Pamilico River. The RV campground is small with only 22 sites and 6 cabins but the sites are spacious and all are full hookup and have gravel ground cover. It appeared that all the trees where cut down when they made the campground. There was not one bit of shade and the small trees that had started growing has been burned for some reason. There is a camp host here but with only 22 sites they can't have much to do.
As we were riding through the park we saw the most turtles sitting on logs over the roadside ditches.
Since we were only about 6 miles from Bath we drove there before returning to our campground. Lena and I stayed in a Bed and Breakfast in Bath or Belhaven, we can't remember which, on a short trip we took on our thirteenth wedding anniversary (a long time ago). We visited the visitor center/museum then rode around the small town. We tried to find the B&B we stayed at but never did.
We returned to the campground had lunch and the boys went fishing again.
Day 5 Thursday June 15, 2023 Today we went back to the NC Estuarium to take a 1.5 hour pontoon boat ride on the Pamilco and Tar River with Captain Bill. He pointed out several things on the river including the railroad track that has a swinging bridge that is closed so the train can pass over the river twice a day. We passed an island that is named Castle Island where there was a factory that crushed oyster shells into lime for cement. Years ago there were two goats placed on the island to keep the underbrush under control but when Hurricane Floyd flooded the area in 1999 and washed away the goats they were not replaced.
Along the trip we saw two deer, one swam across the Tar River behind our boat, and also saw two Bald Eagles. I was surprised to not see any alligators. Captain Bill said he had not seen one in the 19 years he has been doing the boat tours. We had perfect weather for the boat trip.
After our boat trip we finished our trip it was almost 2PM so we decided that a Mexican lunch was in order so we went to El Marichia Mexican Restaurant for lunch. Then we returned to the campground.
Day 6 Friday June 16, 2023 Today was the first day that we had not driven back to Washington. We had to take the detour every time we went to Washington because the bridge that would take us right into town across the river from the campground was still closed for repairs. We didn't do much today. The boys fished some but didn't have much luck. We got a quick rain shower late in the afternoon.
Day 7 Saturday June 17, 2023 The “Resort” finally gave us something free. We got a free six course (pancakes, two kinds of donut holes, two kinds of mini cupcakes and finger sausage) breakfast this morning.
There was a car show in the “resort” this morning. The old cars started arriving about 8AM. There was a 1916 Ford (that is 107 years old) a 1967 Chevrolet Camero Convertible that was the 1967 Pace Car for the 1967 Indianapolis 500 car race and several other nice vehicles. There was even a 1954 Chevrolet Belair. The first car I ever drove was a 1954 Chevrolet.
After lunch Levi and I played cards. I beat him in Rummy and War and he beat me in Blackjack.
The “resort” has a trailer pulled by a tractor for their Wet and Wild trailer ride. They rode around the campground with several young and a few adults in it with water squirt guns trying to wet anyone they saw.
We packed up everything outside that we c
ould for our departure tomorrow in case it rains tonight.
Day 8 Sunday June 18, 2023 After breakfast we finished packing up and headed for home about 10AM and arrived at 12 Noon. As Lena predicted the bridge over the Pamilco River that had been closed all week was open this morning.
We had a good week with the grandsons and great weather.
